14 minute read
BIENVENUE A MONTRÉAL
ABOVE: The Leonard Cohen mural on Crescent Street in downtown Montréal
Québec’s largest city offers a striking mix of old and new along with public artworks, stunning landscapes and an amazing range of cuisines
WORDS HANNAH BRANDLER
Asea of blue and white ags wave in time to the beat at the Place des Festivals in Montréal. While it was my rst evening in the city, it would be far too vain to assume that the welcome party was designed for me. My visit coincided with the start of La Fête nationale on June 23, Québec’s national holiday, observed across the city with parades, bon res, reworks and street parties.
My trip to Québec’s largest city had been long overdue; initially booked and planned for May 2020 and cancelled due to the ensuing pandemic. What followed were some of the strictest Covid-19 restrictions in North America, with a state of emergency renewed more than 100 times over the course of the pandemic. e Québec government o cially li ed restrictions in May, and I nally made it overseas a month later, so I too felt I had something to celebrate amid the crowd of proud Québécois.
While the city is certainly looking forward to leaving the di cult years of the pandemic behind, it’s striking how the old and the new tend to coalesce in Montréal – particularly in its art scene.
MONTRÉAL MULTIMEDIA
You don’t need to be in the city for long to notice that the city itself is a canvas for creativity – from murals emblazoned across buildings to digital projections in underground walkways.
My accommodation provided an introduction to the city’s art scene, with my suite at the Four Seasons Hotel Montréal o ering oor-toceiling views of the 929 sqm Leonard Cohen mural on a high-rise façade on Crescent Street, while the brutalist façade of the Hotel Le Germain Montréal is covered in the 52m high Dazzle My Heart mural by Canadian artist Michelle Hoogveld, with 80 di erent colours in a gradient-like pattern. Fairmont e Queen
Elizabeth takes an equally modern approach, this time in the digital arena, with its two projection-focused art installations. The Interactive River, located in the hotel’s underground passage leading to Place Ville-Marie, features images of the sea, clouds and forest on all surfaces, accompanied by calming music. The Bed In, located in the Agora multipurpose space in the main lobby, depicts John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous stay at the hotel.
The projections are part of Cité Mémoire, a project by non-profit organisation Montréal en Histoires, which includes more than 25 tableaux (or scenes) projected on walls, streets, buildings and trees throughout Old Montréal, the port area and downtown. Created by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, in collaboration with playwright Michel Marc Bouchard, the scenes highlight milestones in Montréal’s history – from social revolution in the post-war years to the commemoration of The Great Peace of Montréal treaty, signed in 1701 by the governor of New France and 39 First Nations communities. Visitors can download the free Montréal en Histoires mobile app to find out more about the historical context for each projection.
The use of multimedia to enhance a city’s infrastructure is a philosophy also shared by Montréal-based company, Moment Factory. Set up in 2001, the multimedia studio has created more than 500 experiences worldwide under its motto “We do it in public”, with international offices in Paris, New York, Singapore and Tokyo. During my stay, I paid a visit to one of its home-produced projects, Aura at Montréal’s NotreDame Basilica. The Fabrique de la Paroisse Notre-Dame, the church committee, approached the team in 2017 to create an experience that would attract new kinds of visitors to the Basilica – not just those interested in religion. The result is a captivating light show whereby projections enhance the Basilica’s historic artworks and neo-Gothic architecture, accompanied by original orchestral scores (including sounds from the Basilica’s very own organ).
“We now have a lot of young people visit because we use multimedia, new technology and amazing music. People who are not normally inclined to visit churches [come],” says MariePier Veilleux, director of public affairs and international relations at Moment Factory. I can personally vouch for its appeal to the secular community. While the show might not be religious, the experience certainly feels spiritual and you quickly forget that you are sharing the space with 690 people, all of whom are a mix of ages and backgrounds.
Projections enhance I vividly remember the the Basilica’s neoGothic architecture, illumination of icons at the altar, coinciding with choral voices to accompanied by give the impression that orchestral scores they were serenading the congregation. “We wanted the experience to be universal. The story isn’t about Catholic history or [a means to] showcase the religion. It’s really to embrace the beautiful site… We want to wow people,” says Veilleux. Without giving too much away, an example of this ‘wow’ factor is the use of laser beams halfway through the show; a feature usually associated TOP LEFT: A projection on the ceiling with raves rather than sacred spaces. Nonetheless, the team have remained at Notre-Dame respectful of the patrimonial site, Basilica; part of the Aura project and you won’t see wires or any paraphernalia during the day. TOP RIGHT: Dazzle My Heart mural by artist The multimedia trend has also Michelle Hoogveld infiltrated Canada’s oldest art
museum, The Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1860. Sabrina Ratté’s Contre-Espace 4K video was projected onto the façade of the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion nightly until November 27. Inside, however, the galleries showcase early, modern and contemporary art across five interconnecting pavilions, offering something for everyone.
URBAN OASIS
Much like the public art, Montréal’s natural landscape features vestiges of the city’s past. This is most apparent at Lachine Canal, a 14.5km channel passing through the south-western part of the city from Old Montréal to Lake Saint-Louis, with five waterway locks, urban parks, restored red-brick factories and dilapidated structures along the way – including the glowing Farine Five Roses sign erected above the Ogilvie flour mill in 1948, which became a protected architectural feature in 2020.
The canal opened in 1825 to provide a route for ships to pass into the Atlantic Ocean, bypassing the Lachine Rapids on the St Lawrence River, increasing maritime traffic in the port and attracting manufacturers to the area. The creation of the St Lawrence Seaway led to the demise of the canal’s commercial use in 1970 but its significance has not been forgotten, with the area designated a National Historic Site of Canada. The canal reopened for recreational use in 2002 and is well-loved by locals and internationals alike. Small boats navigated along the smooth waters, cyclists shared the canal path with pedestrians and, closer to the old port, sportier types challenged themselves to a triathlon in 30°C heat.
On the other side of the city lies the more well-known natural attraction Mount Royal, from which the city takes its name. The lush ‘mountain’ provides a welcome escape from the urban setting with 200 hectares of biodiversity and natural flora and fauna. Skyscrapers are forbidden from exceeding the height of Mount Royal (233m above sea level), making for an incredible panoramic vista at the Belvédère Kondiaronk lookout – I promise it’s worth the steep climb. The sight of the fiery red, yellow and orange canopy of trees disappears as winter arrives.
MARKET CRAWL
Montréal offers Canadian staples throughout the city, with poutine – a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy – featuring on many menus. There’s a Tim Hortons coffee shop in every neighbourhood, but its food scene has many cultural influences owing to its history of immigration.
The city is incredibly proud of its hand-rolled bagels, introduced in the early 1900s by Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Poached in honey water before being baked in a wood-fired oven, the chewy golden bagels are found throughout Montréal. You’ll find the best ones in the multicultural Mile End
ABOVE: Mount Royal Park and downtown Montréal BELOW: Farine Five Roses sign – a protected architectural feature on Lachine Canal
ABOVE: Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy RIGHT: Atwater Market on the bank of Lachine Canal
KEEP ON YOUR RADAR
SEEING LOUD: BASQUIAT AND MUSIC, UNTIL FEBRUARY 19, 2023
The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts hosts the first large-scale multimedia exhibition dedicated to the role of music in the work of renowned artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The museum provides an augmented reality app (pictured below) so visitors can explore interactive content. neighbourhood, home to St-Viateur Bagel and Fairmount Bagel. There are also plenty of food halls for those who want to combine cuisines. I found it to be an ideal spot for solo travellers, offering the opportunity to strike up conversation with other like-minded souls over a packed Poke bowl. It’s the city’s old markets, however, that give you the chance to feel like a local. Founded in 1933, the year-round Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy is one of the city’s oldest public markets and one of the largest openair markets in North America. It is filled with fruit, vegetable and flower stalls along with Québec specialties, fishmongers and butchers. Walls are put up around the central section of the market in winter to shelter visitors from the cold weather.
My favourite spot, however, is the expansive Atwater Market, located within an Art Deco-style building on the bank of the aforementioned Lachine Canal. Merchants’ stalls overflow with fresh produce inside, while the alfresco Pôle des Saveurs area is a must-visit in the summer months, populated by picnic benches and Vietnamese and Réunion-style
cuisine. The peach-coloured Le Petit Sao stand is recommended, selling Banh Mi and Vietnamese salad bowls, alongside Québec-brewed beer and refreshing homemade lemonade.
Full of Banh Mi and camera at the ready, I joined Montréalers at the Old Port for the 36th edition of the LotoQuébec International Fireworks, an annual event that had been suspended for the past two years because of the pandemic. The 2022 season began with a spectacular display above the Jacques Cartier Bridge under the theme ‘Je me souviens’ – I remember. And so my trip ended much as it began, with a celebration marking the start of the city’s post-pandemic era. Merci Montréal and à bientôt.
Four Seasons Hotel Madrid
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Rediscover Madrid
The capital of Spain appeals to a diverse set of business and leisure travellers who want to indulge in unique experiences
Spain has bounced back handsomely from the pandemic’s effect on its tourism industry. In fact, in September this year, a total of 7.8 million international tourists visited the country which represented 88.4 per cent of the visitors it received in the same month back in 2019. These travellers also spent €9.24 billion during their travel and stay in Spain in September which was only four per cent short of the figure in September 2019.
Overall, in the first nine months of the year, the number of international tourists who visited Spain exceeded 55.9 million, with their expenditures reaching €68.13 billion.
Madrid has proved to be a key destination for tourists visiting Spain. It has an enormous historical heritage, and several cultural, gastronomy and shopping offers to cater to a diverse set of visitors.
A major commercial hub, Madrid is home to the headquarters of 90 per cent of the large companies that operate in Spain and is the third largest European
Santo Mauro city in terms of multinationals. Madrid has proved to capitalise on the “bleisure” category with hotels offering not just stellar conferencing and events spaces, but with the city also displaying a curated set of leisure options as well.
Stay
There are several properties located in historic buildings that were former noble properties. These include the AC Palacio del Retiro which is a mansion that was built in the 20th century and has commanding views over Retiro Park. The Santo Mauro, a Luxury Collection Hotel is a Parisian-style building with an enclosed garden near Paseo de La Castellana, while the Orfila is a palatial hotel with old-world charm whose décor and furniture takes you back to the 19th century. For a traditional-meetsmodern hotel, there’s also the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in a Bell Epoque building, The Westin Palace which is located close to the city’s main museums and the Gran Melia Palacio de los Duques that is situated near the Royal Palace and Opera House. Another iconic property to stay at in Madrid is the landmark Four Seasons Hotel Madrid located in the Canalejas Complex, close to Puerta del Sol.
Shop
The rich luxury shopping offering in Madrid is embodied by the Galería Canalejas which has over 40 boutiques selling fashion, accessories, perfume, high-end jewellery and timepieces from some of the world’s biggest luxury brands including Hermès, Cartier and Rolex. Navigating the 15,000 sqm shopping centre will result in you likely working up an appetite. Head straight to the 4,000 sqm Galería Canalejas Food Hall. It has over 13 restaurants serving a selection of food from around the globe.
Chef Julián Mármol, awarded a Michelin star in 2019, helms two restaurants: Monchis and The Eight. Chef Rubén Arnanz, also with a Michelin star under his belt, operates the 19.86 restaurant that features an exclusive space where a limited number of diners can watch Arnanz at work. At Le Petit Dim Sum, diners can choose from a wide variety of handmade dim sums. Don’t miss the 650 sqm MAD Gourmets which has 20 unique gastronomic spaces serving a variety of specialities, from typical Spanish tapas to international cuisine featuring the latest worldwide trends in gastronomy.
Continue your shopping experience in Madrid by visiting boutique shops such as La Moderna Apicultura which was inaugurated in 1919 by King Alfonso XII. For an equally extravagant offering, visit La Melguiza which is the only store in Spain dedicated entirely to the sale of saffron.
Apart from the Galería Canalejas, there’s also the Wow multi-brand store in Madrid located in the Gran Via district which is divided across eight floors and houses brands such as Collina Strada, Lacoste and Cecilie Bahnsen.
If you have the time, stroll the streets of Lavapiés, the Barrio de Las Letras Literary Quarter, Chueca, Las Salesas, Malasaña, Conde Duque, La Latina, and Hapsburg Madrid in search of exquisite artisanal shopping experiences that pay tribute to the local culture.
Don’t leave without securing a Madrid Designation of Origin product which includes wines, oils and olives, among other products, which have been given the specific designation in recognition of the quality of their products and their reflection of local expertise.
Bodega Coque
Dine
The 2022 edition of the Michelin Guide for Madrid revealed a total of 21 restaurants with the coveted Michelin Stars. DiverXO, has three Michelin Stars; Smoked Room has two, while Paco Roncero, Ramón Freixa Madrid, DSTAgE and Coque have also retained their two stars. Coque also has a Green Star which recognises its efforts in the field of sustainable gastronomy. Other restaurants which have at least one Michelin star in Madrid include Kabuki, Ricardo Sanz Wellington, Lúa, A’Barra, Gaytán, Cebo, Yugo The Bunker, La Tasquería, Clos Madrid, El Corral de la Morería Gastronómico, El Invernadero, Gofio, Saddle, Deessa, Quimbaya and Chirón. Opera House that features a behindthe-scenes tour of the theatre as well. You can opt for personalised routes and private visits at some of the world’s leading museums including The ThyssenBornemisza National Museum and The Reina Sofía Museum. The Sorolla Museum, for example, also offers a private experience that allows you to discover the work of the famous painter from Valencia, Joaquín Sorolla, while you study his method and life in-depth.
Galería Canalejas VIP experiences
For visitors who want to have a VIP experience during their visit to Madrid, there are many ways to do so. The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and the Cívitas Metropolitano Stadium offer the public a VIP experience. The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium offers the VIPCorporate Hospitality Area and a VIP ticket to any match throughout the season. For a dose of culture, there are VIP seats available at The Teatro Real
Private visits at museums
Coming soon
There’s much more to look forward to on your next visit in Madrid as we move into 2023. The end of the year has given us reason to cheer about football with the FIFA World Cup, and as we enter next year, watch out for the Legends museum which is expected to become the world’s largest museum dedicated to football when it opens in Madrid in 2023.
There are seven floors of entertainment right at Puerta del Sol. It will chronicle the history of the sport and of its biggest stars including the likes of Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo.
There will also be a gastronomic space on the rooftop, a store, and a game area, among other features.
