Vive la Montreal

Canada’s second-largest city speaks French and English. It also speaks to the senses and the soul . . . and the feet.

By Tom Blair

IT SOUNDS LIKE a European capital, but it isn’t. It feels a bit like a Midwest big city, but it’s not. Think Paris without the chip on its shoulder. Chicago with some of the wind knocked out of it. It’s Montreal. Quebec. Canada. And it’s a jewel of a bargain in these days of soaring transoceanic airfares and a plummeting U.S. dollar abroad.

Equal parts history and hip, Canada’s second largest city is one of the hottest destinations in North America. It’s also in the second-largest French-speaking country in the world. And that can make for some confusion. Still, most Montreal residents speak both French and English and, unlike some of their cousins in Paris, they’re generally accommodating of monolingual Americans.

That’s blessedly apparent when a group of us arrives at our destination, the Opus Hotel, a recently transformed, ultra-chic oasis at the apex of Montreal’s premier shopping quarter and nightlife scene. One of us, a seasoned traveler who should know better, has entered Canada on an expired U.S. passport. It’s perfectly legal for getting into Canada——that requires only proof of U.S. citizenship. It’s getting out of Canada——flying home——that has him worried. That does require a passport. And up to now, nobody seems quite sure whether the United States will take him——okay, okay, me—— back.

Even a preemptive stop at the American embassy in Montreal is futile. A seatmate on the plane suggests I might be able to plead my case to my fellow Americans and get a short extension on my passport. It sounds hopeful. Alas, the American at the embassy passport window might as well be speaking French. All she can seem to say is “no”——and that’s pretty much the same word in any language.

But back at the Opus, I find reason for optimism. Her name is Sandeep Badwal, the front-office supervisor, who has heard of my plight and is standing ready to serve——in flawless English. Enjoy your visit, she tells me. Do not worry. She will make some phone calls; she will take care of this. Uncharacteristically, I do not worry. I wrap myself in the Opus.

Designed by avant-gardist Joseph Arthur Godin in 1914, the hotel was the first poured-concrete structure in North America. A 2004 remodel gutted the interior and added a five-story tower that envelops the original building. The boutique hotel’s décor is ultra-modern——with a color scheme that ranges from chartreuse to rose red to periwinkle blue. Nothing subtle about it.

Nothing subtle about Opus nightlife, either. The hotel’s popular new Koko restaurant and its multilevel “resto-lounge” Suco, featuring some of the city’s hottest deejays, are high energy and high decibels, attracting a hipster clientele. Suco pulses well into the early morning hours, and some of those decibels can work their way up to the tower guestrooms. But if you’ve played your day right, they won’t keep you awake.

After 10 hours of exploring Montreal on foot, imbibing a bottomless glass of wine at Koko and an after-dinner drink at Suco, Led Zeppelin playing live at the foot of my bed couldn’t keep me awake.

BUT THE STREETS OF THE CITY are the perfect antidote. Despite a few gentle slopes, Montreal is a flat-out walking city. And whether it’s history or landmarks or power-shopping you’re up for, your feet will take you there. I am not particularly fond of shopping, but here, I find, I can develop a fondness for bargains. The place for them is Rue Saint-Denis, just a few blocks east of the Opus. This is not particularly high-end territory——mostly small, independent shops, where deals abound.

Everything, everywhere, appears to be on sale. If it’s not, shopkeepers will bargain. If that doesn’t work for you, go back out front. Many of the clothing boutiques have sidewalk racks, where markdowns go as low as $5 or $10 for a shirt or pair of trousers. If you’ve brought along your platinum card, you should be eight blocks west, on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, where high-end restaurants and chic boutiques hold sway.

A gentle downhill stroll south from the hotel on Saint-Laurent leads to Old Montreal, the city’s historic center, and the St. Lawrence River beyond. Montreal is at its walking best here. Cobblestone streets lead past artists’ galleries, small hotels and intimate cafés in stone buildings that date back to the 1700s.

Among the oldest is the Chateau Ramezay museum. Built in the 18th century as a governor’s mansion, the museum chronicles the history of Quebec up to the early 1900s. The museum’s outdoor café, tucked into the Governor’s Gardens, is a popular gathering place for visitors and locals.

A walk west along the St. Lawrence riverfront leads to the Pointe-a-Calliere——the Montreal Museum of Archaeology & History——set in the city’s birthplace, where archaeological finds date to the 14th century. It’s also the site of the city’s first marketplace and cemetery, an interesting if odd combination.

The Chateau Ramezay and Pointe-a-Calliere are included on the Lighting Tour of Old Montreal. Each day at dusk, lighting designed to accentuate the historic architectural details of the 15 buildings is illuminated. In addition, 22 gas streetlamps are set along Rue Sainte-Helene. (If your feet are feeling the pain at this point, hail a horse-drawn carriage for your final leg.)

THE MAJESTIC JEWEL of Old Montreal is the Notre-Dame Basilica, where a parish was founded in 1642 by Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve. Predated by a wooden chapel and a stone church, the Basilica was built in the early 1800s. The interior design work, completed around 1880, was done by Victor Bourgeau, with the incredibly ornate sculptures for the altar created by Frenchman Henri Bouriche.

Twenty-minute guided tours of the Basilica are offered daily, and the cost is a modest $5 for adults. But there is no charge to attend Mass or to offer prayers. I paid the admission, took the tour and then took a moment aside for a personal prayer to the travel gods.

Alleluia. When I prepare to leave Montreal, the prayer at Notre-Dame seems to have worked. Or maybe it was Sandeep at the Opus. Or perhaps the airport agent at U.S. Customs is a Montreal native. Surely he couldn’t be related to those folks at the American Embassy. I have cleared check-in, and I am headed for the showdown.

“You know,” the agent says, as I wait nervously for him to stamp or reject my passport, “this has expired.” And then, before I can blurt my excuses, he says, smiling, “You’ll want to take care of that when you get home.”

If You Go

There are no nonstop flights from San Diego to Montreal, but Delta, Continental and American offer one-stop service. Rooms at Hotel Opus Montreal start at $259 a night for a “privilege king” and range up to $409 for an “executive suite” during off-season; $319 to $489 in high season (May 1–October 31). For availability and other room rates: opushotel.com. For general tourist information on Montreal: tourism-montreal.org. For information on guided tours of the Notre-Dame Basilica: basiliquenddm.org.