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Montreal Weekend Escape

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Hoptale traveler profile
brklyner

A weekend trip to explore the eclectic Montreal and its fabulous street art. #city #hike #graffiti #streetart #oldtown #weekend

couple
1st visit

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itinerary

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trip-journal-location
Montreal

Day 1 Itinerary

Places visited: Airbnb Montreal Design Apt - Cafe Nocturne - Mount Royal Park - Le Plateau-Mont-Royal - Arepera Du Plateau - Damas Restaurant

Airbnb Montreal Design Apt
Airbnb Montreal Design Apt
Airbnb Montreal Design Apt
Airbnb Montreal Design Apt
Airbnb Montreal Design Apt
Airbnb Montreal Design Apt
Airbnb Montreal Design Apt
Airbnb Montreal Design Apt
Airbnb Montreal Design Apt

Airbnb Montreal Design Apt

We loved what the owner did to renovate this two-bedroom Airbnb Plateau apt in an old house.  The apartment exterior was relatively unassuming but once we got inside, we were wowed by the elegant yet modern touch the owner put in every little detail. We wish we had some local friends we could have invited over for a dinner party at this awesome dining table.  The location of the apartment makes it a great base to explore the city on foot - we walked to most of the sites during our stay.

Breakfast at Café Nocturne
Breakfast at Café Nocturne
Breakfast at Café Nocturne
Breakfast at Café Nocturne
Breakfast at Café Nocturne

Breakfast at Café Nocturne

cute cafe for breakfast

Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal
Hike Mount Royal

Hike Mount Royal

Montreal is named after Mont Royal. It's a popular hiking/jogging/biking spot among locals. The paved paths are pretty easy but if you want more challenging trails, feel free to cut through the woods and take on steeper dirt paths. Just make sure you bring proper hiking shoes. There is a nice panoramic view of downtown Montreal once you reached the top.

Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal

Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal

Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, or simply The Plateau, is a hippy neighborhood famous for its colorful houses, bohemian aura, chill cafes, and happening nightlife. It was the main destination for our Montreal trip so we decided to rent a newly renovated Airbnb apartement in the neighbourhood. We spent a good amount of our first day exploring the neighborhood on foot. The closest analogy we can think of to describe it is a mix between "Lower East Side" and "Greenwich Village" in New York City.  One street could seem a bit dirty and grungy but the next is very quaint and upscale.  You can find a hang out spot here no matter you are a young student, an indie musician, a uber-chic yuppie, or a Portuguese old lady (the area was home to a strong Portuguese community who were mostly factory workers).  A few highlights for the neighborhood:

- For cute brownstone houses, check out Rue Drolet and Avenue Laval (btw Avenue du Mont-Royal and Square Saint-Louis). Parc Lafontaine, a square surrounded by quaint houses, is also worth a visit (reminded us a lot of Washington Square Park in NYC).

- For restaurants and cafes, Avenue Duluth (btw St Laurent and Parc Fountaine) is a cute cobblestone street filled with restaurants. We had lunch on this street for both days.  Rue Prince Arthur E is another popular restaurant street but was under heavy construction during our visit.

- The Plateau also has one of the richest collections of street art.  Half of our pictures on the trip were snapshots of creative graffitis.  Some of our favorites are "The Waves" (Ave Duluth E/Rue Saint-Denis), "The Wall of Cats" (outside Café Replika), and "The Graffiti Granny" (Boul Saint-Laurent/Ave des Pins E).

Lunch at Arepera Du Plateau
Lunch at Arepera Du Plateau
Lunch at Arepera Du Plateau
Lunch at Arepera Du Plateau
Lunch at Arepera Du Plateau
Lunch at Arepera Du Plateau
Lunch at Arepera Du Plateau

Lunch at Arepera Du Plateau

Arepera is a Venezuelian sandwich cafe. Delicious sandwiches and an exortic selection of freshly-squeezed juices. We liked Lulo and Guayaba juices - both were yummy especially Lulo!

Dinner at Damas Restaurant
Dinner at Damas Restaurant
Dinner at Damas Restaurant
Dinner at Damas Restaurant
Dinner at Damas Restaurant
Dinner at Damas Restaurant
Dinner at Damas Restaurant

Dinner at Damas Restaurant

assorted middle-east appetizers

trip-journal-location
Montreal

Day 2 Itinerary

Places visited: Le Plateau-Mont-Royal - Chez Jose Cafe - Montreal Botanical Garden - Rue Saint-Denis - Old Montreal - Maison Christian Faure - Boulevard Saint-Laurent - Bouillon Bilk - Suwu

Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal

Walk around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal

Brunch at Chez Jose Cafe

Brunch at Chez Jose Cafe

Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden

Montreal Botanical Garden

After a deliciou brunch at the quirky Chez Jose, we set out to Montreal Botanical Garden. We didn't find any plant sculptures as shown on Google Images (they must have been for a temporary exhibition).  Nevertheless, we found the insectarium inside the garden quite interesting with special exhibitions such as the live ants tree and the colorful beatles.

Shop on Rue Saint-Denis

Shop on Rue Saint-Denis

Visit Old Montreal
Visit Old Montreal
Visit Old Montreal
Visit Old Montreal
Visit Old Montreal
Visit Old Montreal
Visit Old Montreal
Visit Old Montreal
Visit Old Montreal

Visit Old Montreal

We strolled along Rue St-Denis from Square St Louis to Old Montreal (~ 20-minute walk) . It's a main commercial street filled with shops and restaurants with outdoor seating.  Old Montreal itself was a bit disappointing as we were expecting something similar to Paris. There was a lot of road construction going on at the time which didn't help with the experience either. We had a good dessert stop at Maison Christian Faure and also checked out the nearby harbor. 

Dessert at Maison Christian Faure
Dessert at Maison Christian Faure
Dessert at Maison Christian Faure
Dessert at Maison Christian Faure
Dessert at Maison Christian Faure

Dessert at Maison Christian Faure

Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Boulevard Saint-Laurent

Boulevard Saint-Laurent

a michael jackson 'tribute'

Dinner at Bouillon Bilk

Dinner at Bouillon Bilk

sweet bread with lobster

Drinks at Suwu

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