Skincare & Travel Diaries: Experiencing Montreal’s Old Town, Food, and Wellness

Montreal is a city that feels both historic and alive, a place where art, food, and nature meet in perfect harmony. For me, walking the streets of Old Montreal was more than sightseeing it felt like reconnecting with my ancestral roots. Both my biological and adoptive families had lived lives in this region, and the familiarity was calming, grounding, and oddly energizing.

In this post, I’m sharing my Montreal travel experience, including the best places to eat, museums to visit, gardens to explore, and how I kept my skin healthy in the crisp fall air.

Exploring Old Montreal

Old Montreal is the perfect blend of history and charm. Cobblestone streets, ivy-draped buildings, and quiet courtyards make it a pedestrian-friendly paradise.

• Grand Old Church Visits: Walking into a historic church, I was enveloped in quiet and reflection. The echoes of footsteps and distant bell chimes reminded me of generations past.
  
  

• Street Life & Markets: Musicians, cafes, and local shops create a lively atmosphere that feels both intimate and timeless.
  
  

Travel Tip: Wear comfortable shoes walking is the best way to fully experience Old Montreal’s charm.

Best Places to Eat in Montreal

Montreal is a food-lover’s dream, and each meal felt like a connection to both past and present:

• Ritz-Carlton Poutine: Crispy fries, rich gravy, and melting cheese curds , it had such a dramatic presentation it had people drolling over our plate of poutine, more than the limited edition Ferrari parked outside.
  

• Chat au Chocolat: the Pistachio sorbet was so incredible.
  
  

• Flaky croissants that transported me to quiet mornings in another era. crumbly enough to share with the birds in the park.
  
  

• Marché Jean-Talon (La Beau Market): A vibrant local market with fresh produce, herbs, cheeses, and flowers. Croque Monsieur - Perfectly crisp bread, bubbling cheese, the perfect blend of cheeses.

• Wellness Tip: Take time to savor food intentionally it’s part of mindful travel and enhances your experience.

The poutine

unreal, ft. halloumi Cheese fries

Experiencing Luzia: A Cirque du Soleil Wonder

One of my favorite experiences was seeing Luzia, an intimate Cirque du Soleil show. Unlike large arena performances, this felt personal, immersive, and magical. Acrobatics, storytelling, and intricate visuals created a whimsical experience that left me completely in awe.

Travel Tip: Book tickets in advance for Cirque du Soleil shows, especially the smaller, intimate performances they sell out quickly!

Montreal Museums and Art Experiences

Montreal is rich in culture, and art is a must-see:

• Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art: Bold, playful, and immersive installations that invite interaction and reflection. Architecture is the art as well.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Botanical Gardens: A sanctuary of themed gardens from Japanese to aromatic herbs. A place to breathe, meditate, and reconnect with nature.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Travel Tip: Allow 1–2 hours for each museum or garden to fully enjoy the exhibits and surroundings.

Skincare and Wellness in Montreal

Montreal’s crisp fall air reminded me to maintain my skincare routine while traveling:

• Whipped Body Butter: Keeps skin soft after long walks in cool weather.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Antioxidant Lip Butter: Shields lips from wind and dry air.
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Golden Elixir Under-Eye Serum: Refreshes tired eyes after days of exploration.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Wellness Tip: Use your skincare routine as a mindful ritual to stay present and grounded during travel.

Walking as Meditation

Montreal is a walking city, and strolling through Old Montreal became a form of meditation. Each step—breathing, noticing the textures, sounds, and scents—reminded me of the ancestral pull I felt in the city.

Travel Tip: Slow down and take mental snapshots of moments that inspire awe. Architecture, light, and street life all contribute to memorable travel experiences.

Final Thoughts: Why Montreal Feels Like Home

Montreal isn’t just a city you visit it’s a place you feel. From Old Montreal’s cobblestone streets to Luzia’s intimate performance, from pastries at Chat au Chocolat to the serenity of the Botanical Gardens, every experience was layered with connection, presence, and mindfulness.

For travelers who love food, art, wellness, and skincare-friendly adventures, Montreal offers a perfect blend of historical charm and modern indulgence. It’s a city to savor, to explore, and to feel deeply rooted even if only for a short trip.

Walking as Meditation

Montreal and Quebec are walking cities, and we walked everywhere up hills, down alleys, across bridges. My legs were tired, but my spirit felt light.

There was a rhythm to it: breath, step, breath, step. It became a kind of moving meditation. The ancestral pull lingered in each step, like the city itself was whispering, you belong here.

Even the small details stood out: ivy-draped doorways, street musicians, the smell of roasting coffee spilling out of cafés. Every sense was alive, and every corner felt like it carried memory.

Final Takeaways

Montreal and Quebec City weren’t just destinations. For me, they were places of recognition, of ancestral connection. Both my biological and adoptive families had called this region home, and I could feel that truth everywhere in the cobblestones, in the markets, in the air itself.

The trip was about more than food, more than sightseeing it was about walking into a space that felt both foreign and deeply familiar, like finding a piece of myself reflected in the city.

Each city traveled to reminds me that travel isn’t just about where you go it’s about what stirs in you when you’re there. And in Montreal , Quebec, what stirred was a sense of belonging.