By, Jan Ross
Montreal is a big city and we only had a few days to see as much as possible. So, since we were limited on what we could do, I’m very glad we ended up staying at the Auberge Bonaparte in Old Montreal. We LOVE Old Montreal; the centuries-old buildings, the cobblestone streets, the little shops and restaurants which line every street.
But what we really enjoyed was that pretty much everything we wanted to do was within a few blocks radius and an easy walk. We set out in the morning to visit Pointe-a-Calliere, the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History. This is a national historic site above the actual remains of early Montreal. I was intrigued by the description of “cutting-edge technology and a multimedia show that bring Montreal’s past to life”.
The Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History
The museum was easy to find, since they were having a temporary show of Easter Island artifacts and the rather large head in front was hard to miss. We strolled around a bit, then went into the theatre for the show.
Me and the rather large head.
Let me just tell you that if you don’t visit one other museum while you are in Montreal, you MUST visit this one. That show was the most incredible thing we have ever experienced in a museum. We sat down in our seats with what looked like an archaeological dig sunk down in front of us. We were instructed to put on our headphones and tune to whatever number corresponded to our language. We were glad to hear this, since we were afraid we would be completely lost if everything was in French. And the show began. For a few seconds, the light show was so realistic, I actually thought the stones were moving but, of course, it was an illusion. Using lights, music, narration and pictures projected onto several screens, they told the story of the city. Seriously, it was incredible. You have to see it.
We considered taking a horse-drawn carriage ride but decided we didn’t want to take the time. It looked like a lot of fun, though, so you should totally do it!
After that, we walked around snapping pictures like the mad American tourists we are and then headed to the Notre Dame Basilica at 1:00 when mass was over. We had visited some cathedrals when we were in Ireland, but this gorgeous place was their equal and then some. We actually just stood in awe for a few minutes at the design at the back of cathedral. With candles flickering and the tourists murmuring quietly and respectfully, it was truly a breath-taking place.
Notre Dame Basilica – gorgeous!
So beautiful!
Everything was beautifully carved and painted.
Having experienced two completely different but equally interesting places, we were now ready for lunch. We had suggestions of several nice places to eat, but when we saw this, we HAD to give it a chance.
Seriously, how could you NOT eat here?
The food at Eggspectation was fun and interesting but not spectacular, although I think their breakfasts are much better, based on the plates of breakfast food they were delivering. So, check it out!
We are heading out for a very interesting dinner tonight and I’ll share that with you soon. We are leaving for Amsterdam tomorrow, so stories about that adventure will begin soon!
When you are ready to travel to Montreal, The Travel Authority is ready to help you plan that trip. You can call 1-877-AXP-1515 for information and details about traveling to Montreal. Be sure to print out this post or mention the code BLAMA to get the best deal on your trip. I would love to hear your suggestions for future blog posts. You can comment below or contact me by email at jan.ross@thetravelauthority.com. Thanks for reading – I truly appreciate it!
Safe travel!
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