Montreal (Part Two)

As I've said before, my travel plan on this crazy extended trip is simple: get up whenever, find a coffee shop and work for a few hours, then just ... wander. And in my first international stop, that is exactly what I did.

My first morning in Montreal, I headed for a Starbucks (my favorite kind of branch office) in Vieux-Montreal. Old Montreal. Let me tell you, it is old and charming and beautiful. And tasty.

I ordered a latte noisette, a hazelnut latte, and it was without question the best I have ever had. Very little bitter coffee taste, nothing but rich, creamy hazelnut. And the croissant? Light, flaky, buttery. Yummmm. In some kind of lovely twist of fate the this particular Starbucks was openly connected to a Greek cafe. Of course I had to eat there. A delicious gyro au poulet, a chicken gyro, with Greek potatoes. Clearly my visit was off to a great start.

After my morning of very productive work and my tasty Greek lunch, I set out on my wander of Vieux-Montreal. I'm not sure that words can adequately capture the feel of this neighborhood, which mingles small colonial buildings with massive neoclassical institutions, all wound together with cobblestone streets, open plazas, and statues of varying kinds. I'll let the pictures tell you.

The neighborhood of my hotel was the vibrant downtown, full of shops and restaurants and tons and tons of people. That is one of the most amazing things about Montreal. The people. Almost anywhere in the city, at any time of day or night, you will find people. Everywhere I went I felt entirely safe.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think most places are entirely safe if you keep aware of our surroundings, but Montreal is something different. I think it's because, even in the downtown areas of business and skyscrapers, people are still living there, making it a 24-hour neighborhood, unlike many American downtowns. Montreal is definitely a lived-in city.

That's it for today. Even though I am already gone from Montreal, I think there will be two more posts about this lovely city, because really, it's too much to fit into a single post.

Hugs,
TLC