Here are a couple sites to help you.


http://www.tourisme-montr...efault.asp

http://www.montrealcityto...tions.html

do we have orgers from quebec?? damn it we need to represent "from far and wide"

i'm sure Montreal in May is a hell of a lot better than Montreal in January!! i froze my ass off take a freaking tour of old Montreal via horse carriage!

nice place though!

Montreal is my hometown. It's a great city.

I just got back from Montreal about two days ago! It's always a fun trip.

If you're staying in Vieux-Montreal, prepare to pay some major money. L'hotel Gualt (about $235-$749C per night), opened in 2002, has won awards for best new hotel in Canada and for its ultra-contemporary interior. If you're looking for the opposite experience, Le St. James. ($400 to $3000C per night) has largely maintained its 19th-century atmosphere and is considered THE legendary hotel in Vieux-Montreal. Apparently, the Rolling Stones liked it so much, they rented out the entire place for a week during one of their tours. If you really just like Vieux-Montreal's old European feel, you can find some smaller boutique hotels in the area for a quarter of those prices. They'll be very nice, just a little less "WOW!!"

I usually stay downtown, but in the Latin Quarter or near the Rue St.-Denis/Rue St.-Catherine intersection. (Gotta get my gay-area fix ) One B&B I stayed in called Angelica Bleu (www.angelicableu.com) was especially nice -- gorgeous townhouse; brick walls; jacuzzis; hardwood floors, internationally themed period rooms. And it didn't break the bank.

As for things to do, most of my time now is spent doing the daddy-daughter circuit -- Les Jardins Botanique (which right now has an AMAZING uncaged butterfly exhibit!), Le Parc Olympique, hiking around Mont-Royal, etc. But when I'm flying solo, I'm biased toward architecture and church-going. I'm not a punk, but I caught a roaring pipe organ concert (it was free too ) once at the stunning Oratoir St.-Joseph, and the whole experience of being in that huge candlelit place, hearing that ancient music, overlooking the skyline at night, etc. had me hiding tears. It was THAT beautiful! Sent me soaring literally for days.

I've never personnally done a jazz club in Montreal, which I regret, but the Upstairs Jazz Club gets mad praise and Le Cigare Du Pharaon is apparently the coolest one in Vieux-Montreal. Also, if anyone who interests you is playing there, the St-Denis Theatre is a cool, intimate, early 20-century converted French movie house where you can catch some live shows. One of my favorite bands played there a few months back.

Lastly, if you go in early May -- and you like doing oddball stuff that ain't in Fodor's -- you might have fun renting a car and doing a drive out toward the Eastern Townships or the Laurentians. It's really beautiful, (potentially) romantic, and you can get some really good, fresh spoil from the recent maple syrup harvest. The folk in the rural areas speak English slightly less fluently than the Montrealers, though, so brush up on a few French phrases, if you're not already multilingual.

Have fun.


[Edited 4/6/06 7:27am]

you can get some really good, fresh spoil from the recent maple syrup harvest.

For day activities that are a bit different, I recommend:

http://www2.ville.montrea.../index.php

http://www2.ville.montrea...?langue=en

And you simply must hit up Ste-Catherine for some serious shopping.

Here is a site with a list and reviews of Montreal's clubs/bars by music type:

http://www.montreal-clubs...sear=1&o=m

Montreal is a very sexually liberated city so I hope seeing sex shops and strip joints on every block doesn't offend you.

Have a great visit!

Lammastide said:

mmmmm... i think the sap should be running now wouldn't it?? i was in NB in march as a kid and the sugar maples where running. at least i think...

emm said:

Yeah, it's running now. There are all kinds of little festivals going on in the small Quebecois towns.

By May, I 'd imagine those will have waned, but there should be endless maple syrup cookies and other treats to be found.

Lammastide said:

Yum....I just love those sugary candies shaped like maple leaves.....and I am sure they rot your teeth!
In the SE US, we can only find those in specialty stores.....

My daughter and I bought a couple of those and smuggled them into the butterfly exhibit at Les Jardins Botanique last weekend. We pulled one out discretely, and I let her hold it. The butterflies absolutely swarmed her. People must've thought she was the Buddha or something.