The good parts

[catherineldf]

Of the Montreal trip as I have not posted these yet.
On Friday, on the recommendation of the fabulous Elise Moser, we went and checked out Chocolates by Chloe, rumored to be the best in Montreal (http://www.yummybaguette.com/magasin.php-id=177.htm). Absolutely no argument from us. The masala-flavored bars are to die for. :-)
And it's next to a small book-binding shop/studio. Jana got in lots of bonding and I bought a lovely artist's box. Then we met Elise and my occasional editor, the talented Claude Lalumière for dinner at a very nice Indian restaurant. Claude was quite sick unfortunately but we did manage to hang out and chat for a bit before she had to go and he crashed.
Saturday, we wandered over to the Canadian architecture museum for a show on ecobuilding in the 1970s. Well worth seeing thought it was hideously depressing to realize how much ground we lost under "Saint Reagan" and his predecessors. :-(
Then we were off on an epic hike to The Insectarium. The displays and the "bug zoo" (little bug terrariums with various insects running about) were quite fascinating and I acquired a fluffy stuffed tarantula for my mother (yes, it is something she would want). After that it was back to the hotel to collapse for a bit before heading off to Old Montreal for dinner. I picked 'Les Filles du Roy,'located in a 300+ year old building that also houses the Hotel Calvet(http://www.pierreducalvet.ca/english/restaurants.html). Wow. It had this marvelous combination of jumble sale and venerable antiques. And miscellaneous live birds in cages that chirped and twittered and shrieked through dinner. The hostess was kind enough to give us a tour after our pleasant and opulent meal, so it made for a fascinating time. Les Filles du Roy were the women who were sent over from France at the King's expense to colonize Quebec (generally by marrying male settlers); they may or may not have lived in the space at one time or another.
On Sunday, Elise was kind enough to assemble a group of local writers for breakfast at an Iranian/Canadian cafe to kick off my birthday. We got to meet a number of interesting folks and learn a bit about the writing life in Canada. Then we were off to the art museum, which was mostly closed for various renovations. After that, we trekked out to visit with my friend, writer Nairne Holtz (the award-winning The Skin Beneath and forthcoming works), and her partner. Good food, good conversation and one very friendly mini Doberman. :-)
Monday, we scruffed around used bookstores and slept a lot.
And that was that. I do wish the trip hadn't been bookended by the various security incidents since it would have otherwise been a perfectly satisfactory vacation. But there you have it. Off to go watch PBS disembowel another Jane Austen novel now.

Comments

[gypsy1969.livejournal.com]

Off to go watch PBS disembowel another Jane Austen novel now.
*snicker*
I've been afraid to watch them for just that reason! Besides I need to get them on DVD so I can speed them up and slow them down etc.

[catherineldf.livejournal.com]

Well, it was marginally better than their attempts to do "Mansfield Park" and "Persuasion," but that would be the definition of damning with faint praise. :-( The Ang Lee, Emma Thompson S&S is much, much better.

[jean-roberta.livejournal.com]

Given the alarming security incidents, I suppose there is slim hope that you will be visiting other fascinating regions of Canada sometime soon. (I wonder if you were suspected of being in cahoots with Quebec separatists who would prefer their own country??) The Conservatives are out of control. I'm going to post on the latest stupid thing they've done locally.

[catherineldf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, gotta admit, it does cast something of a pallor on the notion at present. I doubt it's anything Quebecois though; my money's on the Republican National Convention coming to the Twin Cities in August. It is not, needless to say. a universally loved notion and they've been hassling people working on the protest. I, alas, while a simp, have no time to do anything so they're wasting their time.

[mecooper.livejournal.com]

Was the Museum of Architecture the one in the old city where you go down through the lower levels where they've excavated to show the various building that had been on that site for the past few hundred years? Call me a geek, but that was one of my favourite things when I visited Montreal.

Sounds like a good trip all around (except for the entry/exit security issues)

[catherineldf.livejournal.com]

The Museum of Architecture is a big building downtown, about a city block long. The dig site sounds interesting but we didn't make more than one trip into Old Montreal so we missed it.