Montreal Travel

On the East Coast, there are only a few options for high intensity city vacations: NYC and Montreal. For the outdoors types, there's Maine. While reading the big Paris blog and the Médoc blog are a must, don't forget your required reading before crossing the border" F---NoMontreal.

I love the racing flags strung up between buildings in Old Montreal [as in below from here], though it's hard to just slow down and walk slowly through any part of Montreal.

Be sure to go to:
--Au Kouign Amann for the incredible raspberry fruit mix drink, sold in little cups
--Big in Japan bar on St Laurent for the Jamaican mule after going to Patata Patati for poutine or a slider
--McGill Music school free concerts
--Chai Tea Lounge on Parc for the raspberry scones and poppy flower extract macarons [called coquelicot in French, a rather unique thing to the culture]
--Wilensky for their famous sandwich and homemade cherry cola
--To see churches like Notre Dame, Mary Queen of the World, St John the Baptist, St Michael's Polish Byzantine church
--Go to the museum by the water for changing exhibitions on ancient world artifacts and the see the Paul Peel painting in the Museum of Fine Arts while you look through which exhibits are on currently
--Mamie Clafoutis by MetroSherbrooke for its apricotine, Breton canelé, pistachio-choc croissant and clafoutis
--Going through the vintage stuff at Eva B
--Getting an almond cookie in Chinatown, looking at the Kawaii store and the Chinese clothes/tea set/statue stores, getting a watermelon bubble tea, going to the new fancy Chinese pastry place for coconut-filled 'melon pan' buns, seeing the downstairs fish tanks and great little altar at the fish store
--Looking at the many Asian statue/decor stores in Old Montreal
--Getting a rosemary bagel at St Viateur Bagels
--Get cucumber sandwiches and a scone at Salon Cardinal Tea Room