Montréal/Quebec City

In Montreal, we felt so uncomfortable at the "motel" we'd booked that we didn't even check in, something that hadn't happened to us before on the trip. This had less to do with the city itself and more to do because we were increasingly having to watch our budget and were very spontaneous. After that, we had a very cat-intensive Couchsurfing experience, but we had to cut that short too because of Lovi's allergy. We ultimately decided to leave the city that same day in a rental car, heading towards Quebec City, but planned to return a few days later. We spontaneously spent the night in the car in a parking lot by a riverbank.

We really enjoyed Quebec City; it reminded us of an older European city, where we spent a few days before heading back to Montreal. Our second attempt went much better; we found a nice Airbnb and were able to explore the city's true character, which we also loved. It's a blend of American metropolis and French flair.