Hello! (Or should I say bonjour...?) A couple weekends ago, three of my best friends and I drove to Quebec for a mini vacation. We'd been talking about going for a long time--we love to go on adventures and have fun, I had never been to Canada before, and my friend Kim has an apartment in Montreal because she studies at McGill. So, finally once we decided on a weekend, it was a no-brainer. Off we went! The drive was only about 5.5 hours, which, when involving four best friends and Spotify's "2007 Hits" playlist, is really not bad at all.
The best part of the car ride: Darcy messaged Flume on Instagram and he responded with a purple heart. I think she said "Oh my GOD you GUYSSS" at least 50 times... which is actually very understandable.
- ART - On Saturday and Sunday mornings we went exploring! Saturday we walked to Plateau Mont Royal, which is lined with incredible cafés, restaurants, and shops. With my mind a complete virgin to the city, I kept my eyes wide open and my iPhone ready on camera mode. What struck my attention the most as I looked at and soaked in the streets were the beautifully detailed and colored murals. Some were smaller and stayed close to the pavement, whereas others completely took over the sides of buildings, shooting up towards the sky, emitting their intense colors and artistic energy.
- FOOD - The first restaurant we went to in Montreal was Beauty's, an award-winning diner that has been around for years and years. The owner began working there in his 30s, and is still seating his guests at the age of 95 with a smile on his face. We went for a late brunch, and the line to get in was wrapped around the building!
For my meal I ordered a Mediterranean omelet, complete with spinach, tomato, onions, and feta cheese. Hash browns and "black toast," or dark rye bread were my sides. We left feeling full and happy.
For our one dinner in Montreal, we decided to order Italian food and picnic on Kim's apartment floor. Such a good idea. We got a variety of classic pasta dishes, which disappeared quickly. The name of the restaurant we used has escaped me, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it anyways because they messed up our order. Nonetheless, we enjoyed it thoroughly!
The following morning, we brunched at Le Bon Vivant, a very trendy, delicious, and reasonably priced restaurant. I ordered the Shakshuka as recommended to me by Kim, and boy did I love it. Fried eggs in tomato sauce with onion, carrot, sausage, feta, pesto, and more, served in a skillet with pita on the side... yes please. Brenna's eggs benny on pulled pork also was a winner.
- SHOPPING - Oh, let the fun begin. Along Plateau Mont Royal, we weaved in and out of the most amazing shops and boutiques. My favorites were of course the vintage stores. The image above shows an array of vintage denim, which were magnificently embroidered. This shop, named "Galerie + Atelier," doubles as a café and boutique. Very fun place indeed.
In this area of the city lies some of the most wonderful home decor shops I have ever seen. I included images from my favorite store, "Un Monde de M..." I wanted to buy EVERYTHING. Definitely check it out.
Kim bought an amazing jumpsuit from a store named Koodsi. What a beauty! Darcy and I both bought dresses (pictured below) from a boutique called Mika. Very well made, super modern, and quite comfortable.
- BAR / CLUB SCENE - When clubbing in Montreal, the goal is to pay for as few drinks and cover charges as possible. So, ladies and gents, look your best. We started our evenings in the apartment, drinking the one and only White Zynfandel and frantically yelling from halfway inside our suitcases, "does anyone have a dress I can borrow? Lipstick? A shirt?!"
Our favorites: Apartment 200 and TRH BAR.
Apartment 200 is extremely classy, modern but rustic, and spacious. We got there before 10, got drinks, and played pool. Brenna and I discovered that we stink at pool no matter the strength of our mojitos. Because it was so early, there was no cover charge and hardly anyone was there, which actually was quite relaxing and fun before the night got busier.
TRH BAR is quite the opposite experience from Apartment 200, but in the best kind of way. It is very grunge, the walls are covered with graffiti, and as you walk in further, you'll discover a mini skate park. So you can watch some skaters flaunt their tricks with a vodka soda in one hand and snapchat up and ready in the other!
Overall, the trip was absolutely magnifique. We were happily fed, we bought wonderful souvenirs, and Darcy spoke to only one homeless man. AND we made it back through the border even though Kim forgot her passport. Whew. Shoutout to Brenna's Subaru. I couldn't have asked for a better mini vacation, nor could I have asked for better people to spend it with!