Montreal, until October 31 - I am a complete philistine when it comes to oysters, being one of those people who feels that 90% of the half-shell experience is the butter, the slightly exotic nature of the dish, and the booze drunk while tipping back and chugging the little things down, and only 10% about the actual taste, which, let’s face it, isn’t much.

But if you are already convinced about oysters, and love them to death, then there are few better places to be this month than in Old Montreal for the Festival l’eau à la bouche (”mouth-watering”). It’s slightly misleading to call it a festival, since the participating restaurants are all owned by the same hotel consortium –- it’s a little like the kind of “Rib-fest!” a more downscale eatery might put on –- but all the same, the slippery little fellows will be cheap and plentiful at the six participating restaurants.

Plus, Montreal’s Old Port is beautiful right now, oysters or no oysters.