Quebec

One of the main reasons I wanted to get out to Canada was because it's where my family is. Sadly I've never spent as much time with my Canadian relatives as I'd like. My Grandma's 80th birthday seemed like the perfect time to get over.

I'm lucky to have 2 amazing aunts that can never do enough for me. They primed me on where to go, what to see, what to avoid etc. A such, much of my time was spent walking around Le Plateau, Mile End, Jean Talon and Mont Royal. Montreal, like London, has it's tourist spots, it's things to do and see. It's only once you scratch the surface a little, do you really start to get a feel for the city. The same could be said for anywhere, though Montreal is a little tougher.

The first thing that struck me about the city were the people. I was told that Montreal was Toronto's cooler, older sister. She knows how to speak french, she's stuck up, but cultured. Having spent the past 3 weeks in the US, I noticed that the attitude of the place was much closer to that of London. The language thing kind of bothered me at first. It's ultimately discretionary whether people choose to speak french to you, or not. The majority are bilingual, though if you go in with English first, you may get some raised eyebrows.