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Visiting the past: Montreal's historic heart Web Exclusive By Chris MillikanChilliwack Times Monday, February 11, 2008 CREDIT: Montreal's old city hall. Chris Millikan photo.History buffs love sauntering along old Montreal's cobbled European-style streets, or wandering her public squares surrounded by grand cathedrals, historic homes and museums. My hubby Rick and I recently joined the curious throng and probed this cosmopolitan city's earliest days. At Musee Pointe-a-Calliere's theatre, a multi-media journey through six centuries kicks off our exploration of Montreal's birthplace between the St. Lawrence and Little St. Pierre Rivers. This innovative three-storey archaeological museum rises sleekly above the original townsite where Paul de Chomedey and 35 French colonists settled in 1642. A stroll through Fort Ville-Marie's subterranean remains reveals traces of the early palisade, first Catholic cemetery, base of the old customs square - even the sights and sounds of a lively market day, circa 1750. And from the third floor open-air lookout, we view panoramic Vieux-Port's busy quayside, nowadays a landscaped 2.5-kilometre linear park complete with flowers, sparkling water fountains and pools. Nearby, Place Royale (now Place d'Youville) developed later atop Little Saint-Pierre River. Here a soaring granite obelisk recalls those plucky settlers beginning new lives on this strategic point of land at the foot of Mount Royal. Two blocks away, an old fire station encloses the Centre d'Histoire de Montreal, a small but charming museum reflecting city history through stories of celebrated personalities. Northward along Rue St-Jacques, the sparkling Trade Centre dwarfs sober financial institutions left from Montreal's early financial Wall Street days, notably the Bank of Montreal, Canada's oldest bank, and the New York Life building, once North America's tallest skyscraper at 10 storeys. Nearby we encounter Cath,drale Marie-Reine-du-Monde, whose unexpected grandeur resembles Saint Peter's in Rome. But here, patron saints of parishes grace the facade. And elaborate interiors reflect new world history, except for the marble altar canopy imitating Bernini's work in St Peter's. In the distance we spot McCord Museum, permanently chronicling Canada's momentous past in McGill University's oldest part. In Place d'Armes, a central monument commemorates Montreal's founders. But the magnificent Basilique de Notre-Dame dominates this historic square, her spectacular interiors sculpted in wood and gold leaf. Inspiring stained glass windows illustrate biblical passages as well as parish history. And for over two centuries, seigneurs resided next door at St-Sulpice Seminary, still topped by a clock from 1701. Stretching from Vieux-Port to Rue Notre-Dame, fine 19th-century townhouses and mansions surround Place-Jacques Cartier. Though Admiral Nelson's monument towers over this cobbled square, it carries the French explorer's name. Once a large public market, Victorian streetlamps, tubs of red and yellow flowers, buskers and artists now create a lively ambience in this hillside square, day and night. Along with locals and hordes of others, we toast Old Port's panoramas from beneath flamboyant red awnings at one of its many sidewalk cafes. At the top of the plaza, Hotel-de-Ville outshines a sombre cluster of early courthouses. From the grand balcony of this City Hall, French President General Charles de Gaulle once shouted, "Vive le Quebec libre!" causing quite a stir during his 1967 visit. Behind, we find remnants of the wall that once stretched three kilometres around old town. Across the street, Chateau de Ramezay awaits; attendants in ruffled blue dresses, white aprons and poke bonnets greet us. Built in 1705 for Montreal's governor, 15 connecting rooms housed his family of 16 children. With remarkable 17th-century artifacts and furnishings this stone, peak-roofed mansion exemplifies the gracious lifestyle of its esteemed residents. Behind the house we wander the French-style Governor's Garden, tranquil and fragrant. Inspired by gardens at Versailles, this spot replicates former seigneurial gardens flourishing with fruit trees, flowers, vegetables and medicinal plants - but on a much smaller scale. "Then, everyone had gardens; large ones like this covered nearly two-thirds of the old fortified town," explains the gardener, harvesting pungent chives, young carrots and emerald sprigs of parsley. Within blocks, dramatized audiotapes guide us through another 19th-century residence. Fashions and authentically restored, lavishly furnished interiors allow peeks into Sir George Etienne-Cartier's influential life and glitzy high society of his day. Fondly remembered as a Father of Canadian Confederation, his considerable achievements also included creation of Quebec's civil code and development of the Grand Trunk Railroad, all documented in his faithfully restored office. Looping back, we pass La Maison Pierre du Calvet from 1725, possibly the most photographed of all the heritage houses. Currently a first rate inn and restaurant, striking wine-red doors and window frames contrast with massive grey rock walls, chimneys and steeply sloped roof. The original homeowner collaborated with rebels during the American Revolution, holding clandestine meetings here with Ben Franklin, an envoy sent in 1775-76. In the same neighborhood - and fondly nicknamed the Sailor's Church - Montreal's oldest chapel is immortalized in Leonard Cohen's Suzanne. Notre-Dame-de-bon-Secours has been a place of pilgrimage since 1665. Mariners believed the 10-metre rooftop Virgin Mary and her glorious angels safeguarded them at sea; some donated tiny ships in appreciation, many of which we notice hanging in the chapel. Up 92 winding steps, we gaze over old town and harbor. Adjacent Ecole Bonsecours school was replaced with a small museum chronicling first teacher Marguerite Bourgeoy's life. A leisurely walk westward takes us past silver-domed Marche Bonsecours, Montreal's major agricultural market for over a century. Restored for its 150th anniversary, her long 100,000-square-foot limestone building has been re-established as a modern marketplace featuring specialty shops, exhibitions and sidewalk cafes. By strolling Montreal's historic streets and acquainting ourselves with early personalities, we traced the development of this little French fur-trading town into today's happening metropolis. Travel Editor Vic Foster's guest this week is freelance travel writer Chris Millikan, who lives in North Delta. Travel the world on the Internet at www.travelingtales.com. http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=94057656-f1c5-4904-ba64-09fcd08d6d56&k=89562

Growing ideas all the way from Montreal Yvonne Michie Horn, Special to The Chronicle Wednesday, August 8, 2007 sfgate_get_fprefs(); Long, cold winters and short summers made Montreal an unlikely mecca for gardeners. Then Flora came to town. In its second year, Flora winds along the banks of a derelict quay in the center-city Old Port district, revealing, in 10 acres of twists and turns, 49 innovative residential gardens matched with 24 "showcase" gardens spotlighting what's new in products, plant materials and design. Towering abandoned grain elevators serve as a backdrop; in the foreground are the shining skyscrapers of downtown. The location in the middle of the city sets the stage for what Flora is all about. The array of gardens on display is designed to inspire urban dwellers with postage-stamp backyards to take a second look at their small outdoor spaces (decks or even rooftops) with the idea of turning them into life-enhancing "green room" extensions of their houses. "These are real gardens, not roped-off gardens to be strolled by," said Raquel Peñalosa, Flora's artistic director. "You can walk into them, linger in them, sit down and visit, pretend they are your own, while giving thought to how the ideas presented might be adapted to your spaces at home." Once Flora 2007 ends, Peñalosa and Flora's artistic committee will be looking at proposals from landscape architects who want to be included next year. "We look for sustainability with an aesthetic edge, usefulness and originality," Peñalosa said, adding that from the start, Flora received proposals from as far away as Europe and Australia. Unlike most garden shows - installed for "here today, gone tomorrow" impact - Flora is on display for Montreal's entire growing season, from mid-June into September, offering repeat visitors the opportunity to see gardens mature and change, just as they would at home. Color rules the day, from a lineup of gigantic orange flowerpots and orange benches at the entrance to the color coding of the garden's seven themed sections: city, nature, slope, nurturing, rooftop, avant-garde and street-side. A long, bright red table flanked with matching stools turns the space at No. 13, "Feast," into a dining room set in the midst of planting beds that pay more attention to edibles than flowers. Garden No. 17, "Emerald Enchantment," has a deck painted a startling lime green, scattered with orange beanbag chairs and topped with an orange canopy. Multicolor Plexiglas disks atop tall rods at No. 35, "Earth and Sky," turn the light-colored gravel underneath into colorful polka dots when the sun shines through. I made a mental note to consider adding bold color when contemplating a backyard face-lift. Other thought-provoking themes emerged as I walked Flora's paths: -- Forget the separate vegetable patch; plant edibles with the flowers. It is the rare Flora garden that has not done so. One example harnesses a seemingly haphazard assortment of tomatoes, herbs, peppers, parsley and more with a border of euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' and orange marigolds. The idea appears to have quickly jumped out of Flora into Montreal's heart - the median strip dividing the busy four lanes of Boulevard Rene-Lévesque in front of Montreal's venerable Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel intersperses its shrubs and flowers with rainbow Swiss chard. -- Furniture is the key to enjoying outdoor space. Every Flora display garden includes seating of some sort, not just placed for a visitor's contemplative convenience but also incorporated into the design. One unforgettable setting duplicates a living room - traditional sofa, coffee table, deep armchairs - but all carved from stone. They're surprisingly comfortable and undeniably weatherproof. -- Make use of indigenous perennials. Easy to grow and modest consumers of water and fertilizer, they introduce authentic, creative and sustainable solutions to the landscape. -- Think of annuals as accents. Allow shrubs and perennials to become the backbone of the garden. Add annuals sparingly for quick seasonal color. -- Repetition adds unity. Instead of sticking in a couple of these and those here and there, achieve impact with the massing of material - three-deep rows of a single variety of grass, an entire bed filled with Russian sage. -- Add art. Such additions as a single large piece of sculpture, a scattering of colored-glass baubles or a mounted "window" of stained glass add individuality and impact. -- Create private spaces with screens. Flora's gardens offer screening ideas using both permanent dividers, such as walls of stone, and those that are movable, making use of such materials as woven slats of lightweight wood or strung-together canes of bamboo. An easy low-cost suggestion is a stretched cloth banner. -- Think about planting up. Space-saving lattices are not only for roses and morning glories but are also ideal for climbing edibles such as tomatoes, cucumbers, gourds, melons and beans. It is not too late to visit Flora this year, and it's not too early to mark calendars for next summer - and, for a complete Canadian garden experience, to consider getting there by train. ViaRail Canada has put together a cross-country garden route that begins in Victoria, British Columbia, and ends up 16 spectacular gardens later in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Montreal and Flora, of course, are a must-stop along the way. Flora's flora French-speaking people in Montreal call them "Les Exceptionnels," plants voted as exceptional by Flora's designers and visiting public: Zinnia 'Profusion,' deep apricot, blooms repeatedly, easily grown from seed. Cleome 'Señorita Rosalita,' vivid pink blooms against dark, green foliage. Rudbeckia 'Irish Spring,' rich, golden blossoms with green central cones. Pansy 'Karma Denim,' large deep-blue flowers blotched with yellow. Scaveola 'Diamond,' graceful and compact with fanlike clusters of lilac and white. Celosia 'Fresh Look,' flower stems up to 10 inches, never needs deadheading. Begonia 'Solenia Cherry,' semi-trailing. Penstemon 'Phoenix Red,' orderly and brilliant. Anigozanthos 'Kanga Red,' also known as kangaroo paws, are attractive to bees and butterflies. Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost,' mannerly border plant with a white froth of blossom. For information www.floramontreal.ca/en/index.asp . For ViaRail's garden itinerary, (888) 842-7245; for general information and booking, www.viarail.ca . Yvonne Michie Horn is a travel and garden writer. E-mail her at home@sfchronicle.com.