In awe/humbled/grateful/content BONJOUR! So far, everyone that I’ve been in contact with, whether we spoke or just a passerby making eye contact, has been extremely humble. My flight wasn’t bad at all, only a few hours and the flight attendants were so nice! On my connecting flight I ended up sitting right in front of them at the back of the plane. Thought I would take advantage of that, so I turned around to ask them a few questions about the city and things to do. They were great, made jokes and could not stop saying how pleasant everyone is. We landed and one of them gave me 2 extra almond packs and an extra water for my days—they know me too well! The minute I got off the plane I felt like the whole city knew I was coming or something. I snapped a photo of one of the attendants after walking off the plane and she signaled to a nearby agent. She literally boasted to the agent about how it’s my first time in the Montreal and to recommend me some great places to check out! The agent was so sweet and walked me all the way to my luggage, which was accompanied by another airport attendant. I swear she told me about the whole dang city during this walk, I could barely keep up and take notes! My Uber drivers were of great help as well—telling me about beautiful museums, restaurants, shopping, chatting about Trump, and some great nightlife spots to check out. I arrived a bit early before my check in time so I decided to check out the pub that was below the apartment. I walked in and it was so stinking busy! Luckily there were two spots open at the bar top—one for me and one for my bags. The waiter seemed elated that it was my first time and welcomed me in with the yummiest lamb tacos and ice cold brew that I can’t even remember the name of. When he showed me a could different things on the menu I didn’t catch that it was lamb and just assumed it would be chicken or something, [Insert shoulder shrug emoji] so when I bit into the taco I was taken back for just a moment…picked up the menu next to me and reread the description. Lol The bartenders had all-inclusive customer service—timely, sweet, and mildly attractive. I may or may not have melted once they started speaking French. [Insert drool emoji] One of them was so kind and helped carry my luggage up the stairs. [Swooning] All checked in and googly-eyed over the quaint French apartment. The décor was minimalistic just how I like it and it was in a great location! I settled in for about 10 minutes and decided to head to Veux-Montreal (Old Montreal). What a dream this red-bricked location was! My first stop was in an art gallery. The local artists work was so unique—most pieces made with spaghetti, glitter, beads and twigs. I walked around for a while, stopping in a few different souvenir shops, taking photos….of everything, and then landed in a gorgeous minimalist, high-end boutique. I’m telling you, they knew I was coming! The boutique clerk was drop dead gorgeous, along with every other woman in the city, of course! I stayed in there for about 45 minutes trying on different stuff and falling in love with a lapel coat that could pay half my rent. BONSOIR! Headed out to a recommended restaurant nearby called Jellyfish—no jellyfish was on the menu so I was bummed. [Insert joking wink emoji] When I walked in I was gracefully greeted by an attractive, salt and pepper haired man. He took my coat and gave me a ticket for it. This restaurant was stunning! Of course, all the staff were gorgeous as well. Side note: Most everyone (95-100%) in this city look like models from a GQ or French magazine. The atmosphere in Jellyfish made me sit up straight and hold my glass of water with my pinky finger off the glass. I stared at the menu for about 20 minutes because I wasn’t sure what to get. I ended up getting pasta with oxtail, mushroom sauce and bone marrow on top. I KNOW, I had the same look you have on your face right now, when I read the description. But, I was happy to try it and when I took my first bite I thought I died and went to food heaven or something. [Insert drooling and heart-eyed emoji’s] I ended my night at a café near my Airbnb, sipping on ginger tea and chomping down on a vegan cookie (listed ingredients that I could not understand, but still tasted like a dream). This cash only café was awesome and also had a concert in the back—some local French band. I’m immensely grateful for having an open mind and heart to experience what this world has to offer. I don’t plan to stay stagnant in things that I’m used to. Getting out of my comfort zone and exploring. Don’t just travel to see things, travel to experience—experience different ways of life and live how they are living for the length of your stay. I’m so glad I’m here. BONNE NUIT! |