good-bye my lover, good-bye my friend
Good bye my friends. I'm leaving for Montreal tomorrow =( I hope you all have a splendid rest of the summer and I'll see you all at Christmas. I hope to organize another gathering, of the holiday-theme when I get back. I'll make better reservations this time, I promise.
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In the meantime, if any of you decide to visit (me), this is my Lils' lil guide to Montreal (yeah, i know that sounds rather lame) This is mainly for Ming and Alicia as I promised I would do one of these posts. This isn't really information you can't find anywhere else, but it might help to have it condensed.
Touristy Things
Mount Royal - Walk up, bike up, ride up (they have mounties who ride around the mountain. The chalet at the top with a spectacular view of downtown montreal. It's beautiful at night and you can see the sun rise over the mountains from here. On the other side you can see sunsets. I have yet to see this but I imagine it must be quite amazing. In the winter, they have sleighs that can take you up the mountain. :D
St-Joseph's Oratory is half way up the mountain. I have yet to go but it's supposedly beautiful. It's got a record of some sort. If you're taking the coach here, it's the only prominent building on the mountain, humongous placena domed roof.
Notre Dame Basilica in Old Port, $2 entry fee to see a spectacular piece of North American Church architecture. I haven't been inside but my boyfriend says the details in this building are stunnining. I might go with you.
You can also ride a carriage in Old Port. They can take you all the way up to Sherbrooke actually (so quite a distance). I don't know how much it costs but I imagine it's up there. It's probably quite an experience though. (they even have white horses!)
Old Port is beautiful, you could probably spend a full day walking around here. Some of the best restaurants in Montreal are here. (So I hear as I'm too poor to give you a first-hand account.) Also, here is the old Clocktower, the Science Centre. There are 3 ports from here and you can take a Cruise (starting at 47.50) around the harbour. Marche Bonsecours is here, interesting little market. Great place to just walk around as the entire place is cobblestoned.
St-Laurent Blvd. The night life. Restaurants, bars, clubs, everything you want is on this street. Even if you don't actually go into any of the places, it's just amazing to walk around on a week-end night and feel the buzz. =) Also during that week is the St-Laurent Street festival. Essentially, they close off the street, stores bring their wares onto the streets and restos expand their terraces to the middle of the street. It's awesome. =)
Musee des beaux-arts (free for most of the permanent exhibit, not sure if they have anything special here now)
Musee des arts contemporains (free wedn after 5pm, not a big deal since student prices are only $3 anyway)
McGill University. It's rather pretty and you'll enjoy it while frosh and stuff is getting started.
Amble along Ste-Catherine at night, also very exciting. you can check out the extravagant strip clubs.
Crescent is a fancier, older people's street.
During that week is going to be the international film festival so you can go see some new movies and also check out classics outside on ste-catherine.
Bars & restaurants I don't know too much about these, but some places that i've gone to check out.
Frappe, st-sulpice, peel pub (the quintessential college student hang out), brutopia, deux pierrots, bar des pins (quintessential old man's bar that students go to cuz it's so damn close) Le bifteck (you get free popcorn) vol is popular
chez cora, dundees, eggspectations (they're a chain), cafe delifrance, cafe imagination is pretty cool, l'academie, rockaberry's (the most heavenly cheese pies), la potate (not necessarily worth visiting but they serve baked potatoes and turkish coffee.
clubs: orchid, tokyo, jet (very asian), atlantis, etc.
Okay, I have to go studying now but will update this and make it prettier. =) I'm sure other things will come to mind, i'm just rambling off things off the top of my head.
---
In the meantime, if any of you decide to visit (me), this is my Lils' lil guide to Montreal (yeah, i know that sounds rather lame) This is mainly for Ming and Alicia as I promised I would do one of these posts. This isn't really information you can't find anywhere else, but it might help to have it condensed.
Touristy Things
Mount Royal - Walk up, bike up, ride up (they have mounties who ride around the mountain. The chalet at the top with a spectacular view of downtown montreal. It's beautiful at night and you can see the sun rise over the mountains from here. On the other side you can see sunsets. I have yet to see this but I imagine it must be quite amazing. In the winter, they have sleighs that can take you up the mountain. :D
St-Joseph's Oratory is half way up the mountain. I have yet to go but it's supposedly beautiful. It's got a record of some sort. If you're taking the coach here, it's the only prominent building on the mountain, humongous placena domed roof.
Notre Dame Basilica in Old Port, $2 entry fee to see a spectacular piece of North American Church architecture. I haven't been inside but my boyfriend says the details in this building are stunnining. I might go with you.
You can also ride a carriage in Old Port. They can take you all the way up to Sherbrooke actually (so quite a distance). I don't know how much it costs but I imagine it's up there. It's probably quite an experience though. (they even have white horses!)
Old Port is beautiful, you could probably spend a full day walking around here. Some of the best restaurants in Montreal are here. (So I hear as I'm too poor to give you a first-hand account.) Also, here is the old Clocktower, the Science Centre. There are 3 ports from here and you can take a Cruise (starting at 47.50) around the harbour. Marche Bonsecours is here, interesting little market. Great place to just walk around as the entire place is cobblestoned.
St-Laurent Blvd. The night life. Restaurants, bars, clubs, everything you want is on this street. Even if you don't actually go into any of the places, it's just amazing to walk around on a week-end night and feel the buzz. =) Also during that week is the St-Laurent Street festival. Essentially, they close off the street, stores bring their wares onto the streets and restos expand their terraces to the middle of the street. It's awesome. =)
Musee des beaux-arts (free for most of the permanent exhibit, not sure if they have anything special here now)
Musee des arts contemporains (free wedn after 5pm, not a big deal since student prices are only $3 anyway)
McGill University. It's rather pretty and you'll enjoy it while frosh and stuff is getting started.
Amble along Ste-Catherine at night, also very exciting. you can check out the extravagant strip clubs.
Crescent is a fancier, older people's street.
During that week is going to be the international film festival so you can go see some new movies and also check out classics outside on ste-catherine.
Bars & restaurants I don't know too much about these, but some places that i've gone to check out.
Frappe, st-sulpice, peel pub (the quintessential college student hang out), brutopia, deux pierrots, bar des pins (quintessential old man's bar that students go to cuz it's so damn close) Le bifteck (you get free popcorn) vol is popular
chez cora, dundees, eggspectations (they're a chain), cafe delifrance, cafe imagination is pretty cool, l'academie, rockaberry's (the most heavenly cheese pies), la potate (not necessarily worth visiting but they serve baked potatoes and turkish coffee.
clubs: orchid, tokyo, jet (very asian), atlantis, etc.
Okay, I have to go studying now but will update this and make it prettier. =) I'm sure other things will come to mind, i'm just rambling off things off the top of my head.