Lifestyle and Leisure
Montreal takes my breath away
Now in her tenth year as a resident of Montreal, Patricia Smith has plenty of good things to say about the city in winter
The great thing about the winter carnival is that it gets you out and about. There is a temptation to hibernate in Quebec during January and February but the festival is something that everyone looks forward to.
It is held annually in Jean Drapeau Parc, which is on Ile Ste Hélène in the middle of the St Lawrence River.
The island itself is a great place to visit all year round with its Grand Prix track, colonial fort, bike paths, open-air swimming pools, rowing basin, sculptures, etcetera. During the winter you can look out over the river to Montreal itself and watch ice flows bobbing along. You can go ice skating on a mile and a half path that lets you look at spectacular views.
The sky in the winter always seems to be such a fantastically clear blue and it contrasts beautifully with the snow: it really is breathtaking.
Then there are the tubes slides, which look quite tame but terrify me with the tube rotating madly as you slide down at frightening speeds. The kids can spend all day on the tubes and have to be dragged away with promises of taffy and hot dogs.
Taffy is hot maple syrup poured onto snow which then solidifies into lolly pops. Quite disgusting actually but again the kids love them.
Somebody builds lots of incredibly clever ice sculptures, some house-size, which you wander in and out of. You can even have a go at sculpting yourself.
There is always live music and hot chocolate and food to keep you going. It is a great party atmosphere and a cheap day out with most of the activities free of charge. Parking is expensive at CDN$12 but you can go by metro which is probably quicker and warmer at takes you from downtown Montreal right into the heart of the carnival in a matter of minutes.
As with all outdoor events in Quebec, as long as you dress appropriately the weather is not an issue. The dry cold rarely penetrates modern winter outfits and you can work up an appetite nicely by spending three-to-four hours outside. As Montreal is only a 45-minute drive from the nearest ski slopes, you can spend a week here fitting in a bit of skiing, the festival, cheap shopping, great restaurants at great prices, a Habs (hockey) game and a pop concert without breaking the bank.
It certainly makes a change from the damp English winters we know and 'love'.
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Home Thoughts
The February 2009 issue of Emigrate magazine features tips from British migrants on how to get the best out of a Canadian winter
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