Here are some Instagram photos I snapped this past weekend while visiting Montreal for the first time. Our weekend consisted mostly of eating, biking and then eating some more. A few interesting bits from our trip:

Only a six-hour drive from Buffalo, Montreal and the province of Quebec are as close as it gets to Europe in North America. But it’s more than the dominant French language, signage and culture that the Quebecois have fought to preserve (sidenote: did you know KFC is called PFK in Quebec, but still called KFC in France?); from the moment you enter the province, you feel like you’ve left America and transported to Europe.

Montreal is the bike-friendliest city I’ve seen in North America. We brought our bikes up with us, but our two friends who joined us for the weekend took advantage of Bixi, as the stations are everywhere. You can get around almost entirely using bike lanes. And these aren’t the bike lanes we’re used to seeing in most North American cities; they’re totally isolated from traffic, Copenhagen style. This is what a bike-friendly city looks like. Why can’t we do it this way in Buffalo?!

Celine Dion, the beloved Quebecois superstar, and her grandfather manager-husband Rene Angelil are now part owners of the famed Schwartz’s Deli. While I don’t have much of an opinion about Celine, the smoked meat was delicious and well worth the 45-minutes we waited in line.

Can’t wait to go back!

-Brandon