| Despite the fact that Montreal is one of the | | | | appetite and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at |
| closest and most easily accessible cities from | | | | Galiano's right in the heart of Old Montreal, and the |
| Toronto, I had really only been there once, for a | | | | owner gave me a first-hand overview of this |
| couple of days ten years ago. We also did stop in | | | | popular and historic restaurant. The streets of |
| a couple of times for lunch in Montreal on our | | | | Montreal were just absolutely packed with |
| way home from our ski trips in the Eastern | | | | revelers. The Old Port of Montreal was buzzing |
| Townships, Vermont or New Hampshire. But I | | | | with activity which included concerts, street |
| knew Montreal deserved a much longer visit. So I | | | | performers, a huge entertainment area for |
| set off to plan a four-day extended weekend | | | | children, even acrobatics on skis. The highlight of |
| over the Canada Day festivities to explore this | | | | the evening was a concert that featured a |
| city. | | | | variety of performers, from flamenco, to Cuban |
| Both Tourisme Montreal and Tourism Quebec | | | | rhythms to Brazilian percussion and other world |
| were extremely helpful in making suggestions as | | | | music. Finally the star of the show appeared: |
| to what to see and do and I really started to look | | | | Gregory Charles, a multi-talented singer, |
| forward to my urban explorations. On June 29, | | | | piano-player, actor and media personality. The |
| 2006 I headed off in the comfort of a first-class | | | | crowd simply went nuts and thousands of people |
| Via Rail train - no traffic, no stress, just an | | | | kept streaming into Old Montreal even at 11 pm |
| opportunity to relax. Following a bucolic ride | | | | at night. This city knows how to party!!! |
| through the green countryside of Ontario we | | | | My third day in Montreal was a little quieter. I |
| entered Quebec and shortly after I arrived at | | | | started off with an exploration of the Olympic |
| Montreal's Gare Central. Following the check-in at | | | | Stadium and took the funicular to the top of the |
| my extremely centrally located hotel I set off on | | | | world's highest inclined tower. Then I explored the |
| my first personal encounter with Montreal: a | | | | critters at the Insectarium and a variety of |
| driving tour of the city with a personal guide | | | | flowers, plants and trees at the Montreal Botanical |
| which gave me a great idea of the lay of the | | | | Gardens. In the mid-afternoon I took a quick |
| land. We visited all the key sights of Montreal and | | | | jaunt to the Jean Talon Market in Montreal's Italian |
| had a delicious lunch in a well-known French Bistro. | | | | neighbourhood and followed it up with a delicious |
| After several more hours of exploration I had a | | | | late lunch at Mañana, a Mexican restaurant |
| comprehensive overview of the city and was | | | | just across from beautiful Square St. Louis. In my |
| ready for a stroll through Old Montreal. On my | | | | chat with the owner I heard a heart-warming, |
| first evening I also enjoyed a memorable dinner | | | | inspiring immigrant story that has seen a simple |
| with jazz music in the background at Modavie, a | | | | man from Peru who came to Canada with hardly |
| historic restaurant in Vieux Montreal. My | | | | any French or English language skills, become a |
| knowledge of Old Montreal and insight into the | | | | restaurant owner in one of Montreal's most |
| early French settlers got even better as a result | | | | popular entertainment districts. I then had a bit of |
| of taking the Old Montreal Ghost Tour which | | | | extra time to relax in the park where I made a |
| brought me up close to some interesting | | | | connection with other out-of-town travelers and |
| characters from Montreal's history. | | | | explored the beautiful neighbourhood around |
| Day Two introduced me to the architectural | | | | historic Square St. Louis. |
| jewels of Old Montreal and our local walking tour | | | | My evening program was also packed: I got to |
| guide Louis impressed our group with his | | | | explore the Casino de Montreal, located on an |
| knowledge of social history and architecture (that | | | | island in the St. Lawrence River. My personalized |
| extended way beyond Montreal). Stimulated by | | | | two-hour tour educated me about casino |
| this educational outing I then had a delicious lunch | | | | operations and brought me up close to one of |
| at the Café du Château and just as a | | | | Montreal's big attractions. This special evening |
| major thunderstorm unleashed its fury I decided | | | | continued with a gourmet meal at Nuances, the |
| to explore the Chateau du Ramezay, a museum | | | | Casino's fine-dining restaurant, which offers the |
| featuring diverse artifacts from more than 350 | | | | most amazing view across the river of downtown |
| years of Montreal's history. In the evening I took | | | | Montreal. The crowning touch was the international |
| a relaxing stroll through the beautiful Latin Quarter | | | | fireworks competition at La Ronde, which |
| and finally settled for an extremely satisfying | | | | featured a team of Argentinian pyrotechnical |
| dinner at La Iguana, one of Montreal's premier | | | | experts who combined music and fireworks in a |
| Mexican restaurants, where I had a chance to | | | | breathtakingly choreographed performance. |
| chat with the owner and find out what this | | | | Unfortunately my extended weekend was rapidly |
| restaurant is all about. A packed day of | | | | coming to an end. On July 3 my train was |
| exploration was capped off by a walk along St. | | | | scheduled to leave shortly before noon, but I |
| Catharines Street to get a glimpse of Montreal's | | | | managed to squeeze in a few more hours of |
| Jazz Festival - the largest festival of its kind in the | | | | exploration. I went on a walk downtown and got |
| world, attracting hundreds of thousands of | | | | a chance to admire some of Montreal's |
| revelers every year. | | | | architectural jewels, including several stunning |
| July 1 - Canada Day: The festivities were | | | | churches and cathedrals, an Art Deco skyscraper, |
| unbelievable. I got an early start and explored | | | | a historic department store and a Richardsonian |
| Vieux Montreal before I participated in the Official | | | | Romanesque train station that has today been |
| Montreal bicycle tour where a certified tourist | | | | converted into a hotel and office complex. I was |
| guide took our entire group through various | | | | in awe of the architectural richness that I saw in |
| neighbourhoods of Montreal. Bruno introduced us | | | | such a small area. |
| to the major sights as well as to the beautiful and | | | | Montreal truly enchanted me with its European |
| unique living areas of this diverse city. As an avid | | | | flair, the gorgeous and diverse residential areas, |
| bicyclist I was delighted when I was able to keep | | | | and the stunning sights in Old Montreal and |
| the bike after our tour finished and I continued on | | | | Downtown. I connected with some interesting |
| my own on the extensive bicycle trail network | | | | people in Montreal: expert tour guides, hospitality |
| along the Lachine Canal. I enjoyed a re-energizing | | | | entrepreneurs and travellers from other places. |
| lunch at the historic Marché Atwater and | | | | Having had the chance to explore Montreal by |
| had a nice chat with a local. After I returned my | | | | car, on foot and by bike was a phenomenal |
| bike I sat down and talked with the owner of the | | | | introduction to this unique city and I can't wait to |
| Ça Roule bicycle shop about his business and | | | | get back to take in more of Montreal's special |
| about bicycling opportunities in Montreal. | | | | charm. |
| All this physical exercise had stimulated my | | | | |