Hiii !
Today, I'll write you down everything about my (fantastic) experience in Canada.
Niagara Falls from above
I visited my sister in her new hometown, Montreal, in June.
Her lovely house is located in the district Le Plateau. Stairs running through luxuriant vegetation lead to her entrance door. What's crazy in this district is that all the houses are that charming yet different from one another !
She brought me to so many nice places I would have probably missed if she had not led me there.
From Mont Royal Park, to the Botanical Garden to Eva B second hand shop, this city is so unexpected and full of nice surprises.
What stroke me first when I stepped foot in the city was the beauty of the coloured houses that make the city looking like a fairy world.
Something original we did several times was hot yoga. This was so much fun that we came back for several sessions in Moksha Yoga Center on Saint Laurent Street.
Violette took me to the Botanical Garden that wasn't a loss of time ; from there you can observe the rarest plants and insects species meanwhile walking through a beautiful garden.
The best spa is definitely in Montreal. You will find Bota Bota Over-the-water-Spa on a ancient ferry located in the Vieux Port (Old Port - metro station : Square Victoria). This place is truly astonishing : you'll find 2 saunas, a steam bath, several cold water basin, a jacuzzi and 2 pools. You'll relax while enjoying the most delightful view of Montreal. My recommendation : have dinner in their delicious restaurant at sunset hour.
The view from the 3rd floor pool
Mont Royal Park is huge. On Sundays you'll have so much fun dancing with the 30 or 40 musicians playing the drums in the most joyful atmosphere.
You can also climb the hill in order to reach the big cross overhanging the city or to watch The Montreal Belvedere. The way to reach the top is so unpredictable, you'll suddenly feel totally lost in the middle of a forest whereas you're in the heart of the city!
Mont Royal "forest"
Montreal Belvedere
After a week, my boyfriend met us in Montreal and the fun just kept going on.
We adored several places such as the festival on Saint Laurent street where you constantly could appreciate singing/dancing shows, brands selling clothes, street food and music everywhere.
The Saint Denis street with all its colours and restaurant was a good address to eat, as you can find any type of food you want there.
Don't miss having a walk on Sainte Catherine, the rainbow street, as the whole way is covered with bright coloured confetti.
Jean Talon's Market is a must-see : such a nice place where producers come to sell what they make ; fruits, honey, maple syrup, cheese .. at a very reasonable price !
Eva B is an uncommon place where you can buy any kind of clothing as well as eating a piece of cake while having a drink on their terrace. The inside decoration is so cosy I could hang there for hours.
We also loved several restaurants such as : Café Parvis (bohème-chic atmosphere), L'Avenue (I dare you to find another restaurant that serves as big brunches as theirs !), Melbourne Café (Aussie food), Roméo (Italian food), Lola Rosa (veggie place).
Café Parvis
Sainte Catherine Area
The plan was to stay a week in Montreal, so we rented a car (on "Turo", a very simple app to privately rent cars) to go to ... Toronto !
Road Trippin'
We stopped at Gananoque on the way to embark on a boat that would take us to the Thousand Islands.
Visiting them really was a childhood dream, in prettier than in my dreams !
The Thousand Islands are actually compound of 1864 islands, some of them are only settled by ONE tree !
Toronto is quiet impressive if you come from a European Country. This city is full of huge condos which really remind you America's greatness ! haha
We had a full day shopping through 2 nice malls : Toronto Eaton Center (very beautiful) and the underground mall passage called PATH.
The Old Distillery Historic District is like a small village looking like a British ancient factory in which you can nowadays find very nice restaurants, shops and art galleries, in a cool/alternative atmosphere.
Another nice activity I would definitely recommend is the Ripley's Aquarium of Canada : kind of place where you walk in a tunnel surrounded by sharks and manta rays !
Ripley's Aquarium
The day after, my boyfriend's brother took us on the road for a fantastic day.
We started the morning at the Niagara Falls (as it is obviously a must see), we then had lunch inside the Revolving Tower restaurant that turns around meanwhile you're eating, thanks to what, you have a complete overview on the Niagara Falls !
Revolving Dining Room's view
After lunch, we continued the day in a wonderful city called Niagara-on-the-Lake. This place looks like a Disney city. All the houses, streets, shops, cafés are ADORABLE, I could have just spent my whole life there !
We had an abundant tea time in the Prince of Wales café, the British-est tea place in Canada, thus, the loveliest one. Needless to say that the sandwiches, pastries and teas were all excellent.
Niagara-On-The-Lake
Prince of Wales café
The day ended watching up the sunset on the river side of Lake Ontario (you know now I am a total sunsets/ sunrises addict !)
Lake Ontario's sunset
SUMMARY :
MONTREAL
Where to wander :
- Plateau District
- Saint Laurent Street
- Mont Royal Park
- Sainte Catherine Street
What to see/visit :
- Hot Yoga at Moksha Yoga Center
- Botanical Garden
- Montreal Belvedere
- Bota Bota Spa
- Biosphere
- Jean Talon Market
Where to eat :
- Saint Denis street offers many choices
- Café Parvis
- L'avenue on Avenue du Mont Royal
- Juliette & Chocolat (just to be amazed by all the chocolate based meals that are possibly served there haha)
- Roméo
- Café Melbourne
- Lola Rosa
Where to do shopping :
Anywhere on Avenue du Mont Royal !
- Eva B
- Urban Outfitters
- Rudsak
- Ibiki
- Le Trunkshop (I absolutely loved every piece of clothing in this shop)
GANANOQUE
NIAGARA
What to see :
- Niagara Falls
Where to eat :
-Revolving Dining Room
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE
Where to wander :
- Definitely everywhere in the city
Where to eat/sleep :
- Prince of Wales Hotel
TORONTO
Where to do shopping :
- Path Underground Mall (I discovered how amazing Winners was haha)
- Toronto Eaten Center
What to see/ visit :
- Old Distillery Historic District
- Ripley's Aquarium (31 dollars per adult)
Super article ! De bons souvenirs <3