Category: Beer

Three Nights (and Days) in Montreal – The Third Night

Up and about at the crack of 10, we prepared for our last day in Montreal.  We decided to walk up Sherbrooke towards the downtown core and have breakfast and check out the sights.  We found a nice little breakfast place close to McGill University and had a great breakfast. It is called Café Imagination and is at the corner of Bleury and Sherbrooke.  Now happily full, we ventured into downtown. 

All roads lead back to Old Montreal and we decided to head in that direction.  We had spied a boat tour the previous day and decided to give it a shot.  We have been on boat tours in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Ottawa, among others and figured this would be a good way to check out some of the city.  Wrong.  We have had better boat tours in Calgary, and we don’t have any boat tours, unless you count tubing.  Steer away from this.  We were on Le Bateau Mouche au Vieux-Port.

Le Bateau Mouche au Vieux-Port

The best part of the boat trip was the beer.  Are you surprised?  I tried a bottle of Blanche de Chambly and was pleasantly surprised.  An excellent brew with subtle hints of citrus, characteristic of a Blanche beer.  I highly recommend this brew.

Blanche de Chambly

Leaving the dock area, disappointed in the trip we just took, it was time to do some more wandering in the port area and into Vieux Montrel once again.  We are partial to these areas as, obviously, Montreal has a lot more to offer than just the old port area.  This, though,  is what we like to do.

It was a marvellous day for October as we wandered the streets looking for a place to set a reservation. We found a likely place and made plans for dinner.  We now had a couple of hours to kill, so we looked for a spot to have a drink and some appetizers and indulge in some more local ambience.  Along the way we noticed an interesting sculpture and had to take a picture.

We found a likely spot to stop.  Terrasse Nelligan (Hôtel Nelligan) and it has a rooftop patio, a perfect fit for such a perfect day.  Very enjoyable deck, on a beautiful sunny day.  The hotel itself looks spectacular.  If we hit Montreal again, I would definitely stay here, or a similar establishment in the area.

A Great Day To Be Outside

The beer I chose is another local brew, named simply, MTL.  I liked the bottle, which is pretty much where it ended.  Very smokey taste, almost like a discount beer.  Not impressed, but you can’t win them all.

It was now almost time for our supper reservation, so off we went.  The restaurant was a tapas establishment called Bocata.  It was superb.  The best meal we had since I don’t know when.  The setting was intimate, the ambience unreal, the service was also very personal and excellent.  I highly recommend it to all.  It is a bit pricey, but you’re on vacation.  Live it up.

Bocata Tapas and Bar a Vin

After a 2.5 hour meal, and a feeling great, we embarked on a last tour of Rue St Paul.  Earlier, Lori had found a painting that she wanted.  The price tag was a little much for the budget, so we passed on it.  She has expensive taste as it was only $20,000.  The proprietor would accept 2,000 down and auto-payments on our credit card for the next 6 months of $3,000 a month.  No problem, after we win the lottery.

$20,000 ??

In conclusion, Montreal is a great place to visit.  I feel we barely scratched the surface of the place.  I have a feeling we will be back some day.

 

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Three Nights (and Days) in Montreal – The Second Night

Montreal At Night
Montreal at Night

Day 2 of the Montreal portion of this adventure, and it will be a full day.  We scratched the surface of Old Montreal and were now intent on seeing as much as we could on this beautiful October day.  The temperatures cooperated fully and we enjoyed sun and mid 20’s (Celsius).  Shirtsleeves and comfort all day.  Our first stop was for sustenance as usual and we found a patio to our liking at La Sauvagine.  The food was excellent and the beer was quenching as well.  First the food.  We had Pork Medallions and they were excellent.  They, like the beer, tasted exactly like “I want more”.

Lunch.mmmmm

The beer was a local brew called Boreale.  It was a fruity brew, almost with a hint of grapefruit.  I enjoyed it, but would not drink more than one at a sitting.  It did go well with the meal though.

It was a s cold as the bear indicates

Now energized in the wrong direction (full and beered), we set out to check out the shops and take a walk along the St Lawrence River.  Very impressive job of vitalizing the area.  The shops are many, the restaurants excellent and abundant.  The riverbank has been turned into a gathering point in the city and is full of both tourist and locals, always a good sign.

Out in the river is an island created in the 60’s for Expo 67, a world ‘s fair.  The island was built using material excavated during the making of Montreal’s subway system.  The two photos below are structures used in the fair.  The first is a geodesic dome that was the American pavilion and the second is a concept apartment complex know as Habitat.  Habitat is unique in that all the living spaces share very little common wall space and none overlook another one, giving unparalleled privacy.  It was a display during the fair and is now in use as a condo and is a prestige address in Montreal.

USA Pavilion from Expo 67
Habitat

After spending some time along the riverbank, we moved back to shopping.  We were in position to visit a unique shopping area, Marché Bonsecours.  It is a heritage building, opened in 1847, and has been a market since it opened.

Marché Bonsecours

The inside of the market itself is a myriad of high-end shops and restaurants.  The layout is basic, but the environment is very aesthetically pleasing.

Marché Bonsecours = Interior

Almost face-off time.  By a complete fluke we were in Montreal on the night that my long-lost Winnipeg Jets were to play their first NHL game in 15 years, and their opposition, the Montreal Canadiens.  To make it even sweeter, one of the most famous sports bars in Montreal, La Cage aux Sports du Vieux-Montréal was just down the street from the mall.  We quickly made our way over to the bar and walked up to the hostess, mere moments before a flood of people arrived.  I spied a seat right in front of a tv and told her we were from Winnipeg and would love to sit there if we could.  She led us to the table and we proceeded to watch the Jets absorb a beating at the hands of the hated Habs.   It was strange watching the game, with all the cheering happening at the wrong time.  It was good time, one that I will always remember.

Following the game, we set out to find supper.  We located an excellent restaurant, with a live jazz session.  The place is called Modavie and is known in Montreal for its food, ambience and music.  We booked a time about 45 minutes from the time we came upon it and went for an evening walk up Rue St Paul.

Rue St Paul at Night

Back to Modavie, we ended the day with superb seats, right beside the players and enjoyed a great meal.  The players were Jon Gearey and Louise Thibault.  Very good.  Very enjoyable.  Couldn’t record them from where we sat, but I did find a video on YouTube to share.

After we ate, we did a bit more exploring and then headed back to the hotel.  Good evening, looking forward to tomorrow.

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Three Nights (and Days) in Montreal – The First Night

We had enjoyed our two nights in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, but were now ready to hit the big city.  Montreal is a cosmopolitan city, with great restaurants, plenty of history and something for every taste.  After a 2 hour drive we arrived at our hotel, The Opus.  Situated at the corner of St Catherine and Sherbrooke, it is perfectly placed to access Vieux Montreal (old Montreal) and the downtown core.

The Rooms at the Opus

We also had a fairly interesting view.  Canadians will know this theatre as it is the site of a TV show on CBC as well as the centre of operations for the yearly Montreal Just For Laughs Festival.

Just For Laughs Theatre

As usual, we spent the first afternoon on an orienteering tour to first, find sustenance and beer, and second, to figure out where we were in relativity to where we wanted to be.  My phone said straight up St Catherines and we would find Vieux Montreal, so off we went.  The phone is seldom wrong, and after  30 minute walk, we were in the middle of Old Montreal, enjoying a beer and some appetizers with a great view of the St Lawrence River.  A great way to spend the day, or an hour or so.  The beer was satisfying,  St Ambrose,  a local beer by Brasserie McAuslan.

St Ambrose Beer

Our thirst taken care of, we started to wander the area.  We located a nice spot for lunch called Galiano’s.  The people watching was spectacular and the food was good.  We had good reason to celebrate as it was Jetsmas Eve.  What the heck is that you ask.  Anyone from Winnipeg would, or should,  pick up on this.  It was the night before the first NHL game in 15 years for the long missed, and beloved Winnipeg Jets.

Old Montreal From Galianos

We now had our bearings, and again, very similar to any older city, it was very easy to get around and not get lost doing it.  We checked out some shops and headed back towards the hotel.  The area has several highlights.  Jacques Cartier Square is a central gathering spot, ringed by restaurants with the central square filled with tourist shops.  Lots going on, with buskers everywhere.  Kind of touristy, but expected in areas like this.  One has to move away from the square to really experience the area.  Very crowded with lots of puzzled looking people milling about.

Back at the hotel, we booked a reservation for 9:00 at a supper club on site called KoKo Restaurant and Bar.  A supper club is new to us.  The idea is supper, shocking, followed by a turn into a night club at 11:00.  They remove most of the tables and electronica abounds.  Very cool.  We had an excellent supper, matched perfectly with an excellent wine and some perfect after dinner aperitif.

The Supper

The meal was excellent, the pasta perfectly done, the shrimp and scallops exactly as they should be done.  Very enjoyable.

The Wine

A poor shot.  The wine is now a regular at our home.  A nice Australian by Pfeiffer, this being the Merlot.  We have noticed in Quebec that old world wines dominate on most wine lists, so it was refreshing to find an Aussie here.   Overall, the dining experience was superb and highly recommended by us.  The night club experience was wild.  We people watched for a couple of hours, enjoyed a few Frangelico aperitif.  Very loud, and very crowded.  We decided to depart around 1 AM and leave the serious partying for the younger set.  Little did we know that we will be experiencing the night until 4 AM when the music finally shuts down.  We overlooked the outside deck of the club and, boy, was it loud.

We had a great day and evening and went to sleep knowing the next 2 days will be superb, on the food and drink front for sure.

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Mont Tremblant – October 7, 2011

Good Morning Mont-Tremblant

Good Morning world, it is time to get up.  There is food to eat, beer to drink, wine to savour, shops to shop and, yes, a mountain to be on top of.  Not a regular Alberta type of mountain, but a mountain indeed.  The whole premise of our trip was to see fall foliage and spend some relaxing time off from a hectic summer.  Mont-Tremblant fits the bill.  A very laid back place at this time of year.  No skiing yet, summer over, a very casual crowd.  And we did find our fall foliage.

Fall Foliage

The colours are stunning.  Back home in Calgary, we don’t get the red hues, making it even more impressive.  I’m sure the pictures above and below do not do justice to the real thing.

More Fall Colours

Having spent some time in town shopping and eating, it was time to take the gondola to the top of the hill.  The mountain itself is 2871 feet in elevation, not to big by Alberta or British Columbia standards, but tall enough for some pretty good skiing, at least from what I see of the runs in summer.  Lots of steep sections and runs on both sides of the mountain.  In the summer, the views are perfect.

The view from the top

Kind of a misty day, but one can get the idea.  Lori particularly loved what she had found in the shops way down there and decided to keep it close by for an emergency look from time to time.

Another look from the top

The Laurentians are a very old range of mountains.  What we see here today is what the Rockies will look like in a few million years.  The rolling hills, well forested, go on forever.  A beautiful place to spend some time exploring.  Also at the top, we found this spot on the back side of the mountain, what one can only call a Corona moment in the making.  We sat here for a while taking in the view, also hoping not to roll off down the hill as the seating seemed a bit precarious.

A Corona Moment

Having spent some quality time on the hill, it was time to head back down for, guess, some liquid refreshments.  The video is a poorly done film of our descent in the gondola.  New camera, poor execution, but, hey, it’s my blog right?

It was a gorgeous day, so we headed for an outdoor deck where had some appetizers and a drink or 2.  I had a Belle Guele Rousse, another good brew.  There is no link for the “Les Brasseurs RJ” web page (the brewery), or should I say there is one but it doesn’t work very well (or at all) and is in French only.  The picture is a bit dark, but I was lost in the day and it was quickly becoming night.

Belle Guele Rousse

To finish our day, we decided to catch the gondola to the casino.  It is free and apparently one can catch a beautiful view of the sunset from  it.  It did mean going around in circles and spooking the the staff as you don’t get off the gondola, but hey, getting the shot makes it worthwhile.  It is all about the timing after all, so circles it had to be.  It ended up being worth it.  I leave you with some shots of the sunset as taken from our perch high above the forest.  Beautiful.

Sunset in Mont-Tremblant
Sunset Redux

See you soon as we move on to Montreal.

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Gatineau Park and Mont Tremblant – October 2011 – Travel Day

Today, we discovered the value of Hotwire.com.  We spent the previous arranging a rental car for the next phase of our journey.   The best we could come up with was about 575 bucks for 9 days.   My brother, Gord, had told us about Hotwire, so we tried it.  What a bonus, not only did we arrange a rental car for $260 , we booked 4 star accommodations at a Marriott Hotel in Mont Tremblant for $139 a night.  SCORE!!!   So we were armed with a vehicle and a place to stay, it was now time to leave Ottawa behind and head into the glorious fall foliage to, first, Gatineau Park, north of Ottawa, then to Mont Tremblant in Quebec.  We were looking forward to this drive as it was the most perfect time of year, with the leaves changing colour and amazing terrain in the Laurentian Mountains.

First stop, Gatineau Park, the park with Meech Lake, which is famous to Canadians as the infamous Meech Lake Accords were drawn up here.  I won’t bore people with this story, as, quite frankly, it is a boring political tale that only Canadians could appreciate, for about 5 seconds.  The park is minutes from downtown Ottawa, in Quebec and is massive   As a note, it is the only federal park not covered by Canada’s National Parks Act.  It covers 360 sq. km and contains many lakes.  We were in a bit of a hurry so we did not explore as much as we would have liked.  We made a stop at an interesting lake, Pink Lake.  Apparently, it is a meromictic lake.  This means the lake has layers of water that do not intermix.  For all intents, nothing can live in the lake.  Fascinating.

Pink Lake, Gatineau Park

From here it was time to make our way to Mont Tremblant.  A ski resort in winter and an all season resort, Mont Tremblant is a go to place for people in the area.  Basically a couple of hours east of Ottawa and a couple of hours north of Montreal, the place is always packed with tourists.  The drive itself was amazing.  We had nothing to look at but beautiful vista after beautiful vista for the entire drive.  Amazing country.

The Drive to Mont Tremblant

Upon our arrival, we checked in and parked the car, not to be seen again for 2 days.  The first impression, nothing like it in the Rockies of Alberta.  The townsite was wonderful.  Shops, restaurants and the view.  Very nice place.

Mont Tremblant

After a quick tour around the town, we did as we normally do, check out where the shops are, then go for a beer.  We found a handy spot, just outside our hotel called Microbrasserie La Diable.  They brew their own beer on site, and it was a good one.  I tried the blonde, and it was excellent.

Microbrasserie La Diable

Now, with our thirst sated and our bellies full of tacos, we headed off to finish our exploring.  We found some more nooks and crannies and decided that this was one heck of a place.

More Mont Tremblant
The Required Shot of One of Us at the Destination

Having arrived late in the afternoon, we started looking for a place to eat and settled on a pizza restaurant, the Pizzaterria.  As usual, we had an excellent meal, washed down with just a smidge of wine.  We then headed back to our hotel, Residence Inn (Marriott), where we turned in for the night.  Big day tomorrow as we had some mountains to conquer.

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Ottawa, The Capital Region of Canada, October 2011 – Day 1

We arrived at Ottawa’s airport from Winnipeg in the early afternoon and grabbed a cab to our hotel in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. We stayed at a Day’s Inn on Rideau St. We were not impressed as it is need of a renovation. Once getting settled, we headed out for an abbreviated day in Ottawa and find food, drink and most importantly, our bearings. On the food side, we found that we were very close to the Bywater District, a wonderful people area of shops and restaurants in the downtown core. This is a shot off of Rideau St at the beginning of the area. It encompasses a large area and appears to be the go to area for nightlife and dining.

Bywater in Ottawa, Ontario

We settled on a pub that looked like it would have a nice lunch and sat in. The place was called “Aulde Dubliner” and it served excellent pub food. In my worldwide quest for the perfect beer, I ordered a local brew called “Hogsback Vintage Lager“. It was definitely vintage. I would rate it about 80 on my 100 scale. I liked it so much, I had 2, or maybe it was 3. Who knows, it was good and they tasted like another one every time I finished one.

Hogsback Vintage Lager

After lunch, we headed off towards the Parliament Buildings. I had seen them twice before, but for some reason they seemed much more impressive this time around. The place was crowded with people even though it was not the greatest of days. I was impressed by both the amount of security coupled with one’s ability to still get up close to all the important pieces of the complex. One pretty much had complete freedom in all areas of the grounds, yet you were completely aware that you were being watched. A nice balance. As it was getting late, we snapped a few pictures and took off.

I own this place

The obligatory picture.

The Library of Parliament

The Library is a beautiful piece of architecture. The building was started in 1859 and completed in 1876. In its history it has caught fire twice, once in 1916 and again in 1952. It’s original roof was ripped off by a tornado in 1888. The library contents were saved in each event.

The Other Side of the Canal

There are spectacular views in most parts of the Parliament grounds. this picture of Lori was taken from above the Rideau Canal on the opposite side from the grounds.

Ottawa River

This is a shot from behind Parliament looking upstream on the Ottawa River. Gatineau, Quebec is on the right.

We ended our sightseeing, now secure in knowing our way around and with a plan for a busy day tomorrow. We made our way down a very busy Rideau St and turned in for the night.

Going To Winnipeg – October 2011

Lori  and I are born and raised Winnipeggers.  We left in 1989, and look forward to our visits as most of our families still reside there.  Lori had actually spent the whole month of September there as she had family matters to take care of.  I joined her at the end of the month for a few days prior to embarking on our adventure to Ontario and Quebec.  We had a great visit with our families which involved very little touring around.  We did manage to squeeze in a few family dinners, both at home and in restaurants.  Of course we managed to sneak in a few drinks as well.  Thanks to all for providing us with some relaxing days and nights.  Contrary to the proverb, of course you can go home again.

Some highlights:

Human Rights Museum

This is the Human Rights Museum being built at The Forks in downtown Winnipeg.  A noble endeavour and some interesting architecture.

Penis on the Prairies

I have always wondered about this.  The city built a pedestrian bridge across the Red River, using what appears to be a phallic symbol to hold it up.  An interesting choice for a centrepiece structure.  The other thing I found strange was placing a restaurant in the middle of said bridge.  I’m not sure what they were thinking, but why would they place this in the middle of a foot bridge in a city that sees 30 below on a regular basis.  I can see people lining up to get in on an especially cold evening after walking a mile or so from where they parked their vehicle.

Now for the food and drink.

Hungs Restaurant - Deep Fried Bananas

We had a great meal at Hungs Restaurant (excellent name that goes with the phallic theme) which we followed up with a dessert of deep fried bananas, with ice cream.  The entire meal was washed down with a few bottles of Tsingtao, a Chinese beer.

A great way to complement a meal. Tsingtao

The local beer that I imbibed was Fort Garry Dark Ale.  A great tasting beer, very smooth and rich.  One of those beers that can only be savoured and not chugged.  One, or maybe two should be enough for most before moving on to less rich varieties.

Fort Garry Ale

As a final note, thanks to John  and Cec for putting us up for the time we were there, and thanks to Gord and Cheryl for the large dinner party.  It was great to see all again, hope to see you at Christmas.

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My Reasons to Travel….As Often As Possible – Number 4 – The Drink

In my last post, I discussed food and it’s value in travel.  One has to have something to complement the food, or maybe one needs a cooling refreshing beverage to pick up your spirits on a hot tropical day.  This brings to the next reason to travel, the drink.  Yes,  you can enjoy various wines, beer and liquor from around the globe just by visiting your local liquor store, however, I don’t think it is the same.  Think of drinking a Corona.  Now instead of drinking it in a Keg  Steakhouse, think about drinking it on a beach, say a beach like this.

The Beach

One of my favourite things on a trip is to try the local beer.  It is no secret to people who know me that I like, no, love, beer.  Port Royal in the Honduras, Zot in Bruges, real Heineken in Amsterdam, Peroni in Rome, Belekin in Belize, Modelo in Cozumel.  All are very good, all are local.  I have now resolved to take pictures of every beer I drink in another country (not each and every, just every type).  And don’t get me started on wine.  there is nothing like stopping in at a shop, spending 2 or 3 Euros and getting a bottle of decent wine.

Once again it is about experiences.  Sure, there will be bad ones, but there will be awesome ones as well, some of, if not most of which, I will never have another opportunity to sample.  Make the most of it.  You’re going to have a drink anyway, might as well try something completely different.  This reminds me of a story my brother told me.  He was in Scotland, in a bar.  Wanting a beer, he asked the server to bring him a beer, the most popular one.  He naturally assumed a local beer would come back, NOT.  The server brought him a Miller Genuine Draft.  Crazy.

Here are some drink oriented pictures.

The Fleece Inn, Bretforton, UK

Lori and I enjoying a cold one at a 13th century pub in the UK.  My personal record for oldest pub.  Good story.  We heard about this pub, as it is very old, and went into the village to find it.  We asked John, Lori’s cousin, and the driver, where in the village it might be.  He said, look for the church, it will be across the street.  In England they are always across the street, and of course, it was.

The Red Lion in Salisbury

The next thing I resolve to do is take a picture of the cool pubs we see.  This place was stunning.  The Red Lion in Salisbury, UK.  It seems that every English town has 2 pubs, The Rose and Crown and/or the Red Lion.

Bruges, Belgium - The Wall of Beer

Yes, this exactly what it looks like, a display case full of Belgian beer and the glass used for that beer.  The astounding part, there were 4 of these cases along the wall.  Amazing, copious amounts of local beer.  Might take a while to have one of each.

Pecan Beer in New Orleans

This is nuts.  Pecan beer.  Had this in New Orleans and was surprised by just how good it was.  Don’t be put off by perceptions of weird.  They wouldn’t keep making it if it was crap.

Good Friends = Good Times

A good glass of wine, a good meal, good friends and an interesting location equals memories that will last a lifetime.  Enjoy your life, step up and step out.