Dr. & Mrs. Reed: The Dr. Turns 30!

The Dr. turned 30 just before the new year and I planned him a little surprise getaway. I told him we were going out of town but he didn't know where until we got in the car. Even then I didn't immediately tell him where our real destination was. I told him to drive to Burlington, VT and that we'd be staying in a cute little B&B but when we got to Burlington I pulled out our passports and told him to keep driving to Montreal! He was pretty surprised and I was impressed with myself for keeping such a big secret. I even got up in the middle of the night while he was asleep to dig through the house for our passports. He really didn't see it coming!

We stayed in a great historic hotel at Place d'Armes, right across from the beautiful Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal. We had a great view of the courtyard from our corner window. I didn't plan the location of the room but they hotel really came through for us! The whole city was still lit for Christmas, Vieux Port had lines of trees glowing with lights along Place Jacques Cartier. Since it was freezing cold there the tourist population was a lot lower which meant we had the whole place to ourselves. There were no long waits at restaurants or crowded streets. It was really nice. And also really cold. Really cold.

Our room was the third floor right on the corner

After breakfast of thick French hot chocolate and croissants we decided to do something we didn't get to do last time we visited Montreal in 2012. There is a big hill in the middle of the city called Mont Royal and from there you have the best views in the area. It's rises above the skyscrapers and bridges, it's like a hilly Central Park. When we were in Montreal a few years ago it was June and burning hot. We attempted to climb Mont Royal and got about 200 yards before collapsing in the heat and giving up. I am not sure that the weather was more favorable for us this time around seeing as it was about 15* but we were determined to conquer!

By the time we reached the summit I was both sweating and freezing. The view from the top was definitely worth it though. It was a perfectly clear day, the sun was shining and we could see for miles and miles.

^^It was so cold that my teeth hurt just from taking this picture!^^

We warmed up in the visitor center and Thomas doctored a blister growing on his heel before we headed back down the mountain to another one of our favorite neighborhoods. It doesn't matter where you go in Montreal, you will always see something beautiful.

A unique architectural feature of the city is their exterior staircases. Most of the older homes in the city have them and I think it's the most charming thing. I love that the city has such a unique feel that they work so hard to preserve and honor it.

We took the train to Outremont, one of our favorite places if not only in Montreal then probably the world. When we were visiting in 2012 we stumbled upon this cute little park in a residential neighborhood while riding bikes. There's a public pool in the middle of the square and the houses surrounding it all have the exterior stairs. As I mentioned before, it was burning hot on that first trip when we found this park. It was the perfect place to sit on a bench in the shade and cool down. We talked about our plans for the future and how our lives might look in a few years. We came back to this park a couple times on that trip and we knew we needed to go back there again this time. It was too cold to sit on a bench and talk for long but the park still held a little bit of it's original magic.

^^Trying to get a good selfie. The struggle is real ^^

We managed to take a 2.5 hour nap that afternoon. I think climbing and trying to keep warm tuckered us right out. We strolled through the old part of town after dinner and admired the lights and views.

The next day was the main event. The big one. The Dr. turned 30! I managed to pull off another great surprise for him that day as I presented him with a stack of letters from his friends and family members filled with memories and good wishes as he moves into a new decade of life. He sat in bed reading them all morning. He loved it, he was laughing and smiling all day as he reminisced and reflected on the great adventures he's had in the last 30 years.

For lunch we stopped at Reuben's, another one of our favorites from our first trip to Montreal. They have sandwiches piled high with smoked and cured meats. We have tried many times to recreate the lemon cake we had here and have dreamed of coming back for some more. They didn't have the lemon cake this time (probably because it's the dead of winter) but we did get a nice big slice of red velvet. We sang Happy Birthday quietly and he pretended to blow out a candle.

^^Look at that sandwich!!^^

In the evening I took him out to an extra fancy meal. As if we hadn't already eaten enough on the trip ;) We got all dressed up and walked through the crisp, cold cobblestone streets to Modavie. There was live music and the food was divine from start to finish. I just can't help but be so grateful for this guy. I find myself often wishing I could have known him longer, that I could have been friends with him in elementary school or seen him in high school. I just think he's the most interesting person I've ever met. And he's pretty good looking too.