{"id":20097,"date":"2026-03-16T10:52:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T09:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.my-watchsite.com\/blog\/?p=20097"},"modified":"2026-03-17T17:32:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T16:32:25","slug":"life-gets-real-in-montreal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.my-watchsite.com\/blog\/life-gets-real-in-montreal\/","title":{"rendered":"Life gets real in Montr\u00e9al"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Leonard Cohen, the muse of Montr\u00e9al\u2019s murals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Montr\u00e9al is something you breathe. The city split by the Saint Lawrence River gives prominence to its squirrel-abundant parks, its highway-wide avenues, it forests filled with maple trees that protect ski pistes during winter \u2013 and secret kisses as soon as the first warm spring breeze blows \u2013 its open-air pleasures, skating, running, biking. Anyone can find a healthy hobby there and long live happiness!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Old-town Montr\u00e9al and recent neighbourhoods<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the first impression you get when visiting Montr\u00e9al: a form of happiness, of kindness you find upon meeting more and more people, a desire to share travel tips. Such coolness<\/em> spreads among the 2 entities that form the city (2 millions of inhabitants, 4 for the whole metropolitan area): the old town and recent neighbourhoods, the old Montr\u00e9al and the new Montr\u00e9al.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Montr\u00e9al\u2019s skyline.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Such partition is usual in America, yet here it\u2019s smeared with the moving pride of the first immigrants \u2013 coming from La Rochelle, Nantes, Brest, La Baule or Saint-Malo \u2013 who followed Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1535, Cartier wrote in his record book \u201cNomasmes icelle montaigne le mont Royal\u201d <\/em>(We called this mountain Mount Royal<\/em>). The modest landform (233 meters high) soon overlooked a camp, a fort, a village, a town, a city, a capital \u2013 here\u2019s how Montr\u00e9al was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I remember\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cobble-stoned streets, hundreds of bistros and old-fashioned restaurants, as many streets named after saints or past historical glories, a splendid Notre-Dame Basilica \u2013 where C\u00e9line married her Ren\u00e9 \u2013 surrounded by a good number of churches, monasteries or French signs. Let\u2019s not forget the use of French everywhere, sometimes with radicality. All of this makes for a delightful stroll in the old town, echoing Quebec\u2019s motto \u201cJe me souviens<\/em>\u201d (\u2018I remember\u2019). Remembering is alright, but History runs its course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Notre-Dame Basilica, heart of the city.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Democracy, freedom and respect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Centuries passed on, and the self-proclaimed French metropolis of the Americas <\/em>watched waves of worldwide refugees set foot on its land as diverse crisis shook the world. Quick, let\u2019s start a new life away from bombings and misery! The American dream combined with French benevolence worked like a charm. Quebecer generosity states that here, we\u2019re all immigrants. Starting from 1833, the city engraved a new motto on the fa\u00e7ade of public buildings: Concordia salus<\/em> \u2013 literally \u2018Salvation through harmony<\/em>\u2019 but more simply, the art of coexisting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The \u2018Ring\u2019, the entrance to Saint Catherine Street.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The city currently hosts a good hundreds of different nationalities. Every newcomer has the right to be themselves as long as they agree with the values that make Montrealer, Quebecer, Canadian people proud to be such \u2013 democracy, freedom and respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Globalized City<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having a walk along Saint Catherine Street \u2013 malls, theaters and flowery squares spreading over more than a kilometre \u2013 and checking how successful this mindset is. A dense crowd, not caring much about their differences, that gathers around the same cravings: a maple syrup waffle, a pair of jeans, a gym, the next smartphone or having a beer while watching Montreal Alliance basket players dunking in slow-mo on the big screen. Under this iconic street, 30 kilometres of underground pedestrian paths protect 1,300 shops from the freezing snow or the hot blazing sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A colourful and happy life.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Saint Laurent Boulevard\u2019s neighbourhood is another demonstration of Montr\u00e9al\u2019s diversity. An African crafts shop lies next to a Turkish restaurant. Farther on the street, a French bistro rubs shoulders with an Indian fabric shop front, right next to a Lebanese or Iraqi spices shop, a music shop where people speak Brazilian Portuguese, and a pizzeria. Welcome to Globalized City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shining Humaniti<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The view over new Montr\u00e9al from a Humaniti guest room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And right in the middle, a hotel emerges: the Humaniti. It acts as the link between the first city and the one that already lives in the future. Twenty glass-covered floors reflect the light. Art is omnipresent: the house is sprinkled with hundreds of modern artworks \u2013 canvas, sculptures, objects or furniture \u2013 visible in the common areas as well as in the 193 guest rooms. Wide and comfortable, the latter follow American standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A room of the Humaniti hotel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Acting both as a sentry, a beacon and an exploration site, Humaniti is beaming. Where would you like to go? Old town or modern neighbourhoods, business streets or calm gardens, bistro or fast-food restaurant, river or mountain, lily flower or maple leaf? As Montr\u00e9al\u2019s kilometre zero, the hotel\u2019s doors open on multiplicity \u2013 thus, on liberty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A swimming pool in the heart of the city.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tourism in Montr\u00e9al (<\/strong>www.mtl.org<\/strong><\/a>)<\/em>
H\u00f4tel Humaniti, 340 Rue de La Gaucheti\u00e8re, Montr\u00e9al.<\/strong>
One night in a double bedroom (in May, for instance): starting from \u20ac250.<\/strong>
Tel.: 00\u00a0514\u00a0657 25 95 and <\/strong>www.humanitihotel.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read also: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
COMO sets up a home in Puligny-Montrachet<\/a><\/blockquote>