Montreal & Ottawa



 






 From top to bottom: Mount Royal in Montreal, toffee apples at ByWard Market, myself inhaling one, view of Montreal from the top of Mount Royal, Parliament Building in Ottawa, squirrel pats in Montreal

They say Canada is the most similar country in the world to Australia. In my experience, that's spot on. If you ignore the fact that speaking English instead of French in Montreal earns you unimpressed glares and the unbelievably cold temperatures. But really the people are relaxed and friendly and the vibe is somewhat similar.

Montreal is absolutely beautiful in winter. Hiking up Mount Royal was an effort, particularly with the extra San Fran kilos I'd gained, but the view from the top is spectacular. The mountain is what inspired Montreal's name- if you pronounce it with a French accent you can see why. It's just outside the city, very easy to find, and not particularly busy making it a morning well spent. There's also a toasty cafe and gift store not far from the top and you can rent cross country skis if walking up about 3000 stairs isn't your cup of tea. We stayed in the HI Montreal hostel, which I would recommend to anyone on a budget. Great location and super friendly staff. 

If you do one thing in this city, visit Old Montreal. As the name suggests it's where the original city was located (literally one block away from the current one) and is filled with old buildings, cute shops and seriously delicious restaurants. In this part of town the French influence is at it's most obvious. Check out Bocata for some of the best food you'll ever have, but bring a full wallet because it doesn't come cheap.

Ottawa is the Canberra of Australia. Kind of. That's probably a bit harsh- Canberra sucks. But it's the capital and it's tiny. Any Canadian we told about our travel plans seemed to respond with "I hope you aren't staying there too long." And I understand why. It's very pretty and filled with interesting history. There's a canal to ice skate down which is packed and lots of fun, and the ByWard Market entertained us for a day especially since we found the best toffee apples in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD. Buy 5. Maybe 6. Each. The Museum of Nature was also great and the Parliament building tour was too, as was the little hostel we stayed at, which was more like a home with only 4 bedrooms, called BarefootOnce you've seen these things, that's about it. It's worth the trip and I'm really glad I went but honestly wouldn't bother going back. 

Bring gumboots, learn some basic French and buy the thickest gloves you can get your hands on. 

I can't wait to get back to Canada and see more of the breathtaking beauty it has to offer. Only this time in Spring because -20 degrees doesn't tickle the face. 





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