The colors of Montreal’s Marché Jean-Talon

By Christopher Elliott |

Montreal’s Jean-Talon Market isn’t on many tourist maps, but at this time of year, it should be.

The stands are bursting with ripe blueberries, cherries and raspberries in every imaginable color. It’s quite a sight.

In Montreal, farm-to-table is more than a buzzword; we were told that residents really do shop here every day, and they take their food very seriously.

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There’s a network of these markets, which are open year-round, across the city. We saw two of them today — the largest, in Little Italy, and another on the west side of town.

One of the best ways to discover a new destination is to eat your way through it, but Montreal makes it easy with a place like Jean-Talon Market.

We are about to enjoy a simple meal of baguette, artisan cheese, Québec apples and wine, all purchased today from the market.

Here’s the view from Mount Royal Park this afternoon.

I wish we had more time here. This is a great town.

As always, I’ll have more on Montreal on National Geographic Traveler’s Intelligent Travel blog.