Idiotic eureka moment, Montreal = Mont Royal.
Made it to Montreal. Initial observations, it's a strange city with beautiful old stone terraced houses and buildings right next to huge communist looking apartment blocks, with a handful of tall office buildings thrown in for good measure. It's also oddly colourless, everything seems to be a shade of brown or grey which gives the city a muted look. It makes the bright pictures painted on the buildings around where we're staying stand out all the more. To be fair to the city, I in about a month once all the trees have gained back some green and start to blossom I'm sure it'll come to life.
It's pretty though, in it's own way.
But I'm jumping ahead, let's go back the beginning. We started with a flight to Vancouver, where the captain made plenty of star wars jokes (May the fourth). Then 9ish hours in Vancouver airport (started and finished one of the books I brought with me) left Vancouver 11.30 their time for a five hour flight arriving 7.30 in Montreal. That was the hardest bit, having a weird super short night on an uncomfortable plane so almost no sleep and a body that was over sitting in an upright position.
After a much needed croissant and coffee and a few phone calls, we managed to drop our bags at the office of the people who run the place we're staying. A slightly strange set up as there was no one there so they sent us the information on how to get into the building and then a code for a lock box to get into the office, but as it meant we didn't have to lug our 14 kilo bags around with us any more I was all for it.
First on the agenda was Mont Royal park to see some sun, get orientated, and use our legs again. It's a beautiful warm Sunday so turned out half of Montreal had the same idea - so many healthy people out on runs. We climbed to the chalet (many many stairs) where fantastic views of the city are to be had, the tourists were out in force. and a great group of buskers turned up to make the most of it.
Apologies for the sideways video, my phone does this and I haven't bothered to work out how to fix it.
Our accommodation is probably about what you'd expect for a place this price in this good a location. The building is old, the carpet in the hallway looks like it's out of a bad 70s mafia movie or something. The elevator is so old, slow and makes so many worrying noises I'm considering using the stairs for the 10 flights of stairs. it's also right by our apartment and every time it moves we hear noises like a Taniwha groaning. The apartment itself is alright though, clean enough and functional. Except that the only pot of any decent size is missing it's handle, so making dinner will be interesting. They buying of which had it's own challenges. Turns out using self service machines in French isn't as easy as I'd hoped. I was doing ok until it came to the fruit.
Anyway, enough rambling. Points to whoever spots the man in the fedora hat pointing back at me.
But I'm jumping ahead, let's go back the beginning. We started with a flight to Vancouver, where the captain made plenty of star wars jokes (May the fourth). Then 9ish hours in Vancouver airport (started and finished one of the books I brought with me) left Vancouver 11.30 their time for a five hour flight arriving 7.30 in Montreal. That was the hardest bit, having a weird super short night on an uncomfortable plane so almost no sleep and a body that was over sitting in an upright position.
After a much needed croissant and coffee and a few phone calls, we managed to drop our bags at the office of the people who run the place we're staying. A slightly strange set up as there was no one there so they sent us the information on how to get into the building and then a code for a lock box to get into the office, but as it meant we didn't have to lug our 14 kilo bags around with us any more I was all for it.
First on the agenda was Mont Royal park to see some sun, get orientated, and use our legs again. It's a beautiful warm Sunday so turned out half of Montreal had the same idea - so many healthy people out on runs. We climbed to the chalet (many many stairs) where fantastic views of the city are to be had, the tourists were out in force. and a great group of buskers turned up to make the most of it.
Then a casual walk following a path away from there turned into accidentally doing a full 5km loop. So first on the agenda basically was also last on the agenda, with the only other thing we had in mind to do being closed and my limit for activity on 5 hours broken sleep being up. By bed time tonight it will have been 50 hours since I was last in a bed.
Our accommodation is probably about what you'd expect for a place this price in this good a location. The building is old, the carpet in the hallway looks like it's out of a bad 70s mafia movie or something. The elevator is so old, slow and makes so many worrying noises I'm considering using the stairs for the 10 flights of stairs. it's also right by our apartment and every time it moves we hear noises like a Taniwha groaning. The apartment itself is alright though, clean enough and functional. Except that the only pot of any decent size is missing it's handle, so making dinner will be interesting. They buying of which had it's own challenges. Turns out using self service machines in French isn't as easy as I'd hoped. I was doing ok until it came to the fruit.
Anyway, enough rambling. Points to whoever spots the man in the fedora hat pointing back at me.
I see what you mean about the muted colours of the city! So interesting, but great vistas from your lookout point. Which book did you finish and how did you rate it? Maybe this could be a book review blog whilst travelling too haha. Good job surviving 50 hours without a bed. No easy task. Can't believe you're in CANADA. What THE.
ReplyDeleteSorry, only just saw this! It was the Sally Rooney one. It was really good, quite similar to Normal People.
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