Truck Rest

Archive for September 23rd, 2010

To get about as European as you can get in North America, visit the great city of Montreal. There, they speak French, but are much nicer than their unwelcoming Parisians in Paris. Montreal is distinctly French, not in terms of sites, but in terms of culture. Montreal is Paris’ mini-me sans the Eifel Tower.

All the directional signs are in French and are rarely in both English and French. If you don’t speak French and you’re staying at any of the luxury hotels Montreal provides their visitors, let them know immediately that you don’t speak French, otherwise they will think you know French and will continue talking to you in French. Once they know you only speak English, they will speak English with a great French accent. It’s not that they are like their counterparts in France; it’s just that French is the official language of Montreal.

Montreal is so Parisian that there are bicycle stations on almost every corner of the city that you can rent and most restaurants serve a 5-course meal. The city has a very homey feel to it, so much so, it leaves an impression that you are actually in Europe. During the summertime, there’s a festival almost every weekend. If you happen to be visiting the city during the summer months, try to catch the Festival of Laughs ; it’s one of the most fun festivals of Montreal.