Go ahead and call us crazy. Last December, my other half and I decided to leave our short sleeves and balmy weather behind to take a last-minute trip into the ice and snow. We found a great deal to Montreal, Canada and splurged on the hotel Auberge Du Vieux Port , located on Rue de la Commune in Old Montreal.

The city didn’t disappoint my visions of Christmas bliss. So, here’s my guide to having a perfect Christmas in Montreal, Canada:

1. Eschew your fear of clichés. Go ahead and listen for jingling bells, drink lots of hot chocolate and maple syrup and admire the holly-covered doorways and twinkling lights of Christmas trees. Sing a Christmas carol or two while you’re at it.

2. Take a horse-drawn calèche (carriage) around Old Montreal. This may also be a cliché, but frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. It’s fun, romantic, informative, and made me feel like Anna Karenina. (Or at least like SJP riding off into the distance with Alexandre Petrovsky in Sex and the City .)

3. Make Old Montreal your home base. I know there are hip neighborhoods all over Montreal, but for the ultimate “quaint” experience, stay in Old Montreal. I highly recommend the hotel, Auberge Du Vieux Port , for my three “v’s”: value, vibe, and view. Old Montreal is the North American Paris. Speaking of which, check out the Basilique Notre-Dame , which has the cache of being Celine Dion’s wedding ceremony location. Refrain from the urge to sing “My Heart Will Go On ”.)

4. Be prepared for snow. Maybe it’s just because I’m a dumbass like this, but I took little ballet flats to walk the snow-covered cobblestone streets of Montreal. (Maybe I can just attribute it to never having below freezing weather where I live.) After falling on my ass (this is a theme ) a couple of times, I finally broke down and invested in some great boots to use on later trips.

5. Train in the stomach Olympics before you leave. Montreal has some good great food. Be prepared to eat, and eat…and eat. Mr. Gnome and I were actually over our little foodie heads at the restaurant, Chez L’Epicier . (Amouse-bouche of pureed asparagus and truffles anyone?)

6. Try the poutine. Yes, I’ve turned vegan nowadays, but the memory remains fresh in my mind. Fries drenched in gravy and cheese curds sounds slightly disgusting, but it’s one of those tastes-better-than-it-sounds concoctions. Oh and eating poutine without beer is a sin. Which brings me to…

7. Sample the Quebec beers. They make some pretty dank beers up in there in Quebec. My favorite one that I sampled was the Griffon Extra Pale Ale.

8. Be touristy and buy the maple syrup. The maple syrup really is fabulous and is one easy, cheap way to shop for all the wonderful family and friends you left back home.

9. See lots and lots of Christmas trees. Even though it’s a bit of a hassle to get to, the Jardin Botanique de Montréal (Botanical Gardens) houses loads of decorated Christmas trees and kitchy Christmas decorations like cacti singing Christmas carols. It’s also one of the largest botanical gardens in the world.

10. Go slow. My favorite part about being in Montreal around Christmas? Simply strolling the streets, arm in arm with the hubs, slowly taking in the sights and popping in and out of anyplace we felt like. Well, that and drinking spiked hot chocolate in bed.

text/photos: Nancy Harder