Mad About Montréal

And now for the top ten list (in chronological order) from our first weekend jaunt to Montréal. Drum roll please.

1 - Save the March 2006 issue of Gourmet magazine on "North America's Most European City", read it over and over again obsessively, and bring it with you in lieu of a guide book

2 - Fly Porter Airlines from the downtown airport and avoid the insanity of Pearson. http://www.flyporter.com/

3 - Rent bikes in Old Montréal and ride along the Lachine Canal to the Marché Atwater. http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/qc/canallachine/index_e.asp

4 - Buy fresh-baked sesame seed bagels at St.-Viateur Bagel Shop and enjoy them over a double espresso at Café Olimpico down the street. http://www.stviateurbagel.com/

5 - Sample the sights, tastes and smells of two of the city's amazing markets on your bike ride through town: Marché Atwater and Marché Jean-Talon. http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/

6 - Spend a few hours admiring the collection at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal. http://www.macm.org/

7 - Start an amazing meal at at Au Pied du Cochon with the Apple Foie Gras (one of 10 foie gras appetizer choices; a sinful slice atop a tarte tatin). http://www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca/

8 - Repeat #4, but with a Chocolate Babka chaser from Cheskie Heimishe Bakery

9 - Pretend you're back in college as you wander aimlessly around the campus of McGill. http://www.mcgill.ca/

10 - Exhausted from a whirlwind weekend, ride the subway back to your hotel in the Old Town before cabbing it to the airport for your flight home. http://www.stm.info/English/metro/a-mapmet.htm,
http://www.hotelxixsiecle.com/