Montreal ::: some Frenchy love to prepare for Paris

In May my boyfriend Peter and I took a trip to Montreal for the weekend. I am in Canada all the time for work, but have rarely taken the time to stop and actually see the cities I am working in so I  loved the chance to do this in Montreal.

Writing this post is my little way of prepping for our upcoming vacation to Paris! We are staying at the Mandarin Oriental Paris right around its grand opening as they are one of Peter’s clients. I really cannot wait….the spa is supposedly to die for, Thierry Marx is the culinary director (French/Asian infusion maybe?), and it is smack dab in the center of Paris on rue Saint-Honoré. Ok clearly I am excited…back to Montreal.

Montreal is a such a gorgeous city…every time I am there I feel transported to Europe and  even to a different time period. This visit was a bit gloomy because rained all weekend, but we still managed to see some of the cities historical landmarks and had plenty of wine and great food.

The :: standouts :: for me on the trip were Mechant Boeuf (in the Old Port) for dinner, Baldwin Barmacie (Plateau Mont-Royal) for drinks, and the Scandinave Les Bains (Old Port) for massages and incredible baths.

Mechant Boeuf has this wild DJ (DJ Skwik E Kleen) who is worth the trip to this foodie hot spot just to see/hear. We met some friends at Baldwin Barmacie and stayed until close posting up at one of the high top tables next to the bar. I love the interesting twist on a pharmacy (I think someone told me it previously was one?) and I had some “Dr. something” drink that was insanely good. As for the spa we spent our rainy Sunday detoxing in the baths, lounging in the steam room, and getting massages. Such a great weekend and I highly suggest all 3 on the itinerary if you are spending a weekend in Montreal.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the weekend. (All taken with my Canon Rebel T2i)

:: keely marie::