Old Montreal

2 hours and 30 minutes, that’s all it takes to get to Montreal from Chicago.  One quick flight and you step into a new world! Upon landing in Montreal this wannabe French girl was giddy with excitement to see all airport signs written in French! Toilette just sounds so much better than bathroom no?

After we checked into our Air BnB we put our bags down and headed straight to Old Montreal for dinner.  As we pulled up to this historic area and I peered down Rue St-Paul I knew instantly that this was going to be an amazing trip.

The architecture in this area really gives off that old world European charm. Cobblestone streets, quaint cafes and wonderful street performers (wouldn’t feel like a European city without a few street performers right?!) This area is truly everything you think of when you think French Canada.

After a quick Yelp search we decided to try Jardin Nelson for dinner and let me just say we lucked out! Since this restaurant is situated in an outdoor courtyard it was actually their last night open for the season (early October).  They have huge parasols and awnings which cover the restaurant so you can actually eat there even if it’s raining! The food was amazing!  We started off the trip with some of the best French onion soup we’ve ever had and to our delight Jardin Nelson also has live Jazz music every evening!

No trip to this area is complete without a visit to the famous Notre Dame Basilica.  I highly recommend visiting in the evening so you can attend the “Aura” light show! It was truly an incredible experience. It’s essentially a laser light show set to music in the coolest setting.  I wish I could describe it better, but both Gabe and I left in awe of how beautiful and moving the show was.  The cost is $18 per person and I would gladly pay it again to witness such a thing.  Bonus points, it kept our 11 month old very entertained!

Old Montreal or Vieux-Montréal in French is such a wonderful area to explore! There is something for everyone. Awesome food, cute shops, beautiful buildings and tons of bars (if we had been baby free we’d definitely have bar hopped a little!) Some people claim this area is too “touristy” and while if I actually lived in Montreal I’d probably agree but as a tourist myself-I loved it!  Be sure to leave yourself a few hours to wander the streets and explore this picturesque area of Montreal.