Christmas in Montreal: Bagels, Street Art, and Bars

Despite my limited time in the largest city of the eastern Canadian province of Quebec, I can say, with assurance, that Montreal is very cool. 

Abundant in the bold and the colorful, Montreal is a city in which even the supermarkets are visually stunning. Behold this brick of various nut milks which in my world, doubles as a Pop Art installation.

If you are feeling peckish, head to the famed St-Viateur Bagel Shop, which has been serving loyal locals slightly sweet, freshly baked bagels for over 25 years. To avoid clumsily juggling your delicious purchase on the street, you can head next door to a white-walled coffee shop known as The Standard Mile End, and take a seat.  

Montreal is great for just walking around and looking at people. A prime location for soaking in the artistic side of the city is the charming Rue Duluth. 

Daily life becomes brighter, sweeter, and better when guided forward by little bursts of art, such as a pink, praying skeleton cat. 

One yellow stripe on a black sweatshirt...a mural of two fabulous friends chatting to each other while camping ... Montreal's street-artists and inhabitants have reduced the less-is-more rule to a stylish science. 

Two women conversing at Else's, a perfectly hidden drink joint contained within deep green walls and cradled behind a gentle shield of ivy. It has been chilling in the same corner since its opening in 1993. The drinks are slightly expensive (around 7 dollars for a good but not great glass of red wine) but the atmosphere alone warrants a visit.

Brimming with BYOB restaurants and home to the slightly stoned (cannabis has been legal for recreational purposes since the national Cannabis Act of 2018), this laid back version of a charming, French city is a pretty good place to be.