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Sept. 15 - Montréal, QC

SpringHill Suites Marriott 

“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears.” – Cesare Pavese
The first stop on our Québec Adventure was Montréal. We spent a few days here in 2012 and thought it would make a nice stop on our way to Québec City. Montréal has many wonderful neighborhoods to explore, but we spent our time in Old Montréal. Old Montréal sits on the edge of the St Lawrence River, it's the city's oldest district founded as a fur trading post in 1605 by Samuel de Champlain. It's composed of picturesque squares and grand old-world architecture. Today the cobblestone streets are full of museums, shops, art galleries, parks, bars and sidewalk cafes. The perfect place to spend an afternoon exploring. We got to town in time for a late lunch at sidewalk cafe at Place Jacques-Cartier. We enjoyed music by street performers while we ate lunch. 

Montreal City Hall is the seat of local government in Montreal. It built between 1872 and 1878.
Place Jacques-Cartier, has served as a marketplace in Montreal even before a European settlement was here and it's now one of Montréal's most bustling tourist areas, lined with outdoor cafés and filled with street performers.  
Bonsecours Market has been a public market for more than 100 years. It also briefly accommodated the Parliament of United Canada for one session in 1849. 
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours is one of the oldest churches in Montreal, built in 1771 over the ruins of an earlier chapel.  
The La Grande Roue de Montréal (Montreal Observation Wheel) gives riders a breathtaking view of the river, Old Montreal, downtown and the mountains, but at $25 a person...we decided to pass. 
The best shopping in Old Montreal, in my opinion was at La Cour, a courtyard full of artist stalls filled with locally made items.
We enjoyed dinner at Pizzaiolle, our food very good and it was far enough away from the touristy areas around Place Jacques-Cartier and the Old Port to make it quiet and peaceful.
SpringHill Suites
A video look at Montréal

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