Well today is my last day in Montreal, sad but true. I had lunch with a good friend’s brother and it was really nice to catch up. As some of you know I am also using this trip to explore where I want to be this time next year and he is a wealth of information.
What I have come to so far is that moving to Toronto is a possibility, Montreal is also. Montreal is a warmer city (not only in temperature) and is more contained but has the language issues where Toronto doesn’t. It’s a tough call. More research to be done and a year to ponder.
Today I also spent some time with a high school friend so that was really fun. Great memories. It’s amazing how you can reconnect with old friends and it feels like no time has passed we all just look a little different. I’m really enjoying this trip because of all the reconnecting with friends and family.
Tomorrow I am off to Italy. I probably won’t have much to say since I am meeting my sister at the airport in the afternoon, we fly out at night and arrive in Rome the next morning. I probably won’t post until Thursday night Italy time if I have Internet. The pictures should start to come soon too.
Travel tip: if you come to Montreal in July or august, stay in a place with air conditioning. It’s even too hot for me and says a lot.
Till Thursday
Sent from my iPhone
We had a great day again today. We toured the old neighborhoods of the West Island laughed at all the old stories then toured our childhood home. You heard me correctly all you family members. We went by Devon road and asked the owner if we could look around inside. He was thrilled to show us the house. It looks exactly the same although everything is smaller than I remember since I was considerably younger when I left. The carpets have been replaced by hardwood floors and the barbeque with my name misspelled in cement is gone but that’s it. I was able to solve the puzzle of the milk delivery door for him. They had sealed the outside door so there was only this weird door in the kitchen full of insulation. Anyway it was lots of fun telling him about the Neighbourhood.
We drove up Mount Royal and did the tour up there. Great views of the island from up there. Little known fact, Montreal is an island. A lot of people don’t know that then i guess thats what “Little known fact” means. My English major daughter will tease me about that one but I digress. Anyway Amanda is excited to do some running and biking up on the top of the mountain. Another little known fact, Montreal is named for Mount Royal, the mountain on the island of Montreal. It’s a city with a lot of interesting history, culture and community as well some of the best restaurants in the country.
More tomorrow
Sent from my iPhone
First full day in Montreal and what a day. I got together with my old Neighbour from when I used to live here. What a treat!!
I went to a Univera event here and met up with some new friends I haven’t seen since our trip to Denver and Tucson. I love these people.
Then there is the real step back in time. I met some high school friends for lunch. Yes high school. Now, for those who don’t know me you may think “no big deal that was recently right” no no no it was 33 years ago yup 33 years ago. It feels like …well sometimes it feels like 33 years but today it was like no time had passed. It was great to see everyone and catch up on kids and also what we knew of who wasn’t there. It was very fun.
Unfortunately I came home to a very sick daughter. 24 hour flu. No fun. We had a nice night at home together.
For those of you who want to know how I’m doing. So far so good, a few rough patches but all in all pretty good.
Montreal is a wonderful city full of culture, colour and class, it truly is the New York and Paris of Canada. If you have never been here definitely put it on your to do list and get here soon. It is a must see.
New adventures tomorrow.
Sent from my iPhone
Traveling by train is the way to get from place to place if the distances are short, the ride gives you time to catch up on things like email, reading, sleep etc and the scenery is lovely as you may notice in the picture above. You arrive at your destination feeling refreshed and having accomplished a lot while having seen some of the surrounding areas rather than only clouds while flying. I had a wonderful train ride from Toronto to Montreal. I got a lot done, caught up on my rest and talked to a few friends on my cell phone as well as listening to some audio books. It was a restful trip and my lovely Montreal daughter was at the station to pick me up.
The minute you get into Central Station you are in the French culture. It’s like being in the Paris of Canada. You enter a very different world and its best to just embrace it.
More on the Montreal experience tomorrow. Bon Nuit tout le monde
Once again I highly recommend reconnecting with family and or friends on the beginning and end of trips and do it in small groups. You really get to know people in a real way when there are only a few of you. I had a lovely afternoon with a friend I haven’t seen in 35 years and it was great. Then we met up with my sister and within 10 minutes we were laughing hysterically about something ridiculous and it was back to old times. This is something that may not happen with a large get together. We also met up with my nephew who I also haven’t seen in years and it was great to catch up and get to a great level of laughs with him as well. You know you are really connected with someone when you both feel comfortable enough to be yourself and to laugh.
I had a wonderful time in Toronto visiting everyone and really getting to know them intimately. Big thank you’s go out to everyone i stayed with, dined with, met up with again and especially laughed.
Also to my brother for setting up this blog for me to share all this. My inner travel writer may be coming out afterall. I am writing this while on the train on my way to Montreal where my 22 year old daughter is picking me up and I begin the next leg if the journey.
Until next time Bon Voyage!!
Sent from my iPhone
I am having a wonderful time reconnecting with family and friends. Great travel tip: You can sometimes change your flight to make stops in different locations on the way to your final destination for the same price as the home to destination flight. Take advantage of that to reconnect with people on the way, it really adds to the fun and feel of the trip. More to follow.
Sent from my iPhone
