by Doug and I needed a vacation from van life (ha ha!), so we flew to Montreal to see the Christmas markets, figuring it was a lot closer and cheaper than Europe. And with Montreal being officially French-speaking, it would hit all the right notes.
There were two big markets, both outside. At night. In Canada. In winter. Girlfriend needed her double-layer winter coat, chunky hat, thickest mittens, long-underwear, and both toe and hand warmers. Yes, we saw Canadians in shorts (and some sandals), though most were as bundled as I.
The first market we went to, Grand Marché de Noël, was rather small but it had a nice selection of foods and shops. However, the “quaint European feeling” I thought we would experience was overshadowed by loud dance music thumping throughout. It didn’t detract from our experience, it just wasn’t what we expected!
The Village de Noel de Montreal was larger, and also attached to an indoor market, but it seemed less impressive and had fewer food options.
Both were fun to experience, but not something we’d call a “must do” in your life.
Many museums and churches had Christmas displays, and there were many light installations scattered throughout the city. Montreal really seemed to get in the spirit!
We did attend a concert (in French!) at the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, which sounded really lovely. It seemed rude to take video, but you could hear a sampling from another year on youtube.
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