Fun fact: Poutine, to the Francophones of the world, is simultaneously a delicious dish of cheesy chips with gravy, and the President of Russia.

Montreal was our first stop in Canada, where we were hosted by Kelly, whom Aleks had met on his previous travels in Australia. Kelly – thank you so much for looking after us and showing us your city – it was awesome!

Quebec is quite possibly the most interesting province to cross the US-Canada border into; its tenaciously French culture is loud and proud and a distinct contrast to the vibes we were getting in New England. It felt genuinely like we’d magically teleported to France itself, suddenly feeling awkward when attempting to speak to the locals in English.

It was time for us to try the local specialities: Kelly expertly guided us to the best poutine in town at Chez Claudette, followed by a trip to an excellent brewpub, Dieu du Ciel, for some craft beer.

Three sumptuous piles of poutine

Kelly and Aleks at Dieu du Ciel

I’d consider myself a foodie but somehow the famous Montreal bagel had never been on my radar, until this visit. Having just sampled the delicious and classic New York bagel in the eponymous city, in comparison the Montreal bagel (at St Viateur) was crispy, sweet and surprisingly different! Don’t tell the Canadians, but I think I prefer the New York version…

Montreal’s take on the bagel

You can watch them getting baked at the back of the cafe!

We stoically climbed Mount Royal in the drizzle, but unfortunately this had transformed into full-on torrential rain by the time we reached the top, so no view for us! A cosy evening of board games and wine was on the cards to warm ourselves up afterwards 🙂

I don’t know about you, but I’d never cooked a lobster in my life- not until our last night in Montreal, in any case, when Kelly gave us a masterclass in cooking the crustacean. Again, thank you Kelly for looking after us so well!

PJs + Lobster = 🙂