Getting there by train is a quintessentially Canadian experience, which leaves a tiny carbon footprint compared to flying. A stressless holiday within a holiday, the journey is so relaxing you may drift off as scenery slips by like a lullaby.
A few blocks from the train station, the elegant Loews Hotel Vogue is close to galleries and shops. The epitome of sophistication, the hotel's walls are adorned with high calibre works by local artists.
Across the street from our hotel, a lone piper enters the high-end Ogilvy's department store. The noon-hour tradition is a reminder that 80% of Canada's wealthiest families once lived in Montreal's Golden Mile, and that many of those tobacco, lumber and fur barons were of Scottish heritage.
Food is an essential part of any trip to Montreal.
Rain or shine, tourist guide Ruby Roy leads gourmet tasting tours by bike. She weaves through Montreal's diverse neighbourhoods exposing culinary gems such as a traditional wood-burning oven tucked away in an alley and the best place to buy cannoli.
Roy advises visitors to arrive early at historical Atwater Market, where the popular chocolate croissants are the first to vanish from the sumptuous display of patisseries. The Jean-Talon Market buzzes with a multi-ethnic mix.
Curiously, you won't see a single food vendor on Montreal's streets. Former mayor Jean Drapeau had them banned.
Fine dining at the exquisite Nuances in the Montreal Casino is definitely not a gamble. This first class restaurant is deserving of the prestigious 5 Diamond rating it has earned for six years running. Within minutes of our query about the quinoa served with our main course, a printed information sheet about the exotic grain arrives at our table.
The lively casino has a distinctly European feel. Built as the French Pavilion for Expo '67, the open structure lets in lots of light. In keeping with the city's public art policy, massive, wonderful copper works of wall art adorn its lobby.
Gallery restaurants are classy venues that whet the appetite for both food and art. Cafe des Beaux-Arts at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is no exception.
Following a superb lunch overlooking the gallery, we toured MMFA's double-header exhibitions on two superstars -- Andy Warhol and Napoleon. Displays include everything from Andy Warhol's wig to a lock of Napoleon's hair, part of the late Ben Weider's extensive personal collection devoted to Napoleon.
Old Montreal is a historical gem where quaint narrow streets wend past restored stone buildings, inviting galleries, alluring restaurants and specialty shops. Our excellent meal at Restaurant du Vieux-Port, in the heart of Old Montreal, was enhanced by a cozy fireplace and authentic setting. Outside, horse-drawn carriages clopped by on cobblestoned streets.
For a twist on a classic, try the Montreal smoked meat poutine at Reuben's Deli.
A perfect complement to the pleasures of Montreal's fabulous food is walking. Streets teem with lively, fashionably edgy Montrealers who exude joie de vivre and actually make eye contact.
The underground city is a massive network of shopping treks while above-ground strolls take you past galleries and art works that jazz up streets and squares, and blast away the greyness of late fall. And if you let it, Montreal will warm you with its powerful love of art.
Warhol Live exhibit at MMFA, left, and a Christian Marclay installation at Sympathy for the Devil, right.
Renowned Quebec artist Jean Paul Riopelle's sculptural work La Joute, below, contrasts with the multi-coloured Palais des Congres, Montreal's convention centre.Charming Old Montreal, right, seen at a 17th-century pace.
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THE ART OF ROCK AT THREE MAJOR EXHIBITIONS
- Warhol Live at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, continues through Jan. 18.
- Sympathy For the Devil at Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal, on through Jan. 18
- Replay by Christian Marclay at The Foundation for Contemporary Art, Nov. 30 to Mar. 29
Editor Robin Robinson
This fall, three of Montreal's major galleries have concurrent -- and exceptional -- exhibitions themed The Art of Rock.
The natural overlap of these two genres is the record album cover, but mindboggling multimedia displays go way beyond that, rewinding 40 years of rock's visual history.
It's stunning to see so many works by Andy Warhol. I thought I had seen a lot of his work until I saw this remarkable collection. The eyeopener was watching a new generation claim this ageless icon, who thought of himself as a rock star. He is the era personified.
"I had this routine of painting with rock and roll blasting the same song, a 45 rpm, over and over all day long," he once said.
It was a time warp "happening." The extensive show meticulously takes viewers through a chronological journey from the wonderful display of Warhol's personal record album covers into an intimate darkened room full of helium-filled silver pillows and winding up in a simulated disco Studio 54. Warhol is intertwined with rock's beginnings. It's all here including his connection to Mick Jagger and so much of rock history.
Sympathy For the Devil at Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal is a less structured experience, mimicking rock's anarchism with a surprise around every corner. Broken into categories of works from the U.S., Britain, Europe and the World, this eclectic show is the ultimate rocker's complete visual record of rock. The collection draws from videos, sketches, paintings, installations -- one a child's fantasy come true of a floor covered with LPs (by Christian Marclay) but meant to be walked on. Another installation, by Jim Lambie is a marvellous psychedelic floor streaming from a sculpture.
The third exhibit is Christian Marclay's creative projects, presented for the first time in North America, and opening Nov. 30.
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IF YOU GO
ACCOMMODATION
Sweet Deal packages for fall and winter offer half off the regular price of a second night at 25 participating hotels. First night rates start at $127 for a 3-star hotel, $145 for a 4-star and $189 for a 5-star. Deals include various perks such as a $20 gift, late check out, in-room breakfast, shopping discount card or casino coupons. Visit sweetdealmontreal.com for details and a list of participating hotels, which includes Loews Hotel Vogue.
GETTING THERE
- Relax on the train. See viarail.ca.
MORE INFORMATION
- There are various museum passes, some with free public transit, starting at $45. See museesmontreal.org. For general travel information, visit Tourism Montreal at tourisme-montreal.org.
