72 Hours in Montreal: Day 2

My second day in Montreal was my only full day but it was the least productive thanks to the weather. It wasn't all bad though because I had an excuse to lounge around my hotel room and watch Canadian Netflix for two hours, which I found indulgent and amazing.

I grabbed a croissant and orange from my hotel for breakfast before heading out. It was actually a bit sunny in the morning so I biked around the neighborhoods surrounding my hotel for a bit before hopping on the metro.

PLATEAU MONT ROYAL & MILE END
I love this area of Montreal. The houses are colorful and gorgeous, there are loads of boutiques and cafes, and it's quaint.

"Je ne suis pas" means "I am not" and "Je suis" means "I am."

PARC OLYMPIQUE
I didn't actually go into the Olympic Park because I was trying to beat the rain and walk around the botanical gardens. But, it was pretty cool to walk past.

JARDIN BOTANIQUE DE MONTREAL

The botanical gardens are gorgeous and worth the $20.25 admission. Even though I was only able to spend about two hours there before I decided the incessant bouts of rain weren't worth enduring anymore, it was still beautiful and enjoyable.

There is a greenhouse space, which is where you can spend your time if the weather is less than cooperative. But honestly, it's really small and underwhelming. I much prefer DC's indoor botanical garden because it's more spacious and lush.

The outdoor space is phenomenal. There are little exhibits for garden plants, toxic plants, perennials, etc.

I was particularly fond of the water lily ponds.

There were also three installations by the artist Patrick Dougherty that were a lot of fun. Cornell hosted some of his installations in the past, so I was already pretty familiar with his twiggy work. I loved the juxtaposition of organic shapes and nature in a more urban environment. Seeing it surrounded by gardens was just as interesting.

At a certain point, it started raining so hard, I was no longer having fun so I hopped back on the metro.

NOTA BENE
Unlike most people, who would probably go shopping for clothes and trinkets whilst on holiday, I went to a stationery store.

I picked up some cute journals and a thin periwinkle ink pen as souvenirs.

It didn't seem like it was going to rain anymore (in the city center at least) so I hopped on a bike in search of lunch.

POUTINEVILLE

I ended up getting poutine, of course. I got standard fries with standard gravy and cheese curds with the addition of jalapenos. And to wash it all down, I got a lychee sangria. This meal hit the spot.

After I biked back to the hotel to grab some more cash before heading to one of the city's awesome outdoor markets. However, I completely forgot my original intentions and left the hotel without cash and realized it about a block away. So, I turned around and headed back to the hotel and then it started raining like crazy. I'm talking sideways hurricane-style rain. I took it as a sign so I just sat in the hotel watching The Mindy Project and Ant-Man for a few hours.

DARBAR

For dinner, I went to a place just around the corner from my hotel because I didn't want to deal with lots of transportation and risk getting caught in rain. I started with a mango lassi, which was perfectly sweet and delicious.

For my main, I got the thali with meat. It came with rice, tandoori chicken, lentils, curried vegetables, and some kind of stewed chicken. Plus it came with some fluffy pieces of naan. The serving size was incredibly generous, but I ate the whole thing because I'm a pig.

Even though I was stuffed, I couldn't resist getting gulab jamun for dessert. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, not just because the food was fantastic, but because the staff were so lovely.

After dinner, I met up with some newly made friends for drinks. Then, I headed back to the hotel to enjoy the bathtub one last time.

xoxo.