trying something new - Wimdu

Accomodation is always an important issue when travelling. For years I've been a huge Couch Surfing enthusiast, choosing the real local experience over the comfort. It was never about the money but about great adventures. Many amazing friendships were made then (and last until now), some of my best travel memories came with Couch Surfing and it definitely helped me to fall in love with off the beaten path travel and connecting with local people. But with time I became kind of tired of all the great CS madness and often stayed in hostels instead. I didn't have to depend on someone's schedule while hostels also gave me the possibility to meet lots of people. But in this case they were fellow travellers. And it was great in a way, I made some friends there too but I kind of miss the local experience that always came with CS.

So for my stay in Toronto I've decided to try something now, something that connects both the local experience of CS and the independence of the hostel. I've booked myself a room via Wimdu. This fairly new platform was founded 2 years ago but I've been hearing about it from people ever since. Just like with CS, it took me a while to browse through various properties available before I've decided where I wanna stay. I chose Pauline's house because of the good location, good reviews and my intuition.  There were lots of different places to rent in Toronto, from private rooms to fancy apartments and I'm sure everyone would find something good for themselves. I just felt I'd be good in Elliott House. 

The whole reservation process on Wimdu's website is easy. After creating an account (standard procedure) you're free to book the property you're interested in. However once you click "book" you need to wait for the confirmation from your host if the date and the room/flat you requested in available. In my case the response came very quickly, still on the same day. What I didn't like was that my card was charged by Wimdu right away with the full price, unlike on other booking platforms when you pay upon arrival. But I read that it's for safety reasons - if something is wrong with the accomodation you booked (it doesn't meat the requirements, it turns out to be booked up etc) Wimdu can move you easily to another place. That explanation makes some sense.

After my reservation was confirmed I got a lovely email from Pauline with all the directions how to get to her place so I could plan ahead everything. Few days before arrival I got another email - it turned out the room I booked initially is occupied by another long-term guest. I was offered another room instead - a bigger one - and I didn't have to pay extra. But of course if I wanted to I could have stayed in the room I booked (then the other guest would have been moved to the bigger room), it was all up to me. Since I'm a really easy goign person I didn't mind the change at all.

I arrived to Toronto late in the evening, after the whole day of travelling from Baie St. Paul. Despite the late hours Pauline was waiting for me to welcome me in her house and show me around. The room was really spacious and beautiful. It was a little bit dark but I didn't mind that at all - it turned out to be quite perfect when I was comming back exhausted after busy days exploring Toronto and the room was pleasantly cool. There was a welcome basket with snacks and drinks too - so nice and thoughtful! I also got my own pair of keyes so I wouldn't have needed to depend on the owners.

Pauline's house was a large Victorian building with over 100 years of history. Downstairs was kitchen, dining room (where the included breakfast was served) and living room - I could easily use all of these places whenever I wanted to and even when Pauline or her family members were around they didn't make me feel like an unwelcomed guest - quite the contrary. They all were extremely nice, polite and chatty. All the other rooms to rent (four) were occupied, I met a nice Swiss guy and an Austrian girl there. Hosts lived in the basement so didn't disturb guests all that much. I was there in the time of Orthodox Easter and the celebrations for friends and family took place at Pauline's. I was invited to them as well but didn't want to bother guest too much so I didn't join them.

When I was leaving my flight wasn't to depart until late in the evening. Even if check out time was at 11am Pauline let me use the room until I leave. I could still have taken a nap in the afternoon if I wanted to etc. All in all my time in Elliott House was really lovely and exactly what I expected from Wimdu, the mix of independence and local experience. I think in future that's the kind of accomodation I might book during my travels.

Where do you stay when travelling? 

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Kami answers: is Kiev worth visiting?

Lately I've been getting quite many travel related questions from friends and readers and I thought it might be actually better to answer them in here so not only the asking person would benefit from my answer. Who knows, maybe some of you are also wondering about these issues and may use my answers (I hope so!). And if you also have some questions about travelling, places to visit, prices, getting around, safety, solo travel etc feel free to contact me, post your question in the comment here or in my FB page, I'll be more than happy to answer!

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A friend of mine asked me couple of days ago if Kiev is worth visiting. She was already in Lviv last year and liked it a lot (no wonder, I loved it there as well, I still have to cover this trip here on the blog). Recently she found cheap tickets to Kiev (Katowice-Kiev with Wizzair, less than 200PLN/50€ return) but didn't know if she should book them or not. And the question came up. I bet you already know my answer ;)

I was there in April 2012, only for the weekend as I found some pretty cheap flights too. I must say I didn't know much about Kiev before visiting it, nothing rung a bell when I thought of this city. The only reason why I've decided to go there was the price and the fact I haven't been to Ukraine before (even if it's the closest country from where I live). In Poland we know a lot about Lviv as back in time it used to be a Polish city but that's where our knowledge about Ukraine ends, sadly.

Kiev is a huge city! The population is around 3 milions and you can clearly see it: the road from Borispol airport leads through suburbs with tall post-Soviet blocks, the metro is a constant flow of people - you don't need to think how to exit the station, the crowd will take you there for sure - main streets are busy with people, especially on the weekends when wide Khreshchatyk street is for pedestrians. Kiev is considered the cultural and spiritual center of Eastern Europe and with 12 centuries of rich history it well deserves this title.

There are so many things to see in Kiev that 3 days I've spent there weren't enough. I've already written the post about top 5 things to see there but these are just main attractions. Your days there will be busy with visiting numerous golden dome churches that will left you speachless, admiring great examples of monumental post-Soviet architecture, relaxing in various parks and eating delicious yet heavy Ukrainian food (the post about it comming soon!). And for more adventurous people there are trips to Chernobyl available - I didn't have time to go there but I'd definiely love to, I have a reason to go back!

But Kiev might be a challenging destination too. Even if things imporoved after last year European Football Championships and the tourism infrastructure (including lots of good and affordable accomodation possibilities) is really good there you might be slightly overwhelmed - what I love about Eastern Europe and what makes it special may not be so fascinating to everyone. It seems chaotic, busy, dirty (even if it's not) and the post-Soviet spirit is very much felt. Also you might expect some minor language issues if you don't know Cyrylic letters (I spent one afternoon just before the trip to learn them, it still took me a while to understand what's going on around me but it definitely was much easier!) but well, there're always hands and smile to help! Kiev also seemed like a safe city to me. Of course don't go into the dark backstreets, use the common sense, like everywhere else and you will be fine!

If you think that when you've already visited Lviv you don't have to go to Kiev you're so wrong! These cities are so far from being similar. While Lviv has the XIXth century Galician charm, feels like a small town and is full of baroque churches and old tenements that need renovation Kiev is the oposite. Monumental post-Soviet architecture, wide streets, golden domed Orthodox churches and the real Eastern Europe atmosphere. But I think in every country it's like that: Warsaw - Krakow, Berlin - Munchen, Amsterdam-Rotterdam are all so different from each other, and these are just few examples! So my suggestion? Visit both cities!

So if anyone else has doubts if it's worth going to Kiev I can recommend it with my whole heart! This city is so interesting, so complex, so full of great places that when leaving Kiev after the busy days of exploting you'll already think about returning there. I know I do!

Would you like to visit Kiev?? Do you have any questions you'd like me to answer here?

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I finally posted pictures from Morocco! Wanna see them? 

You can read a small interview with me on Neil's blog Backpacks and Bunkbeds!

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Guest Post: Bristol, The Green Capital of the UK

Note from Kami: Recently Bristol has been in my mind quite often, I've been checking flights there to hopefully find a good deal (no luck yet). I really would love to visit this city and the area around, get to know it better. Below you can read a little bit about Bristol, the green capital of the UK!

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Many people now live in cities, making green living a difficult goal.  In the UK, whilst greener living practices are encouraged, there are often not the facilities available to fully support this.  Britain’s only Green Capital is Bristol, a city you may not associate with this title given its industrial landscape and history in imports and aviation.  For a fresh look at Bristol why not take trip and see what it has to offer in the green spectrum whilst staying at one of Travelodge's hotels in Bristol.

Bristol may have a less than green appearance upon first inspection, due to its high population density and infrastructure to support this, but the city is home to some of the biggest ecological organisations in the UK.  The Environment Agency, the BBC natural History Unit and the Soil Association all are based here.  Sustrans too, the charity for sustainable transport that developed the National Cycle network, is a product of Bristol.  The landscape itself, whilst built up in the centre, is varied with lots of open spaces punctuating it.  The Avon Gorge is home to several unique plant species and the River itself is a big feature of the city.

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While visiting Bristol leave the car at home and try cycling to get about.  As Britain’s first cycling city, Bristol is well equipped for cyclists with loads of traffic free routes, cycle spaces to store your bike and dedicated on-road cycle lanes where traffic-free is not an option.  Bristol was awarded a £11m grant in 2008 to give the city a cycle style face-lift and blaze a trail for other cities to follow suit. 

It’s not just green living that matters to Bristol, other ethical issues lie at the heart of the West Country city too and it also holds the title as the leading Fairtrade City in the UK. Bristol has fair trade agreements with 58 developing countries, a total of almost 5 million workers.  This agreement adds to Bristol’s green credentials as many of those involved in these trades have been adversely affected by Climate Change, the initiative also ensures unsustainable practices are avoided. 

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Looking a little closer at Bristol you will find over 450 parks and green spaces, more per square mile than any other UK city.  Attractions, cafes, and restaurants are committed to the green message Bristol is so keen to adopt and have been awarded for their efforts in this field.  The city of Bristol is currently bidding to win the European Green Capital award in 2015 and is in with a great chance given all the hard work the city continues to do to maintain their green status as the UK’s most sustainable city.

Next time you take a trip to Bristol, even if you only intended to visit for its shopping or diverse arts and history, pay closer attention to what makes the city tick.  This city is a fully functioning example of sustainable living that the whole of the UK can learn from.

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Author Bio: Caherine Lavinia works as a freelancer in advertising and marketing.  Her hobbies and interests include traveling with friends, sharing their feelings and gladness!!! She really enjoys taking pictures (places, people, nature) and reading interesting books such as "Wuthering Heights" (Emily Bronte), "Vanity Fair"(William Thackeray), "Utopia" (Thomas More).

Montreal - a perfect city for food lovers

If you like eating out and eating delicious food from all over the world then Montreal is a perfect place for you. The city is famous for its superb restaurants that serve national and ethnic food from all over the world in huge portions. Recently Montreal was named second best dining city in North America (San Francisco won and New York was behind Montreal in that list) but with over 7.000 restaurants in the city it's not all so surprising. There are streets that are full of good restaurants, always packed with people and with a line waiting outside. You can be sure that within a walking distance you can find a decent place to eat there. Montreal is just a perfect place for all food lovers!

Sadly 2 days I've spent there weren't all that much to get to know the city better food-wise but I managed to try some really good international food as well as typical Montreal and Quebec specialities. I must admit I hadn't known much about the typical food for that area before I visited it but it turned out there are some really good local food to be found there! 

First of all, everyone probably knows that maple syrup is made in Canada. But did you know that 80% of its production comes from the province of Quebec? I didn't. Maple is a really big thing there and when last year barrels of syrup worth $20 million were stolen it was the main news in Canada. Of course everyone knows about the syrup but there are so many other things made of maple: cookies, sugar, candies or tea (that's what I'm enjoying while writing this post, it's really good!). 

If you want to do some maple shopping then Montreal is the place for that. It's much cheaper, the variety is much bigger and you can get products made in that very province. The best place to get everything you need is a Jean Talon Market, located in the northern part of the city, between Castelnau and Jean Talon subway stations on blue line. This outdoor market is the largest farmer market in North America, in the peak season (June-October) you can find there around 300 vendors selling their fresh products. There are all kinds of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, seafood, bread, flowers etc availale to buy. And the small part of the market is dedicated only to products made in the province of Quebec. Of course the majority of them is from maple but there're also jams (divided into regions), diary products or beer with some really cute labels. The market itself was opened in 1933 and until 1961 the main building served as a bus station. This makes the place really special and gives it a wonderful atmosphere. It's best to go there with your stomach full as everything is just so tempting but when there you can also try all the goodies - small samples are always available!

Before visiting Montreal I always pictures bagels as a symbol of New York. As it turned out bagels are extremely famous in this major Canadian city too! There are two main bakeries that compete between each other and claim to have the best bagels: Fairmount Bagel (founded in 1919) and a younger one, St-Viateur Bagel. I visited the second one and learnt all about the process of making the bagels. People who work there are extremely friendly, explain you everything about their products and don't mind you taking the pictures around the shop or with them. 

The smell of fresh bagels hovered around the neighbourhood, steps away from St-Vitaeur Begel shop. The entrance was busy with people comming and going and inside there was always a line of customers ready to buy still hot bagels fresh from the oven. The shop is open 24/7 and each day sells around 12.000 bagels - the production is going on and on hence you can be sure there's always a warm piece waiting for you. The bagels are made right in the shop, in front of your eyes and you can watch the whole process. First the dough is done and form into circles. These are then dip in water with honey so whatever is put on the bagels later on will stick to it nicely (there are lots of options - sesame, herbs etc). When the bagel is prepared it goes to the wood-fired owen. After enough time there ready bagels are gracefully moved to the big box from which they go straight to the customers. At first there were only bagels sold in that shop but now you can also get there cheese, salmon or anything else you can add to your bagel as well as some drinks. There's also a wall full of articles about the shop - they are changed regularly to add newest pieces. Bagel shops are such an integral part of Montreal that can not be missed!

When I looked for some typical Quebec food before my trip always one name poped up - poutine. I've never heard about it before but I knew I'll have to try it, even if it was a calory bomb. This dish is pretty simple - there are french fries (they have to be made from fresh potatoes, not pre-made and frozen) covered in cheese curds (the cheese has to crunch and slide on your teeth) and topped with brown gravy. Many places sell poutine but there's one restaurant in Montreal that is esepcially famous for it - La Banquise. It's been running since 1968 and right now there're more than 20 variations of poutine in the menu. I took vegetarian one and the taste was surprisingly good! I loved the cheese playing on my teeth! Just be careful when ordering a big portion - I was really hungry so I took it and despite my big efforts I didn't manage to eat it all. But it was really delicious! And I guess poutine is a perfect hangover food after the whole night of partying! ;)

Montreal was a food paradise! The excellent dining options were endless there and I just wish I could have stayed longer there, to try more of their delicacies! But at least I have a reason to come back!

Have you ever heard of poutine? Would you like to go for a food trip to Montreal?


Note: I was a guest of Tourism Montreal and  Quebec Original however all opinions are mine, as always.

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Quebec - the most European city outside of Europe

Before I even visited the province of Quebec everyone kept telling me how European it is. As it turned out it wasn't the case with Montreal and after that experience I expected nothing from Quebec City, I wanted to take it as it is and then make my judgement. After all that's the reason to travel, to see places by yourself and then finding out your own opinion about them - otherwise I could have stayed at home and just see pictures from all the places online. But with Quebec City the label of European city was very accurate. And that was pretty confusing to me at times.

The old town in Quebec City was very much like old parts of many European cities, either in France, Belgium or Austria (depending on the street I couldn't decide what it reminds me of). The architecture was very similar, the streets were narrow in the European way. Even the overall atmosphere felt much like in Europe. It gave me a hard time sometimes as it felt weird being there knowing very well I'm in Canada. But on the other hand, what else to expect from the city with so much French and British influence? Quebec City is over 400 years old which makes it one of the oldest cities in North America, and the only one north of Mexico City that still has old city walls. In 1985 the Old Quebec made it to UNESCO World's Heritage List as one of the only 3 still inhabited places in North America.

I was adviced to bring good walking shoes to Quebec. It sounded kind of silly to me, until I've realized the city's location. The old town lies on the high cliff above St. Lawrence River and is divided to the upper and lower parts. And boy, the walking there is pretty challenging sometimes with all the uphills and downhills, some of them being really steep (at least there's a funicular if you don't feel like walking all the way up) But it has some good sides too: thanks to the hilly location the city is very picturesque and has so many places to offer stunning views of it (more about it in another post). 

Even if the city offered lower rates for inhabitants to live within the city walls and start their businesses there I had a feeling that the Old Town is mostly for tourists. It was beautiful and all but it somehow lacked the authenticity to me. On the other hand the life outside the walls (or even on the walls) was going on until late hours. So I think Quebec City has everything you can wish for - it's pretty big yet feels cozy, it has a beautiful old town and lively neighbourhoods just outside it. And it has a really awesome nature getaways very close from the center (they deserve a seperate post too).

Within the city walls there are so many buildings and so many streets that deserves your attention that the best you can do is walking aimlessly around - you can be sure to discover some more hidden gems around each corner that guidebooks don't really tell about. The most distinctiv building there is Chateau Fronterac that overlook the whole city and is easily spoted ever from far away. The Chateau is actually a hotel, probably the most photographed one in the world. I must amdit it looks really impressive. I had a really lovely time in Quebec and I really wouldn't mind returning there!

And you, would you like to visit Quebec City?

Oh, and if you're looking for a cheap yet good accomodation within the city walls (just few steps away from therw actually) I can recommend you the HI Hostel I stayed in, Auberge Internationale de Quebec. It's the old convent transformed to the hostel, and even if it's fairly big (with over 200 beds) the rooms are spacious and because of the structure of the building (so many cool long corridors there!) it's really quite. The only downside was no internet in the room but at least I was forced to hang around the common areas which were large and with lots of people to meet.  

Note: I was a guest of Quebec City Tourism and  Quebec Original however all opinions are mine, as always.

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Bohemian Montreal - the Plateau

If you are my frequent reader by now you probably have notticed that I have a thing for bohemian neighbourhoods.  There's this artsy vibe, this creativity that I enjoy big time and usually these are the places where I feel the best. I've already found such areas in Belgrade and Vilnius and I was more than happy when I realized that Montreal has it too! And what was even better, it was just few steps away from where I stayed.

The Plateau - as that's the name of the area - was the very first place I visited in Montreal. I didn't know what to expect from it, at the beginning of my stay in Montreal I didn't even know that this is the artsy heart of the city. But few minutes after walking inside the neighbourhood I've realized what kind of place it is. And I couldn't be happier. All the quirky boutiques, small shops, bookstores, cozy cafes and bakeries, alternative people walking around slowly, not rushing anywhere. And the streetart, literally around every corner! I knew that the short visit there is definitely not enough and so on the next day I returned there, to spend more time wandering around and absorb the wonderful bohemian atmosphere.

The Plateau used to be a working class neighbourhood with multicultural inhabitants that transformed into the place full of artists in 50s and 60s. Sadly, because it became very trendy and hip area, the prices of rent also increased big time and these days it's hard to find a cheap flat there. But the houses there are the most beautiful ever - rows of duplexes from the beginning of XXth century along the long streets with trees on both sides . What's unique in these houses are the high stairs - I've never seen such a solution before and apparently it's only a Montreal thing. To have more space inside and pay less for the rent staircases were built outside. It looked weird at first to me but I quickly fall in love with it and couldn't stop staring in elation at how smart it was!

From the very first moment I knew that the area reminds me or something, just didn't really know what. And not in the look but in the atmosphere. Eventually I figured out it's much like Scandinavian capitals - Copenhagen, Helsinki or Reykjavik. Unlike other bohemian districts I've seen in Vilnius or Belgrade the Plateau didn't feel like an abandoned place. Quite the contrary actually. No matter what time of the day the area is full of people. The artists who lead very laid-back life and usually work at nights are widely seen hanging out in numerous cafes no matter what time of the day, the Orthodox Jews coexists with rebelous students, the older inhabitants chat in front of the stores after their morning shopping. Everyone has the right to be whoever they want to, no one is judging...No one is in a hurry, everyone has the time to enjoy the life...


With (not enough!) time I had in Montreal most of it was spent in the area of the Plateau, just walking around, looking at people, enjoying the creative vibe. And I really wish I still had more time to discover this neighbourhood. I know that when I return to Montreal that's the place I will focus on. Because sometimes it's not about monuments or important places, it's about people and the atmosphere...

Do you also enjoy bohemian neighbourhoods?

Note: I was a guest of Tourism Montreal and  Quebec Original however all opinions are mine, as always.

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Kingston, it wasn't you, it was me

I had my hopes for Kingston pretty high. It seemed like a lovely place, full of historic buildings and a beautiful waterfront. I was so sure I'm gonna like it. But while I fairly enjoyed it, Kingston and me didn't become BFFs. 

My first big mistake there was walking all the way down from the train station to downtown. I don't know how I checked the google map but I was 100% sure that it's 4 kms. That would have been fine, even with two backpacks. But after 1 hour of pretty fast walk I still was nowhere close to the waterfront and I knew at that point that something was wrong. (later on I checked google again and it turned out that it's 7 kms, not 4!!!) The suburbs were interesting to look at for maybe first 5 minutes, then every street and house looked more or less the same (not to mention it all looked familiar to me from the movies and media). 

When I finally got to the center I was expecting some amazing, old buildings of historic value. And again my mistake, I was still thinking in European standars. Important or not, Kingston's architecture didn't feel all that old to me. It was interesting to admire the Neoclassical town hall built in the middle of XIX century where Kingston was the capital of Canada, it was really lovely to walk around the residential area in downtown. The college was a lively place that definitely has a soul and the waterfront was a perfectly enjoyable spot to walk around (even if really destroyed by modern condo buildings). Alltogether it was a really great mix. I just didn't really feel it on that day.

I also think the timing of my visit wasn't very good. I arrived to Canada the previous afternoon and I was pretty jetlaged hence slightly annoyed plus exhausted after the insane walking. If I visited Kingston at the end of my trip I might have liked it big time. Now, from the time's perspective I can see it wasn't such a bad city after all, I just couldn't appreciate it at that moment. I wish I could have given it a second chance, with a different attitude this time. But if someone asks me if it's worth going to Kingston I'll definitely say yes!

Did it ever happen to you not to enjoy the place because of the bad timing?

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I fell in love with a city... Montreal!

I wanted to have a chronological order in my posts from Canada, I really did. But then Montreal happened. And I can't focus on writing about Kingston when my heart is whimpering after just leaving Montreal and all I can think about is how awesome this city was. It hardly ever happens that I like the place so very much from the very beginning and that after only 2 days I can easily picture myself living there. But I feel that way about Montreal now.

It was love at first sight. The train rolled slowly through the suburbs and the very first thing I've notticed was lots of the street art around. And not just some random street art but the real masterpieces. And then the downtown appeared on the skyline in the clear dusk light. That view was simply breathtaking. The taxi that took me from the train station to my hotel went through streets busy with people walking around or enjoying the dinner in the numerous restaurants. And the street where I stayed was decorated with illuminated lanterns and couldn't be more beautiful. I knew then that my very first impression was right and that I'm gonna love Montreal.

The next 2 days made me fall for Montreal harder and harder with every passing hour. This city is clearly made for people. There are lots of green areas where inhabitants can relax, walk around, ride a bike (and there are so many bikes in this city, it's insane!), go for a jogging or make a picnic. Two main spots for these activities are Mont Royal and Ile Sainte-Helene, both offering amazing views over Montreal. When I arrived to Mont Royal on Saturday morning it was just packed with locals and it was better to look around not to be in the way of a runner or a biker. Then, in the afternoons people move to the cafes and restaurants (there are over 7.000 of them in Montreal!) and the streets are alive, are buzzing with French and English conversations! It seems also that there's always something going on in Montreal. The city hosts numerous festivals each year, the most famous one being International Jazz Festival and admission to many attractions are free so more people can enjoy them. For me there's nothing better than the city that feels alive and Montreal surely was like that!

Before I went there everyone told me Montreal has a very European feel. Honestly, I haven't notticed that. Some bohemian, artsy areas around Plateau or Mile-End reminded me the atmosphere of Berlin's Kreuzberg or Scandinavian capitals but that's it. The Downtown felt slightly American with tall buildings and wide streets full of shops but it wasn't that overwhelmig (any building in the city can't be higher than Mont Royal, the mountain has to be seen from every place). And the rest of Montreal, besides Downtown, didn't remind me of anything which made exploring it really exciting. The place was very unique to me and maybe that's why I loved it big time. The beautiful brick houses with the high stairs outside (they were built that way because it was cheaper and to save the precious space inside), long streets full of trees on each side (too bad they still missed leaves at that time of the year), churches transformed into flats (ok, that was a little bit weird yet interesting to me) and the street art around every corner! 

The city is full of students! There're 6 universities in Montreal with almost 250.000 students - that's one of the largest number in the world. There're both French and English as a major language universities and since it's much cheaper to study in Montreal young people from other Canadian provinces, United States or even Europe come to get their education there. All of that just ads to the citie's vibe and its multicultural atmosphere. And even with all that people no one is running around, people take it easy. That's something I'm not really used to but I'd love to have in my everyday life. When I took the bus at one point the driver stoped and said he's gonna get a coffee - no one protested as people probably understood him very weel (it was morning after all;)) and not single car honked, even if the bus blocked one lane. I don't want to think what would happen in such situation in Warsaw ;)

So these are just my random observations about Montreal that made me fall in love with this city immediately. I feel really sad about leaving the city (but at the same time excited to discover Quebec city!) but I know it wasn't a "good bye" but a "see you". In next few posts I will tell you more about why Montreal is a city of art, why it's a city for food lovers, where I found a bohemian district but also I'll share with you my top 5 places to see there! 

Have you ever loved some place from the very first moment? Which one?

Note: I was a guest of Tourism Montreal and  Quebec Original however all opinions are mine, as always.

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first impressions of Canada

I must sadly admit I didn't know much about Canada before comming here. I blame tv and media for that. We are bombed with all possible informations and culture events from the USA but Canada barely ever appeares in our TV. All I could recall about this country, besides some famous places and big cities, were maple syrup, hokey, Anne of Green Gables and Robyn Schrebatsky of How I Met Your Mother. But that's good in a way as I arrived here with no expectations at all and I'm taking everything just as it is!

 Kingston

After one full day in Canada I already have some first observations and impressions. I visited only Toronto very briefly (walked all the way of the Yonge Street, one of the main streets in Toronto's Downtown) and spent few hours in Kingston and so my opinions are based only on these two places. But the very first thing I've notticed is how extremely friendly people are! It's incredible! Every single person starts a conversation, no matter how random, with "how are you today?" and damn, Canadians are so good in these small talks. It's extremely easy to talk to people as the conversation goes, just like that. Even the immigraton officer yesterday at the airport talked to me much longer than it was necessary, already after giving me back my passport, only because he was curious about my job (not every day you met someone who works with the trains's schedule) and how easy it is to travel around in Europe. Or the guy in the tourist information in Kingston, even if there was already a line of people waiting he just kept telling me all the Polish words he knew, asking me of some new ones to learn and showing his knowledge of Polish cities. Every person asks me where I'm from (assuming I'm from France or Germany) and kept asking me about my impressions of Canada and my plans for the stay. It was pretty tiring at some point but I still think it's amazing! Oh, and everyone says how good English I speak - it never happened in any other English speaking country before

 Downtown Toronto

Canada is not the most walking-friendly place. I assume everyone here has a car and drives around but there were actually quite some people walking in Kingston too yet the sideways are very narrow and sometimes only on one side of the road (so you have to walk from one side to another and back). There was a bus service in Kingston but not very frequent so using it was pretty difficult too. That's just the country for drivers I guess.

So far things look like in the American movies I know. There are yellow school buses, yellow-painted traffic lights, everything is just bigger than in Europe and even suburban houses and streets or Toronto metro looks familiar. It's quite amusing, even if I'm in a completely new country (or continent for that metter) everything looks so familiar. But again, I've heard that Ontario is very American whereas Quebec feels more European so maybe I'll change that opinion after some time in the Quebec Province.

I need to finally realize that European and North American "old, historic site" isn't the same thing. Maybe that's why Kingston's architecture kind of disappointed me (more about that city hopefully tomorrow), I expected something more from UNESCO site. But I like it here, big time, I enjoy it a lot and I'm really looking forward to exploring more of Canada! Now it's time for Quebec Province!!

Have you been to Canada? Would you like to visit it?

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my Canadian itinerary

We are pretty lucky with holidays in Poland, especially when it comes to the beginning of May. Not only 1st of May is free from work (like in bunch of other countries) but also 3rd of May - the constitution day. That gives us a really long weekend or the possibility to have a longer holidays with only few days off from work. Each year I take the advantage of this and go to some really wonderful place at least for a week. In 2010 it was Ireland, a year later Latvia and Turkey, last year I explored Iceland. And this year? I'm off to Canada!

I'm flying to/from Toronto and I'll be in Canada for 11 days. It may sounds like quite a lot of time but I guess I still don't fuly realize how big country it is and the distances there are quite big. So I will have time only to visit two provinces: Ontario and Quebec. It's gonna be my first time in North America and I'm really curious how I'll like it. I've heard that Toronto is a really American city whereas Quebec feels more like Europe. We'll see.

Montreal

Even if I fly to Toronto I won't start my journey from exploring this city. I'll only spend the night there and head to Montreal the next morning, with a few-hours stop in Kingston - the first capital of Canada. It looks like a lovely town, one of the most historic cities in Canada. In the evening I'll my base for next two days - Montreal. I'm really curious to get to know it better, explore it deeply. There're lots of interesting museums that I'd like to visit, such as Museum of Fine Arts or Museum of Contemporary Art so I'm sure I'll spend good few hours there! I'm lucky to have a professional guided tour scheduled for my time in Montreal so I'll hopefully learn a lot about the city. It surely does look stunning on the pictures!! When there I'll make sure to try the famous poutine!

Quebec city

From Montreal I'll move further east and spend next two days in Quebec city. The city has a beautiful location on cliffs overlooking St. Lawrence Seaway, is full of history (that's the only city in North America with its original walls) and is on UNESCO World's Heritage List. Even if Quebec city is quite a big city it looks very cozy and seems like a place I'd enjoy. Also here I'll have an organized guided tour and it'll definitely help me to get to know the city and the region better. It fasicnates me big time, I really enjoy unique places and Quebec province as a French-speaking enclave is so interesting I just had to include it in my itinerary.

 Charlevoix

After the busy time exploring big cities I wanna relax a little bit and so my choice was the Charlevoix region. I'll spend the day taking it easy in Baie-St-Paul, walking around, relaxing with a book on the shores of St. Lawrence river, visiting numerous local art galleries and breathing in the fresh air. It already sounds like a perfect day to me and I just hope the weather will be on my side then!

And then it'll be the time to leave Quebec Province and head back to Toronto. Before I reach it I'll spend the whole day in the train and I'm more than ready to admire the rolling landscapes of south-east Canada from the train's window (as that's always one of my favourite parts of the train journey!). I'll spend my last 4 days in Canada exploring Toronto and the nearby islands with possibly the best view over the city's downtown. I'll also take the daytrip to Niagara Falls - this place must be really amazing and breathtaking and I can't wait to see it! When in Toronto I'll aslo try something new when it comes to accomodation. I'm not gonna stay in the hostel as usually but I've booked myself a room via Wimdu. I'm really curious how I'm gonna like this way of accomodation.

Finally, in the evening of 5th of May it'll be time to wave good bye to Canada and head back to Poland...

Have you been to Canada? What other places should I visit in Ontario and Quebec?

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and for my Polish readers, about the latest book giveaway: the lucky winner was Magdalena Śmierzchalska who commented over Facebook and shared her fave place in her hometown with us. Congratulations! If you weren't lucky this time don't worry, another giveaway is comming up soon!

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