Thursday

A few friends and I decided to explore Old Montreal (Vieux Montreal) and the Old Port area. This area was thy place to go to if you wanted a glimpse of what Europe would be like because there are blocks of structures and buildings that were European-esque. Line ups of gelato cafes, ice cream shops, a beaver tail dessert shop (must try! I didn't get to that day though), and fancy, open-patio restaurants. I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to be in Europe one day.

Old port was a lovely port area with lots of eateries and entertainment going on. There were local artists ready to sketch your face, musicians singing up a storm in the middle of the street, and even professional balloon makers. I could come here everyday just to enjoy the sight and sounds.

Look for yourself!









Friday

That afternoon, a friend and I went to check out the Museum of Fine Arts (musee de beaux arts) in the downtown area (closest metro station: Guy & Concordia). They offer free admission everyday with the exception of their current exhibit they are showcasing. It was nice to tour through paintings from the romantic ages and appreciate art of all forms from Picasso to contemporary pieces. There were also lots of paintings with religious references and mini replicas of popular attractions from Europe.

Pictures weren't allowed for the most part, but I did snap some from the contemporary furniture area.
  
 
Afterwards, we went to YEH! a frozen yogurt franchaise in Quebec which also sold fresh made crepes and custom made mini cookies upon ordering (you choose the dough and topppings you want to mix in and they make and bake it for you right away, sweeeet eh?).

The first few day of planned activities (optional, but in order to get your full 10%, you must complete 50 hours of them) have filled up fast due to limited spots. So today was the first time we go to tour with the explore group and we went to a street on Saint Catherines (known as the terrasse area?) that consisted of many pubs, bars, and strip clubs that catered to those who are gay or lesbian, but anyone can go to them. There were also a handful of mouth watering restaurants recommended to us. It was a nice area to stroll and you will definitely notice all the 'rainbow' flag on many of these places, symbolizing same sex gender once you get out of the metro station. 




For dinner that night, we checked out a popular Quebec chained restaurant brought over from France-Les Trois Brasseurs. We didn't get to sit on their rooftop patio, but, the weather had forecasted thunderstorms so it was a good thing we didn't. This place was known for their homemade selection of beers and though I'm not a fan of beer, my friends did try out the beer sampler consisting of four different types of beer. I really liked their menu; it was very engaging and in the format of a newspaper you could keep as a souvenir!