I've been back in Montreal for a week now and have had a chance to reflect on the city that was my home for some of the most formative years of my life.

I walked through the streets of Vieux Montreal where they were ripping up the cobblestone streets to, finally, replace infrastructure that would be better suited in a museum than to the delivery water to city residents in 2009.

I took note of the multitude of churches that populate the city. The domination of the skyline by cross-topped steeples in some neighborhoods is physical evidence of the city's religious past. I contrast these to the skyscrapers and elevated expressways that emerged as a result of the quiet revolution.

I overheard conversations in French and English, such as "On est à Montréal... traversser sur le vert serrais plus dangereux" stated by someone in a group of j-walkers. I laughed - it's funny because it's true.

I observed elderly women with orange (not ginger - really orange) and bluish-purple hair on the bus and the Metro. I wonder what drives them to sport hues that would otherwise only be donned by teenagers.

I bought bagels and was reminded of the extent of the Jewish population in Montreal which spawned a train of thought on culture and diversity. There are many cultural and ethnic groups represented on the streets on Montreal that are rarely, if ever, seen in Vancouver. Hassidic jews and Haitian immigrants are among them.

In fact, the urge to compare Montreal and Vancouver was the common thread to most of my reflections on the city. Montreal has history. Montreal has culture. Montreal has seniors with orange hair. Montreal has j-walkers. Vancouver has these things too (well, maybe not the seniors with orange hair), but they're less notable.

Describing Vancouver as a historic and cultured city would be misleading. Montreal embodies cool and trendy without trying - it is largely organic, unforced, and unpretentious. I can't say the same for Vancouver.

My time in Montreal reminds me of a conversation I had with a classmate from London (UK, not Ontario) who had recently arrived in Vancouver and had not visited any other parts of Canada. He stated his opinions, mainly critical, about Canada based on his limited experience in the country. I was new to Vancouver at the time and was offended. Quick to correct him, I drew largely on examples drawn from Montreal to debunk his first impressions.

Both cities are in the same country but, on many levels, they couldn't be more different.