Montreal – Canada

I decided to visit Montreal for a weekend getaway. I have a client in New Hampshire and drove up in between weeks onsite. This trip was going to be what I’ll call a “trial run” for the new lifestyle I’m pursuing. I booked a bed in a 6 person mixed dorm at a hostel, M Montreal. I was genuinely worried whether  I could handle staying in a hostel again, let alone a co-ed dorm room. I was in for a treat.

After driving in circles in Montreal for about 30 minutes, due to my GPS not being able to find a signal, I found M Montreal! I checked in and headed upstairs towards my new adventure. Of course the room was all guys. I think every guy’s dream is that he books a mixed dorm and it’s filled with single hot ladies. For every male dreamer, that fantasy was shot, because our room was 5 guys and myself. One of these dreamers was from Slovakia. Within the first five minutes of chatting, he mentioned to me that ever since he started working out, he gets really horny. My reactions continue as follows:

1. Jaw drop
2. Slight giggle
3. Roaring laughter
4. Proceed to walk off, to prevent causing more embarrassment for him

I’ll give him credit for attempting a unique method for hitting on women. This probably deserves a 2 out of 5 stars. 1 for uniqueness and 1 for effort. All other points are taken off due to crassness and general lack of social etiquette.

Winter is not peak season to visit Montreal and a majority of the walking tours were closed. I joined forces with a few other guys in the room, an Australian, a German, and a Kentuckian (minus Mr. Gym Horny), and we set off to create our own tours. My favorite place was exploring Old Montreal. Walking along the narrow, cobblestone streets gives the feeling of an old European city.

All the walking tours were closed for the season. Guess we’ll have to create our own! #visitmontreal #digitalnomad #travelmeetshappy #globalgals

A photo posted by @colleen_kinsey on Dec 15, 2015 at 4:55pm PST

There was a craft beer tour in Montreal, but it was $60. I wrote down the addresses and summoned the troops to hit the streets. Here were our stops:

Les 3 Brasseurs Resto Microbrasserie – 105 Rue Saint Paul Est, Montreal

Brasserie Artisanale L’Amère A – 2049 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal

Brasserie Benelux – 245 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal  

Le Saint Bock – 1749 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal                       

My favorite, hands down, was Brasserie Benelux. The ambiance was more local hangout, less commercialized. Benelux’s building used to be an old bank. When you walk in you can still see the remnants of the previous business such as the old bank safe and sectioned seating that used to be a counter. After our self proclaimed craft beer tour, the night quickly progressed into the morning hours, which then approached the much dreaded hangover time. The boys convinced me to do some “light” exercise, consisting of climbing the most stairs, in my life to the top of Mont Royal. In all honesty, the view was pretty amazing.

Hiking whilst hungover has it’s benefits. A photo posted by @colleen_kinsey on Dec 12, 2015 at 3:10pm PST

Our German friend mentioned he missed German food. We found Das Bier, a modern take on the German Beer Halls. One exciting twist, was not only were there beer steins, but bloody mary steins! We were quite impressed with the decorations! The owner, Carl, was thrilled to have travelers at his restaurant and we got extra special treatment with free jager shots. Should you visit Das Bier, you’ll find a nice surprise when you enter the bathroom. I won’t give away what it is, but you essentially get a 50/50 shot. One lucky individual in our group chose wrong and suffered the embarrassment.

Litre bloody mary’s. Welcome to Canada! #visitmontreal #digitalnomad #globalgals #travelmeetshappy

A photo posted by @colleen_kinsey on Dec 12, 2015 at 5:47pm PST

On the way out of town, I had two stops to make- Habitat 67 and Le Café Des Chats. Habitat 67 is a cluster of apartments, which are known for their iconic architecture. Built in 1967 for the World’s Fair, the outside looked interesting, expensive, and outdated, but I’m no architect. Le Café Des Chats is an adorable cat cafe in downtown Montreal. I’m a closet crazy cat lady and enjoyed sipping a Meowchiatto while watching cats play.

I was sad for my Montreal weekend to end. Not only because I had made great friends, but got a taste for what my new lifestyle could be like. After such a wonderful weekend with new friends and being completely gluttonous, it was hard to return to reality. To cure my depression, I booked a one way ticket to Dublin! Check out my guide on buying plane tickets and stay tuned to follow my adventure.