Destinations

DID YOU KNOW ……  MONTRÉAL is one of the more exciting and interesting North American cities??   Did you know …. that Montréal has summer festivals galore and they not only appear in sequence but even, if you are lucky, overlap to give you the full panoply?   Did you know …. both French and English are equally used and you get the best of both cultures?

I just returned from an educational trip to Montréal during the “Just for Laughs” Festival and found the town active, vibrating with energy and full of people just enjoying marvelous summer weather.  Located on an island in the St Lawrence River almost due north of New York City and easily reachable by air or train from the Northeast USA no less California, Chicago and places in between, Montréal is a perfect place to enjoy both spring, summer, autumn and winter activities.

Summer:  stroll rue St Paul O. in Old Town Montreal — sampling maple products, buying olive oils and cheeses - fresh-made and piquant -, breakfasting in small cafés with large bowl of café au lait or caffé latte munching a croissant, a baquette with confit du canard, or just soaking up the sun at a small outside table watching others flow past your table.  Catch a horse-drawn carriage for a gentle clip-clop journey over cobbled streets near the original foundations of the city walls overlooking the riverbank.  Not far away and just up the hill, the “International district” full of Scottish-designed, masonry buildings from the turn of last century and end of the century before proclaim the fiscal might and  entrepreneurial energies of past captains of industry.   Modern architecture pierces the sky and you see reflected in these panes of glass, historic buildings of the bygone days.

Summertime brings the flourishing of the many covered markets scattered around the city of Montréal, where attractively decorated baskets hold impeccably fresh herbs, legumes, vegetables and fresh fruits — all with small restaurants and stand-up counters for those whose hunger needs immediate attention.  A mixture of English and French punctuate the busy atmosphere and families, single shoppers and elderly citizens alike make sure their home ‘pantries’ are filled with the best of foodstuffs.

Many neighborhoods are undergoing renaissance with classic buildings being renewed both inside and out … tiny gardens in the “Italian district” have beans, basil and tomato plants in profusion in their yards proclaiming the summertime’s bounty.  Because Montréal has attracted peoples from all over the world, their cuisine and cultures have added to the mix and no matter where you go in Montréal, you will see signs on storefronts offering the specialities of their region to others in town from different backgrounds.   It is a lively city and fabulous for young people to enjoy the varied nightlife no less the many annual festivals of jazz, humor, culture and history on offer.

Did you know …. Montréal is a World Class Destination??   When you think travel, think Montréal.  It will surprise you and delight you!!!