Poutine!

We finally made it to Montreal! Shockingly, the entire highway was shut down at the Ontario-Quebec border, so we had quite the detour through the Québécois countryside. Prior to that we had picked up some fresh cheese and sausage for an impromptu picnic, which we ate as we stretched our legs outside a gas station. Not exactly picturesque, but you do what you have to when traveling for that long. There were also multiple segments of construction which slowed us down at least an additional hour. It was a frustrating day, with a ~5.5 hour drive turning into 8. But we survived and managed to find our airbnb near the Little Burgundy, Griffintown, and McGill University neighborhoods.

As we arrived fairly late, we didn't have much time to explore. However, we also felt fairly full from our late and heavy lunch, so there was no rush to eat and a high desire to take a walk. We selected a restaurant about 2.5 miles from where we are staying called La Banquise, best known for their variety of poutine. On or walk we saw parts of McGill and downtown, and stopped at La P'tite Grenouille for a drink and live music. It appears to be orientation weekend for multiple universities, plus Montreal Pride, so I think we are in for some adventures!Read more