International Flora Montreal 2006 Press Trip
Garden Writers Region VII Meeting
June 14-16th, 2006
 

Tourisme Montreal had organized these wonderful few days in Montreal for us. We were here to take in the opening of Flora, the start of the 75th Anniversary of the Montreal Botanical Garden, plus see some historical gardens along the way.

I arrived into Montreal on Wednesday in time to make it to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Select Montreal Centre-Ville before our departure at 5:30. This hotel is located right in the old area of Montreal and close to a lot of things to see. The rooms were very comfortable, quiet and the service was great! Thank you to Joyce Lavoie, for taking good care of us and making our visit there so enjoyable.

http://www.yul-downtown.hiselect.com/

Bertin Jacques from Tourisme Montreal met us in the hotel lobby and we walked through a bit of old Montreal on our way to Chateau Ramezay for a drink and guided tour through these historic gardens. ‘Claude de Ramezay arrived in Montréal in 1705 as the city’s new governor. There he hired Pierre Couturier, an architect and mason, to build a home on Notre-Dame Street. The Ramezay property covered 4,200m2 and included an orchard, a kitchen garden, and a pleasure garden where, no doubt, the governor hosted fine receptions, for his home was at the heart of the city’s social life. At that time, gardens were numerous in the city: there were 186 of them in 1731.’ http://www.chateauramezay.qc.ca/jardin/eng/index.htm

After our tour we headed to Les Fille du Roy Restaurant, part of the The Hostellerie Pierre Du Calvet, built in 1725, and an ancestral family mansion. With its exceptional decorations, antique furnishings, family heirlooms and European character, it is known as a small Hôtel-Chateau.. read the history of this on their site.

http://www.pierreducalvet.ca/

Thank you to the Ministere du Tourisme du Quebec for this lovely evening.