Meg and I are getting ready for a week-long trip to Montreal. In the past, when we prepared to travel to a new city, I would photocopy maps out of a travel guide and paste them into a Moleskine to make little customized itineraries:
Now Moleskine has their own line of reasonably-priced Moleskine City Notebooks that include nice color maps and transparent overlays that make things even easier:
Here are things we’re hoping to hit (thanks to the great cartoonist and Montrealite Matt Forsythe for some of the recs!):
- a hike up the mountain (in the middle of town) for a great view of the city
- visit to the Drawn & Quarterly bookstore (211 Bernard West)
- Art museums: Art Contemporain and Beaux Arts
- Dinner at Au Pied de Cochon
- Dinner at L’Express (a bistro) on St-Denis street
- coffee on St-Denis
- a stroll through Old Montreal
- Bagels from Saint-Viateur
- breakfast/brunch in Mile End neighbourhood
- a smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz‘s
It’s been a long time since we’ve been out of Austin, let alone Texas, and this is my first visit to Canada, so we’re really excited and dusting off our French skills.
If anybody has any recommendations for things to see / do / eat while we’re there, please leave them in the comments!
• 24 hour Montreal Bagels on Rue St. Viateur.
Cream cheese, smoked salmon paté wandering around the neighbourhood.
• Keeping an eye out for Roadsworth’s artworks.
http://www.woostercollective.com/2008/07/roadsworth_crossing_the_line_the_six_min.html
Make sure when you go to Mount Royal Park that you stop by Beaver Lake. It’s a man-made lake and the park around it is great for a nice walk, especially in the fall!
Also, you might have to search a bit to actually get a chance to practice your French, especially if you’re sticking to downtown and the West bit of the island. So make sure you check out the East End too!
Thanks, Sarah and Heather!
More advice sent in: