On Sept. 1, 2011, the proud Montrealer made his world premiere of Gaia, a series of photos he took whilst hanging out (or floating around) the International Space Station. Sixty of his best shots are now displayed outdoors in the first-ever exhibition along the Promenade des Artists, a new public space sandwiched in the Quartier des Spectacles near the soon-to-open Adresse Symphonique.

Gaia means “Mother Earth” in Greek – I heard it means simply “Earth” in Aztec culture, so somebody please let me know. It is also the middle name of one of Laliberté’s kids. But basically it gets its meaning from the fact that all the photos were taken by Laliberté while floating in the high heavens and looking down (or up?) at our planet. If you can’t get enough of these images, you can take them home with you, albeit in a smaller book-size format. The full-colour tome also entitled Gaia is available for sale on-site at the One Drop booth (corner of Jeanne-Mance and de Maisonneuve, Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.), or at most major bookstores in the city. All proceeds go to One Drop and Fondation Desjardins, which work to raise awareness on water and the “threat to humanity created by shortages of drinking water.”

Said Laliberté, “When I gazed at Gaia – the Mother Earth of our ancestors – from above, I saw her fragility in relation to the universe, but also her great strength in relation to humanity. She has inspired in me the desire to live and have given me the will to take good care of her… I humbly share Gaia, for the very first time, with the people of Montreal.”

Printed on weather-proof vinyl on massive sheets of aluminum, the slightly hypnotic, highly abstract photos take on an installation feel, contrasting with their urban surrounding. You can roam the Promenade des Artistes 24-hours a day (the area is closely monitored by security). Plus there are fancy night-lights that allow you to discover each photo up-close any time of day, even while the rest of the city is sleeping.

A

THE DETAILS

The Gaia Exhibition: Photos by Guy Laliberté, Promenade des Artists, September 1 to October 10, 2011

One Drop

Fondation Desjardins

The post GAIA PHOTOS BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL FOUNDER GUY LALIBERTÉ appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

A few hours before the staff opened the floodgates at the media and VIP opening last week, I was lucky to get a one-on-one private interview with Gordon – because we are now on a first-name basis. No need to wash his mouth out with soap that day; he was a sweet talker. Gordon complimented me on my shoes, dress, and hair. “Who’s your hairdresser?” he quipped (Javier at Furisme: I gave you a shout-out!), and made jokes about my baby-faced cameraman: “Are you on summer vacation, yeah?” Okay, he did swear a bit, but that’s sort of a trademark.

Ever the businessman, however, as soon as the nitty gritty questions started rolling, Montreal’s newest culinary star grew serious. In our video interview, you’ll see how Gordon was quick to correct me when I called Laurier Gordon Ramsay a “new” restaurant, because it’s not. My bad. Actually, it opened in 1936 as Rotisserie Laurier BBQ, a family restaurant, and it’s been a Montreal institution for many generations of loyal clientele.

Since Gordon and his partners took over the establishment earlier this year, the décor has received a much-needed facelift. Much of the interior looks somewhat familiar, but the whole space is brighter and sleeker with creamy white ceilings and chic leather banquettes. Even the outside traded its yellow hue for a stylish black and white. Gordon called the look “casual glam” or “shabby chic.” Next summer a 35-seat terrasse is promised. That scored bonus points in my book.

Oh right. The food! The chicken, of course, is a mainstay, as is the pork, steak, and many of the sides that people have loved over the years. But the menu has been fine-tuned to meet Gordon’s haute standards, which included no more microwaving the infamous mocha cake just before serving. Opening night was a zoo of, I think, 600 people, so I couldn’t sit down and relax and colour on my placemat, but I did sample the food, which was happy, comforting goodness in my tummy. All at reasonable prices – with a nice affordable wine list to boot. I should mention that I did have seconds of the mac & cheese and spinach & cream. Both “bee-YOU-teh-ful”, as Gordon would say in his accent. Fancy that.

THE DETAILS

Laurier Gordon Ramsay, 381 Avenue Laurier Ouest, (514) 273-3671

The post LAURIER GORDON RAMSAY OPENS IN MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Will and Kate will be gracing Montreal with their presence for a mere 6 hours. But that won’t stop the hoopla! They won’t be doing any public appearances in Quebec, however they will be having lots of fun: A visit to Sainte-Justine University Hospital (to see all the sick children), a cooking workshop at the Institut de Tourisme et d’hotellerie du Quebec, and then off to Quebec City on the HMCS Montreal while the Fireworks from the International Fireworks Competition burst over their heads. How romantic! To be honest, the itinerary for Montreal is a bit of a snooze fest, though helping sick kids is good, I guess. So in celebration of our British ties (whether we like it or not), why not spend a day by being treated like Royalty…

{tea time}

What says opulence and royalty more than having high noon tea inside a jewelry store? Pretend you’re a princess while you enjoy the Birks Afternoon Tea served daily from 2:30PM. For a set price of $26.00 per person, you get a selection of teas from Mariages Frères, milk and lemon, 2 scones with all the desired accoutrements, desserts, macaroons, chocolates, mini cucumber and shrimp sandwiches, duck foie gras appetizer, mini club sandwich with prosciutto and mini smoked salmon and caviar canapes. How delicious! A bag of sweets to take home is also provided to bring over the top to over the edge. A Reservation is recommended.

{pub time}

When the royal wedding was going down, those who weren’t lining the streets in London were drinking in a classic British Pub. So after your tea time, better get your real drink on at a mock British Pub. The Burgundy Lion is located on Notre-Dame in Little Burgundy and is a very adorable and friendly watering hole. With an impressive selection of whiskey, beer, cocktails, and wine, Burgundy Lion is a place where you can get lost in for hours. Coat your stomach with their delectable menu, a yummy and fresh take on British food. Hint: try the Burgundy Lion Sandwich. You won’t be hungry again for a decade, but it’s so worth it.

{shopping time}

Sometimes it’s an experience to go to the historically more “English” part of Montreal, in that case head up to Westmount for great shopping! Up Greene Avenue, and along Sherbrooke West all the way to Decarie has some great little boutiques. Full of place where you can get designer digs, gourmet dog food, incredible cupcakes and handmade soaps. Claremont Cafe, The Ugg Store, and James Perse are all great stops found only in Westmount. Maybe you can even find a sexy fascinator to really complete your outfit:

THE DETAILS

Birks Cafe, 1240 Place Phillips, (514) 397-2511

Burgundy Lion, 2496 Rue Notre-Dame West, (514) 934-0888

The post MONTREAL GETS THE ROYAL TREATMENT appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

The Grand Prix du Canada F1 mania begins on the Thursday and Friday when the drivers do press appearances with their sponsors (such as Jenson Button at Harry Rosen and Hamilton Lewis at Birks). The “Peel Paddock” also begins. It’s a free outdoor event on Peel Street, where cars are blocked off between Rue Ste-Catherine and De Maisonneuve. Similar events go down on Crescent and St-Laurent, which are also free of traffic but packed with luxury cars. If you’re looking for instant F1 ambience, these are the places to be.

Pop sex-itude princess Rihanna gave Montreal 2 huge shows on Friday and Saturday night at the Bell Centre and was subsequently spotted all over town with Drake, including at La Mouche and Terrasses Bonsecours (as well as at the track on race day). I also heard that Kevin Garnett, the NBA player, was seen around town.

I had a lovely dinner Saturday night at La Coupole restaurant (inside Hôtel Le Crystal), where California babe Carmen Electra made an appearance with an entourage of bodyguards. I chatted with the glamour gal for a bit and complimented her skintight, hot pink mini that’s featured prominently in the video above. (PS- That yellow beast with the DeLorean doors in the intro is a Plethore Supercar made by Quebec-owned HTT Technologies. Getting into it with my leather mini-dress was not an easy thing to do.)

After a few cocktails on the terrasse and dancing at La Coupole (and a big kiss from boxer Jean Pascal), I headed to nearby Time Supper Club. A mini-stage (one of several) had some very provocative dancers strutting their stuff in front of a mirrored backdrop. It was all very Broadway Chicago but to a dance/house soundtrack. My amaretto sour, by the way, was also a whopping $20. As with hotel and restaurant prices, even cocktail prices were inflated. But I did bump into Ice-T at the door- and he called me “Baby”- so it was all worth it!

Speaking of money, and the extravagant usage thereof, also in town was Virgin head honcho Richard Branson, who held a party on Bota Bota. Tickets were only $500 per head. He was also spotted having dinner another night at Newtown on Crescent. In other celeb resto spotting news, actor Bradley Cooper of Hangover fame had dinner across of a friend of mine- I have eyes all over the city!- at Garde Manger.

Despite plans to hit about 200 more places, I ended the night at Velvet Speakeasy, a very cool underground spot. So many Grand Prix parties, so little time. For one compact weekend, Montreal is the epicentre of jet-setter heaven. If you’re planning on coming to Montreal next year for the races, I’d book my hotel reservations now. No joke.

Photo Credit: Drake/Rihanna: ©Terasses Bonsecours

The post MONTREAL GRAND PRIX 2011 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.