A Few Days In Montreal. Summer 2023
It was incredibly busy with the sale and preparing the boys for school that I didn’t get a chance to post about our Montreal adventures. We spent a few days there in late August. End of summer is a nice time to visit as the major events there are over and it’s less crowded. I couldn’t get away sooner anyway. I’ve been working a lot in August due to the Modern Coup 10 Year Sale (which is still on until September 10th by the way).
Our favourite mode of transportation is the train. Ottawa to Montreal is a 2 hour ride on VIA Rail. My first born made these mini figures of us at the station waiting to board the train.
I always find the ride to be very relaxing. The seats are comfortable and roomy. It gives me time to just enjoy the scenery. It’s definitely a more efficient and nicer way to travel than flying.
This time, we walked along the Lachine Canal and then took a short bus ride to Marche Atwater. This is another well-known artisanal market in Montreal besides Marche Jean Talon, which we went to last year.
The produce is so beautiful. Vendors sell what they grow, make and select regional products from all over the province of Quebec (French Canada).
Going to a boulangerie or bakery in Montreal is such a treat. I love baguettes and the many varieties of pastries.
I’ve been using this custom coloured olive and grey Waistpack for walks, bike rides and also for my short travels. It carries all my essentials and I can roam around hands-free.
One of the main reasons for this trip for the boys is to take a new train and go to the Krispy Kreme factory. While this may not seem very exciting to our American friends, there aren’t very many Krispy Kreme factories in Canada. Montreal has a new train called the REM (Réseau express métropolitain), adding to their already extensive city train system. We were able to go to the suburb of Brossard in about 25 minutes. Taking the new train and going to a donut factory has been highly anticipated.
The boys were very excited to see donuts being made and being able to buy them fresh. They had so much fun seeing those pillowy donuts go through the fryer. We ate a dozen between us (not in one sitting). I love the originals and the lemon custard filled ones.
Well, this trip wasn’t just about getting our fill of warm pillowy sweets. We went to walk around the grounds of McGill University near downtown. My older son was wondering about what it’s like to go to university. We just wanted him to see a bit of campus life. This is the first time I’ve been here and it is a really nice campus.
No trip to Montreal is complete without going to Old Montreal and Chinatown, which are walking distance from each other. I like seeing the beautiful buildings, cafes and shops in Old Montreal.
Montreal’s Chinatown is not big, but in the small area, it is packed with restaurants and shops. It’s a good place to get a take out, Chinese pastries or a sit down meal.
What I like about Montreal’s Chinatown is that it still has the small shops that have been there for a long time. I grew up near Vancouver’s Chinatown when it was bustling in the 80’s and I loved going there. Sadly, most of the shops and restaurants are gone now. It has been replaced by high end condos and trendy restaurants.
I hope you liked the photos of this trip. I love being able to take the train to Montreal for a short vacation. Once September starts, it’s the unofficial end of summer. It’s nice to get back to a work and school routine though. Thanks for coming by! -Cat
