Make sure you start with Part 1 of Montreal, Canada here
Day 2 in Montreal & The Best View in Town
The following day had an overcast of clouds, and rain, but this didn’t stop me from my mission of venturing to the very top of Montreal.
Before starting the adventure, I returned to my car and noticed the door was half-open.
Looking inside, I noticed that someone had unlocked the door, and started looking for things to steal.
Fortunately, all I had were basic car manuals in the front, and the potential thief didn’t bother checking the trunk of the car which had more valuable assets.
Regardless, after a quick re-organization of my car, I hopped back on my scooter and started the adventure to the top of Montreal.
A Nice Ride Through the Park
I first did a quick tour through one of the local parks in town, which featured ducks regenerating after a brief morning breakfast, along with various monuments dedicated to French-Canadian history.
A Stream of Thoughts From The Top of the Royal Mountain
Here would be the most amazing view of the city, and the view that most people would probably remember Montreal by.
Only up here did I realize the enormous size of Montreal, and how much territory I would need to cover to really get a grasp of the city, while at the same time, planning my next points of interest to visit.
A fascinating perspective was to distinguish between the different generations of buildings that had been erected.
You could see everything; from the University of Montreal built centuries ago, to the hotels constructed 100 years ago, to the very boring and minimalist office complexes of the ’60s and ’70s, into the newer generation of tall and narrow glass-covered gentrified apartments that feature rooms the size of closets, while offering pools, gyms, and stores as concessions for their inhabitants.
Visiting the top of Montreal was one of the highlights of this trip.
Back Down Towards The Cemeteries
At this point, I managed to arrange a date with a local girl in Montreal, so it was time to speed my way back to the hostel.
As you go down the mountain, you venture through green parks and eventually exit through a backend road that is overshadowed by a massive cemetery.
I’ve visited many cemeteries on my adventures, from the cemeteries in Buenos Aires in Argentina to Samarkand in Uzbekistan to Sao Paulo in Brazil and Mexico City.
Each has its distinctive cultural design to commemorate the passing of loved ones.
But also the sheer scale of these cemeteries is eye-opening, with each tombstone featuring something unique to read, observe or take note of.
Extravagant Homes in Montreal
As I made my way back to the hostel, I crossed into the territory of the upper class with their extravagantly large homes, perfectly trimmed gardens, and cars that were safely tucked away in their 2 or 3-space garages.
Eventually, I made it back to my hostel, dropped off my scooter for charging, and went on a date for the rest of the evening with a Persian girl from Iran who now lives in Montreal.
After this, I concluded the evening by going on a date.
Montreal As a Pedestrian City
The third day of exploring Montreal consisted of pure sunshine and discovery.
The other side of town had several points of interest I wanted to visit, including the Jacques Cartier Bridge, Saint Helens Island with its amusement park, the Island of Notre Dame, and even the Olympic stadium.
With a fully charged scooter battery, a fully charged camera, a phone, and some sunscreen, I began the adventure.
Riding through the streets of Montreal is a lot of fun, because there are bike lanes on almost every street, thus allowing for rapid electric scooter dodging and weaving.
And one of the fascinating things I REALLY loved about Montreal was how certain streets were designated strictly for walking.
Entire roads were where people could walk casually all summer long and absorb certain parts of the city without the loud annoyances of motors, honking, and buses.
These streets would be filled with chairs for restaurants, and decorations to spice up the atmosphere. Over the 3 days that I was here, I would discover at least 5 streets like this in Montreal that were dedicated purely for walking around.
Giant Bridges, Giant Parks & Roller Coasters
Eventually venturing up onto the Jacques Cartier bridge gave a different of view Montreal. From wide esplanades for driving to the important industrial factories and cargo trains that wrap around the Saint Lawrence River.
Despite the downtown core looking like your typical financial hub and of office-related services, the factories along the Saint Lawrence River remind you of the old-world industries that fueled the lifeblood of old Montreal.
I spent the day riding across the bridge for another amazing perspective of the city, then rode onto the Island of Notre Dame for some quick scenic viewing.
Then I passed by the amusement park just to see how Quebecers entertain themselves during the summertime.
Traveling Back in Time in Midtown Montreal
Then I got back onto the bridge and made my way toward the Olympic stadium.
Passing through midtown Montreal was a blast as well.
3-story homes and businesses, with the usual schools, churches, and shops interspersed.
This felt more like your typical Toronto midtown areas, but with a lot of the rapid gentrification into new condominiums, you would see in major cities around the world.
The Spaceship Olympic Stadium of Montreal
I eventually arrived at the Olympic stadium, rode around a little bit, and sat down for a quick rest.
Montreal is the only Canadian city that has hosted the summer Olympics, and while the stadium looks absolutely beautiful with its spaceship design, the construction of the stadium put Montreal into massive amounts of debt for more than a decade.
Back To Midtown Montreal
After a couple of circles around the stadium, it was time to start making my way back to my hostel.
Along the way, I would pass through a long stretch of road that was dedicated strictly for residents and visitors to wander around restaurants, and shops and enjoy a nice sunny day in the middle of Montreal.
Night Time Adventures in Montreal
I arrived back at my hostel in the evening and took a several-hour recharge break before making one final nighttime tour of Montreal.
I quickly hopped into Old Montreal, visited the Ferris wheel at the pier, and ultimately ended up at the St. Josephs Oratory before the scooter battery reached 5% and shut off.
At this point, I casually pushed my scooter by foot back to my hostel, the remaining 7+ km, until finally passing out in my room.
Montreal As A Living Destination?
Despite only having 3 days in this wonderful city, I entertained the thought of maybe doing a 3-month staycation (living here for 3 months) in Montreal.
Montreal kept coming up in conversation among friends who mentioned it as a go-to place for longer-term stays.
I even recently had a friend commit to a 1-year lease in Montreal with his girlfriend, instead of living in Toronto.
But ultimately, these are just ideas to entertain, and perhaps they may never manifest themselves.
Either way, I really enjoyed the walkability of Montreal, especially in the summertime.
The following day, I got back into my car, and continued onto one of the founding capitals of Canada, Quebec City!
Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Leonidas
