A day in Montreal from ~1 year ago, mostly texted in my hotel bed but edited now. I only had a little over a day there, so I did the basic things - but in style!

My family and I drove from Quebec City to Montreal in a rental Toyota Corolla with a license plate subtitled “Vacationland.” Quebec City was quaint and well-trimmed, consistently old but touristy. As we drove into Montreal, I saw the new and the old woven together. Bridges, sirens, and skyscrapers. Domes, trees, and churches. Ah, to be in a city, a real ecosystem!

We started off with a meat sandwich at Schwartz's. It reminded me of Katz's Deli in New York: framed pictures collaging the wall, male staff with cool-guy camaraderie, no-nonsense wooden tables, and callouts to the celebs who ate there. I think that these famous delis are a genre. Like, it doesn't have to be a package deal, but it is.

What is the "meat" in a meat sandwich? The menu didn't say, nor did the Google reviews. I had to directly ask the waiter guy, and he said "beef" but all his communication came with tired eyes and a metaphorical shrug. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender and so flavorful - everything I hoped for. I've been feeling a bit guilty eating cows and pigs, and I thought this might be a good last hurrah.

Next, we drove to the Mile End neighborhood. Car roads ran north–south, crossed by tree-lined pedestrian streets. The neighborhood had a large Hasidic Jewish community, with bearded men wearing black hats and long black coats. Despite all the graffiti, it felt like a high-trust area. Children played in driveways on side streets. A boy of about twelve, wearing a kippah, rode alone on a scooter down a busy city street.

We meandered through the neighborhood with a loose intention of visiting a bakery and a bagel shop. First, we went to Boulangerie Cheskie, which is known for its chocolate babka. The locals cycled in and out, and the prices were quite low (~half the cost of SF desserts). The babka was heavenly, surprisingly chewy and dense with chocolate. I later asked Claude (with web search off!) where to get the best babka in North America, and this bakery came up in the top three.

We wandered into a Jewish grocery store and then a Latin grocery store. We passed cafes with hot and happy young people, finally arriving at St-Viateur Bagel. By this point, I was stuffed. But I upheld my American stereotype and continued on in excess. Montreal bagels are simmered in honey water and baked in a wood-fired oven, making them a bit denser and sweeter than New York bagels. It was a good bagel. I think bagels, unlike strawberries or ice cream, have a low ceiling. I'm sorry to say it - it was a good bagel!

For sunset, we went to Mount Royal Park, which is quite large. As we drove toward the mountain peak, I caught a few glimpses of an unusual god-ray gradient through the trees. It came from behind grey clouds, slim Vs of yellow-orange intensity, widening and then blurring as they approached the ground. We then followed the river of tourists, who led us to the best nearby view. A street offered me a full line of sight, so I captured it.