Montreal?

[FTHurley]

Tracy and I are going to Montreal in a couple of weeks for a long weekend. We'll be celebrating our 10th anniversary, and also just getting out of Dodge for a few days. Any recommendations of things we must do while there? We drive up Friday and drive home Monday, staying downtown, so we'll have a couple of days and access to the Metro.

[comfortably numb]

Sex.

[FTHurley]

Sex.

Well yes, that was the plan. But we're in our thirties, so unlike a decade ago, three straight days of that might kill one of us, likely me.

[Frank Capua]

I had some great times in Montreal. But I imagine things have changed a little since 1967. For one I haven't heard much about the Expo in quite a while. I just remember that it reminded me of being in a foreign county... I mean more foreign than Canada.

[Jim Wilke]

Well yes, that was the plan. But we're in our thirties, so unlike a decade ago, three straight days of that might kill one of us, likely me.

You're going to have sex with Paul Tracy? Not that there's anything wrong with that ...

[Supernova]

You're going to have sex with Paul Tracy? Not that there's anything wrong with that ...

[comfortably numb]

Not much help, are we...

[FTHurley]

Not much help, are we...

No worries. I'm sure we'll be fine. Thinking of hitting Au Pied de Cochon for dinner one night. We'll see ...

[mclarke]

Montreal is one of my favorite cities in the world and you will have a wonderful time there regardless of what you do. I've been there 15-20 times over the years, always on business though I inevitably add a day or two or three to just enjoy the city. I have never traveled there with my wife so it has been sporting events and the late night scene ( especially the ballet ) with which I am most familiar but I have also wandered through the city just to enjoy the ambiance.

It is that ambiance of the city, the sights, sounds, culture, smells, and atmosphere, which is more appealing than any specific event or site. Having said that, you do need to wander through Vieux Montreal to get the most out of the European feel of the city. While the Basilique Notre Dame in Old Montreal does not hold a candle to its counterpart in Paris, it is an interesting historical structure ; I have generally found that the major churches in a city show some of the best of its art, architecture, and history and are usually worth a look. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and streetlife on Rue St. Paul in Vieux Montreal so take your time.

The best view of the city is from Mont Royal Park, which has extensive outdoor gardens but also lets you see the lay of the land and which of course gives the city its name.

Montreal is an incredible city for walking and people watching, since many of the residents like to see and be seen in their downtown. I have found that Rue Ste Catherine, and moreso the west end rather than east, is a fine place for people watching though I should stress that I am talking daytime, and especially Sunday morning, because Ste. Catherine becomes a little too lively at times in the late evening. If you do want to experience the bar scene in Montreal, without stepping over the line into Montreal's more uninhibited locales, I suggest you wander around Crescent Street, which is touristy but fun. I have had many a fine ale at Sir Winston Churchill's Pub on Crescent and many a hangover cure at Winnie's, which is affiliated.

Lots of good restaurants, steak houses, and Schwartz Deli for smoked meat but if you are dining at Au Pied, you may not have room for more than one meal.

If the weather is not co-operative, or if you simply wish to let your wife exercise her shopping skills, there is a very extensive underground ( physically not economically ) shopping area in Montreal, accessible from numerous sites, so just ask your hotel for the nearest access point. If you need to tie into racing, Ile Notre Dame is an artificial island in the St Lawrence which has the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and a large gambling casino but there really isn't much to see and I find that the casino is frequented by too many serious gamblers to be much fun.

Avoir un grand temps au Quebec !

[FTHurley]

Montreal is one of my favorite cities in the world and you will have a wonderful time there regardless of what you do. I've been there 15-20 times over the years, always on business though I inevitably add a day or two or three to just enjoy the city. I have never traveled there with my wife so it has been sporting events and the late night scene ( especially the ballet ) with which I am most familiar but I have also wandered through the city just to enjoy the ambiance.

It is that ambiance of the city, the sights, sounds, culture, smells, and atmosphere, which is more appealing than any specific event or site. Having said that, you do need to wander through Vieux Montreal to get the most out of the European feel of the city. While the Basilique Notre Dame in Old Montreal does not hold a candle to its counterpart in Paris, it is an interesting historical structure ; I have generally found that the major churches in a city show some of the best of its art, architecture, and history and are usually worth a look. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and streetlife on Rue St. Paul in Vieux Montreal so take your time.

The best view of the city is from Mont Royal Park, which has extensive outdoor gardens but also lets you see the lay of the land and which of course gives the city its name.

Montreal is an incredible city for walking and people watching, since many of the residents like to see and be seen in their downtown. I have found that Rue Ste Catherine, and moreso the west end rather than east, is a fine place for people watching though I should stress that I am talking daytime, and especially Sunday morning, because Ste. Catherine becomes a little too lively at times in the late evening. If you do want to experience the bar scene in Montreal, without stepping over the line into Montreal's more uninhibited locales, I suggest you wander around Crescent Street, which is touristy but fun. I have had many a fine ale at Sir Winston Churchill's Pub on Crescent and many a hangover cure at Winnie's, which is affiliated.

Lots of good restaurants, steak houses, and Schwartz Deli for smoked meat but if you are dining at Au Pied, you may not have room for more than one meal.

If the weather is not co-operative, or if you simply wish to let your wife exercise her shopping skills, there is a very extensive underground ( physically not economically ) shopping area in Montreal, accessible from numerous sites, so just ask your hotel for the nearest access point. If you need to tie into racing, Ile Notre Dame is an artificial island in the St Lawrence which has the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and a large gambling casino but there really isn't much to see and I find that the casino is frequented by too many serious gamblers to be much fun.

Avoir un grand temps au Quebec !

Alright, that was a fun weekend. Friday night we had dinner at a little side-street bistro in Vieux Montreal. Steak tartare was awesome.

Saturday was went to Mile End for a bagel, and walked out to Marche Jean-Talon, through Little Italy where the Italian Festival was apparently going on. That was a blast. Had dinner at an Indian place in Mile End. Also excellent.

Sunday was checked out Little Burgundy, and then realized Montreal Pride's parade was running down the street in front of our hotel, so we watched that for a bit. Walked out Ste Cat through the Latin Quarter and the Village, had dinner, and walked back to the hotel. Grabbed a dozen bagels at Ste Viateur on the way out of town on Monday. Oh, and I had a scotch and a Cuban cigar in Mile End on Saturday night at the Whisky Cafe on Ste Laurent.

I feel like we barely scratched the surface, and we definitely want to go back. Great city. I might try to put together a trip with a few buddies, too. Seems like it could be a lot of fun. And trouble.