Unfortunately our second reading week has bid us all adieu. Remember how we got two this year? No complaints there! How great was it to take a week off from all the stress & just do your thang? Unlike winter break, when I worked 24/7, I made sure to add a dash of excitement to this short vacay!
When I first heard that Ryerson, along with my program (Radio & Television Arts), was planning a trip to Montreal, I knew right away that I wanted to go. The last time I went to Montreal I was 10 years old & the only thing I remember from the trip, was getting food poisoning. Nine years later and it seemed like a good time to give Montreal a better first impression.
The first night we walked around the city to our RTA family dinner & all I could think was how pretty everything was. I’m not normally the biggest fan of snow, but the white-covered trees were literally straight out of a movie. Every store sign in French made me feel like I was outside of the country, not province. I really needed to get away from Toronto & out of my everyday routine for a bit and Montreal was perfect.
Here are three favourite memories from my reading week adventure:
The Nightlife
Whenever I hear about Montreal, I hear about its amazing nightlife. This week I got to experience it for myself. Here are the 3 places I went & what I loved most at each.
Mckibbins Irish Pub (Best DJ)
I’m not much of a club girl—although I do like dancing. Upstairs, this pub had a bar, a dance floor & a DJ. The DJ played so many great old songs; it was perfect. I literally could not contain myself when Snoop Dogg & Pharells “Beautiful” came on. Also, not to mention that it was $10 all you can drink—for us ladies. And no, it was not watered down.
La Shop (Best Prices)
La Shop was perfectly priced— and not just for the women. Absolutely everything was only $2. It’s like they knew a bunch of student budgets were showing up, it was perfect. The bartenders were friendly & the dance floor was fab. Not to mention, there were pool tables for those who left their dancing shoes at home.
Blue Dog (Best Environment)
For the last night of our adventure we went to Blue Dog—another bar accompanied with a dance floor. Although the drinks weren’t as cheap as the other nights, it was still decent. As the night progressed more & more people showed up & soon the half empty bar had a long ass line outside. This was my last night in town and it left me with great memories!
The Hockey
Before going to Montreal, one of my friends told me “Hockey in Montreal is like a religion”—so of course when my friend Taylor told me I should come see a Habs game, I had to say yes. Montreal you took my hockey virginity! I’m a 19-year-old Canadian & yes, I’ve never actually been to a live hockey game. But boy am I glad I said yes, the game was unreal.
Now I’ve been to concerts & I’ve been to sporting events—but this was both combined. It had the feeling of a concert mixed with the excitement of sports. The entire crowd was in darkness & the ice was lit up. I literally had a rush of excitement and wanted to scream, even though I know nothing about Hockey. The game went into overtime & unfortunately the Islanders beat the Habs, but altogether the night was an amazing experience.
The Market
Whenever I go away with my family we always end up in a market. Whether it’s England, Israel, Florida or Hungary, we’ve been to a market. This is why when my friends decided to check out Marche Jean-Talon in Montreal, I was enthused!
This market was unbelievable. If you like food, this is the place to go. The little man inside my stomach was jumping for joy. I bought fresh bread—stuffed with olives; beyond fresh apple juice—from the farmer; tasted the sweetest tomatoes and was comforted by the scent of delicious cheeses. I was honestly in a food lover’s heaven. Not only was there great food, but beautiful flowers and fresh lavender all around. If you pitched me a tent & left me in the middle of all this, I could happily live there.
After a crazy four days, my body was exhausted & I had a deep sleep on the bus ride home. We didn’t sit still for one second of the trip & I just love that. To me a vacation isn’t simply lounging and relaxing, but getting up & doing—and that is exactly what happened in Montreal. I am so thankful for the amazing RTA family I went with and will never forget the amazing memories we made together.
And in case you were wondering—YES the poutine was delicious!
What did you do this reading week? Did you go get sun burned on the beach, frostbite in the snow or pitch a tench in bed and watch a whole bunch of Netflix? Either way, I’m sure it was a nice break—but boy do I wish it was two weeks. Don’t worry y’all, it’s almost March which means almost April, which basically means summer is around the corner!
