Get Your Euro-Groove On!

If you’ve ever felt like getting away to Paris but only had a weekend to do it, consider a trip to her North American cousin in Quebec, Canada … Montreal. If the city is only on your radar and not on your checklist, it’s time to take action. Montreal defines joie de vivre in a way you’ll rarely find elsewhere especially on this continent and visitors can expect some French savoir faire with a casual American attitude. The city is practically an international stomping ground, perfect for anyone looking for fun in a Euro-Anglo setting.

The language of love (that’s French, of course!) does rule here though, at least on the streets. All signs are required to have the business name shown in French, above and larger than any other language. But don’t worry, if you greet folks with a basic bonjour and switch to English, most Montrealers will roll right into English with you.

Montrealers are a mixed bunch—heavy on the French heritage but with large populations of Anglophones and other fast-growing ethnic populations. They tend to be a friendly, open-minded, and interesting bunch. It’s not hard to strike up a conversation with most locals, and you should. Getting to know a bit about what makes these people tick is half the fun of visiting. They are fun-loving and generally very open-minded, happy to let you be exactly who you are in a very live-and-let-live way.

The skyline isn’t super attractive but at street level—and in its neighborhoods—Montreal is visual magic. Strange laws allow for apartment buildings to have their stairs on the outside of the building so stairways zigging up the facade of structures are a common sight and practically a Montreal icon not to mention a photographer’s dream. Architecture runs the gamut from old world European to hip and contemporary. And great food is always nearby. Trust me, you won’t return home hungry!

Here are suggestions for making a perfect weekend of it.

Thursday

AFTERNOON ARRIVAL. Non-stop flights come to the centre of Montreal from most US airlines’ hubs, so you’ll have no trouble getting there. It’s also a reasonable drive from Boston (just over 5 hours).

CHECK IN. Everyone knows it’s fun to stay at the YMCA, and Hotel Gault occupies the spot where the very first YMCA in North America was organized in 1851. Tucked on a side street in Montréal’s “Old Port,” (known locally as Vieux Montréal), the Gault is a gorgeous boutique property with surprisingly affordable rates. Created from a historic, renovated warehouse, once the centre of Andrew Gault’s Canadian monopoly on the cotton trade, the Gault’s exterior only shows five floors – in fact, the hotel has six floors, with the top being “set back” to comply with heritage zoning rules. Rooms on the top floor have fantastic shared balconies and some amazing cityscape views. (Of course, Montreal offers many hotel options, see other suggestions below).

Once you’ve arrived in Vieux Montreal, you’ll have a hard time remembering you’re in North America. Cobblestone streets are the norm in this historic area, and the streets are home to galleries, gift shops, restaurants and bars.

EVENING. Dinner features duck foie gras at smartly continental Le Local in the heart of the Old Port. If you’re travelling with your amour, a ride in a horse-drawn carriage through the cobbled lanes really is tres romantique.

Friday

MORNING. After the hotel’s included breakfast, stretch your quads and hamstrings before heading out for a day on Bixi Bikes (until Nov. 30, resuming in April 2012). Montréal is a leader in the trend toward public bike systems. Thousands of the unique bikes are locked in racks around the city. A $5.00 swipe of your credit card gets you access for the day, and the first 30 minutes of use is free with every bike. After 30 minutes, you start paying by the half-hour. The system isn’t designed for all-day rentals; rather it’s designed as a transportation option which encourages people to grab a bike, ride it where they need to go, and lock it back up. Once you’ve done your business, grab another bike, and ride onward.

Ask the hotel concierge to mark the city’s bike trails on a map. The best of them run along the St. Lawrence River, which is a very busy marine waterway. Not far from your hotel is the pathway along the Lachine Canal, one of Canada’s national historic sites. The canal was first opened in 1825, allowing ship traffic to bypass a treacherous section of the river and helping secure Montreal’s place in shipping.

AFTERNOON. Lunch is at Schwartz’s Deli. You’ve had plenty of exercise. Now take your cholesterol medicine and prepare to sink your teeth into one of Montréal’s most decadent inventions: the smoked meat sandwich. It’s a meat that’s similar to pastrami, but about 1,000 times better. I recommend the medium-fatty cut, with spicy mustard. Two people can easily share one. Skip the fries, and choose pickles as your side (you’re having Montreal style fries tomorrow).

Pedal to St. Laurent Boulevard where locals shop for one of a kind art, furniture, food, and even second hand duds. There are so many interesting spots along this street (sometimes called “The Main”) that locals have created a website all about it, featuring its many shops and dining choices. For clothes, (Montrealers are always impeccably dressed) snag some of their tossed away threads at second-hand shop Friperie St-Laurent.

EVENING. After a nap at the hotel and early dinner near your hotel, it’s off by cab to a cirque style performance at Montréal’s dazzling public circus facility, La TOHU, just across the street from Cirque du Soleil’s global headquarters (no shows there, they do occasionally perform in Montreal, however). The cirque genre continually evolves in the city, and there are numerous cirque schools and programs. The explosion of everything-cirque led the city to create La TOHU as a space to showcase local/community and professional circus acts. As amazing as the acts is the building itself: clever engineers used recycled building materials, managed to pull “air conditioning” from 325 feet under ground, and suck in excess heat from their industrial neighbor’s gas processing facility. Even if you can’t see a show there, a daytime tour of La TOHU will dazzle you.

Saturday

MORNING. Sleep in a bit, but not too long or you’ll miss taking the subway to the action at Marché Jean-Talon in the Little Italy neighborhood. It’s a fave of locals and tourists alike. There is plenty to eat at the market so plan on a progressive breakfast of fresh Québec apples and fresh baked goods and snag some regionally-produced maple products. When you’re ready to warm up, stroll over to St-Laurent Boulevard for a cup of coffee at legendary Café Italia, thought by many to be the city’s best.

AFTERNOON. Take a cab back toward downtown and ask your driver to take you to his favorite place for poutine. Like smoked meat, this dish is a Montreal must, and it can be a snack or a whole meal. Poutine is on menus all over town and the purest version of it is good French fries, smothered in brown gravy and topped with cheese curds. Some chefs tart it up with various other toppings (I’ve even had it with lobster), but go for the pure. It’s worth the calories.

Then it’s back to the Vieux Montreal area, where you’ll spend time exploring the magnificent Notre Dame Basilica, home to Canada’s most-recent “royal wedding,” that of Celine Dion in 1994. It’s a slice of Gothic Revival architecture that deserves some time with an interior that features a richly colored, star spangled ceiling. After that, choose one of the city’s fine museums like the Museum of Fine Arts which is a fantastic place to explore. It’s Canada’s oldest art institution and features a new, remarkable permanent gallery devoted to Napoleon and the arts under the First Empire. For history buffs, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of Archeology and History will be a solid choice.

If you’d prefer to shop, Montreal’s downtown business district offers the uniquely Quebec department store called Simons, where you’re likely to find a few items that seem different from what you’d find back home. There’s also the possibility of exploring Montreal’s famed “underground city,” which connects the entire downtown core with roughly 20 miles of tunnels. Much of it is just that: tunnels, but there are sections that are essentially a basement level mall. If you’re there in wintertime it’s worth exploring just for a little warmth plus it is something of an engineering feat.

EVENING. Dinner tonight should be at Lemeac to put you in the mood for later when you’re in for a taste of the city’s famous jazz at the sumptuous House of Jazz. Montreal is a renowned jazz town, with a monstrous and very fun jazz festival held each summer (a great time to visit. Unlike many festivals these days, much of it is actually free and open to the public).

Sunday

MORNING. You’ll need to shake that hangover before your afternoon flight home. It’s time for a brisk walk up “The Mountain,” as locals call Mount Royal. The Mountain is Montreal’s major green space and covers several hundred acres. It’s easy to find as you can see it from everywhere in the city. A great place to start is the stairs and trail at the north end of Rue Peel (at Ave. Des Pins). Your goal is a spot called the Belvédère Kondiaronk, from which you can see the classic postcard views of the city skyline and the St. Lawrence River. It’s a great way to wrap your Montreal weekend. Bon voyage!