Took a day trip to Montreal last weekend. Despite going to this city every year or so for events or people, it had been a generation since I had acted the tourist.
It helped that I got to hang out with a pal and go for a 20km walk. I also finally tried both classic Montreal bagel spots: St-Viateur and Fairmont.
One thing that stood out on this trip is how the downtown appears to have started to build big again. The construction of high rises in the city seemed to stagnate after 1970, coinciding with the exile of businesses to Toronto.
While the arts thrived, it seemed dependent on assets from long-gone wealth. I’m glad things are changing.