Montreal - Vive La Difference!

by Laura Silverman

A panoramic view of Montreal.

Glamour, great shopping and gourmet food make Montreal the ideal short break.

Can't find a unique gift? Wearing the same clothes as everybody else? Wondering where the celebrities really hang out? You must have missed Montreal.

Let's get this straight: I would never have chosen the coat. A full-length, fur-lined number, made from a patchwork of sheepskin squares dyed red and yellow and green and brown... Joseph and his 11 brothers eat your heart out!

Canaan? No, I was in Veronique d'Aragon, a boutique in Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, where local designers have started to make their mark.

"People wear this?" I asked the elfin designer, trying to sound more
interested than incredulous.

"Of course", she enthused. "When it gets cold, you'll want to wrap up. Voila!" she exclaimed, pulling one of her handmade furry hats on to my head.

A winter evening in Montreal.

I push back the brim a little so that I can see myself in the mirror, and smile. Yes, I feel semi-ridiculous - it isn't the subtlest outfit ever - but such brightness would uplift anyone on a bleak day. And the coat and hat were comfortable. How about some matching gloves?

Veronique's gentle eagerness and her practical attitude was typical of the stance I encountered during my next few days in this French-Canadian city.

The winters were the only thing the Montrealers I met complained about. They last from late-October to late-April and temperatures can hit minus 15C. But even this wasn't going to depress them. When it does get past the shivering point of no return, they retreat to the Underground City - the world's largest pedestrian network below street-level, full of shops and restaurants, and with access to metro stations and many offices. Otherwise, they brave it.

Fashion is tailored accordingly, with wearability as key. If, like me, you often lose your balance in standard high-heels - whatever the weather - I'd advise a visit to North American shoe chain Fluevog's. It's hugely popular here, and has celebrity appeal - Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and the Scissor Sisters are fans.

Shopping on St Denis street, Montreal.

Designs are Seventies-inspired - the shapes verge on the clunky, but the detail is exceptional. I almost bought a pair inscribed with the phrase 'Your Love Makes Me Sing' on the soles, but became concerned I'd bump into Rufus Wainwright, Arcade Fire or any other of the bright young musical stars that hail from Montreal. We'd get talking about my shoes, and I'd have to demonstrate my lack of karaoke abilities.

Then I worried, more realistically, that even if these musicians let me off the hook (why would they be interested in my footwear?), the friend I was sightseeing with might expect more from me.

We were visiting the Queen Elizabeth Hotel later that day, where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their famous Give Peace A Chance bed-in in 1969 as a protest against violence. I knew she'd make me sing 'Imagine' if I made the purchase. Too embarrassing!

From personal wardrobe additions, it was on to gifts where, to my
delight, I found quirkiness also ruled.

A daytime street in Montreal.

The eco trend is soaring among Montreal's new designers. My favourite store was Moly Kulte, which sold eccentricities handmade from recycled materials: record bags constructed from vinyl, wallets decorated with book covers, and dresses to be worn apparently back-to-front. All very kitsch and creative-chic.

There were plenty of vintage shops too, including second-hand music and bookstores, in Montreal's Plateau district - with everything even more of a bargain due to the exchange rate.

There comes a time, however, when even I have to say no to shops - to eat. I couldn't bluff being a Montrealer without testing their bagels; the city claims to run rings (pun intended) around New York for the best ones in the world. (In true French tradition, their proud of their bread here).

Day Time cafes, Montreal.

Montreal bagels are chewier and sweeter than the New York variety. They're also smaller, with a proportionately larger hole, and have a noticeable gloss, as they're dipped in honey or malt-sweetened water.

Montrealers debate the merits of St-Viateur Bagels over Fairmount Bagels (the two main stores here). I took a shine to the former, where you can see the bagels being baked in a wood oven, feel the warm air from the flames and smell that doughy aroma. Merveilleux!

It was with a similar openness to the city's culinary delights that my friend and I were persuaded by two locals to dine with them one evening at French bistro Au Pied de Cochon. "It's an institution," one said."Quite something," concurs his friend. They meant excellent beyond words, no?

The chefs here like to make it clear that they are serving offal, and
revel in describing 'the creative use of body parts'. A 'must-try' dish is foie gras poutine - a pyramid of chips, topped with curds (bits of rubbery cheese), mixed with duck liver and swimming in gravy.

Old Town, Montreal.

Other delicacies include pigs' feet (stuffed with foie gras and served
hoof and all) and the famed 'duck in a can' (duck stuffed with foie gras, cooked, canned and opened in front of your very eyes).

Montrealers' approach to food (at least at the extreme end) parallels their attitude to fashion: presentation and description takes second place to warmth - in a literal and figurative sense.

A lettuce leaf won't warm you up in winter or stir your taste buds;
whereas pickled venison tongue - or a fresh bagel - is much better
comfort food. Similarly, a pale, flouncy dress might look pretty, but the wearer might get cold, and it doesn't invoke the same cheery spirit in an onlooker that one of Veronique's coats might.

Plus, in both fashion and cuisine, creativity counts - not in a garish, attention-seeking way, but in a celebratory, enthusiastic one.

The centre of Montreal.

The city does cater well for the masses. There's great High Street
shopping in a much more relaxed environment than in many major cities; and a vibrant arts scene (galleries, cinemas and theatres - although plays, especially, can afford to be experimental as their only competitor is France (most people's first language is French).

There are many celebrity hangouts, too - such as the Globe bar where George Clooney met his now ex waitress-girlfriend - due to all the films made in Montreal's charming Old Town. (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett were on set there last summer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button out this year).

Browsing in Veronique's store, I might have felt like I was in a costume department, but I shouldn't mock. Such vibrancy is amazing. The only mistake Joseph made was that any dream would do.

It won't. If I close my eyes, I'd want to be in Montreal.

The Queen Elizabeeth Hotel, Montreal.

TRAVEL FACTS

:: As a guest of Montreal Tourism, Laura Silverman flew Air Canada to Montreal and stayed at the Hyatt Regency, Montreal
(www.montreal.hyatt.com).

Air Canada reservations: 0871 220 1111/www.aircanada.com.

:: BA Holidays offers four nights' room-only accom at the four star
Hyatt Regency from £602, with flights ex-Heathrow. Prices ex-Manchester from £700 and ex-Glasgow from £699, all prices based on two sharing for travel during March.

BA Holidays: 0870 243 3406/www.ba.com. Add £15 surcharge for telephone bookings.

:: Destination information available at www.tourisme-montreal.org

:: Additional images of Montreal available from Nim Singh, marketing manager at Canadian Tourism Commission on 0207 389 9983 or by email to singh.nim@ctc-cct.ca

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