Days Thirty Thru Thirty-Four – Ottawa and Montreal Canada

Day thirty begins with Tyler and Catherine leaving picturesque Niagara Falls Ontario and heading back through Greater Toronto to their destination for the day – Ottawa Ontario. Ottawa is the capital of Canada is located not far from the huge population areas of Toronto, York, Hamilton, and Barrie. Ottawa is also not far from the border with Quebec and just a little further on is the city of Montreal.

Arriving in Ottawa in the late afternoon we did some sightseeing of the Bank of Canada, and the government buildings including Parliament and the Senate. Most of these destinations are located within a close distance to one-another making getting from one to the other not much of a challenge. What was more of a challenge was finding a hotel in the downtown core that could fit our vehicle equipped with a roof rack and carrier. Every hotel we stopped at only had underground parking available and we could not fit our vehicle inside! So plan for this if traveling to Ottawa with a large vehicle – be sure to call ahead and ask about parking, or stay outside of the city core where they have open lots.

After grabbing a quick dinner we decided to make the drive across the border into the province of Quebec. It didn’t take long to get to the suburbs of Montreal where we selected a hotel in Pointe Claire. The hotel rates in Montreal were slightly above average as compared to the rest of Canada for this time of year.

We spent the next few days in Montreal seeing friends and family of Catherine’s as Catherine lived in Montreal for about five years. Catherine was our tour guide of locations across the city and surrounding areas. Some of the places we visited included the Notre-Dame Basilica – which is a must see and St. Joseph’s Oratory. St. Joseph’s Oratory offers great views of Montreal both day and night. The upper viewing platform was closed for repairs when we were there and should be closed for some time to come.

We also scoured the downtown core and visited Olympic Stadium because Tyler wanted to see where the former Montreal Expos played as he is a huge baseball fan.

It should be noted that getting around anywhere in Montreal during rush-hour is a real chore. We’ve driven through many cities during peak hours and none have been anywhere close to how bad Montreal is. Add in the terrible condition of the roads and highways and you will find your time sucked dry by the stop and go traffic. Montrealers like to joke that their potholes are so big that they swallow cars whole – after seeing the roads first hand we believe them! It should also be noted that this is the third week of October and it was already starting to snow – so come prepared for cold weather!

There are also many notions from some corners that Montreal and Quebec in general can be a bit inhospitable to those who don’t speak French. This is a gross generalization. Most people in Quebec do speak English or at least enough to help out an obvious traveler. Be polite and so will they – as you expect anywhere on earth.

Our time in Montreal came to a close so packed our things and started out onto the highway traveling further East in Canada with Quebec City as our next destination.

Tyler says of days 30-34 – I was looking forward to returning to both Ottawa and Montreal. I had visited both many times because of work and political work. Can’t say I prefer one over the other but each has their own good points. Montreal is a great city to get out for lunch or dinner. There are so many great restaurants where they bend over backwards to make sure your meal and time spent is as best it can be. Ottawa is a great city for those looking to learn more about Canada’s history and government. Put both on your to visit list as they are not far apart driving, by train, bus or plane.

Catherine says of days 30-34 – Ottawa was great to visit as it taught me more about my home country. Returning to Montreal was nice as it left me lots of time to catch up with family and friends. When Tyler was having trouble with his French I was able to translate for him as I am fluent in French. Montreal is a great place to visit but it can be a bit cold – such as when we were there. So pack a scarf and toque!