Destination Québec

DAY 3: A TASTE OF MONTRÉAL'S HISTORY

We began our exploration of Montréal by visiting the outdoor Atwater Market, located by the St. Lawrence River. We had lunch there and began to learn a few things about the city, such as how the historical factories that lined the river have been converted into condos, and how jazz grew in Montréal as it emanated out of the black neighbourhoods. The market was buzzing with people as they walked among the fresh produce, cheeses, flowers, and more. It was a very cool place.

Upon leaving the market we headed to Old Montréal. This was our favourite place in the city—characterized by brick streets, historical (but renovated) buildings, museums, restaurants, boutiques, and more. This historical district is one place that we wish we could have explored more, during both the day and the night.

During our tour of Montréal we learned some very cool facts about the city that we otherwise would not have known. We learned that there were walls built around Montréal to protect it during the conflicts between France and England, and there are still remnants of these walls in the city. This was cool to know because otherwise, we would have just assumed it was a regular wall and not hundreds of years old with special significance!

We also learned that Montréal is an island, like Manhattan. You may think it is silly, but we really had no idea we were on an island! Good to know!

This is a great place to go and feel like you are in Europe, but without having to cross the “pond.” The French language is so romantic, but luckily almost everyone here speaks English if you are not too good with French. Along with the cobblestone streets and old French-style homes, there is a great view of the river. I think people who are looking to get away from the U.S. and have a real adventure, but can’t go too far or take too much time off, should consider Montréal for sure. It is a hidden gem that we wouldn’t normally think of!

Let me start by saying that Kyle was an Airborne Ranger in the U.S. Army. This means that he jumped out of planes on a regular basis and had many, many hours of training. So, naturally you would think that he would be great in the free-fall simulator. I on the other hand, was a bit scared of this whole flying thing.

But as it turns out, I was great at flying and Kyle was…well let’s just say he could use some more practice!

When we arrived at the centre, we were able to watch a bit of the class before us. Everyone entered the flight chamber and simply fell into the air while the instructor guided their positions. This did not help to ease my fears, as the people looked like they were struggling to fly.

We were then taken into a classroom setting where our instructor, David, proceeded to demonstrate the proper body position (a bit like Superman with bent legs and arms) and the hand signals to communicate (because once you are in the chamber you can’t hear with all the wind). After we were properly trained on what to do we all geared up and entered the chamber.

When David jumped in first, he flew like a bird, like an expert! We all got very excited, and I was still pretty nervous. Kyle went into the chamber first and attempted to get into position. His legs were splaying and even when David would correct him, he would go back to the splayed position. David did spin him around like a helicopter though and he got super dizzy!

I waited until after a 6-year-old girl went, because I figured, “Hey, if she can do it, I can do it!” And amazingly enough, I was actually good at it. David let me fly super high on my own, taught me to turn myself around, and even stood me straight up in the chamber so I could see how hard it is to walk in there.

Overall, we got to do four minutes each in the simulator. This was so cool and I would honestly recommend trying it to anyone. You really are flying and it is a great rush (especially for chickens like me).

Our original dinner plans were to go back to Old Montréal, walk around and experience it at night, and find a nice restaurant to enjoy in the area. However, the weather turned nasty and it began to rain. Since we didn’t feel like walking in the downpour, we decided to visit a different part of the city and eat at a popular sushi restaurant. It was good to see another side of Montréal. Moreover, we probably dined at the best sushi restaurant that we have ever been to.

The food was absolutely delicious and the designs of the sushi dishes were fabulous. It's located on Bernard street.

Since we sat down to dinner late and really took our time enjoying the meal, it was nearing midnight when we finally left the place. Plus, the weather was still pretty nasty, so we decided to head back to the hotel and enjoy a relaxing, stormy evening.

We spent our last night in a nice hotel: the Marriott Château Champlain. The lobby was immense, and numerous shops were located throughout its corridors. It was an impressive, very well kept place. The rooms, a bit larger than standard hotel rooms, were very well done. It had a luxurious feel to it. The bed was heavenly. Our favorite part of the room was the large crescent shaped window that offered an awesome view of the city, especially since we were located on the 32nd floor.

After returning from our amazing sushi dinner, we pulled the chair up to the window of our hotel room and enjoyed the night view while talking and winding down the long day.