For people who like to enjoy their summers by going for a long run or by cycling a few kilometres, Montreal is made to order. Mount Royal (MR) in the middle of the city has running trails that give you an experience like never before. It is totally worthwhile to explore the part of the city around your house by running. It is amazing to see all the small shops and all kinds of restaurants and very few StarBucks, Wendys etc! You will also see taps along the roads to quench your thirst.

I would recommend you to buy a cycle if you are really interested in cycling. And I suggest you do it immediately after you come here. Every passing day brings you closer to winter and by the time you have made a decision to buy a $100 cycle, you have only 3 weeks before winter is covering the roads with snow. It is 3 weeks since I am here and I have not bought a cycle. I consider that I have too little time to cycle now. And I suck!!

The trail on MR is about 15 minutes of uphill from my house. I am not used to running more than 1.5 km of continuous uphill. Listening to Rocky B tracks, I feel like Rocky himself, throwing my hands up in the air when I reach the top.. and all that :) By the time I reach MR, I am totally tired and waiting to come back. This is when I wish that I had a car / cycle so that I can commute up to the foot hill and run on the trail. The way back is all down slope. So it is okay. 40 minutes of a very satisfying run during the weekend prepares you for the week ahead.