Trains on the Brain Savour the journey & travel by train

Here’s the second post in my Rail Canadian Romance series, brought to you by the kind folks at: Canadian Tourism Commission, Quebec Tourism, Via Rail and Fairmont Hotels.

First impressions

Touching down in Montreal is a culturally disorientating experience. On the one hand there is all the excitement of arriving in North America, especially for a Europe-locked little landlubber likes me. It’s all those little bog-ordinary things that make me squeal with unseemly delight, and which residents and seasoned visitors probably take for granted:

Red fire hydrants! Fire escapes! Steam rising mysteriously from drains! Smoke pluming out from chimneys on the horizon! Skyscapers – all lit up at night and everything!  The sheer size and ‘screw you’ blockiness of the buildings and the yawning spaces allowed to exist between them. It all makes me wanna holler, ‘Pinch me Ma, I’ve made it to the New World!’

But of course I didn’t, what kinda crazy do you take me for?  Alongside all this apparent Americanness, your senses are bamboozled by a Francophonic onslaught. I was surprised at just how French the city was, though I was expecting it in Quebec City. Billboards, signs, announcements and the people themselves – all unabashedly Francophone. Of course English is spoken widely and even the most pathetic venture of je voudrais is welcomed without scorn.

Uncharacteristically 'old' looking Montreal street

Montreal’s main claim to old world charm is the Old Port area, where we began our stay at the uber slick design hotel (Canada’s first) Hotel St Paul. It’s certainly an attractive quartier, home to many swish art galleries, many of the city’s best restos, bakeries and boutique hotels, but its oldness is a matter of perspective. Yes, you will find charming Victorian streetlights and the odd stonewalled building here and there on cobbledy wobbledy alley ways, but for the most part it’s an expansive grid of high and wide early 20th century commercial architecture.

Weather report

The next thing requiring adjustment is the weather of course. I can’t tell you how many hours of my life I spent in outdoor outfitters agonising over the breathability of microfleeces and wind resistance of anoraks before I left, but really I needn’t have worried so. Canadians regularly told us that this was a mild winter (again a sense of relativity helps here!) and indeed the worst we endured was around minus 20 with wind chill, most days -5 was all we had to contend with.

But Canada’s climate in February brings certain new sensations to your spectrum of experience – ‘how can it be so freakin’ cold while the sun is also blinding me?’ became a well worn phrase. Most of all you feel it on your face.  I’d been forewarned about nose freeze by expat Montreal resident Anne Kostalas, but it still didn’t quite prepare me for the experience, likewise the sudden crispy frosting over of my moustache.

Walkabouts

Crucially the weather was not enough to deter some aimless wandering on foot, always my favourite past time in a new city. Montreal has some fantastically vibrant and interesting neighbourhoods to explore. Even regular residential streets with little on them besides houses reward visitors, especially if you’re a fan of colourful and distinctive architecture as many of the house boast elegant balconies and exterior staircases.

Montreal street, Mile End

Mile End was definitely a personal favourite. It’s undeniably hip, but in an unmannered, ‘shabby chic’ sort of way. It’s packed with interesting vintage clothes stores, cool cafes and lively bars ripe with people watching opps. I liked the fact that many of the shop and resto signs appear to have been unchanged for decades. Many of the city’s most famous foodie meccas can be found in the neighbourhood too – Schwartz’s Deli for smoked meat sarnies and both Fairmont and St Viateur Bagel shops.

St Viateur Bagel shop, Montreal

Eye catching fancy dress shop in Mile End

A pair of shifty-looking scenesters outside popular hang out, Cafe Olimpico

Casa del Popolo, a cool music venue which does a mean (and budget friendly) veggie burrito.

I love this. James Bond Boulevard, which is just off St Urbain, well where else?

A few blocks further north lies Little Italy and Jean Talon food market (more on that in a future post). Unsurprisingly Little Italy contains a generous dollop of Italian restaurants, pizzarias and delis, though our timing was clearly off as most seemed shut when we made it there one late afternoon. Besides Jean Talon, my best find in the area was probably this church which I managed to catch gleaming with Catholic splendour in the freezing sun.

Little Italy church, Montreal

Getting around

Montreal has an impressive public transport system with a metro network branching out vertically north-south and bus routes radiating east – west.  A recent addition is the airport bus which makes multiple stops along downtown areas and takes between 30-60 minutes. It’s fantastic value as the $7 ticket can also be used for a full 24 hour period on the metro and buses.

The Metro was built in the 60s for the World’s Fair Expo and it certainly bears all the hallmarks of that era with its broad archways and liberal use of utlitarian concrete.  More of an effort has been made to brighten up some stations, such as this one below at Villa Maria. It’s also incredibly well heated, with the smell of warm rubber often wafting your way as you enter it’s insulated doors!

Underground Art Scene

The metro ties up with the world’s biggest network of underground passageways which allow many Montrealers the luxury of shopping, dining out and generally getting about without needing to brave the elements. The Underground City, as it’s often called, may not be quite as exciting as the name suggests but it is bright, clean and very well maintained. While we there for the annual winter cultural jamboree that is the Highlights Festival there was also an extensive programme of visual art installations popping up, such as these intriguing wax stalagmites.

Even with four days in the city you feel like you are barely scratching the surface. There’s really so much to Montreal that I’m just going to have to break off here and come back for a second installment. Stick around for that would you,  there’s a chap?

Need to find a budget friendly stay there? Check out HostelBookers for hostels in Montreal.

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