Bonjour!  We got a taste of French flare when we took a trip with our Besties, to Old Montreal, Canada and what an incredible trip it was!  With its original cobblestone streets, Montreal is chock full of amazing art galleries, malls, cute little souvenir shops, pubs and yummy places to eat! And on top of all that, there is so much history it’s impossible to see it all in just 2 days…but we gave it a heck of a shot. The main language of Montreal is Canadian French, but most of the locals know English. As with any country, we were told to first greet them in their language and then ask if they speak English. You can also download an app that will translate from English to French.  I used the Voice Translator & Dictionary from the App Store, it was easy to use and very helpful.

We chose to fly in to Burlington, Vermont where we rented an SUV and drove to Montreal. The drive was a straight shot up I-89N right in to Montreal. By the time we got there it was dark, and a light rain had begun to fall. As we drove through downtown Old Montreal, our GPS started giving us trouble, we could not get clear and definite directions. It would get us in the general area, but then it would stop. We knew the hotel was in the area, we just couldn’t find it. We decided to park our SUV, grab our luggage and head in the direction of where we thought the hotel would be. So, there we were, 4 American tourists walking the streets of Old Montreal on a shivering cold and rainy October night, dragging our luggage behind us laughing the whole way. Lucky for us, we only had to walk a few blocks before we found it.

We stayed at La Maison Pierre du Calvet (http://pierre-du-calvet.to-montreal-hotels.com/en/), an enchanting mansion built in 1725 during the time of the French Regime. The hotel has a restaurant on site, Les Filles Du Roy (The King’s Daughter), and is said to be one of the best in Montreal. The chefs only use products from local farmers, so it’s just picked fresh when you eat it. There is a Library furnished with long reading tables for the guests to enjoy a good book with a hot afternoon cup of coffee or a drink before dinner. Just off the reception desk there is a Victorian Greenhouse and Terrace that is home to the largest brilliantly colored parrot I have ever seen in my life, he was quit the talker…and singer! In the mornings we enjoyed breakfast in the Auberge Restaurant a small, warm and very quaint dining room that is mainly for smaller, more intimate gatherings. It’s decorated in French tapestry, heirloom paintings and bronze candelabras.

 

The Bedrooms have fireplaces and are all furnished with period antiques of canopy beds, Victorian style writing desks, and family heirlooms reminiscent of the luxurious Montreal mansions of the day. You literally feel as though you have left the twenty-first century when you step inside the stone walls of this magnificent hotel.

Imagine my shock when just four months after returning home, I’m watching the Hallmark movie “Love Locks” and noticed the hotel in the movie looked very familiar, it was as if I had been there before. But this hotel in the movie was in Paris, we’ve never been to Paris. I finally realized the hotel in the movie was not a hotel in Paris, but the Pierre du Calvet in Old Montreal, Canada! I called to my husband to come and see, and he even started watching the movie. We both sat reminiscing about our stay as the scenes went from one part of the hotel to another. It was almost like being there all over again. If you watch the Hallmark channel, keep an eye out for “Love Locks” and check it out.

We spent our days walking the streets of Old Montreal and took in all the sites. We took a horse drawn carriage ride through the old city to the town square. The architectural stone structures were absolutely incredible and with so much intricately carved detail. We stopped in at La Basilique Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame Basilica). The Gothic Revival style church was built between 1824-1829 and will accommodate anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 worshipers. To this day it remains the largest church in North America. You can find out more about the history of this massive church at www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.

At one point my Bestie and I dropped our husbands off at one of the local pubs to watch the Baseball playoffs, while we went on a souvenir shopping spree. We visited pastry shops and drank steaming hot cups of rich, creamy coffee as we strolled the streets of Old Montreal. The locals were very friendly and were very curious about our life here in America (they were especially interested in the Presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton). We told them about America, and they told us about Canada. The language barrier wasn’t a problem as most retailers and shop owners speak English…with a really cool accent.

We had dinner at a Brazilian style restaurant called the Rodizio A Brasil (www.rodiziobrasil.ca). The specialty here is the Rodizio, which is an all you can eat type of plate with 10 different types of meats. The meats are served on the skewer and sliced right on your table. They have an all you can eat salad bar that has rice, beans, and french fries as part of the all you can eat meat plate. The food and the service were excellent!

On our last evening in Old Montreal, we visited a Basilica that was just outside our hotel door. The historic Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours Basilica (www.margueritebourgeoys.org).  Built in 1771 over the ruins of an earlier church, it is called the Sailors’ Church because of the wooden ship models hanging from the ceiling.  The church had been a pilgrimage site for sailors coming in to the Port of Old Montreal. There is also a museum dedicated to Marguerite Bourgeoys, a teacher who inspired the building of the first church in 1678, when she brought a wooden image of Our Lady of Good Help back from France.

We only had two days in Montreal and that just wasn’t long enough to see everything this beautiful city has to offer. The day came that we had to check out of the Maison Pierre du Clavet and leave Old Montreal behind, but, we didn’t go far. Our travels took us up highway QC-20 further into Canada to Quebec, City…but that’s a story for another time.

Until then…

Bonne Journee!!