Morning starts with a paper bag of warm sesame bagels from a wood-fired oven in Mile End, eaten on the walk toward Mount Royal. By afternoon the trails climb to a lookout over the downtown towers and the St. Lawrence River. At night the cobblestones of Old Montreal fill with diners under gray stone facades.
Beyond the first sights, the stalls of Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy and the riverside paths of Verdun show how Montrealers actually live. Summers turn warm and humid, while winters are long, cold and snowy. When your own list runs dry, a Local Friend can name the next stop, whether it is a corner dep or a terrace you would have walked past.
