After 4 amazing days in Montreal, I took a flight to New York City, the city that never sleeps. Most likely one of the most famous cities in the world, I felt like I had to see what was all about. Tons of movies have been filmed there and its iconic landmarks made my bucket list a long time ago.

I arrived on a Thursday early afternoon and would leave on Sunday night. That could be counted as 3 days. I had made an itinerary for myself to take the most out of my time there, instead of just wandering around. I used Super Shuttle to get from La Guardia to my hostel, HI New York City, and instead of waiting for my room to be ready, I began sightseeing. 

Here’s how I saw New York in 3 days, and how you could too. 🗽

I walked around the north side of Central Park where you can see some beautiful views of the city skyline. I was surprised that the trees where mostly green or yellow, instead of the typical colorful Fall I was expecting. As night began to fall, I took the subway to Times Square. Broadway street is possibly one of the world’s most famous streets and the billboards light up the whole place. It was hard to take photos, but some friendly tourists helped. I liked how lively the city was, making it clear that, day or night, New York City is pretty much awake.

I went back to my hostel to get some rest, as the next day would be full of activities. 

I woke up early to head to my first stop: the Empire State. It’s called “the most famous building in the world” and well, it comes with the price of its tagline. Around $40 will get you to floor 86, which is more than enough to get a view of the famous New York City skyline. The wind was super strong and after taking photos all around – and asking a tourist to take a photo of myself – I went down through the stairs. My best advice is to go there as early as you can, because the line can get long and the airport-like security takes time.

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Wherever I go, I am always looking for old buildings and Grand Central is a staple. It’s beautiful inside and out. Inside, there was an expo of polaroids, which brought even more life to the iconic train station.

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I believe this is the prettiest building in Manhattan. I took a break at the small park nearby to rest and feel that New York vibe. I read you can go inside for free but as a I didn’t have much time, I moved on to my next stop.

It was curious that such a modern city would have a cathedral like this and I am glad I visited. It is outstanding and conserved. It was a little weird to see the US flag hanging from a pole on the Cathedral, but well, it’s the US of A.

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The iconic ice rink and the flags was like getting lost in any typical New York-based movie. Despite it being mid-October, the Christmas decorations were already being placed where the famous tree would be located later. If I ever go back to New York City, it will definitely be during Christmas time.

Radio City Music Hall 🎵

I went back to Central Park, this time to visit the south side where the famous Hotel Plaza is located. I just loved this park and the life and peace it gives to what could be otherwise a dull and ever-busy city. I took the time to eat yet another NYC-style hot dog and that gave me enough time to ponder the idea of attending a Broadway show. I had enough time to go back to the hostel, change and be on time to buy a last-minute ticket. A colleague had told me that if you go last-minute, tickets prices are usually lowered. I decided to take the chance. 

I arrived there around 50 minutes before the play would start and scored a ticket at almost half the price. I made the line just in time to get in without much hassle, find my seat and enjoy the show from the beginning. What a masterpiece! The Lion King on Broadway is a visual and musical experience that I believe anyone can enjoy, whether they have seen the movie or not. Aside from the impressive custom design and the super talented actors, I was astonished at the creativity to portray some key scenes of the story. There is a reason why this play has been running on Broadway for so long and I recommend it to anyone.

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During my second day I would explore Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Stay tuned for next week's post.

Since the beginning of the year, I wanted to take my vacations in Autumn. As my favorite season, I needed a getaway from the eternal, unbearable summer of the Caribbean. While going back to Europe was my first idea, I decided against it later because of time restraints. Still, I wanted to feel that European vibe. Canada was always on my bucket list, mainly because of the breathtaking nature it has and its “everyone is nice in Canada” reputation.

Montreal seemed to be the perfect destination: maple trees, French heritage, and mild weather. And I was right. The beauty of Montreal in Autumn has little competition. My one-week trip would be divided into Montreal and New York, another city that is most likely on everyone’s travel bucket list.

I arrived in Montreal on a Sunday afternoon and would leave on a Thursday morning. Technically, that would be 3 days and an afternoon. If -like me- you are making a short visit to this Quebec gem, this is what you can do if you only have 3 days in Montreal.

The things you can do on this day will depend on at what time you land. I landed at around 4 PM and between picking up my luggage and going through customs, I took the express bus to the city at around 5:30 PM. The bus is very convenient, and I arrived at around 6 PM to my hostel, Hi Montreal. That left me with just enough time to grab dinner and do one thing. I decided that I’d go to La Grande Roue de Montréal, a colorful ferris wheel from which you get nice city views. It is located at the Old Port and the metro takes you there easily.

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The entrance fee is not expensive compared to other ferris wheels such as the London Eye. After my ride was done, I walked around for a bit, and took photos of the old clock tower and the colored lights of the bridge.

I had to slightly adjust my previous itinerary as I discovered that this Monday was Thanksgiving Day, a major holiday and most places were closed. I decided to visit the places that were open and get lost around the old town, just walking around and taking photos. The good news was that the streets were almost empty, allowing me to walk around freely, stop to take photos, and just sitting down to enjoy the view without annoying anyone who could be in a hurry.

My day began with a visit to the cathedral Mary Queen of the World, which has a beautiful square by its side that provided me with the first Autumn colors 🍁🍂 that I was so excited about. The cathedral itself is impressive, with green and pink/peach tones decorating the ceiling.

Walking down René Lévesque Boulevard in search of my next destination – Saint Patrick’s Basilica – I found a very modern monument built to honor the Canadian athletes that have been in to the Olympics. The “flames” light up constantly and around the reflective material you can read the engraved names of all the athletes. Montreal hosted the Summer Olympics back in 1976.

St. Patrick’s Basilica is a Gothic-style cathedral that was inaugurated in 1847. The Gothic style is most evident in the ceiling, that compared to the renaissance-style Mary Queen of the World, is less colorful. Nonetheless, St Patrick’s is bigger and I liked the green tones of the dome.

I passed by the Museum of Modern Art and Chinatown, and as I arrived to Old Montreal, I would find my next stop: The Notre Dame Basilica of Montréal. I visited Paris’ Notre Dame and while that one is indeed more impressive on the outside, Montreal’s cathedral is simply breathtaking on the inside. You have to pay a low fee of 8 CAD to get in, but I truly advice that you do so. 

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After the visit, I had just enough time to visit one or two more places, and then go to the Botanical Gardens, a bit far from downtown and very close to the Olympic Stadium built for the Montreal 1976 Olympics. 

I had tickets for the Gardens of Lights exhibition at 6 PM. I would wander around for a bit until dawn, to be able to appreciate the Chinese and Japanese gardens in all their magic.

I began with visiting the farthest point and then would slowly come back until arriving to Old Montreal, where I wanted to have more time to explore. 

St. Joseph’s Oratory is an enormous basilica built at the top of Mont Royal. It was a very cold day -a feeling of 7°C/44°F- and the wind up there was strong. I took some photos of the great view and then moved inside to both enjoy the place and take a break from the wind. 

The main floor has the basilica and from there you can move up or down to visit other areas such as a museum and chapels. The original chapel is outside, to the right of the actual basilica. Likewise, there are gardens but they were closed as of October 14, reopening during the Spring.

Taking the bus and then the metro back to Old Montreal, I was naturally hungry and searching for a place to eat, I found a Polish restaurant called Stash Café where I enjoyed some delicious pierogi that I’ve been craving since 2017 when I first ate them in Poland.

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This day was all about taking as much photos as I could, something that I love when traveling. I also took more breaks than the day before, and just sat down at random benches or stairs and just look at the people walking. The relaxing vibe that Montreal offers is something that I truly appreciated, specially in those moments where my mind was so exhausted because of work. Despite the cold, it was a sunny day so it was the perfect excuse to go back to the Old Port and enjoy the area during daylight.

After a long day, I headed to Chinatown and had dinner at one of the many restaurants with great prices that are located there. 

On my last day in Montreal, I wanted to slow down a bit. I had planned for a museum visit and to go to Mont Royal. I didn’t want to overplan for this day, as I was leaving the next day to New York city.

I woke up a bit later than usual and after breakfast, I walked uphill to visit the Fine Arts Museum. I didn’t know this museum was so huge! It has multiple buildings and floors, including an underground passage through which you cross the street to the other building. 

Tip 💡: Schedule no less than 3 hours if you want to visit all the areas. The admission fee for young adults is 16 CAD and I felt so blessed that I was under 30 years old (grandma who?). Anyone under 20 enters for free. You can check your coat and bag for free, taking only your camera and phone with you.

After my visit, it was time for lunch. This was the perfect excuse to visit a place I spotted on my research before arriving: C’Chocolat. It’s a trendy restaurant specialized in chocolate and I’ve heard their milkshakes and coffee are to die for. I preferred to get a meal, so I ended up ordering the Fruit Explosion, a waffle covered in different types of fruit including berries, apple and banana. They top it with a chocolate of your choice and my basic self went with the classic Nutella.

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With a happy belly, I decided to finally go to the top of Mount Royal, where there is a lookout point that I believe every person should visit. I took the bus that brings you right up and instantly knew it was worth it.

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On my way down, I stopped at the beginning of the park, to wander around for a bit, enjoy nature and see the monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier.

Realizing I was only a short bus ride to St. Viateur Bagel & Café, I decided to pay it a visit. If you look for places to eat in Montreal, St. Vitaeur is a staple and people claim it has the best bagels you’ll ever eat. I bought a plain bagel and eat it on my way back. I guess my expectations were too high, so while it was a good bagel, I am not sure if it is the absolute best. I would have rather eat it warm, so maybe that’s why. 

My days in Montreal where almost over, so I took a quick last walk around old town and then went back to my hostel. I had a quick salad, packed up my things and went to sleep.

My next destination would be: New York City! 🗽