Montreal

The venerable Arthur Quentin 

chic'd out Amy

Inspiration for winter greenery displays in Old Monreal

Biosphere from 1967 World Fair in Parc Jean-Drapeau

Parc du Mont-Royal

Adelaide and Ava preparing Amy's birthday cake

I visited my dear friend Amy in Montreal last weekend.  She has been living in the lovely neighborhood of Westmount for five months and I wanted to visit her before her departure back to California this Saturday.  Montreal has a great reputation.  People rave about its food, friendly citizens and beauty.  It's all true.  While it was an easy plane trip from Boulder,  I did feel at times like I was in France--at Atwater market, where the butcher makes extraordinary duck confit and stuffed quail; at the very French bistro Au Petit Extra, where the atmosphere, food and large carafes of house red made for a memorable lunch; and on the cobblestone streets of old Montreal, where chic restaurants and stores are tucked into the uneven streets.  On a couple of occasions I realized that this would be the best place to work on your French.  Nearly everyone is bilingual so my blended French-English sentences actually made perfect sense to them:  "C'est tres jolie, this dress.  S'il vous plait, size 6" C'est tres bon.  I love it."  My favorite spots:  the highly curated and stylish housewares shop Arthur Quentin,  the restaurants L'Express and Au Petit Extra, both delicious and decidedly French, the entire neighborhood of Westmount, and Parc du Mont-Royal, a sprawling park of wonderful paths and views that can be appreciated at 2am with no fear.  Beyond the delights of Montreal, all the hours of quality time with my lovely friend and her two wonderful daughters are what made it the get-away everything that I needed it to be...and more.  Thank you, Amy!