Weekend getaways: Montreal delivers an authentic French escape – The Star
July 28, 2014 by admin
Filed under Lingerie Events
Francophiles already know this, but Montreal is the closest place to trip the French fantastic.
A straight shot on 87 North through Albany, it takes six hours from Newark to reach the largest city in the province of Quebec. But once you arrive, you’re in a different world. Of course, there’s the language. While all of Canada is technically bilingual, Quebeccers tend to speak French before English, adding to the region’s exotic appeal. In the island city of Montreal, it’s not difficult to pretend you’re on the outskirts of Paris, between the cutting edge music and nightlife scene, outdoor cafes and chic shopping. You just don’t have to get on an airplane to get your Franco-fix.
Public art is everywhere along busy Sainte-Catherine St. in the entertainment district
“Montreal has the best of all worlds, especially for girlfriends getting away,” said Carrie MacPherson, who hails from the Canadian prairie, but lived in French-speaking Switzerland for four years. “I wanted to keep that French connection, so I moved back to Montreal,” she said. MacPherson edits Zurbaines, an online magazine for “trendy women” and gives city tours geared to women on the move. “Women feel safe here. Montreal is not as expensive as many other cities to visit. And the shopping and art scene is amazing.”
If your French is rusty, you’ll find that the vast majority of local French speakers can converse in English, as estimated 14 percent of the 3.3 million city residents claim English as their mother tongue. In general, you’ll find more English speakers west of Boulevard St. Laurent, the main avenue that bisects the city north to south, and more Francophones to the east. While Montrealers are too cool to be as happy-puppy friendly as many of their fellow Canadians, there’s a genuine sense of hospitality that makes visiting the city a real pleasure.
Nibble on fruit samples at the Jean-Talon market in Montreal
Shopping Neighborhoods
A city of distinct neighborhoods, Montreal emotes a sense of grace and elegance, of past and present intermingling seamlessly amidst historic architecture and modern skyscrapers. You can walk all over town quite easily, hop on the metro, which is simple to navigate, and there’s a bike share program similar to the one in New York or Boston.
Of course visit Old Montreal, with its cobblestoned streets, stone warehouses and stately Notre Dame basilica. Here, where the city was born, restored 18th and 19th-century buildings now house shops, boutique hotels, galleries, cafes, bars, and apartments. Be sure to have a sweet and a coffee at Maison Christian Faure, a new temple to French pastry that opened a year ago. The traditional French patisserie may inspire you to take a class from the master baker in the shop’s upstairs academy.
Maison Christian Faure is an authentic French patisserie in Old Montreal
Forgo souvenir shops for window gazing along St. Paul St., home to the fanciest designer boutiques including Ssense and Delano Design. Strolling Old Montreal delivers views of the city’s oldest bank, vast with green marble and stately columns, there’s a flowery French Second Empire style City Hall and the wonderful Museum of Archaeology and History, packed with artifacts and home to Yours Truly, Montréal, a lively multi-media waltz through time that provides an impressive amount of info in an entertaining and fast-paced 18 minutes. From here, stroll along the Old Port, the city’s historic commercial wharves repurposed as a waterfront park, complete with an urban beach and pathways for walking, cycling and the like. The best way to get a sense of the city scope is by boat. Take a 45-minute cruise with Le Petit Navire, which operates two eco-friendly electric wooden sightseeing boats along with commentary in French and English and libations aboard. Very fun. http://lepetitnavire.ca/en/
Le Petit Navire operates two eco-friendly electric wooden sightseeing boats in Montreal
A great way to explore multiple neighborhoods is to take the metro north of downtown to Jean Talon, home to a gorgeous open air market, one of the largest in North America. Come first thing in the morning and nibble on samples of fresh fruit, taste a savory or sweet crepe, eat oysters on the half shell and charcuterie. Here, in Montreal’s Little Italy, every manner of Italian cheese, sausage, pastry and pasta send heavenly smells wafting out onto the sidewalk.
Montreal is famous for hot bagels right out of the wood-fired oven
Head south on the metro to the Rosemont stop, where with a little navigating you’ll find St-Viateur St. in the edgy Mile End neighborhood, Montréal’s version of Williamsburg and historically home to the city’s Jewish community. Walk down St. Laurent and browse the many clothing and fashion boutiques. Don’t miss Lo Well, where designer Rachel Fortin repurposes old furs into accessories and offers a carefully curated array of designer brands in a funky, vintage setting. Take a right on Avenue Laurier for more cafes and upscale shops like Lyla, an emporium of spendy imported French bathing suits and lingerie.
Lo Well in the funky Mile End neighborhood offers recycled fur accessories
Another great walk is to, and up, Mont Royal, a symbol of Montréal’s heritage and a four-season urban playground. The climb is gently rigorous, with winding paths leading 4.3 miles to the top where you’ll be rewarded with stupendous city views and plenty of flora and fauna along the way.
After Dark
The Montreal Jazz Festival is internationally renowned, but the festival, music and club scene is non-stop, especially in the summer and fall season. Sainte-Catherine is the main drag in the Quartier des Spectacles, an arts, culture and entertainment district that is nightlife central. It’s no accident that Montreal entertainment is referred to as a spectacle. There are multiple outdoor performance spaces, towering with lights and usually involving some kind of multimedia projection and even fireworks. A recent visit during the annual Nuits D’Afrique festival delivered shows by the internationally renowned Cuban band Los Van Van and an exuberant evening with Admiral T, a dance hall reggae sensation from Guadalupe. Makes sense that Cirque du Soleil, now hugely commercial and successful from Vegas to cruise ships, was founded in Montréal in the ’80s.
Admiral T performs during Festival International Nuits D’Afrique in Montreal
Bon Appétit
There are more restaurants per capita in Montreal than in any other city in North America. You’ll find something for every budget, from Québecois faves like crepes and poutine (French fries covered with gravy and cheese curds, much better than it sounds) to more haute cuisine at Toqué!, which recently opened the more budget oriented Brassertie T! Le Balmoral is a traditional French bistroin the heart of the theater district, perfect for dining per or post show. Montrealers eat late, so it’s not unusual to catch a show for 8 or 9 pm, and dine at 11. For something quieter, Decca downtown offers beautifully prepared modern French specialties, often to a soundtrack of jazz.
When you’re in Mile End, taste the famous Montreal bagel, either at St-Viateur Bagel or nearby Fairmount Bagel on Fairmont St. Boiled in honey before being baked in a wood- burning oven, these crunchier and less doughy versions of New York bagels are served piping hot. One is never enough. This is also the neighborhood to discover Canada’s oldest deli, Schwartz’s, home to the much loved smoked meat sandwich.
Back to Nature
To escape city life for a few days, head north for an easy drive two hours into the spectacular Laurentians. The bespoke village of Tremblant, built at the base of Mont-Tremblant in 1992 to support a longtime lively ski scene, is a fun and easy place to hang your hat. Everything is walkable, the village hosts music festivals and special events throughout the season, and the outdoor activity range is unending. There is a rails to trails bike path, with plenty of hills to challenge the avid cyclist, trips up the gondola for panoramic views, lakes for kayaking and the fun of zip lining above tree level to get your heart racing. Relax at the Scandinave Spa, with its thermal plunge pools and riverside setting. The Casino de Mont-Tremblant is the place to leave some of your cash behind, or simply eat it away in the pricy and very good Altitude Seafood Grill overlooking the rugged mountains.
Scandinave Spa offers Nordic-style soaks in Tremblant and Montreal
Sleep Well
Montreal has a stay for every taste and budget. The luxe InterContinental is ideally located at the gateway of downtown and Old-Montreal, 20 minutes from Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport. Unlike most of its sister hotels, which tend to be conservative convention hotels, this InterContinental is downright funky, filled with art and fetching design elements. From around $200. For something smaller in Old Montreal, try the nine-room Auberge les Passants du Sans Soucy, a BB charmer with an innkeeper that makes your feel warmly welcomed. From around $130. In Tremblant, the village offers condos for longer stays, popular with skiers in the winter, along with hotels like the Marriot Residence Inn and the posh Fairmont with its excellent Windigo restaurant and craft cocktail bar. There’s a stay two, get the third night free package through the end of September, with rates from around $175.
