u/Portraitvida

Photo by IG @aroundmonica

Two weeks. That’s all it took for Montréal to completely win me over.

I wandered through the Botanical Garden and the Biodôme, listened to incredible musicians at the Jazz Festival, walked the Old Port, kayaked near Parc Jean-Drapeau, discovered Mile End, hiked Mont Royal, explored the islands, took boat rides, listened to street karaoke, and found live music and public pianos almost everywhere I went.

What surprised me most wasn’t just the places, it was the people. I saw people notice litter on the street and simply pick it up. I even saw someone stop to move a fallen plant out of the road. There were tables set up outside where people could eat together and, maybe, meet strangers. Festivals filled the parks, while murals, sculptures, architecture, and street photography exhibitions made it feel like every corner had been created with intention, care, and a genuine love for art.

The warmth, the culture, the food, and the feeling that every neighbourhood had its own personality made Montréal feel alive in a way that’s hard to describe.

Merci, Montréal.