...Only Montreal...

I admit that Montreal had never been on my '100 places to see before you die' list, but a chain of events, including the chance to sleep at friends' place and the relative ease with which I could reach Canada, meant that I set off from my Barcelona with US Airways, flying via Philadelphia to my final destination. Every American and Canadian I met did nothing but repeat that Montreal is a fantastic city of great aesthetic beauty. I carried my doubts with me all the way to the new continent, since I'm not a fan of the North American world. And although partly confirmed, my doubts found a simple and concrete explanation.

Between the USA and Canada, the oldest building is perhaps some missionary house on the California coast or a railway station on the Atlantic side of the country, both dated no earlier than the 18th century......and so, being in the old part of the city, called precisely Vieux Montreal, you find yourself in the accurate reconstruction of any late medieval French village, enriched by imposing buildings that recall 1700s Paris. That's all. The overall impression is remarkably evocative. The various reconstructions are precise and without the slightest flaw. But fundamentally fake. A bit like all American cities. So yes, now I understand why an American who has never had the chance to visit Europe finds the city of Montreal so fascinating. And now I also understand the reasons for the scant interest on the part of a European.

Montreal nonetheless remains one of the best North American cities I have seen. Unlike most of its 'competitors', the capital of Quebec, like New York or San Francisco, has a charm all of its own, a particular atmosphere that means you can remember it by its name and its silhouette, and not confuse it among the dozens of other urban agglomerations all identical to one another.

Built entirely on an island that lies in one of the widest parts of the St. Lawrence River, the city is now the sum of many small urban areas that all converge where the real Montreal once breathed. The Latin Quarter and its main artery St. Denis, the university area, the city's shopping centre that runs along Rue St. Catherine, are the most pleasant areas to walk among a multitude of shops and people (not forgetting the 30 km of underground city that runs through the central area; here there are 5 floors of shops, restaurants and cafés, where Montrealers take refuge when the outside temperatures drop to -40*...). The park with its evocative view of Mont-Royal, where in the mid-1600s the first human settlement was established with a Catholic expedition and an incorporated monastery, still gives the Canadian city its name today: Montreal precisely.

During the period I was here I was lucky enough to find clear skies and temperatures between 23 and 24 degrees for a full 5 days. Pleasant for stopping to read in one of the city's many parks. And this is undoubtedly the best time to visit the city. Also worth a visit are the Vieux Port, itself pleasant and relaxing, right behind the old Montreal district, and the Olympic stadium area. The large and tallest inclined tower in the world (about 150 m), sadly publicised by comparing its 45° of inclination with the 'mere' 5 of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, almost plunges down onto the huge white dome of the stadium. The Olympics were held here in 1976 and the great economic and concrete boom of that period can be recognised a little throughout the area and in the contemporary buildings (the metro lines, for example). Imposing, yes, but sad and grey.

So, Montreal yes if you're passing through, yes if you have to visit friends or relatives and yes if you have to go there...but Montreal no if you should ever choose to go there.