Summer Trips: Montreal
This summer I took a trip up north to Canada. Very rarely do I visit Canada but I took the chance to visit Montreal during the summer.
Weather wise I must say I prefer the fall, however Montreal is beautiful during the summer even though the heat can take its toll. Although these days every corner of the earth is scorching hot; speaking of scorching hot weather I did travel there during the wildfires. The air was weird the first day and after that it did clear up so you didn’t experience the smog that we had experienced in DC the week before.
Since our trip started outside the city in Laval we rented a vehicle at the airport and that allowed us to get around easily in the suburbs. One of our favorites stops on this trip was getting a chance to enjoy the spa at Spa Finlandais in Rosemere, Quebec. This experience was unlike any other spa we’ve ever visited. It’s about 30 minutes outside of Montreal and is considered a Nordic Spa where most of its features are outside amongst the urban forest.
There, you’ll take in several spa modalities from around the world which can include the Thai bath houses, the Swedish barrel bath and the Temazcal sauna. You’re supposed to go between hot and cold water features but I stuck to everything that was hot. I loved this spot and highly recommend it. There are also a ton of these spas throughout Canada so there’s much to choose from if you want to add it to your trip. You should also note these spas are not suitable for those with reduced mobility or in wheelchairs as you will have to use the stairs a lot and many do not have elevators or ramps. In this case, it’s best to try a traditional spa instead
Montreal Skyline from Hyatt Centric Montreal
When we ventured into downtown Montreal we stayed at the Hyatt Centric Montreal, a new hotel that is located in the Old Montreal and close to the port. It made it easy for us to visit the port and catch our Cirque du Soleil show. Originally we had considered staying at the but switched at the last minute. We still however got a chance to visit William Gray and found that it’s right in the center of everything. This is the place to stay if you’re looking for the hustle and bustle of as its restaurant Maggie Oakes comes highly recommended it had a very busy lobby. The Hyatt Centric better suited for those who want to be near everything but still far away from everyone. it was the perfect place if you wanted a quiet vacation. If you go, you have to enjoy the rooftop pool that has a beautiful 180 view of the city.
No vacation in Montreal is complete without taking in a Cirque du Soleil show. It was the first one I went to in about 20 years and it was a treat to be under the big top with seats that were close enough that you could enjoy the show without being part of the show. There were really no bad seats in the house as the show was held under a tent which is a bit smaller than a theater, making the view good from every angle.
Getting to Montreal isn’t hard as it’s a short trip from Boston with about an hour plane ride or a 10 hour bus ride. I went with flying, hopping on an early morning Air Canada flight. It was my first time flying Air Canada and found it very pleasant. The staff was very helpful and accommodating even when our flight was canceled due to a ground stop.
We enjoyed our trip and are looking forward to going again!