THERE ARE TOO MANY wonderful things about our life there to list but I love shopping for fresh fruit and vegetables in our neighborhood La Fruiterie du Plateau, or at Atwater Market or Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy. It is quite common to buy fruit at one neighborhood market, bread at another, cheese somewhere else, and meat at yet another. You can live very well shopping only at small neighborhood stores. Other favorite things are great dim sum in Chinatown at Kam Fung, sushi on Mont Royal Avenue, gelato on St. Denis, lunch at L'Express, dinner at a Portuguese or Greek restaurant, St. Louis Square with its truly beautiful French-style fountain and flowers and dinner on the lively Prince Arthur Street at Les Deux Gamins, an excellent and reasonably priced restaurant owned by the friend of a friend. Don't miss this great Mile-End video, shot in another very popular neighborhood.

ON A TYPICAL MORNING I would go out early to buy a newspaper and fresh bread then go home to fix breakfast with blueberries or other local produce (Ontario peaches are especially delicious, we discovered). Or we would just walk one block south to our neighborhood cafe, Le Passé Composé, for a beautiful and excellent breakfast. On Sunday, we would walk up to Ave Mont-Royal after 1:00 PM to pick up the NY Times and linger over coffee and pastry at an outdoor cafe, people-watching while reading the paper. 

THE REMAINDER of our days were spent exploring different parts of the city, eating lunch on a blanket in the grass at the park, having afternoon coffee and pastry at one of the wonderful coffeehouses nearby, riding the bus (for 9 minutes) to Old Montreal, renting a bike to ride along the Lachine Canal to Atwater Market and beyond, walking to the top of Mount Royal, and ending up at McGill University. In the evening, back to Parc la Fontaine to take in a free production at Theatre Verdure, an open-air performance theater. Recently the Gazette featured comments from citizens about their neighborhoods that illustrate the close-knit communities that develop within each. It makes for interesting and heart-warming reading. 

IF YOU LOVE CYCLING Montreal has 200+ miles of dedicated bike paths and was rated the best city in North America for cycling by Bicycling magazine in 1999. In August 2007 Quebec inaugurated the amazing Route Verte, a vast network of bicycle paths that extends 2000+ miles, passing through 300+ municipalities. And the best outdoor coffee seat for taking in this vibrant city is on Rachel St at La Maison des Cyclistes, the very-busy intersection of two major bike paths and Parc la Fontaine (now with a webcam at the very spot). Bicycles are the transportation of choice for many commuters who live life without a car. If not owning a car appeals to you from a global warming perspective, you'll love this: 97% of Montreal's electricity is generated by Hydro-Quebec, which produces power from dammed water and turbines, not coal or natural gas.

THERE ARE MANY WONDERFUL PLACES TO STAY, especially on the Plateau and in Old Montreal. PLATEAU LODGING: A la Bonne Heure, Anne ma souer Anne, Auberge de la Fontaine, Aux Portes de la Nuit, Bienvenue B&B, Boulanger Bassin B&B, Casa Bianca, Chez Fanny, Couette et Cafe Cherrier, Hotel Kutuma, Le Gite, La Maison du Jardin, Le Plumard, Pierre & Dominique, to name a few,  OLD MONTREAL LODGING:  Auberge Bonaparte, Auberge du Vieux-Port, Auberge Les Passant du Sans Soucy, Hostellerie Pierre du Calvet, Hotel Gault, Hotel Nelligan, Hotel Place 'd Armes, Hotel St.James, Hotel St. Paul, L Hotel, Le Petit Hotel, Le Saint Sulpice, W Hotel, plus others. You can even have a beautiful wedding at Auberge St. Gabriel. If you want a recommendation for a longer stay and want an apartment, I know of several in the $900-$1500/week range so just send me an email.