I can’t believe a week’s gone by so quickly. I feel both happy and a bit sad. Happy to be returning to my family, I miss them a whole lot. Just the same, I’m kinda sad about leaving here and decided to take one final walk around Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal).

My day began with an invigorating walk to le Monte Royal Park, one part of the Monte Royal itself. The city is named for the mountain, from what I can tell (walking and on maps) forms the backdrop for a good part of city on the Northern side.  There were some great trails, taking different paths through the park and up le Monte. McGill University is at the base of it, on Rue Drummond. It’s a beautiful scene, great old buildings nestled against vibrant greenery. Looking up, there were more old houses peeking out from higher levels up the hills. I walked up the long winding stairs that led to the park proper. With my back, I could only handle the first couple of levels. On the descent, I walked to one of those houses peeking out below and strolled through the charming neighborhood it led to.

Before calling it a day, I wanted to revisit the two spots I most enjoyed, Quartier Latin and Old Montreal. This time, alone, I wanted to savor atmosphere of both places, quite different from one another. I decided to walk instead of taxi, which meant 30 min from Rue St. Catherine through downtown up to St. Denis. It was fun to take one more walk around, see the contrasts that emerged as I walked through the different “quartiers.” I walked back 15 min to Rue St. Laurent and St. Paul, a major intersection that marks Vieux Montreal. Along the way, I walked through Quartier Chinois (China Town), with its “hot pot” restaurants and pagoda topped hotels. It’s great to see the mix of young people, strolling from school to lunch, I suppose.

It was so nice to walk through the old city, around the streets and along the Old Port. I got sidetracked on Rue St. Jacques and found a lovely shop that I couldn’t help but pop into. A number of the shops down here feature local Quebecois work. I didn’t intend to but I got lost, and wound through more of the old city. I decided to go with it, through one rue and onto another. Eventually, I returned to Notre Dame, at le Place D’armes in front of the Basilica. From there it was easy to get back to the hotel, though I did hop a taxi on the other side of China Town—all I can say is “my poor feet.”

I returned to my hotel, tired but satisfied. One more turn around Montreal. It’s been a great week, a time away and a challenge I’ve needed for a long, long time. As l look back, my time here has been rejuvenating: physically, the city’s vibe pulls you into the flow and you find yourself walking for miles and still wanting to venture forward; mentally, I’ve been reminded to slow down, pause, enjoy the atmosphere; intellectually, I’ve gotten to connect with more international scholars with shared research interests than I ever have, and found stimulation and affirmation for the work I do. All in all, it’s an amazing kick off to my summer.