We went on our first real family VACATION (as opposed to a trip to visit family) last week to Montreal and it was awesome! Here’s some of what we did:
We stayed at an Airbnb and there were these cool dinosaurs. Jonas had a lot of fun making them roar. I was a little worried he would destroy some things there but we got away with only a ripped book page (that thankfully the host wasn’t upset about.
On Saturday, we mostly just slept since we had been on the red eye and were coming from a different time zone. Then we went to Atwater Market, a cool outdoor market, and walked around.
On Sunday we went to Mont Royal Park. Every Sunday there’s a thing called the Tam Tams where people play drums and juggle and do Live Action Role Playing and all kinds of other stuff. We ended up taking a really long hike through the park, thinking it would surely loop back around. After climbing, climbing, climbing for miles, we finally just asked someone and they told us it didn’t circle around, so we turned around.
We went to a place my friend recommended called La Banquise and had vegan poutine. Yum!
On Monday we met up with my friend Kate, who I know from an online group for moms with babies born in September 2013. It was so fun! We went to a place called Melons and Clementines that had great snacks for grownups and babies and had play space for the kiddos to run around. Jonas and her son Henry LOVED each other and kept asking each other (in English and French, respectively) for kisses and hugs. It was adorable. Kate is totally someone I would hang out with even if we didn’t have babies born 10 days apart and I’m so glad to have gotten to spend time with her.
An ATM refused our card even though we had put a travel advisory on it so Jared had to call them. There are still pay phones all around the city, and they actually came in handy!
These probably won’t really exist when Jonas is old enough to remember them so we thought we’d take a picture of him with one!
On Tuesday we went to the Biodome and saw a bunch of animals. Jonas loved it, especially the fish and the penguins. He got so excited when we saw the penguins he was giggling!
On Wednesday we went to a creperie called Chez Suzette with Jared’s hockey blogging friend and then to the Montreal Canadiens Hall of Fame. It was cool to see all the old jersies and other artifacts. Jonas slept through the whole museum.
On Thursday we went to the Montreal International Beer Festival. Kate met up with us again and showed us her favorite local beers to try. It was awesome! My favorite was one called Chihuahua from Brasseur de Montreal that was made with lemongrass. It was delicious. Then we tipsily walked down to the Old Port and visited the Museum of Canadian delights where we got to sample different kinds of maple syrup and maple toffe, which is made by twisting a stick of maple syrup in crushed ice. It was so yummy!
We didn’t have plans for Friday so we went back to Atwater Market and walked around some more. We had delicious tofu buns with peanut sauce at a place called Satay Brothers for lunch and since Jonas had been asking for strawberries, we got some fresh ones. We also got maple sorbet, which is maybe the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten! Jonas didn’t feel like being in the baby carrier or on our lap, but he was happy when we let him sit in his own metro seat. He didn’t even want us to hold him. When he felt he was indpendent enough, he said, “That’s fun!” with a big grin.
For dinner we went to a vegetarian place called La Panthere Verte– The Green Tiger and had delicious sandwiches and vegan tiramisu.
On the way back to the apartment, it was raining, and Jonas told us all to put our hoods up and then said we were a “hoodie family.”
It was so nice– the Montreal airport had toys to keep kids entertained!
We got home late Saturday night. It was such a fun trip and so nice to have so much time to hang out as a family!
Awesome trip! Jonas is getting so big, love him peeking in on the penguins 🙂