Montreal in May Day 6

On our last full day in Montreal, I took Mike to old Montreal in the morning.

Notre Dame in Old Montreal

Notre Dame

Coffee and Croissant at Maison Christian Faure

We walked along the waterfront and admired the buildings in the surrounding area.

Old Montreal

Old Montreal

Old Montreal

After a long walk through old Montreal, we took the metro out to the Olympic stadium and botanical gardens. This was our one regret in Montreal. There wasn't much to see at the Olympic stadium and the a major part of the gardens were under renovation and there were not a lot of flowers to see!

Olympic Stadium

Montreal Botanical Gardens

After a disappointing early afternoon, we headed back to the city center and meandered through the art district, which was a great way to people watch.

We finished the day with an early dinner at Notkins, a hip seafood restaurant, with an emphasis on "hip." The staff wore slinky black outfits and looked like models. There was a DJ near the the bar, which was lined with fresh oysters waiting to be shucked. We were so out of place with our run-down demeanor from walking all over town since the morning. I admit that I picked this restaurant because I wanted to experience the fake porta-potty restroom!

Port-a-potty trompe l'oeil restrooms

Inside the fake porta-potty

Feeling out of our element aside, the food was exquisite. The calamari was exceptionally meaty. The clam chowder had a smoky twist with a little bit of chorizo (not very New England but delicious!). Our main course was also impeccably cooked. The lobster meat in the burger was tender and sweet. My fish was fresh and had a great crunch on the exterior.

Calamari with papaya slaw and tarragon aioli

New England Clam Chowder

 

Lobster burger with fries

Special of the day fish with fiddleheads and mushrooms

Montreal in May Day 5

We took advantage of a sunny day to hike up Mont Royal. Of course the whole purpose of a hike for me is a rewarding picnic!

I chopped up spinach and stuffed it in paper cups and topped it off with baby tomatoes and honey mustard dressing made from packets I took from the hotel breakfast bar!

Hotel salad prep!

I packed some hummus and marinated mushroom medley that I bought from Marché Jean Talon.

Hummus and marinated mushrooms

In our walk up Mont Royal, we passed by a multi-school event. Parents were cheering on kids running a marathon in the park.

Beaver Lake

The lookout at the top of Mont Royal is beautiful and expansive. We arrived at the tail end of tulip season and still got to enjoy the sea of flowers.

Mont Royal Lookout

Tulips

When it got a bit crowded at the lookout, we found a table and unpacked our lovely French/Jewish picnic. We needed to use up the St. Viateur bagel before we leave, so I brought that along rather than buying a baguette. We paired the bagel with salami, a smoked duck sausage, and two cheeses from La Fromagerie Hamel.

Picnic

Très délicieux!

Once the crowd subsided, we went back to the lookout and tried to spot the sites indicated on the compasses.

Mont St. Hilaire

Concise Story of Mont Royal

#mtlmoments