Category Archives: canada

The Great Escape – Montreal, Canada Edition

thegreatescape

Welcome to Montreal in Quebec, Canada – the “City of Saints”

Montreal is a city of contradictions, really, if you ask me AND it’s precisely why I really really like it. You know because it keeps you on your toes!! Known as the “City of Saints” because of its once close ties to the Catholic Church, Montreal went through a “Quiet Revolution” in the 1960’s that brought about secularism and liberalism. Montreal loosened its ties to religion and “The City of a Hundred Steeples” slowly saw many church doors close and religious service attendance go from 90% to as low as 10%. This is just one example of how this city is proud of its past but changed its course in history.

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Filled with European charm and blend of North American energy, Montreal easily is one of Lola’s faves! Named a UNESCO City of Design, Montreal is just one of 3 in the world, the other two are Berlin & Buenos Aires. Also known for its love of festivals, pretty architecture and amazing food scene, I particularly liked that Montreal is SO French. I finally made my way up to Montreal in February, during the height of winter and just in time to celebrate all things FUN this great city offers in the freezing cold. I cannot believe it took me this long to discover such a fabulous city so near to me (only a 5 hour drive from Boston) and I’m thrilled I made it a ‘Great Escape’.

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Mile-Ex

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Open just a year now, Mile-Ex Restaurant was casual resto I tried out for lunch. Loved that it had a small, simple menu and a few specials. As a person that can be overwhelmed by a lot of choices, I think less is often more. Do a few things and do them well. In the up-and-coming neighborhood of Mile-End known for its cultural diversity & all things cool, you can definitely tell this is where the young hipsters hang. I had the MOTHERF*****BURGER for $9 accompanied with a Belgian beer. Delish!

L’Assommoir

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L’Assommoir is quite a treat for the cocktail lover and foodie alike. Located on a charming street in Old Montreal, I particularly enjoyed this spot on a blustery winter evening. As you enter L’Assommoir you are surrounded by mahogany wood tones and warm lighting with a very hip vibe. Offering over 300 varieties of mixed drinks, there isn’t anything they cannot create to satisfy a cocktail snob. Known for their ceviche, the grilled meats selections were quite tasty too. L’Assommoir also has DJs on the weekends. Tres Bon!

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Bouillon Bilk

On the fray of the recently revamped neighborhood, Quartier des Spectacles, you can find the fun and trendy Bouillon Bilk. You may hear people warn not to be scared by its location or let the minimalist, rustic decor steer you away. Locals say it’s one of the best meals you can have in the city. That’s something when Montreal really has a great food scene. The service is impeccable and the food is delicious and inventive. With a good selection of wine and beer, Bouillon Bilk is an unexpected surprise that Montrealers say is TOP NOTCH and a super value to boot.

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Sarah B.

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During my visit to Montreal, I was actually celebrating my birthday and there wasn’t a more delightful place toast a new year to moi than Sarah B. Absinthe Bar located in the InterContinental Montreal. Let’s just start with the bar’s tagline… “Pure sexytude. Where the Green Fairy may be met in a suave atmosphere”. OUI, I like it. My evening consisted of a private room & private absinthe tasting. Very VIP and parfait for Lola’s birthday. Sarah B. is named for Sarah Bernhardt, an infamous French actress known for her impulsive and eccentric nature that makes her an interesting enigma today. Sarah Bernhardt visited Montreal several times to perform and is closely tied to the historic Nordheimer building, adjacent to where the bar is housed.

Casa del Popolo

Casa del Popolo

Casa del Popolo, also located in the trendy Mile-End district, is a funky hipster bar with relaxed decor. I really liked the tin ceilings you can see pictured here. Mile-End is also considered a ‘hot bed’ for the Montreal indie music scene. You can find many DJs and bands performing here at Casa del Popolo. FYI, it’s a cash only bar.

Big in Japan

Big in Japan

The “popular with locals” Japanese brasserie, Big in Japan, is located on the busy Boulevard Saint-Laurent. More like a speakeasy, once you enter Big in Japan, you will forget about the world outside. Known for its great cocktails, sake, of course, is on the menu too. Part of the hip decor are the liquor bottles affixed to the ceiling creating a cool design effect. One thing to note, it can be somewhat difficult to locate Big in Japan. It’s the red door next to Patati Patata.

stay

InterContinental Montreal

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Located in the Quartier International between Old Montreal and downtown, InterContinental Montreal is a luxury hotel that invites its guests to a world of elegance and comfort. InterContinental Montreal’s 357 rooms are stylishly contemporary with touches of warmth, perfect for my wintertime stay. You can find on site their French brasserie restaurant, Osco! as well as the unique and alluring, Sarah B. Absinthe Bar. Of course, when you are a 4-Diamond property you can also expect to find amenities like a fitness center, spa & salon as well as 24 hour Front Desk service. Most of all, I truly appreciated the hospitality and attentiveness of the staff. One of a kind!

Hotel Le St. James

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Hotel Le St. James, known as ‘THE PLACE’ for the jetset crowd as well as the famous, is housed inside a historical landmark building dating back to 1870. With 60 individually styled rooms and suites and located in the heart of romantic Old Montreal, St. James has everything you can expect in a top property like uber-luxurious furnishings and sleek sexy style. St. James has a state of the art gym and wonderful spa known for its personalized service as well as top-rated restaurant, XO, which offers modern and innovative cuisine. Hotel Le St. James is a multi-award winner being named on Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List and given CAA/AAA Four Diamonds both in 2011 AND it’s received a Forbes 4-Star Hotel award every year since 2003.

Hotel Chez Swann

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Centrally located in Montreal’s downtown area, Hotel Chez Swann is a funky 23 room boutique hotel that’s truly an experience. Taking inspiration from the spontaneity of the stage, Chez Swann is more art driven than design driven. Each room at Chez Swann is uniquely decorated with eclectic colors & materials taking guests to a scene of grand allusions. Very Lola if you ask moi! I love the fact that it feels like an art exhibit that’s ever-changing. No room for boredom here. Oh, and another detail to note, continental breakfast is included with your stay.

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Spa

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The Scandinavian spa Bota Bota can be found docked at the Old Port in Montreal. Once a ferry boat, Bota Bota transformed this space into an uber chic spa with minimalist decor. The idea behind Bota Bota is to capitalize on the relaxing and invigorating virtues of water by alternating between hot and cold in the water circuit. Even on an icy cold day, one will warm up and get some of the most sublime views of the St. Lawrence River and city. I had an absolutely fabulous honey & sugar body scrub treatment while visiting. I also enjoyed a glass of traditional ice wine. C’mon, why not?!

Ice Skate

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To get to know Montreal in the wintertime, one HAS TO partake in some of her outdoor activities. Down in the Old Port you can find ice fishing and ice skating. In other parts of the city you can go snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. I was truly impressed with this winter wonderland of fun and that locals and tourists alike were out and about enjoying it.

Igloofest

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Each winter throngs of electronic music lovers dance under the stars at the Quays located in the Old Port of Montreal at Igloofest. I wasn’t scheduled to stay for this part of the weekend but a massive snow storm on the East Coast kept me in Montreal a day longer. BOY am I not sorry!! What a ball I had drinking and dancing in all my winter gear with the locals. (I told you Montrealers like to have fun regardless of the temps) Igloofest features some of the best local and international DJs and is surely one of the hottest things to do on a winter evening in Montreal. Running 4 winter weekends, I was thrilled to shake my boa & even get the event’s publicist, Francois, #lolafied!

A note of thanks to InterContinental Montreal for giving me an excellent press rate at their lovely downtown hotel. I cannot imagine a better place to spend my birthday!

And merci to Tourism Montreal for outlining such a tres fantastique itinerary! You helped me fall in love with Montreal even in the wintertime, which is really saying something as a warm-weather gal! Looking forward to my return to your fabulous city. As I wrote before, you very well could be my home away from home, Montreal. You are most definitely ‘Lola Approved’!!

PS – some of these fun photos are a la my friend, Anita from Travel Destination Bucket List, who helped to put this FAB trip together.

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it takes a village…

all living together in a Victorian townhouse in Toronto

this past weekend many travel bloggers gathered up in the grand city of Toronto, Ontario, for the travel conference known as TBEX. this is was my third time to attend TBEX and while every time the conference gets better and better, this is not why this past weekend will go down in history as one of my favorites.

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let’s just start with what do you do when 1,200 people come to town? where do they all sleep? thank goodness Toronto is the 4th largest city in North America! so it seemed there was room for everyone attending TBEX plus those who were merely in Toronto for business or pleasure. i had the good fortune of finding a fantastic townhouse with FlipKey for some of my blogging buddies (most i’ve met & traveled with plus one superstar i knew would fit right in) because sometimes staying together is more cost-effective. BUT let’s be honest, staying together is WAY more fun and you actually get far more quality time and in our case, time to learn from each other as well as play together.

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some might be frightened by this scenario. what if the people don’t get along? what if one person is really messy or loud? what if some don’t chip in and help out? yes, there can be a lot of what if’s in this type of situation. first of all, i think it’s important to go into a plan like this knowing that those things could happen and being ok with it. i wasn’t terribly concerned because the other advice i’d give is to know who you are including. don’t leave too many possibilities for loose cannons. all i can tell you is this group was like a utopian state of heaven. as we started to discuss arrivals and departures to the house…things like who will let us in, what do we need to bring, it became crystal clear this was a group of “i’ll do this and you pick up where i left off”. everyone was helping one another and i found this incredibly endearing. it’s one of the things that makes me love these friends even more.

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from Stay Adventurous meeting me at the house & doing the initial liquor run. (no one likes to arrive without a possible cocktail in hand) to Travel Destination Bucket List bringing her extra wine glasses to Traveling Ted driving people places & doing the replenishing booze run. then there’s The World Wanderer, Captain and Clark, GQTrippin and one of the two gorgeous Lazy Travelers who all took part in building our “confessional”. we all have a love/hate relationship with Captain for his bartending skills. then i have my lovely Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler who always looks out for me and is the best listener and friend a person could ever ask for. she’ll stay up with you and talk for hours. all the #RWTBEX peeps got a bit of her goodness. and Small Crazy, a kindred spirit to Lola with her love of PINK, props and toys. thank you for being the incredible you that you are! i know we all appreciate those who did the occasional pick up sweep of the place and especially Captain and Clark for doing the check out for us all. i’m telling you, it truly takes a village & this is one that i’d gladly be a part of again and again.

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my friends were so appreciative that we had a place to stay together but, truly, i was the lucky one to have so many people i love all together. nothing pleases me more than doing something that makes so many happy. AND selfishly, i got to spend a lot of time with those people who make ME very happy. so thank you #RWTBEX crew for agreeing to stay in our lovely townhouse on Bleecker.

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our FlipKey townhouse was nestled in the heart of historic Toronto in the Cabbagetown neighborhood. Cabbagetown comprises the largest continuous area of preserved Victorian housing in North America. this circa 1874 home was in a great location for all our downtown activities. i found the townhouse quite spacious with a perfect blend of original charm and modern touches a traveler would need.

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why Montreal may be my home away from home

Dear Montreal, I heart you!

downtown montreal

i don’t know how it can be that we only now discovered each other, Montreal, but i think we are kindred spirits. never have i met a city that has done everything right and yet has a bit of a naughty rebellious streak. it’s quite fascinating and a fairly familiar concept to me. after all, that is what Lola kind of is. “just the right amount of wrong”

entering Quebec

with your history aligned with France, you speak your own version of French even though you were eventually ruled by England. i tres adore the fact that French is your first language. it makes you so attractive. but i also like that you don’t make me feel stupid that i really don’t know much French myself. i don’t get any “pouah” for not knowing. merci beaucoup for that!

i loved learning that you are the only place in the world that never banned Absinthe. SUCH. A. REBEL. and not too long ago you made it a law that when a couple gets married, a woman CANNOT take the man’s last name as her own. it’s AGAINST THE LAW. or how about the fact that once you were super religious but then you went and decided that you’d have a quiet rebellion against religion and now you have the least number of people who attend churches. churches are actually now being repurposed for other things like museums and condos.

absinthe

yeah, i think it’s awesome, too, that you recommend your local cuisine, poutine – a dish  made with french fries, topped with brown gravy and curd cheese. sounds decadent, right?! and, you think it tastes the VERY BEST at 3am. because, yep, you’ve been out all night drinking and partying it up. i’m in LOVE with you that this is a normal behavior.

or how about the fact that most look for shelter in the frigid winter weather. but not you, Montreal. you like to throw parties in the freezing cold and wear loads of layers & puffy ski gear. you take a bad situation and make it good…every time!

finally, and most importantly, i love your swear words. sorry, people, but i think swearing is kinda funny and when i requested knowing some Canadian French swear words it just sealed the deal on my love for Montreal. did you know that many of Montreal’s swear words are based on religious objects? see if you recognize any similarities. first of all, they call swears SACRES – which to most means “sacred or holy” but not to Montrealers. it means naughty swear words.

sailor's chapel in Montreal

here’s a few common swear words in Montreal:

  • câlice (calice) – “chalice”
  • sacrament (sacrement) – “Sacrament”
  • tabarnak (taberacle) – “tabernacle”

they all pretty much mean the same thing and depending on how you say them determines the severity and meaning. basically, it’s their version of damn or f*ck. there’s a whole lesson to be learned here and i’m thinking i need a return trip to visit you, Montreal, just to become better versed in your swearing. and, anyway, it’s easier than learning French altogether.

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Montreal, i gotta say, i had such a great time with you. i was so welcomed and felt so at home. it was like a long-lost friend bringing me in. i feel, Montreal, that you and i share similar senses of humor and that alone is a reason to love a place. see, there’s even a Montreal Lola!

truly, i do want to thank the InterContinental Montreal staff for being so welcoming, Montreal Tourism Board  for arranging tours & extending invitations & Igloofest for partying it up with me. AND, Anita from Travel Destination Bucket List for inviting me up to Montreal in the first place. you said i’d love it there & were you ever right! i mean it when i say that i feel we are kindred spirits and i look forward to seeing you all again soon.

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5 survival secrets for staying in an Ice Hotel

Lola stayed in an Ice Hotel

Front Page Gallery- Snow Village

i know what you’re thinking…there’s NO WAY lola can do it. sleeping overnight in an environment that is between 23 and 32 degrees fahrenheit. it may not sound very appealing to some but i’m here to say it’s a heck of a lot of FUN. especially with the right company!

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here are a few of my survival tips for getting through the night so you too can have a kick ass survival certificate – i mean, only if you care about that kind of thing!

Uno Numero – Proper Attire

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no, i’m not talking about a black tie affair or your debutant ball. i’m talking long underwear, wool socks & a warm beanie. i’m talking layers and neck gators. i’m talking bring a blanket and wear it as a wrap. plan for it to be very cold. over exaggerate – you can always remove layers.

Dos – Jager Shots

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i’ll be the first to tell you that Jagermeister is a vile drink. having said that, in the very COLD environment of an igloo Ice Hotel, well, it completely works. it actually doesn’t taste horrible. it tastes good. really good. bottom line, take shots & get tipsy. teetotalers, sorry you may be cold.

Tres – Good Dance Mix

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it’s ALWAYS advisable to have a good dance mix on your device. you never know when you may need this. this truth was my reality last week in the Ice Hotel. when the DJ’s iPhone lost all its juice it seemed the party was over. move over & enter DJ Pinkie Rox! boom boom YEAH. my advice, always have a Flo Rida tune on your mix. everyone’s happy & you’ll work up a mild increase in your body temp dancing.

Cuatro – Flask of Booze

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i wasn’t a girl scout or anything but i’ve watched enough tv shows & movies in my time that i know a flask of alcohol should be nearby in freezing situations. i mean, c’mon, why did St Bernard dogs carry a barrel of brandy then?! i kept my flask tucked under my pillow for that “just in case” moment! honestly, i snuck a couple of sips. i’m sure that’s really no surprise.

Cinco – Sandwiches

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no, i’m not talking a midnight snack in the sub-temps. i’m talking bodies smushed together to make a human sandwich. hey, it’s just good common sense…body heat & all that jazz. don’t get overly excited though. it was completely PG. everyone had their own individual thermal sleeping bags supplied by the Ice Hotel that are made to protect from extreme cold.

DISCLAIMER – staying in an Ice Hotel is something i would completely do again but apparently not everyone knew about my survival secrets and didn’t make it though the night. it’s essential to be prepared to be cold & pick the right travel companions!

THANK YOU to Snow Village Canada, InterContinental Montreal Hotel & Montreal Tourism Board for making this overnight experience extra special!

PS – many of these hilarious & fab photos are from the lovely Anita of traveldestinationbucketlist

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