When Karl arrived in Montréal, it was the biggest city in British North America, a busy metropolis, an important port amid expansion and prosperity. But Karl did not seem very enthusiastic about Montréal. He reports that the trip from Trois-Rivières to Montréal was “not very interesting” with “dry, rough, sandy roads” and that he only stayed in Montréal because it was raining.
I hold quite a different opinion of Montréal. I think it is the best city in Canada. Montréal is the epitome of cool. The vibe is unique to the rest of Canada — a Francophone and European culture that is trendy, diverse, and full of heritage. But I think the Montréal that I know is a very different city than what was experienced by Karl. Karl arrived at the cusp of the city’s industrialization; immigration was increasing, but Montréal was only starting to become the city it is today.
In June 1899, Karl was 21 years old, the perfect age for a full immersive Montréal experience. I wish he experienced Montréal today, I would have liked to show him the sights and spend the day with him. I’d set the following itinerary for our day Montréal.
First, we would need to have breakfast, as readers of this GlobeTrotter know, it’s my favourite meal of the day (GlobeTrotter blog: my dream breakfast). We would start our day together at St-Viateur Bagel for a bagel with “lox and a schmear” (aka bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon). Shortly after Karl passed through Montréal, a significant influx of Jewish immigrants from Poland and other Eastern European countries brought their culinary customs, including the bagel. There are bagels, and then there are Montréal bagels, a completely distinct bagel that should never be confused with a New York bagel. The Montréal bagel is made by hand, using egg and boiled in honey and water before baking in a wood-fired oven. I’ll share this history with Karl over breakfast and before our stroll through Le Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood.
It’s a colourful, hip neighbourhood, with coffee shops, pubs and eateries, art galleries, and lots of murals, of which I would need to show Karl the murals of the legendary Leonard Cohen. Karl died before Leonard was born, so he missed the talents of our iconic Canadian poet/songwriter who embodies the identity of Montréal. I’d share that Leonard is usually my travelling companion and has an uncanny habit of joining me in remote corners of the world such as Iran and Russia, as previously shared in the GlobeTrotter blog - Travelling around the world with Leonard Cohen. So, when we arrive in front of the commemorative 10,000 square foot mural of Leonard rising 21 storeys above the city, I’d place my headphones on Karl’s ears and play Hallelujah. Then, I’d give Karl a tissue to wipe the tears from his eyes, or likely my eyes but maybe both as we leave Leonard to meander through the campus of McGill University then to Mont-Royal Park to trek up the “mountain.”
Mont-Royal Park officially opened in 1876, designed by the same architect responsible for Central Park in New York City. Frederick Law Olmsted designed Mont-Royal Park with the same philosophy, to leverage the geology and landscape of the small mountain in Montréal as an area of solace and enjoyment for the local citizens. This may not be the best idea, because as you know dear reader, a 21-year old Karl who biked around the world is definitely in better shape than this middle-aged GlobeTrotter, so I’ll need to set our pace. Also, keeping in mind I anticipate I’ll be talking non-stop, as there are so many things I’ll want to discuss with Karl about my travels so far and what has transpired 120 years later, what happened to his photos and so on, and so forth.
We will be a bit more ambitious on our way up the mountain choosing the trail designed by the architect to provide the ultimate experience, winding 4.4 km and stopping at each lookout point at the city that will look very different to Karl. Once we reach the summit at 233m in altitude, we'll take the direct and shorter route down the 339 stairs to Rue Peel. By this point, any calories from our lox and a schmear have been exhausted and it’s time for lunch. As this is my itinerary, we are walking back to the city centre via Pizza Il Focolaio a great spot for authentic Italian wood oven pizza and a glass of wine. From here, we are in the heart of Montréal and will visit Notre Dame Basilica, City Hall and wander down to the old port where we will hop on La Grande Roue de Montréal Ferris wheel with its 360° views over the city and the St Lawrence River.
In keeping with my standard itineraries, this will be a jam-packed day, so I’ve scheduled a quick nap in our respective hotel rooms and an opportunity to get showered and spruced up before we take in more of Montréal.
We meet up again along the cobbled streets of Old Montréal at happy hour and sit on a patio drinking an aperol spritz watching the working day come to a close for so many local Montréalers. After our beverage, we don’t have far to walk to Auberge Saint-Gabriel, a refuge built in 1688 by a French soldier which is now a fine dining restaurant renowned for its Quebec cuisine. When Karl travelled he didn’t have very much money and you’ll recall dear reader that he travels quite frugally, so I’ll be pleased to treat him to a fancy meal. I’ll be recommending the steak!
We won’t be lingering as we will have tickets for a show at the Bell Centre - Sting is in town and selfishly this has nothing to do with our journey around the world it’s because Sting is in town! But the end of the concert is not the end of the evening, it’s only 11 pm and Montréal is a city that does not roll up its sidewalks early. This is when my 21-year-old travel companion will experience yet another element of Montréal, the afterparty.
Undisputed, Montréal has the best night scene in Canada - we are heading to Stereo, a cornerstone of the Montréal club scene with shock absorbers installed in the flooring to dance the night away to house and techno music.
Around 2:30 am, one of the GlobeTrotters, likely the old one, me, will need to call it a day. We’ll head out of the club realizing that our ears have been overwhelmed with too much noise and instantly relish the quiet of the city before dawn. With the warm glow of the street lamps, we’ll find the most convenient location for an order of poutine. My itinerary doesn’t specify any particular location, as I expect our standards may be a bit compromised by this point.
While stuffing cheese and gravy laden fries into our bellies, we’ll reflect over the day, and I’ll ask Karl if I succeeded in changing his impression of Montréal from “not very interesting” and a commentary on the quality of the roads to a different review more aligned with my own. What do you think, dear reader? Will I achieve success? Would you add anything different to this day in Montréal?