Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/04/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>Next Thursday I am flying to Montreal from San Francisco. Then to NYC on the >train. I know NYC pretty well but need directions to find the Leica Gallery. >Also, any important photo ops or shops in Montreal? > >Thanks, Bill Lawlor Hi Bill, For photo shops in Montreal, Leicas are to be found mostly at York Int., 1344 Ste.Catherine W. and Simon's Camera (yes the one who had a 35-70/2.8 Vario Elm. for sale recently!), 11 St.Antoine W. Both stores have some new and older stuff for sale, sometime quite interesting. Remember that your US dollar travels a LOT in Canada... You can make real bargain with an exchange rate that require Can$1.60 for US$1.00. For photos opportunities, I would highly recommend Old Montreal(even though it is not as spectacular as Quebec City). And don't miss Notre Dame Church (also in Old Montreal) where... Pavarotti sang it's Christmas Special (you know the one PBS broadcasted for at least 10 years) and where Celine Dion got married... (:>). Also noteworthy is to go atop Mount-Royal wich is the mountain in the center of the city. It is a park, planned in the 19th c. by Frederick Law Olmstead who also did Central Park in NYC. Only drawback is that there is still snow up there! The view looking downtown is great. There is an observatory for this purpose. If you have the time, St.Joseph Oratory on top of the Mount-Royal is a spectacular shrine with a view of the North side of the mountain. Again, the architecture of the building is something to be seen. Speaking of architecture, the CCA (the Canadian Center for Architecture) is very interesting and museum such as the Fine Arts M. and the McCord M. Lots of excellent restaurants everywhere (ask around). Go in the underground city, wich is the first and the largest urban planning of its kind in the world. Because of the long winters, thousands of shops, restaurants, cinemas, are underground, below buildings and streets, all connected together by hallways and subways(called the Metro here). BTW an EXCELLENT restaurant you can reach this way is Moevenpick, under Place Ville Marie buildings. Lots of "ambiance" and great food. You take a "passport" on your way in and then you go to more than 20 different stands serving all kinds of food. They stamp your passport, you can go everywhere as many times as you want. On your way out, you pay what has been stamped on your card! Hope all this will be of interest to you. The Amtrak train ride from Mtl to NYC is a great idea. Enjoy your trip. Jacques Leonard =============== j.leonarddesigner@videotron.ca web site: www.jlda-design.com