Opus Montreal : Ooh la la!

I'm off to Montreal next week and so looking forward to spending one of the five nights at the new Opus Montreal.

Formerly the Hotel Godin, one of Montreal's premier boutique hotels, it has been purchased by Trilogy Properties Corp. They're the folks who own the highly acclaimed Opus Hotel in Vancouver, along with Adara Whistler Hotel.

The 1914 Art Nouveau style hotel features the Opus Bar, a stylish lounge serving up cool cocktails and tasty tapas, with live music from the city's best DJ's. A restaurant is scheduled to open in 2008.

Opus Montreal blends modern design with a nod to history. With 136 guestrooms done up in sleek minimalist style, there is no shortage of luxurious comfort.

Amenities include French or English morning newspapers, Frette' bathrobes, l'Occitane bath products and twice daily maid service.

Located on the corner of Sherbrooke and St. Laurent, the hotel is steps from the entertainment district and minutes from Vieux Montreal and Le Plateau Mont-Royal.

To celebrate the opening, book online through the hotel's website and you'll receive a ten percent discount plus complimentary parking.

Early morning at the Bonsecours Market. Photo by Sue Frause.

Canadian Country Music Awards

I tuned into the CBC last night to watch the Canadian Country Music Awards hosted by Paul Brandt.

Held at Brandt Centre (no relation to Paul) in Regina, Saskatchewan, the big winner of the evening was Emerson Drive.

The group snagged three awards, including Single of the Year for Moments.

It's the first single by a Canadian band to hit No. 1 on the Billboard country chart.

Other winners were Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Female Artist of the Year and Brad Johner, Male Artist of the Year.

The most unusual award was the Kraft Cheez Whiz Fans Choice Award that went to Terri Clark.

She's received it seven times in 11 years.

Hotel Saskatchewan no doubt played host to country music stars attending the awards ceremonies in Regina. Photo by Sue Frause.

Vancouver's COAST Restaurant goes Indian

Yaletown's COAST Restaurant is featuring authentic Indian cuisine September 12-23.

"At COAST, we love to expose our guests to exotic tastes from around the world," says Executive Chef Jeremy Atkins. "With Indian cuisine, you have the freedom to experiment with different spices and flavor combinations to really create that wow factor for guests."

Here are some of the menu items. Pair with a local BC wine and you'll be transported to an exotic place and taste.

Indian Ocean Tiger Prawns with green curry, slivered mango and chilled panna
Black Widow Gewurztraminer 2006, Naramata Bench

Fire-Grilled Jack Fish & Summer Vegetable Kabobs with cumin scented basmati rice and roasted cashew butter
Winchester Cellars Sharp Rock Chardonnay 2005, Victoria

Chai Kheer Rice Pudding with chilled coconut sabayon
Mission Hill Late Harvest Riesling 2005, Okanagan Valley

COAST Restaurant is located at 1257 Hamilton Street in Yaletown. Call 604.685.5010 for reservations.

Granville Island Hotel sunrise. Sue Frause photo.

Whistler website has snow scoops

Whistler Blackcomb has a new website with information about the athletes, their secret spots, adventure and travel.

Untrackedlines.com includes athlete blogs, photos and movie teasers. You'l also find out what's happening in and around Whistler and the ski and snowboard world.

Athletes include Sarah Burke, Leanne Pelosi, Priscilla Leevac, Mark Abma, Justin Lamorureux, Ian McIntosh, Den Treadway and Mikey Rencz.

As the snow season ramps up, they'll be posting updates and photos of their best "pow" day, best Sushi Village moment, best wipe out, best friends and other tales from the cold terrain.

A contest is also part of the website. Three Sticks of Bacon and a Helicopter could result in a great trip for two to Whistler.

The grand prize includes round-trip airfare to Whistler from anywhere in North America; Star Limo transfers; Whistler Blackcomb lift tickets; a day of heli skiing or riding with Whistler Hili-Skiing; accommodation at the Holiday Inn and more.

Travel journalists and members of Tourism Whistler pose with Ullr, the Norse God of Snow. That's me in the green.

Race Rocks Lighthouse

Race Rocks Lighthouse is located on the southernmost point of Vancouver Island. Photo by Sue Frause.

A yummy cookbook, indeed!

That's my friend Sylvia.

She owns Fairholme Manor in Victoria, BC and wrote a cookbook.

That's why she's on the cover and I'm not.

OK, I did edit the cookbook, which is the most appetizing array of yummy recipes for breakfasts and brunches, accompanied by fabulous photos.

A lot of people asked me if editing the cookbook meant I had to make all the recipes.

Nope.

I merely played with the words to make sure it all made sense. I also wrote all the copy for the jacket and the foreword to the book that begins

As a travel writer, I sleep around a lot.

It was a fun gig!

You can order the book from Fairholme Manor's website, or if you're in western Canada it's available in many kitchen shops and bookstores.

On Whidbey Island, stop by Moonraker Books in Langley.

It makes the perfect hostess gift!

Canada and our changing climate

Canada took a stand on the climate at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Sydney, Australia.

Read more about their pledge to stop human activity from causing dangerous changes in the climate in The Montreal Gazette.

Ottawa Parliament Building. Photo by Sue Frause.

Falling for Whistler is easy to do

I love Whistler in the fall.

And now until October 31, BC's premier mountain resort is offering a Fall Dine & Unwind program featuring regional cuisine and prix-fixe menus at participating restaurants.

Afterwards, rejuvenate with specials on spa and wellness treatments, such as the divine Royal Balinese Treament at the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa. The two hours of bliss is reduced from $290 to $189.

The Whistler Farmers' Market is open Sundays through Oct. 7 for local produce, jams, honey, baked goods and arts and crafts.

Save up to 25 per cent on multi-day, multi-course golf vacation packages and the Whistler Mountain Biking package.

Hiking Whistler Mountain is free!

Go mid-week and avoid the border back-up. And book online, it's easy.

A view from Fairmont Chateau Whistler, which has packages starting at $139. Photo by Sue Frause.

Ending up in the wrong place. Uff da!

A friend in Montreal sent me this funny news item about lost Norwegians. Knowing that I'm a card carrying member of the Daughters of Norway, he didn't want me to be led astray next time I go abroad.

RODEZ, France, Sept 5, 2007 (AFP) - A spelling mistake on the Internet led to a surprise trip to remote southern France for three Norwegian tourists who thought they were going to a Greek island, airport officials said Wednesday.

The family group from Torp-Sandefjord thought they had booked a flight to the island of Rhodes but instead the journey from Oslo took them via London to Rodez, capital of the mountainous Aveyron department.

According to airport authorities at Rodez some 10 tourists make the same mistake every year.

Photo courtesy Hotel du Lion d'Or.

Take the train to avoid border waits

The headline in today's Seattle P-I doesn't bode well for travelers to and from Canada:

Wait at Canadian border going from bad to brutal

It sounds like it's going to be bad news for a couple of years.

Being a big BC fan, I'm not going to let a little traffic congestion keep me at home.

As always, I love taking the train to Vancouver, BC. And whether you live in Seattle, Edmonds, Everett, Mount Vernon or Bellingham -- traveling on Amtrak is a good alternative.

The downside between now and the end of the year is that the Talgo train is still in the repair shop.

What does that mean?

It's the old Superliner equipment and certain services and amenities have been added or changed.

Current Services and Amenities

* The Superliner Coach features upper and lower level seating.
* The Sightseer Lounge offers casual seating for sightseeing and socializing along with light meals, snacks and beverages for purchase.

Services Temporarily Suspended

* Sit-down dining car meal service
* Business Class
* On-board movies

The best part about going Business Class is getting off at the station in Vancouver, BC first -- meaning you go through Customs and Immigration first.

That doesn't happen on the Superliner so the wait will be longer depending when you are allowed to get off the train.

Make reservations in advance by booking online or calling Amtrak. I blew it the last time I was traveling between Canada and the US.

I waited too long to book the train back to Seattle from Vancouver. When I called, it was sold out and I had to take the bus home.

Not a good thing.

Amtrak arrives at Bellingham. Sue Frause photo.

Moving Beyond - Vancouver textile show

Vancouver, BC's Surface Design Association presents its first juried exhibition, Moving Beyond.

The show runs Sept. 6-27, 2007.

Venues include five locations in Gastown and Granville Island: Urbanity, Button Button, SAWA Tea & Craft, Textile Content Studio and Mooncruise.

The exhibition showcases diverse, original and innovative textile art by BC members of the SDA.

Participating in the exhibition are Angelika Werth, Anne Marie Andrishak, Brigitte Rice, Cher Cartwright, Hanna Haapasalo, Jane Kenyon, Jennifer Love, Julia Manitius, Kaija Rautiainen, Kate Barber, Kristin Rohr, Melissa Bienvenue Woods and Yvonne Wakabayashi.

A roving reception will be held Friday, Sept. 6, from 6-9 PM at the five venues.

The #50 False Creek bus runs frequently between Gastown and Granville Island.