I love free city walking tours, especially on my first day in a new place. It gives me an overview of the history, the character of the place, orientates me to where things are, what I need to see more of, and tells me interesting or quirky facts that the average urbanite won’t know. Usually the tour guides range in ages – university students or older residents – but they are all passionate about their subject, which makes for an interesting journey while walking around. They make money from tips at the end. My guide, who is an amateur theatre student and dramatises interesting tidbits of history as we walk, does well for himself.

I’m told that the province of Quebec has a totally different vibe to the rest of Canada due to its combination of English/First Nation/French influences (with First Nations encompassing Inuit – formerly known as Eskimo –  and Algonquin tribes). And Montréal is one of the jewels in the crown.

What is definite is that I have landed in an exciting, cosmopolitan, and cultured city. I am reminded later that it is also an Olympic City.

We start in the 1600s at the old port and end in the 21st century over a period of about 3 hours on the only overcast, windy, and rainy day out of the last few weeks. Maybe Autumn,  or rather Fall, wants to announce its imminent arrival? I have already walked through the city centre and been to a museum exhibiting First Nation culture’s archaeological importance – to me a good beginning – and we progress through the old port – in resurgence since the 80s – ending at the modern convention centre whose multi-coloured façade looks like a piece of art itself. I cover quite a few kilometres today.

 

I arrived to the meeting point by metro or underground subway train, an efficient, user-friendly and clean system. Music is everywhere it seems. Each train signals its intent to leave with a 3 note combination that sounds like an intro to a spaghetti western. Buskers’ efforts echo eerily through the subway corridors, not revealed until you round the corner: unaccompanied singers trill french chansons or musicians vie for small change.

And people stand and offer their seats to others on the metro.

I take a break and order a meal that is a nod to where I have been ( an empanada – a meat-filled pastry popular in South America) and to where I am/going ( a chocolat chaud or hot chocolate through tradition says it should be served in a bowl). It takes a while to not think in Spanish as a reply when I am spoken to in French, but gradually I tentatively begin to ask for simple things – coffee, the metro ticket – and can understand most of what is being said in rapid French as a response. But the accent is quite different from what I am used to when learning french. It is Quebecois, as different from France french as British and American english are from Australian.

The next day I have a reasonable size list of things to see. To start, I am interested in seeing the museum to climate change, the Biosphere, which is a striking addition to the city skyline. It is on the old 1967 World Expo site in the old American pavilion. All the exhibits are interactive and well presented.

 

I visit Le Village, an area that acknowledges the gay community by displaying a street filled with hanging pink balls. I listen to a man play a communal piano and many in the crowd join in. It is a fun and relaxed vibe.

I continue through the old Olympic Park to the renowned Montréal Botanic gardens, a vast campus including an Insectarium, ponds, woods, and Native American gardens. I have come to see the Lantern Festival set in the Chinese Pavilion, a much anticipated event with lanterns made specially in China up to a year in advance.

I don’t know how I feel visiting the Insectarium, coming from Australia – the land of insects – but it is yet another fascinating display.

The Botanic Gardens lives up to my expectations. It is beautiful with enormous wooded areas. I, who have a great sense of direction, get lost within it.

Now for the main event, the Moon Festival or Lantern Festival. The storyline for this year is the Chinese Imperial City. I can even get dressed up. They offer the choice of wearing the clothes of the Emperor or Empress – I choose both.

Once it gets dark the celebration shifts into full gear and hundreds of people descend upon the Gardens.

I return to my hosts weary and with blistered feet. I have a step tracker in my bag. I have walked 23,000 steps today. I have a rest day while I move to a new host.

 

But wait, there’s more. The third day exploring Montréal involves – you guessed it – more walking, this time up the mountain from which the city gets its name, Mont Royal (Mont Real). But first, what’s not to like about a farmer’s market selling fresh produce French-style.

Now the mountain. Beginning in a ‘cool’ suburb called the Plateau filled with graffiti and gothic buildings, I wander up to the base of the mountain only to discover there is a bicycle race on – the Montreal Cycling competition. There are many MAMILS (middle-aged men in lycra) in the crowd and police everywhere but I am finally allowed through the barriers to commence my ascent.

At the top there is a building at the lookout that is reminiscent of the early 1900s, all wood panelling and somewhere you can imagine they would have held gracious balls and events.

 

Finally, the view.

After all this time walking its streets, I believe that I know this city intimately now.

I ♥ Montréal.