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.

Mama's milk and ciggy lighters

Effective August 4, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will allow most types of cigarette lighters in carry-on luggage.

The ban has been lifted on disposable butane lighters, such as Bics, and refillable lighters, such as Zippos.

Torch lighters, which have a hotter flame, will continue to be banned.

The TSA is also modifying the rules associated with carrying breast milk through security checkpoints.

Mothers flying with, and now without, their child will be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint.

A controversial poster at The Quebec Museum of Folk Culture in Trois-Rivieres.
Photo by Sue Frause.

Signs of the times

I'm in Honolulu and scheduled to fly back to Seattle this afternoon.

The news about the incident at Glasgow Airport is not good. Especially since it happened one day after the car bombing in London's nightclub district.

I'm not changing my travel plans this summer.

Terrorism is all about scaring people. I'm not scared.

But fortunately, I have no plans to fly until the end of September, when I'm off to Montreal.

Flying in the summer sucks, even when the skies are supposedly friendly.

I'm scheduled to fly to London, Manchester and Frankfurt in October.

I'm not changing my plans.

Travel is part of my life. It's part of who I am.

A sign in Honolulu. Photo by Sue Frause.