On our last full day in Montreal, we decided to slow things down: the number of places to visit, the frequency of our photo-taking, and our overall pace. We ended up exploring two vastly different places within the same general vicinity. First up was the hipster paradise of the Plateau, the eclectic, bohemian land of cafes, art galleries, vintage shops, bars, and boutiques. Needless to say, I loved this part of town. What stuck in my mind the most? The quirky murals!

Bienvenue! Mural near the Mont-Royal metro station.

Small market outside the metro.

We had brunch at the retro-slash-funky Restaurant l’Avenue. This is Andrew waiting for his eggs Benedict. (Look at that cute face!)

Harley hanging overhead.

The rest rooms were covered with glow-in-the-dark murals. (This photo doesn’t capture the jarring, sensory effect.)

Rue St. Denis, one of the lovely wide main streets in the Plateau.

Colorful street art above the Doc Martens store.

A charming side street in the shadow of Mont Royal.

My favorite image of the day.

When we had our fill of boho chic, we hopped on the metro and headed northeast towards the Botanical Garden. We wanted to catch the Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal exhibition/competition before it closed. It was a grand, elaborate series of topiaries by horticultural artists.

Sheeps grazing.

Old man kneeling.

The scale of the sculptures was impressive.

When the crowds became too much along the Mosaïcultures path, we took off for more peaceful pastures.

Autumn was in the air.

Abstract art? Lichens forming cool shapes.

On our way out, we stopped at the nearby Insectarium. I loved the displays of butterflies, beetles and bugs for their astounding colors and intricate patterns.

Winging it.

Stunning, eye-catching…no ickiness here.

Nature’s delicacies.

Sidenote: the insect specimens reminded me of artist Christoper Marley’s Pheromone collection.

“Callicore” by Christopher Marley. Image via pheromonedesign.com

Walking back towards the Viau metro station, we passed Olympic Park which housed many of the venues during the 1976 Summer Games.

The Stadium in the foreground with the Montreal Tower in back.

At 541 feet, it’s the “tallest inclined tower in the world.”

Returning to our Old Montreal ‘hood, we had dinner at Stash Café in the nick of time. I was getting hangry and would have eaten a rubber shoe at that point. Luckily, what we had was infinitely better. Andrew and I ordered the placki (potato pancakes), pierogi, kielbasa and golabki (cabbage rolls filled with pork and rice). Everything was delicious and reasonably priced to boot!

Soulful and hearty Polish food at Stash Café.

Coming up next: We travel to Quebec City.

Info:

Montreal Botanical Garden and Insectarium | 4101 Sherbrooke Street East | Montreal, Quebec | H1X 2B2 | Canada | 514.872.1400 | espacepourlavie.ca

Restaurant l’Avenue | 922 Avenue du Mont-Royal East | Montreal, Quebec | H2J 1X2 | Canada | 514.523.8780 | Yelp review

Stash Café| 200 Saint Paul Street West | Montreal, Quebec | H2Y 1Z9 | Canada | 514.845.6611 | stashcafe.com | Yelp review

Previous posts:

Bonjour Montreal!

Montreal: Day Two in Downtown