About Vanessa Muri
Montreal City Editor Vanessa Muri has lived in London and Tokyo, but finds the charms of her hometown irresistible. From the latest scoops to the best deals in Montreal and everything in between, don't miss her weekly take on life in the fair city.
Enter the Arena
montreal musings Montreal
(Jan.13.10)
After Christmas and New Year’s were all about family, I decided to bring a little extra romance into my marriage, and arranged an afternoon with my husband at the place we had our first official date: Le Atrium.
This indoor skating rink has been around for ages (as evidenced by our slight shock at the current entry fee) and is a Montreal institution. Being able to skate year-round in a warm place away from the whipping wind and sub-zero temperatures is a true blessing, and one that I’d like to experience more often.
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It was over 16 years ago (yes, we are school sweethearts and that old) that we stepped together onto the ice in what turned out to be one of our best dates ever. We had a great time holding hands, attempting crossovers and simply falling down. (Repeatedly.)
You can learn a lot about a person by the way they react to potentially embarrassing moments, and he was calm and cool as a cucumber; I was red as a tomato. It was the perfect place to get to know someone without any expectations or the pressure that can come from dinner dates.
Little tips that may help you plan your next outing to Le Atrium: .JPG)
1) We forgot just how warm the rink is. Even my short pea coat was way too much padding. As for his Kanuk…
2) The day lockers are small tiny. Splurge the extra $2 and get separate lockers. (Somewhere to store that cumbersome coat, perhaps?)
3) Plan to stay at least two hours. It took us about 45 minutes to get used to being on blades again (not quite like riding a bike), and after waiting for the Zamboni to resurface the ice, etc, etc, it was already time to go. And we really didn’t want to leave.
Here we are, complete with post-skate glow...
Second best date ever.
What are your favourite first date destinations in Montreal? Or the worst ones? Feel free to log-in and share your story!
Thought that was sweet? You’ll enjoy:
- Ask an Expert: First Dates
- Top 5: Skating Rinks