Travel Diaries: A Road Trip To Montréal, Canada
At this point our trip was coming to a close. My sister and I had gotten very comfortable at aunt Jo’s house that we could do things around the house without walking on eggshells or feeling like we were visitors. Vermont was sort of a safe haven we found ourselves roaming around in and we certainly had no desire or intention to stop in the few days we had left. However, they say all good things come to an end, and just like we eventually sadly had to say goodbye to New York City, we knew it would only be a matter of time before we would be on a flight back to rainy Manchester.
But before heading to souvenir shops to buy objects that will hold memories of our times in Burlington or heading to the airport for the inevitable 8-hour flight, there was still one thing left on our adventure list to do – the highly anticipated road trip to Montréal, Canada.
One thing that is true is that our trip to Montréal would have not even been a possibility without aunt Jo. She suggested it, insisted on it and promised to drive all the way to the border, into Canada and back. So, with the deal sealed, we woke up on our last Saturday there really early in the morning, got ready, had a quick breakfast, and headed towards the car to start the journey.
We packed some food in the trunk and extra clothes in our bags to change into the next day. The engine was on and the satnav was adjusted perfectly to guide us.
The road saw little to no traffic and in about three hours or so we found ourselves at the border between America and Canada. There was a bit of a line at the entry of the border as each driver and passengers were stopped, asked a series of questions and then let through to the other side. We presented our passports, answered questions that summed up our life story and were let into the new country.
The excitement set in big time once we were in – we were really in!
We made a quick pit stop at the house of a friend of aunt Jo’s who lived really close to the border and knew her way around a lot more. She took over the steering wheel and off we went, every minute a little closer to Montreal. We got there in no time as we were caught up in chats about life, politics and all the crazy in between. Aunt Jo’s friend had good vibes oozing out of every single part of her being; she was easy going, seemed like someone who could talk easily to anyone and somehow knew something about everything.
We found parking around the Old Port area where we spent most of our time roaming around, chasing highs, taking many, many pictures and eating good food we certainly craved after a few hours. My sister tried ziplining for the first time and we saw Montréal from up top on its largest observation wheel, La Grande Roue de Montréal.
We stayed there until the sun had officially departed the sky we were under and then headed back on the road to aunt Jo’s friend’s apartment where we spent the night. Next day, was mostly spent on the road again, across the borders to Vermont for our last two days in the united states.
For us, the road trip was sort of a snapshot into what Canada had to offer, like a peek through the windows of its borders; a first sip to give an idea of what it could taste like. I can definitely say it was one that left a good taste in my mouth and made me extra curious of all the things I hadn’t seen yet. With that being said, the country is surely still on the top of my list of dream destinations and I hope it won’t be too long till I’m back there again exploring and roaming around the European-style roads and buildings in Old Port whilst pretending my French isn’t less than mediocre.
In the meantime though, I’ll just have to make peace with where I am right now and allow myself to be transported back through the photographs I was able to snag there. I know you guys are in love with the pictures as much as I am, so here are some more to quench that Instagram/Pinterest-induced thirst for constant pretty imagery of beautiful sceneries.
Your restless romantic roamer
Montreal looks like a fantastic place to explore, would definitely love to visit one day 😀
It was as gorgeous as it looked! You should visit for sure xx