Three days in Montreal with kids

[caption id="attachment_4252" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Us on Mount Royal (after which the city is named!)[/caption]

Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, in Canada, and this year it celebrates its 375th birthday! We didn't really know what to expect when we visited, but we all loved this beautiful, cosmopolitan city, full of things to do for all ages and with a fascinating history too.

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The first thing you need to know about Montreal is that, like the rest of Quebec, it sees itself as both part of, and very separate from, the rest of Canada. You can tell that by the fact that French is the first language here (the province was first "discovered" by the French, although of course, the native Canadians had been here for centuries) and the French influence is everywhere, even though it was taken under the control of the British in 1760. Once the capital of Canada, it is a city which is full of history and culture, as well as commerce.

What to do

Jess, aged 15, says: The whole of Montreal is gorgeous to walk around. We loved strolling through the old town, looking around at the period buildings, seeing the universities, and trying out the Underground City (a series of connected buildings and walkways which is used in bad or snowy weather). However, for me the best views of the city had to be at the top of the Mont Royal (which the city is named after). This is a 223m high hill, offering spectacular views of the entire city. At the viewpoint beside the Chalet du Mont-Royal, we could see all the way to the shimmering water of the Old Port, the Olympic stadium, and the large Downtown skyscrapers. Mont Royal is surrounded by a 200 hectare park which was lovely to walk through - and amazing to have right in the heart of such a huge and busy city!

Robert, aged 12, writes: Dad took me to the La Ronde theme park, which I really enjoyed. There was a huge variety of rides for all ages, including some fast and scary ones for me! You also got to see great views of the rest of Montreal while you were there.

Jess writes: The Montreal Biodome contains four different ecosystems to walk through, and is an excellent place to visit. The biodome stands out from others as it contains live animals, which were amazing to see up close in their natural habitats. We particularly enjoyed seeing two beavers fighting each other in the Gulf of St Lawrence ecosystem, a racoon, and watching penguins and puffins swimming in the sub polar region. The biodome was incredibly well done, with a huge range of plants and animals. We had the opportunity to try different foods from the regions (such as seaweed and a type of sap), touch sand dollars, and learn about the animals through various information cards. I really enjoyed the museum. I certainly preferred it to the Eden Project in Cornwall, and recommend it 100 per cent to families visiting Montreal.

[caption id="attachment_4256" align="alignnone" width="900"] A delightful sounding menu![/caption]

Brian writes: The Insectarium is about 10 minutes walk away from the biodome. This is the largest insect museum in North America, and is located just inside the beautiful tranquil surroundings of the Botanical Gardens. We saw lots of glass cases containing dead insects (and butterflies), but the live ones were far more interesting. The ants display was particularly good, as it was not behind glass and you could see the ants carrying small leaves and pieces of flowers across the branches. Robert was then lucky enough to be able to hold a giant stick insect in the palm of his hand (as you can see in the video). This was a lovely museum to visit for an hour or so, and outside there was a stall selling food made with bugs that included cricket burgers, tacos with silkworms, and ice-cream dipped in termite chocolate.

Sarah says: The Botanical Gardens is situated right next to the Insectarium and is a kind of oasis in the heart of the city. It features plants from all over the world and is really relaxing to sit in and walk around. If you're a bird or plant lover, this is the place for you. Even if not, you'll enjoy looking at the flowers, but probably not for as long as otherwise. I wouldn't have ventured out here just for this, but with the insectarium next door, it was well worth a trip.

[caption id="attachment_4258" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Olympic swimming pool[/caption]

Jess says: My favourite part of our Montreal holiday was the Olympic Stadium tour. We spent around half an hour walking around the Olympic Park: learning about its construction, the games, and how it is used today. Our guide was extremely interesting and conducted the tour in both French and English. I particularly enjoyed learning why the stadium has no retractable roof (the material was so flimsy that the roof ripped when opened, so it had to be replaced with a stronger, non-retractable kind) and why construction took such a long time. We saw the stadium and swimming pools, and were also allowed to visit the "Since 1976" exhibition, which included lots of artefacts from the games. This was very interesting and well done. It was a fascinating and really exciting tour which I definitely would recommend to adults and children alike. Montreal is the only Canadian city ever to have hosted the summer Olympics, although it nearly bankrupted the city....



Sarah writes: If you're going to Montreal, you can't miss the old city. As you'd imagine, it's the oldest part of the city, and because it's the most "touristy", it gets extremely busy, but it's still a must-see! It's really unlike anywhere we'd ever been before - such a mixture of Europe and North America, with its own Notre Dame cathedral too, on the Place d’Armes, which is a gorgeous public square. We all really liked one of the newest sculptures here, called "The English pug and the French poodle", which show a snooty man and woman at either ends of one of the sides. They are supposed to represent England and France, looking away from each other. But both hold dogs, which are looking at each other - showing we can be friends after all!

There are also many small roads, many cobbled, to walk through, selling all kinds of wares. One of the most famous areas is Place Jacques-Cartier, was a marketplace hundreds of years ago, and is now one of the city's busiest tourist areas. If you're with kids, they may not want to spend too long just mooching around, (although we always find that an ice-cream or snack helps) and I wouldn't recommend eating a meal here as the restaurants were all packed and pricey (there are loads of other great places to eat in the city).

[caption id="attachment_4260" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Voiles en Voiles was brilliant fun![/caption]

If you go to the old city, you have to walk by the Old Port, which is full of stalls and right by the water. While there you could hire a pedalo, enjoy a run around in the park, admire the clocktower and raise your adrenalin levels at the Voiles et Voiles park, which is a bit like Go Ape. Voiles et Voiles also has a marvellous inflatable playground, which is certainly not just for kids. I enjoyed it as much as Robert!

[caption id="attachment_4261" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert ziplining at the Old Port[/caption]

The old port is also the place to find Montreal Zipline, which was fantastic fun (at least according to Robert and Brian - I was too wimpy to try!). It was the first urban zipline in all of Canada and flies over the famous Bonsecours island in the old port. It's for everyone aged seven and up, and a great way to see the city. As Robert writes: Dad and I went on the MTL zip-line, the longest zip wire in Canada. After suiting up, we travelled up a series of stair cases before reaching the top. When it was my turn, I was harnessed to the wire before being asked to simply walk off! It was so thrilling to travel over the river and get an amazing view of the city, although stopping was a bit scary. I had an awesome time.

[caption id="attachment_4253" align="alignnone" width="1200"] One of the signs from the 1930s/40s at the Montreal Holocaust Museum[/caption]

Jess writes: Though maybe not as joyous as the other places we visited, I would recommend a visit to the Montreal Holocaust Museum. We learned about the Holocaust through written information, artefacts, audio guides, and video. As Canada is thought of as being such an amazing, friendly country, I was surprised by how few refugees were taken in, in comparison to other countries, and how determined some people were not to help. Something else which stood out was a small heart-shaped pad of paper filled with messages; a birthday gift from friends in a concentration camp to another friend. We were in the museum for about an hour, and it was time well spent, and extremely educational.

[caption id="attachment_4262" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Outside the Pointe-à-Callière Museum[/caption]

Sarah writes:  Montreal was established at Pointe-à-Callière, where the St. Lawrence River met what was then the Petite Rivière. Twenty five years ago, when it was its 350th birthday, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum opened right here, and if you are going to visit any museums in the city, this is the one to go to.

It is extremely good on the history of the city, and starts with a short film giving some background. You can then see some authentic archaeological sites as the hotel is built upon the old ruins. There is a lot of interactivity here, but we were sorry to see that some of the items clearly aimed at children were not working (a disappointment for my son).

We all found the archaeological/historical parts interesting, although there was repetition in parts, but it is a fine introduction to the city. However, our favourite part of the museum was the "Pirates or Privateers?" exhibition which is squarely aimed at kids, but actually great fun and gives good detail on the life of being a pirate.

What to see

[caption id="attachment_4265" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At the top of the Olympic Tower[/caption]

Brian says: We really enjoyed our visit to the Olympic Stadium and then up the Olympic Tower. The futuristic design, looking a bit like the Starship Enterprise, was not how it looked in 1976. The tower part, which is probably the most recognisable symbol of the city, was only completed in 1987. It stands at a 45 degree angle and is the world’s tallest leaning tower. We took a trip to the top in the amazing glass-encased funicular. The tower is curved like a ski jumping hill, but an ingenious hydraulic system keeps you level all the way. It took about two minutes to get up to the observation deck, and we enjoyed great views of the Olympic Park. Sadly, it was quite a misty day, and we could not see much of the city beyond. Luckily the funicular was such great fun that the trip up and down the outside of the tower was worth a visit in its own right.

[caption id="attachment_4264" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At the top of the Observatory[/caption]

Robert writes: We travelled up the observatory (called Au Sommet) in a lift that travelled incredibly quickly and we were amazed by the view at the top. All four walls were glass panels so we could see Montreal from every angle and there was an exhibition about the city on the floor below too. I loved spotting all the places we had been to and it was awesome to see the city from a different perspective.

Where to eat

[caption id="attachment_4267" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Trying our Montreal bagels[/caption]

Sarah says: Having heard that Montreal has a strong Jewish heritage, we were very pleased to go on a Jewish walking tour of the city with Round Table tours. It was extremely hot on the day that we did the tour, so we were grateful for the water we were offered at the start and the fabulous flavoured sodas which we tried out at Wilensky's Light Lunch, an absolutely classic diner, which has been in the city since 1932 and I imagine hasn't changed at all! I had cherry cola and Jess had cherry pineapple, and we both enjoyed looking around us and falling back into the past (there is even a sign saying the staff won't accept tips).

[caption id="attachment_4277" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Wilenksy's hasn't changed much since it opened in 1932![/caption]

The tour certainly covered all the sites we were expecting, including the two rival bagel bakeries, St-Viateur Bagel and Fairmount (Montreal is famous for its bagels). We were surprised that the food on the tour was not kosher, so we couldn't sample the famous smoked meats, but to be honest, I think we ate enough during the three hours - including some fabulous babka.
Our tour guide did impart a lot of information, from the fact that Celine Dion now owns Schwartz's (probably the most famous "Jewish" deli in the city, although not kosher, but always extremely busy) to the story behind Canadian rye "whisky", but he seemed a bit vague on a number of Jewish issues (including what keeping kosher actually is) which you wouldn't have expected on a Jewish tour. He also didn't bring the warmth one might have expected to a tour like this (he clearly finds very religious Jews unintelligible), which was as shame, but it was still worth doing.
Iconic Dishes: Jewish Montreal, The Original Tour! costs $80 per person

Jess writes: Mandy's was definitely our favourite place to eat during our trip to Montreal. We wanted somewhere to eat which wasn't too heavy, and the bright lights and decor of the shop drew us in. Mandy's sells a wide variety of salads and soups, and we loved it so much that we visited three times in three days. I loved the Mexican and the Roma salads, and the mum, dad and Robert loved the grain bowls. We wish we had a Mandy's in our neighbourhood!

Where to stay: Montreal is a huge city with so many options for where to stay. We were in the Residence Inn, Marriott Downtown which was an excellent location - near lots of shops and restaurants, as well as the metro and main train station. Our room was large, with two double beds and a sofa bed (excellent as it meant the kids didn't have to share) plus a little kitchen with big fridge, microwave and hob, which meant we could eat in. Breakfast was complimentary and we all loved the waffles!

Overall, we would really recommend Montreal as a place to visit. It is a gorgeous city with so much to do, whatever your interests, and whatever your age. We were sad to say "au revoir"!

Disclosure: We were fortunate to be helped in our trip by Tourism Montreal and Quebec Original, which enabled us to try out some activities free or at a reduced price. However, neither they, nor any of the places we visited, had any input into this blog post. Please visit their websites for more on this wonderful city and region.
We were also helped by Explore Canada, which you must visit if you are interested in not only this region, but a visit to anywhere in the country!

More on Canada - our wonderful trip to Niagara Falls

 

Visiting The National Holocaust Museum in Nottinghamshire

[caption id="attachment_1579" align="alignnone" width="940"] Memorial flowers[/caption]

Jess, who's 13, says: When mum and dad told me that we were going to be visiting the National Holocaust Centre and Museum as part of our visit to Nottinghamshire, I was confused. Not as to why we were visiting the museum in the first place, but why it was situated near Nottingham - I had expected it to be in London, or possibly Manchester, where are British Jewish communities.

We watched a video upon arrival, telling us that the founders of the National Holocaust Museum, James and Stephen Smith, had visited Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum) in Israel, where they learnt about the horrendous conditions inside the Nazis's concentration camps, and the terrible persecution the Jews faced. They realised that they shouldn't have to travel to the Middle East to learn about this, so they asked their mother for access to her farmhouse near Nottingham to create an exhibition. Over time, the exhibition became a museum, and last year it became the National Holocaust Museum.

The first thing you see upon entering the museum are lots of white roses. The garden was filled with them, and each one had a plaque underneath saying who it was dedicated to. This was beautiful and emotional, and the messages on the plaques were very moving and depressing. One message was dedicated to "all my family" and another was dedicated to a man's dead parents and grandparents. I cannot imagine losing all of my family - murdered just because of who they were.

[caption id="attachment_1580" align="alignnone" width="940"] A memorial plaque[/caption]

There were also lots of memorials in the garden for people persecuted by the Nazis: one for the homosexuals, one for the gypsies and another for all of the children murdered. This was especially moving - a mountain of rocks. Each rock symbolised a child killed in the Holocaust, and mum, dad, Robert and I put one onto the pile for our relatives who died. Although the garden was sunny, there was a very sombre atmosphere.

[caption id="attachment_1581" align="alignnone" width="940"] Stone memorial[/caption]

After watching the introductory video, our family walked into the main exhibition. We started off by looking at lots of different pictures of people in the Holocaust. I learnt that the Nazis kept records of everything they did in the Holocaust, so it is simple to find pictures and information about the people they killed.

I found out about the origins of antisemitism, and was shocked by how Jews were portrayed throughout history, without doing anything wrong.

After this, we went into some rooms telling us about Germany before the war, and how and why Hitler came to power. Germany was annoyed at how they had been "cheated" by the Allies with the Treaty of Versailles, and wanted to reclaim their land and money after the hyperinflation in the early 1920s. I knew a lot about the Holocaust before the museum because of going to talks and reading books, but I was interested as to why Hitler became so popular, so quickly.

I thought that the main exhibition was really well done, as there was lots of information, incredible (and upsetting) pictures and there were some videos to watch with additional information. There were lots of artefacts from the war such as medals, stars that the Jews had to wear to identify their religion and clothes that people had to wear in the concentration camps. This was fascinating, as I never had thought that I would see one before. The uniform from the concentration camp even had the owner's name on.

I learnt where all of the different camps were across Europe, and what the different types meant. We found out the difference between a work and a concentration camp, and listened to survivors's recounts of life there. It was a very shocking and emotional experience.

Something that particularly struck me was a series of maps of Europe. One was from the 1930s, one was from the 40s and the last was from the 50s. These maps had circles on, with their sizes indicating the amount of Jews in that country. The Jewish population in the 30s was reasonably large, but this decreased slightly by the 40s. By the 50s, the Jews were virtually eliminated from the continent apart from in the UK.

The end of the exhibition was dedicated to non-Jews who risked their lives protecting the Jews. There was a panel decorated to Nicholas Winton, who brought hundreds of Jews over to England from Czechoslovakia, and I was especially interested in Bulgaria during the war. Though the government put discriminatory laws in place, the general public led an outcry and eventually the laws were dropped. Consequently, thousands of lives were saved because the public stood up for what they thought was right.

Overall, I thought that the exhibition was brilliant. It was very informative, incredibly moving and definitely shocking. There was lots of things to see, watch and do, and it is a must for everyone to find out about the Holocaust. Robert was confused about some of the details, so we decided to go upstairs to The Journey - the children's exhibition. This is what Robert thought...

Robert says: I didn't know much about the  Holocaust before I came to the centre in Newark as we only briefly touched upon it at school, so some of the facts and pictures I saw there were quite sad as well as informative. I didn't understand lots of the information in the main exhibition but I learnt loads in The Journey. The Journey was a story showing a young boy (called Leo's) life during the Holocaust. He had been born in Berlin.

The rooms were fantastically well made as it showed exactly what  the story said. In every room there was a touch screen computer with three options. These were: "Where are we?" (This explained what this room meant to Leo like his living room or his Dad's shop), "Leo's Diary" where "Leo" explained what had happened in that room, and finally "Survivors' Stories", where people told their similar tales to the diary entry. For example, when we were in the train, you heard survivors talk about their journey on a train. I loved all the props and rooms but my favourite was the hidden room.

To escape from the Nazis, Leo's dad had built a secret passageway in his shop. It was really hard to find. Inside the secret room was a bed, a horrible looking toilet and a few more basic things. I couldn't imagine living in there for more than a day, let alone years. The last room was a special room with lots of artefacts from the people who had read aloud their survivors stories. Every object had a label with a memory on it and I felt quite moved at all the different feelings. One of the objects was a shaving brush which looked normal but when you unscrewed the nails a false bottom opened and inside was a bar of gold. They were really clever.



Jess says: I thought that the journey was incredibly well done. Although it was slightly basic information for me, I know that Robert really enjoyed it, and I wasn't bored when walking through. It told the story of a boy named Leo who lived in Berlin when the Nazis came to power. His teacher, classmates and friends started making fun of him for his religion, and his family's shop was ransacked. Eventually, his parents decided to send him on a train to England, so he could be safe.

I liked how we were allowed to open the drawers, and we could see the toys that Leo was playing with in his video. The rooms looked exactly as how they would have done during the war, and The train even had screens on all of the windows to make it look like we were travelling through the countryside!

Overall, I think the National Holocaust Museum is a must-visit, as it genuinely is a fascinating and informative place to go. Lots of people don't know anyone who was affected by the Holocaust, which is why it is so important that we continue to educate everyone about the terrible events that took place. Even though I already knew a lot about it, I learnt a lot more and was enlightened. Survivors of the Holocaust often give talks at the museum, and I would have loved you to see one. If you want to learn about the Holocaust in the UK, this is probably the best place to go - there is lots for adults and children alike, it is stunning and incredibly interesting.

Although the museum isn't meant to be enjoyable, it certainly is worthwhile.

The National Holocaust Centre is open Sundays to Fridays, and is located in Laxton, Nottinghamshire. It was difficult to find, so you might want to bring a sat-nav along for your trip! The website recommends the main exhibition for children aged 14+ and The Journey for children 8+, although I think the main exhibition is suitable for children aged 12+. Tickets cost £8 for adults and £7 for concessions, although a family ticket (two adults and up to three children) costs £28. There are speakers talking every Sunday throughout the summer and you can see a list here. 

More museums we've been to and loved:

Beamish: so much more than just a museum!

Learning about Summerdown Camp, Eastbourne

Science and Baseball Bats in Louisville, Kentucky