Saturday, January 14, 2012

On the Bright Side of Montreal

Sometimes when it's cold and snowy (i.e. today) I like to look back on photos I've taken to remind myself of the beauty of this city. I'm not always all romantic about this place (the weather, the drivers, the hipsters, the smokers, the hockey team, the distance from home), but today I'm taking a break from all those nasty thoughts and choosing to look on the bright side!


On the West Coast, we have nothing that compares to Montreal's historic architecture. For one, I just love the pervasiveness of brick here. The aging cathedrals are beautiful as well.

In Vancouver I've tried and tried to find a bagel--and cream cheese--that compare to those of Montreal, but frankly, it's hopeless...

Another thing Vancouver lacks is a helpful transit system. Unless you're commuting into the heart of downtown, you may find yourself transferring multiple times along an inefficiently loopy route. In Montreal, you can hop on the metro and arrive at your destination in a (sweaty) flash. If hot underground tunnels aren't really your style, the bus network is pretty good too.

Finally, the colors of fall are just incredible here: Mont Royal turns a deep shade of orange, fallen leaves sprinkle McGill campus, and eventually leaveless tree-lined streets beckon winter.

"And some places you been before are so great that you don't ever mind going back. Some places you been before you don't ever want to go back, you know, like Montreal in the winter." (Morgan Freeman)

Mr. Freeman should have visited Montreal in ... any season other than winter, really!

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