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Montreal Photos
Montreal has been a reliable any-season getaway for us for a long time now. First we checked out the bars, and other activities,
on Ste Catherine's Street. Nobody needs our help finding the fun and busy clubs and shops in this fantastically alive gay
neighborhood. We have found lots of other interesting places as we've explored this city, and we have developed strong feelings
for Montreal. It's a unique place. Its most valuable asset is its people. Go with your eyes and heart open and you will
be rewarded. It's friendly, flirtatious, cosmopolitan yet unpretentious. It's very "what you see is what you get."
And for the record, the coldest temperature we have ever experienced in our lives, -26C, was on a February night in our beloved
Montreal!
Getting Around Montreal by Public Transportation
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Typically we stay at the Hotel du Gouverneurs if we're not staying with friends. This high rise hotel is a convenient option
and they usually have good weekend rates. It's on Ste Catherine's Street adjacent to the entrance of Berri/UQAM metro station.
If you make a reservation at this hotel, keep your confirmation and call again to confirm before your trip. Trust me it's
a good idea. It's an easy walk to anyplace you want to go on Ste Catherine's Street. We've eaten at a lot of restaurants
in Montreal. Some have been great, some not so good. Our far and away favorite? Le Commensal! This vegetarian buffet
restaurant makes the entire trip worth it for us, and we usually eat there at least twice. The location nearest the Hotel
du Gouverneurs is at 1720 Rue Ste Denis, north of Blvd. de Maisonneuve. The cost of your meal is determined by the weight
of your plate after you've made all of your selections. Load up! It's the best vegetarian food ever and I do mean ever!
For a fixed menu vegetarian dinner the best place is Au Vivre at 4631 St Laurent. Yes, we've been to Spirite Lounge, which
amazingly seems to be still open. It's a kooky one-off experience that we enjoyed less each time we went. The service and
the temperamental owner get bad reviews. The location is 1205 Rue Ontario E. Don't forget to check out Happy Cow for a listing
of other veggie restaurants in Montreal and around the world. A bright culinary spot in the gay village is Mozza at 1208
rue St Catherine E. near Montcalm. Call for reservations because this place is intimate and fills up for dinner. You can
bring your own wine and enjoy some really thoughtful Italian dishes at a super slow leisurely pace.
Also recommended, Saloon at 1333 Rue Ste Catherine Est, in the heart of the gay village. Good for basic foodage and guy
watching. The best French bistro in town (not just my opinion!) is L'Express at 3927 Rue St Denis. It's busy, noisy, and
feels a lot like, well, France. Reservations recommended even for lunch. The menu is basically a list of animal body parts
prepared as only the French can prepare them. Sucking the marrow out of cow calves is just the beginning of the fun at L'Express!
Yes I'm being a bit sarcastic. Go try it for yourself, vegetarians beware.
Hotel du Gouverneurs Montreal / Place Dupuis
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Admittedly, we go to Montreal to shop for clothes. The styles are better, the selections are always more diverse, and the
prices are comparable if not lower than in the USA. Our first stop is usually Simons, a big department store with a wide
range of prices and styles at 977 St Catherine Ouest in downtown Montreal. This is a must if you're here to shop for men's
clothes. You won't be disappointed if you're looking for something a little different. Also downtown is Zara (low quality
high fashion uber-euro stuff) and Les Aix de la Mode. If, for whatever reason, you're driving through Laval, try Carrefour
Laval, a trendy mall along Autoroute 15 just before Autoroute 440. There's a housewares store in the mall called le Living.
The staff there instantly recognizes wandering gay men on a spending spree and they will be very helpful. The Simons location
at Carrefour Laval is less hectic and picked-over than the downtown store.
Happy Cow Directory of Vegetarian Restaurants
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| Partial View of Notre Dame Cathedral |
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The soul of Montreal seems to be Catholic. We are not Catholic, but it's hard not to recognize the beauty of some of the
churches around the city, and the local effort that went into building them. The Basilique Notre Dame is the most beautiful
church I have ever seen, anywhere. It is in Vieux (Old) Montreal, south of the Place d'Armes metro station. The alter is
indescribable. Don't miss the smaller chapel behind the main alter and the incredible relief sculpture / facade on the far
wall. Farther afield is the Oratoire Saint Joseph. Art Deco meets Catholicism meets the Space Age is the best way to describe
the fantastic, austere, somewhat futuristic interior of this church. The side garden is open in summer where you'll find
an art deco-style series of sculptures depicting what appear to be the Stations of the Cross. Two words for this place: photo
op! The nearest metro station is Cote des Neiges, but there's also plenty of parking here. Don't miss the founder Brother
Andre's heart, it's on display in a sealed box. I'm serious.
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| Vieux Montreal |
Saint Joseph's Oratoire Official Website
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The Contemporary Art Museum is always worth a look, located above the metro station Place des Arts. We have also seem some
interesting shows at the Centre Canadien d'Architecture. Check their website for updates. If for some reason you're looking
for gourmet items or fresh food, try Marche Atwater, a groovy indoor/outdoor place with lots of produce, cheese, etc. It's
about four blocks south of Lionel Groulx metro station. The ultimate place to spend an afternoon in Montreal in the warm
season is the Jardin Botanique. This extremely large garden is home to a beautiful greenhouse with banzai trees! (my favorite).
There is a rose garden, Japanese and Chinese gardens, Insectarium, Alpine Garden, First Nations garden, interpretive center,
experimental gardens and large areas just for wandering. It's also close to the Biodome, you'll like this place if you're
geeks like us! It's an indoor habitat featuring four different environmental zones that you can wander through. Metro station
Pie IX is closest to the garden and metro Viau is closer to the Biodome entrance.
Montreal Contemporary Art Museum
Centre Canadien d'Architecture
Botanical Garden, Biodome, Insectarium
Montreal Tourism Information
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There's a lot more to say about Montreal. We just love being there, and we've been there so often that we actually have a
bit of a routine that we fall into when we're there. It varies depending on the season, but always involves visits to most
of the places I've talked about. Of course its not necessary to speak French, but if you walk around only using English you
will miss out on a huge part of what makes this place special. Even a tiny effort in French will be appreciated, at least
in our experience. Please go to Montreal and see it for yourself!
Clinton Bench and Jamie Turner
www.jamieandclinton.net
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