The next part of the tour takes us through Little Italy and Mile End, before we wind our way over to our next stop, the Jean-Talon Market. As we wander around exploring the smorgasbord of fresh produce, meats, cheeses and baked goods, Mr. Mayer picks up our lunch at the eatery Milliner Creativite Gourmand for our picnic.
We then hop back onto our bikes and take a detour through several of the city’s so-called green alleyways, the results of a civic initiative to beautify gritty, residential back lanes. Planted with flowers and greenery, they’re a hidden, urban oasis. Then, it’s off to Parc La Fontaine, where we enjoy our picnic on a grassy slope overlooking the pond.
While that concludes Mr. Mayer’s itinerary for a perfect day in Montreal, my ideal day is incomplete without a trip to the spa. I make my way over to the restored industrial, waterfront district of Vieux-Port for a massage at Bota Bota.
Bota Bota, which opened last year, is actually a moored ferryboat, transformed into a chic, modern facility. Co-owner Natalie Émond explains that she and sister Genevieve had been scouring the city for a site for their new spa, but were unable to find a location that was easily accessible to downtown clients, yet still close to nature. The revitalized waterfront, with its park-like setting, was as close to that ideal as they could get. When they heard that the 1951 ferryboat was for sale, they knew they had found their solution. The sisters snapped it up and commissioned Montreal’s Sid Lee Architecture to redesign the vessel.
The boat’s hull has been revamped into a change room and locker room, while the main deck houses its reception area, restaurant and treatment facilities. On the upper decks are a yoga room, relaxation areas and the spa’s main attraction, its water circuit, consisting of two saunas, a steam room, two outdoor hot tubs and cold baths.
“To do the water circuit in the right way, you have to go into a hot source, whether it is the sauna or the steam room, for 10 to 15 minutes,” Ms. Émond says. Next, it’s a “brief and courageous dip into a cold plunge for a few seconds.”
Finally, she recommends a 15-to-20-minute relaxation period on the terrace lounge chairs or indoor bean bag seats, and then back to the hot source to redo the circuit again. The process is meant to be good for one’s skin and circulation.
I start out with a 60-minute massage, then take a few rounds of the water circuit. Ms. Émond is right: It takes courage to jump into one of the bracing, cold baths after the warmth of the steam and sauna. But the effect is invigorating. As I flop onto one of the lounge chairs, the sound of the surrounding water lapping against the hull of the boat and the tranquillity of the nautical scenery help put me into a state of deep relaxation.
Pampered and loosened up, I’m ready for dinner.
Montreal has no shortage of great restaurants. There’s L’Express, an old-school French bistro in Le Plateau that has impeccable service and a knack for pumping out consistently well-prepared classics such as steak frites, fish soup and pork rillettes. There’s Joe Beef, operated by chefs David McMillan and Frédéric Moran, known for drool-worthy dishes such as steaks, lobster spaghetti and the gourmet nod to KFC: Foie Gras Double Down. And there’s DNA, a shiny, modern restaurant in Old Montreal with an ever-changing menu based on seasonal, local ingredients.
