Letter from North America: MONTREAL, CANADA

Bonjour…
Everything is turning and changing in this city. I’m not saying that because it’s autumn and the weather is no longer warm and the leaves are no longer a vibrant green. I am saying this because Montreal has so many revitalization projects under way that the city is visibly changing before our eyes. These changes are for the better and we are happy that we got to spend a few days exploring Old Montreal.

This part of the city dates back to the 17th century and its cobblestone streets are intrinsic reminders of its age. For those who are not prone to looking down while walking, there are buildings that were once pillars of the community, with their imposing architectural facades, now turned hip café and co-working spaces that go by solo monikers like, Crew. This city is swanky, sexy, hip and cool. We have barely had reason to leave Old Montreal (Vieux Montreal) which is aptly known (In French and In English) as the historic center of the city of Montreal. The antiquity only endears the city more to one’s heart. Be not fooled by the terms old or vieux. There is such vibrancy here! We ate at Ikanos on night one where we were invited to discover Mediterranean cuisine, so fresh we felt like we were in Greece, with a distinct twist only found in Montreal. Staff so ready to share their passion about every aspect of the restaurant. From the Josper Oven grill seafood that unmistakably carries the flavor of the embers from the kitchen to the palate. We spent a wonderful evening in this cozy restaurant atop a short flight of stairs inside, yet another, historic building on McGill street.

Tomorrow will be an afternoon exploring even more of Montreal and ending the evening at Aura, in the Notre-Dame Basilica. That’s a light extravaganza that is set to music that is said to reveal the riches of the Basilica. We can hardly wait. Take a look at the feature on Montreal, also in this issue, and go a little deeper into our views of the city.

A bientot,
Gina Hines