Mont Royal

 

A 45 minutes hike will bring you on top of Mont Royal. It isn't very high so don't expect a breath taking view, but it's a lot of fun to walk up there while remembering you are at the center of a big city.

Lac des Castor - Beaver Lake

 

Renting ice skating shoes will cost you 8$ for 2 hours. It was my first time skating on a real frozen lake.

Poutine, calories to fight the cold

If I were to describe Poutine, a typical Canadian dish, you would probably not want to try it out. Poutine is made of french fries covered with gravy sauce and unmelted cheese. If you were to see it, you would probably still not be very tempted. Let's be honest, it looks disgusting :

La poutine classique

It is much more tempting when you are escaping negative temperatures and are hungry . It also looks better in real than on that pictures.  

Poutine making me happy

La Banquise

 My friend tool me to La Banquise on the Plateau, known to make the best poutine in Montreal.

La Banquise, 994, Rachel Est, Montréal

Le vieux Montreal and Saint Laurent River

Walking by the Saint-Laurent river made me feel like in a video game, with the unusual architecture and the desolate appearance he old industrial warehouses covered with snow.

My "Spring" break in Montreal

View from the bus before the Canadian border, a taste of the weather outside

I took a bus to Montreal that stopped 4 times (NY, Albany, 2 stops in lost places in the state of New  York). Overall, it took more than 11 hours because the bus got stuck for an hour in a small road. I also had to go through the Canadian customs. NB. They are not super nice, kind of scary and aggressive "Where you going?", "How long and why?" -- "It's my spring break" -- "Ok, but Why are you coming and where are you staying?" They play their role really well.

First day, walking towards Old City and walking through downtown area

My first snowy China Town

I bought a dollar pair of socks in China Town, my feet felt better (it wasn't that cold though). 

Old City

Le Vieux Montreal, is on the coast of the Saint-Laurent River. A lot of restaurant looked tempting but I guess the area is touristy and so it is pricy to eat there. Instead I headed back towards China Town, it's very close to Old City and better priced.

I then walked to the Plateau, near the station Mont Royal. It's a nice area to walk through,  with the cute little shops, cafes and colorful front buildings. There is a nice atmosphere, especially with the snow. There are also a lot of thrift stores (some of them of the expensive type, which is annoying) and restaurants. 

One of the tagged houses on the Plateau

Montreal is famous for its Dépanneur, a French word that litterally means "repairman" but in Canada means convenience store. They resemble New York delis. 

Top of the rock.! Well, almost

It's definitely worth taking the time to go up city hall's tower. The observatory in itself is not very impressive, it's quite small, but you get to admire the nice view of Philadelphia's skyscrapers. Taking the elevator is also an interesting experience (I wouldn't advise if you tend to be claustrophobic though) because you get to see the structure of the tower from the inside, which is a perfect opportunity to notice the late XIXth century style. It reminded me of the Eiffel tower's old elevator.

If you are still hesitant to go, just remember that you get to see William Penn from under; I don't really know why it's supposed to be a cool thing.

Go to the visitor's center and pay the 5$ the tour costs, get your super cool orange "Tower Visitor" sticker and follow the instructions. City Hall, from the inside, is a little surrealistic... it still looks stuck in the early XXieth century. You must first go to the 7th floor, which is completely empty (no people, no noise), probably why you feel like going back in time. The guideline asking you to "follow the red line" maintains that overall impression. You finally reach the elevator, if you have to wait there is a mini exhibit about the building (the tone of the exhibit is a bit too emphatic, things more or less stating Philly's City Hall is "undeniably the most impressive building built for the people".)