I Love Montreal Part 2

The hotel where I stayed

Continuing my I Love Montreal series, I want to comment on the awesome hotel I stayed at. Le St Sulpice is in the port district of Montreal, about a block from the water and right behind the beautiful Cathedral. The location is perfect, and the port area of Montreal is really charming. The staff at the hotel are top notch, food was great and the suite I had was Heavenly.

On arrival I was given complimentary chocolates and bath products. I couldn't have felt more special. Franny took great care of me throughout my stay, the concierge. I was upgraded upon arrival. The suite I had consisted of an entry area with chairs, a living room with sofa, chairs, TV and a small kitchen. It also had a separate bedroom with a super comfy queen bed. The room looked out on the courtyard, where I had lunch the first day of my stay. 

Living room area of the suite

I Love Montreal Part 1

Statue near the Port of Montreal

I never expected to love Montreal as much as I did. A lot of people had told me how much I would love Quebec City, and maybe I just didn't spend enough time there as we only had the one day. I liked it, don't get me wrong. But I loved Montreal. I loved the people, an amazing mix of young people and many from Paris. 

Crepe restaurant I visited

I loved the food, from the hotel food eating on the terrace on the only warm day of my trip. The restaurants I ate at included food at the museum, a crepe restaurant and even a coffee shop. The most beautiful though was the French bakery I had breakfast at, which deserves its own post. The pastries were so beautiful, I even have one as the screen saver on my phone.

Crepe Suzette

I just wish next time I visit, it is warmer!

North Pacific Crossing

Well it is that time again, when my cruise for this year is getting close. Now down to less than 30 days. So what do I do? Look for the cruise for next year. A month or so ago, I planned to go back to Europe. But with the bombings in Brussels and the fact I have visited so many ports there already, I decided to go to Japan, if all works out. 

I have such an interest in the ports on the North Pacific Crossing, 19 days, from Yokohama, Japan to Vancouver. I am especially interested in a tour that takes us to the Ainu People of Japan. They are definitely both a gargoyle-inspired and graffiti-inspired people, based on their wonderful costumes and their unique tattoos.

Ainu people 1904 from Wikipedia

Mahone Bay & Lunenburg Homes: Colors of the Rainbow

Mahone Bay home converted to a business

Mahone Bay was our first stop on our fabulous tour with Robert of Halifax. I don't believe Robert really even needs a last name. Kind of like Cher or Prince, he stands out as the premier guide to the Halifax area of Nova Scotia. 

Robert in front of the Angilcan Church at Lunenburg

Wearing a kilt and a stern expression when we met him (he could have just been cold with that skirt on!), we had no idea how charming and entertaining he would be. A former history teacher, Robert was full of information and he told it in the most fascinating way.

Our guide Robert in front of a house in Lunenburg

Note the colors of the winter storm door

He entertained through the entire day, taking us first by bus through Halifax and then on to Mahone Bay and finally to Lunenburg. There were so many gorgeous things about these two towns, but what is the most inspiring of all is how old these homes are. Most are 200 years old, built by German immigrants who were given a stipend by England of a free piece of land, lumber and nails to build a home in an area that is quite inhospitable in the winter.

Mahone Bay even has a sign of the original settlers of the area. I know it is hard to read here, but I blew it up and you can see some of the names below.

There was a huge migration of Germans in the time around 1750 to 1754. I found a great article on the emigration to the Halifax area at this time. You can read that here. Go down to where they talk about entering Lunenburg Harbor for the first time. Britain had promised them land, lumber and nails, but it appears that the Germans who landed in Halifax from 1750 to 1752 owed the British Crown for their passage. It must have been a bleak existence when they first started. It is fascinating reading about this area, and what still remains after over 200 years are the wonderful homes.