Yes, I know...I totally suck at keeping up with this blog. Somewhere along the way, I've developed ADD. I know you've been waiting with baited breath until my next post. With that said, on with the show!
August 19th, 2011. We rolled in to Montreal with hopes, dreams, two cats and a boatload of uncertainty for our future.
August 19, 2013.
Just like our 1 year mark of being here, that day came and went without a second glance. It passed without a peep from either of us. We went about our daily routines without giving it another thought. I worked on my book (yes, I'm writing a novel. More on that in another post) and Bill was in Cologne, Germany for Gamescon, pimping his new game Lego Legends of Chima Online! I don't know why, but this morning it hit me. We've been here TWO years...wow!
I could attribute that we missed our "anniversary" to the fact that the novelty of living in another country wore off. I don't think about it everyday anymore. Not like I used to. When we first arrived, I had every emotion imaginable coursing throughout my body and mind. Excitement. Anxiety. Fear. You name it. I had it going on. Those emotions lie dormant. Not to be confused with extinct. For now, they're a distant memory.
Do I still like it or do I regret moving here? Those questions tend to pop up now and again. My answers are this: yes and no, respectively. I continue to meet wonderful people, forging new and lifelong friendships. Everyone I've met so far has been warm and welcoming. Haven't met a Canadian yet that I don't like. We've also made friends with those from Australia, France, Holland, India, New Zealand and other far off places in the world.
I've developed a love/hate relationship with the French language and
find myself cursing it daily! Hmm...note to self "learn how to cuss in
French." I know more French than I know Spanish so I've got that going
for me. It's a challenge and a pain in my ass but the gauntlet was
thrown down and I accepted. Win or lose, I'm not going down without a
fight.
My father always said, "A rolling stone gathers no
moss." My "stone" sat in one spot for many years. I think I've collected enough moss that I can roll around a bit. Once you hit a certain age,
bones become brittle and it's dangerous to roll anywhere. I'll do it now
while there's relatively no danger of me breaking a hip. Going through
life with too many "what ifs." won't work for me. I'm hoping this is one of many adventures I'll encounter along the way.
I do want to take this moment and talk about parking. As you may have read in one of my previous blogs, we moved last year to an area called the Plateau. Restaurant central, and parking nightmare extraordinaire, as I like to call it. Finding a parking spot here is equivalent to finding a Golden Ticket in a Wonka bar. No, scratch that. It's like finding the FIFTH Golden Ticket. I kid you not! When people see you walk toward your car, they stop and "assume the
parallel parking position", ready to pounce on your newly-vacated spot.
They sometimes make it impossible for you to get out for fear someone
may come along and "park block" them, stealing something they feel is
rightfully theirs. I can imagine a jousting competition over this and the winner gets the spot! I refuse to wrap a ribbon of any sort around either persons jousting thingy. Oh wait. That sounds too much like...never mind, and get your minds out of the gutter!
Monday thru Friday, each street has certain times you must move your car and depending on which street you park, you must move your car between certain times or suffer the wrath of the parking-ticket Nazis. They drive around in their little red, or red and white cars, slowing just enough to give you the feeling that a "drive by" is getting ready to go down, making you want to hit the deck. Whenever I
see their faces scanning the area looking for their
next victim, they remind me of the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Seriously. Okay, so that may be a little dramatic, but it's close. Bill thinks I'm crazy when I don't want to drive anywhere during "busy" times (Wed-Sat nights). He doesn't get it!
Lets not forget the looks you get if you're only retrieving something from your car. Some of these people give the parking-ticket Nazis a run for their money! I'm not that bad, but when I do find an open spot, I parallel
park that bitch like a boss, not moving until my allotted time the
following week to avoid the "drive by."
After driving here for the past two years, I'm thoroughly convinced that I'm ready to take my place in the NASCAR circuit. You won't be able to miss my car. It will have a big green dollar sign on the hood as I leave those amateurs in my dust while I'm first to fly past the checkered flag in my Prius. That's right, I'll be in first place since I've learned to maneuver any given situation driving here. NASCAR? A cake walk. In the immortal words of Reese Bobby, "if you ain't first, you're last." Wonder if I qualify for Kickstarter to help fund this? FYI...I do not own a Prius. It just sounded good at the time. I'm an "in the moment" type of gal.
This summer has been kind of weird. We had snow flurries in May. It
didn't really get hot until late June and we've had a few days where we
needed a light jacket during the day. San Francisco or LA, anyone? I
know there may be some of you dealing with the unbearable heat right now. I don't envy
your 100+ temps lately. That's one of the things I don't miss about
being in Texas. The summer heat. The day we left Austin for Montreal, it
was 112. Nope, don't miss that one bit.
I love the summers we've had so far. Moving from a hot climate, I appreciate the days I can walk outside and curse the weather gods above for making it hot and humid. That, I'm used to. The cold, not so much. Do I like the winters? Well, lets put it this way...if we have another winter like this past one, I may have a "sudden issue in the States" that will need my immediate attention for five months or so. Yep, this past winter about did me in. Saying that,
let's talk winter and Montreal.
Some have argued the amount of snowfall we had one day was the most they had in the past 70 years. Really? I don't know who is right or wrong. I can only come to my own conclusion and that is: there was a crap ton of snow and it was a mess! It wasn't so much the amount of snow we had. No...that would be too
simple an answer for my reasons of possibly wanting to abandon ship this next
winter. The reason would be temperature.
Yep. Temperatures. Frigid? These temperatures would make
the most frigid person look like a whore. There were times I wanted crumble to the ground and let Mother Nature take her course. I would succumb to the wintery elements as she sealed me in a frozen tomb for eternity, suffering the same fate as the
Woolly Mammoth. I wonder if
someone would stumble upon my ice coffin a few thousand years from now? Cue the dramatic musical
score here. Yes, at times, I can put a dramatic spin on things (should
have pursued acting like I wanted). Some of you have been lucky over the years to witness my Oscar-worthy performances. I
have my speech already written, although the number of people I need
to thank keeps growing. I definitely would get "the music" and "mic cut." That reminds me, I'm ready for my close up. See? ADD strikes again!
However, this was not scripted. There were days it was so brutally cold, when I walked outside I
felt immediate pain throughout my whole face. I couldn't cry because my
tear ducts froze instantly. Even if I could, I'm sure the pain I would
endure having a doctor remove the icicles of my pity party, salty tears, would have made
national news or at least a youtube video. I've heard myths
about your eyes freezing but didn't know what anyone meant until I
experienced it myself. The first winter, I thought they had frozen. Nope.
That little gem was saved for this past winter. I rallied what was left of my brain cells that didn't freeze and
had to control my breathing. If not, I would have passed out. Did I
mention frozen teeth? No? It's REAL! At least for me it was. Guess I'm not doing a good
job of selling you all on Montreal, huh? So why are we still living
here? Because we like it. To top this off: Bill walked to work. Every. Single. Day.
Dressing in layers is something I've never had to do before moving here. It takes some getting used to. I have a versatile but very cute scarf and hat because if there's the slightest chance I could be encased in a block of ice for a while, at least when they thaw me out, they'll nod in agreement as they admire my fashion sense. So, I intricately weave my beautiful warm scarf around my neck and face to block old man winter's bitter kisses and bravely step out into the elements. Since breathing is essential to life and we only have two choices in the matter, I pick the lesser of the two evils. It physically hurt to breath air through my nose so my only other option was my mouth. To do this, it must be open. That creates a whole other issue; drool. Sound disgusting? Yep, it is. When it first happened, I thought my scarf was wet from snow then realized it wasn't snowing. Nope. It was in fact, me. Gross, I know. I actually Googled this and did research. I won't go into it, so if you're sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation of this knowledge and want to know the hows and whys, I suggest you do your own research. Oh, and that scarf? I had the urge to toss it in the nearest garbage can but alas, it was needed it for my trek back home. Drool and all.
Anyway, it's nearing the end of August and I'm sitting here blogging about winter and notice the tree outside my window and see the leaves are already changing. No longer a vibrant green, they're now a paler shade of green and a lot of them are turning yellow. Limes and lemons come to mind. Pretty soon they will all be yellow and begin to fall, yet another reminder that Autumn is rounding the corner with Winter bringing up the rear. Wait! What? I know those of you in Texas are probably singing "cry me a river" seeing how your temps lately are well into the 100's. That I don't miss. However, this is my river and I'll cry if I want to. See what I did there?
Do I wish I lived someplace the winters and summers were more agreeable with my wants? Sure, but that's not where this journey has taken me.
Not yet anyway. Like all things in life, change is inevitable and sometimes we
can control the outcome, other times we can't. The one thing we will
always be able to do is control how we react to those changes.
Lance! It's called a lance, not a jousting thingy! See, my mind is all
over the place. It's better I remembered it now rather than yelling it
out loud around my husband. You get the idea.
So to sum up: These past two years have flown by in a flash. Parking's a bitch. I'm now a contender for NASCAR. It's freaking cold in the winter and gorgeous in the summer. I still like it here, but I'm allowed to wish for warmer winters. I'm allowed to cry in a pit of despair when I walk outside and can no longer feel my face, fingers or toes. I know it's temporary until I can duck inside someplace and thaw out. That is, unless Mother Nature gets to me first and I do end up like the Woolly Mammoth: entombed in ice until scientists discover me. I wonder if they would use my DNA and clone me? Some of you may be screaming, "NO!" right about now. I may have to agree with you. Who knows what the world will be like? Woolly Mammoths may actually be roaming around again. For all we know, they would be running the place!
Next blog: Interesting things we've seen lying in the snow.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
It's been a year?
I can't believe how fast time has gone by! Our 1 yr anniversary of living in Montreal passed us by, back in August! I haven't kept up with this blog nearly as much as I wanted but time seems to get away from me, especially lately. We moved, had company come to town and went on a fabulous vacation all within three weeks of each other in August/Sept. Talk about cutting a steak with the wrong side of the blade! I do not recommend any of that to happen all at once! It was hectic, bordering on madness but in the end it all worked out.
Spring, Summer and Fall, have all come and gone and now Winter is here. There have been a couple of days when it snowed and actually decided to "stick" around until it warmed back up, melting the evidence. I made sure to take pictures for those doubters, who, when looking at our weather and it says it's 40 degrees, I can show them the proof.
We still enjoy living here, even though it's turned colder lately and we
know Winter really hasn't arrived. We're planning on going to Igloofest again this next year. Of course, we're going to freeze our asses off, but it was so much fun last year, we can't resist going again. Here we are at last years Igloofest with our friend Dooma:
We continue to meet some really great people here, forging lasting friendships and even though we don't see one another often, when we all do
get together, it's guaranteed to be a fun
filled, hilarious event!
After our condo sat empty for a while, we decided the time had come for us to find a renter. I took a trip to Austin for a month at the beginning of March, and completely cleaned it out, getting it ready. What a pain in my ass that was. I got terribly sick, but still managed to get it all done. I am grateful my Mother and Father-in-law were there to help! I sold all of our indoor and outdoor furniture we left behind and gave A LOT of stuff to Goodwill(believe me, when I say the words "a lot"). The rest went into a 10x10 storage. The place was rented within a week, which we're thankful for! Location, location, location!
My niece, her husband and their two little ones flew here from Houston, for a visit in April, arriving on my birthday! What a great present that was! The end of March, into early April, is still pretty chilly, however, the weather couldn't have been more perfect for their visit! We were on the go everyday for a week and had the best time! We even visited a Sugar Shack, which was something fun for the kids and different for us!
http://www.quebecregion.com/en/what-to-do/ideas/sugar-shacks
Hubs and I made another trip back to Austin in June, for a friends wedding. It was already full on summer mode, when we landed in Texas. Being away for a while, you tend to forget exactly how hot it gets! Hubs was happy because he got to drive his car and put the top down. Me on the other hand, not so much. We were, after all, going to a wedding but surprisingly, just a few strands of hair were out of place and with the AC vents blowing on me, I stayed cool! That was a fun night!
Those were the shortest four days we had, but we managed to visit many of our friends during that time. We also got to celebrate our other friends' wedding, who were married last December! Good times plus great friends equal awesome, forever memories!
We decided to move to a different part of Montreal. Where we are now, is called The Plateau. I call it Restaurant City and think it should be renamed and a new postal code given. There are many great places to eat in this city, but everyone says the same thing: "You live around the best places to eat in Montreal." Hmm. Good thing we don't eat out much!
We had a hectic few weeks; Our cat had some teeth pulled; we had company for two weeks; we moved and 2 days after that, we went to Europe. Whirlwind isn't the correct word for that! In the end, it all worked out. I will say though, I have a new favorite place: Cannes, France. It's now the place I want to go to on vacation. I fell in love with Cannes and hope to go back next summer!
I have also made it my mission to lose weight and so far, so good! I'm down 35lbs since June and feel better about myself and have more energy. I haven't yet reached my goal but I'm determined to by May or June of next year!
Now, Christmas is once again, upon us. This time, we're going to celebrate with family and friends in Texas. From the looks of it, when we leave, we'll be wearing all of our heavy winter gear and will have to pack for summer temps in Texas!
Stay tuned for a couple of more blogs after this one!
Spring, Summer and Fall, have all come and gone and now Winter is here. There have been a couple of days when it snowed and actually decided to "stick" around until it warmed back up, melting the evidence. I made sure to take pictures for those doubters, who, when looking at our weather and it says it's 40 degrees, I can show them the proof.
After our condo sat empty for a while, we decided the time had come for us to find a renter. I took a trip to Austin for a month at the beginning of March, and completely cleaned it out, getting it ready. What a pain in my ass that was. I got terribly sick, but still managed to get it all done. I am grateful my Mother and Father-in-law were there to help! I sold all of our indoor and outdoor furniture we left behind and gave A LOT of stuff to Goodwill(believe me, when I say the words "a lot"). The rest went into a 10x10 storage. The place was rented within a week, which we're thankful for! Location, location, location!
My niece, her husband and their two little ones flew here from Houston, for a visit in April, arriving on my birthday! What a great present that was! The end of March, into early April, is still pretty chilly, however, the weather couldn't have been more perfect for their visit! We were on the go everyday for a week and had the best time! We even visited a Sugar Shack, which was something fun for the kids and different for us!
http://www.quebecregion.com/en/what-to-do/ideas/sugar-shacks
Hubs and I made another trip back to Austin in June, for a friends wedding. It was already full on summer mode, when we landed in Texas. Being away for a while, you tend to forget exactly how hot it gets! Hubs was happy because he got to drive his car and put the top down. Me on the other hand, not so much. We were, after all, going to a wedding but surprisingly, just a few strands of hair were out of place and with the AC vents blowing on me, I stayed cool! That was a fun night!
Those were the shortest four days we had, but we managed to visit many of our friends during that time. We also got to celebrate our other friends' wedding, who were married last December! Good times plus great friends equal awesome, forever memories!
We decided to move to a different part of Montreal. Where we are now, is called The Plateau. I call it Restaurant City and think it should be renamed and a new postal code given. There are many great places to eat in this city, but everyone says the same thing: "You live around the best places to eat in Montreal." Hmm. Good thing we don't eat out much!
We had a hectic few weeks; Our cat had some teeth pulled; we had company for two weeks; we moved and 2 days after that, we went to Europe. Whirlwind isn't the correct word for that! In the end, it all worked out. I will say though, I have a new favorite place: Cannes, France. It's now the place I want to go to on vacation. I fell in love with Cannes and hope to go back next summer!
I have also made it my mission to lose weight and so far, so good! I'm down 35lbs since June and feel better about myself and have more energy. I haven't yet reached my goal but I'm determined to by May or June of next year!
Now, Christmas is once again, upon us. This time, we're going to celebrate with family and friends in Texas. From the looks of it, when we leave, we'll be wearing all of our heavy winter gear and will have to pack for summer temps in Texas!
Stay tuned for a couple of more blogs after this one!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Eating out in Montreal
I've been meaning to post about our food adventures here, but every time I open my laptop, it's as though my fingers would go into a void whenever I put them on the keyboard. Years ago, I used to write poetry. The words would flow so easily, as they came from the deepest, most intimate parts of my soul. So writing a descriptive of food should be a piece of cake, right?
When I read food blogs, it seems the writers are pulling those words from deep within their souls; as if they have a personal love affair with their subject. I imagine when you write about the same subject and since we all eat with our eyes first, you have to be able to convey that visualization to your readers; to make them think they are sitting right there with you, taking in the aromas, experiencing the same sultry textures and tastes. You take them with you on your culinary journey.
I am going to try my best to take you on our journey, so please bear with me as it may be a bumpy ride! Make sure your seat belts are on and your tray tables are in their locked and upright positions.
Here it goes......
In my search of the city who boasts the claim of the most restaurants per capita, Montreal popped up to stake the claim, along with San Francisco, New York and other major cities. This is what I found on one website:
"The one Canadian city that can make a great claim to have the most restaurants per capita is Montreal in the province of Quebec. With just over 5,000 restaurants in the metro island area, is appears there are at least one restaurant on every street corner. With its diverse immigrant population and French majority, the city has every type of cuisine available from Lebanese to continental French to native Canadian. Some 3,720,000 Quebecois live in the metro area making Montreal the second largest French speaking city in the world. Giving it a restaurant per capita number of 744."
Below that, was this little tidbit of info:
"When you leave Austin you enter Texas so the saying goes. This funky city in central Texas has 1,088 eating places to enhance its reputation as Music City USA. That list includes 128 establishments in or around the University of Texas alone. Austin's burgeoning population is currently 690, 252 making their people to restaurant ratio 634."
With that, lets start with Mexican food or more to the point, the non-existence of it. There are Mexican restaurants, however, there are very few Hispanics here, so the food suffers a terrible mishap. It's actually an injustice. It's like swallowing a bitter pill with no water to wash it down. There's a thin line between cooking and actually knowing how to cook; how to use spices and incorporate those into something with great flavor. What we get is void of anything resembling great, much less, good tasting Mexican Food. Don't even think about ordering a Margarita either. When you visit and come upon a Mexican restaurant, keep walking. You will be extremely disappointed. Do not stop/go; do not collect your 200.00. Move along, nothing to see here.
With disappointment, comes success! We have found some really great spots, with great food and atmosphere. A few of them, we try to frequent as often as we can! Below are a few of our favorite spots!
Brit&Chips: http://www.britandchips.com/
We have eaten at some of the best fish-n-chips places in London and Dublin. This place ranks right up there and it is like being back across the pond. Some of their fish includes Salmon in a Guinness batter, Haddock in a maple syrup batter and others. My favorite is the traditional Cod; the batter is light, not heavy and greasy and for me, it's the best! Their chips are a nice size, non greasy and are great! With a pint of one of their beers, this is the ultimate comfort food!
Nyks Pub: http://www.nyks.ca/
This is one of our favorite pubs to go to. It's close by, has a great atmosphere, awesome food and inviting staff. When we walk in, the owner always asks if we would like our usual! It's not that we go every night, week or month, but I think it's more we don't look like the typical resident, so we're easy to remember. That's what I tell myself, anyway! They have a parsnip and leek soup that is out of this world! It's creamy, light and just lip-smacking good! It is like the comfort you get from being wrapped in your favorite blanket, watching your favorite movie, on a cold winter's day. We have tried several items on the menu and have not been disappointed by a single thing!
Mechant Boeuf: http://www.mechantboeuf.com/
This is located in Vieux Montreal, which is within walking distance from our house and have been here a few times. It boasts to having the best burger in Montreal, which I will admit, is pretty good. There's nothing like a hearty burger to satisfy even the most healthy appetite! It's a great place to meet up with friends for some good food and excellent cocktails! They also have a quirky DJ, who spins 80's music! It's a foot tapping, finger snapping, make you want to get up and dance at times, place, while still having a laid back atmosphere.
Stash Cafe: http://www.stashcafe.com/
Another place within walking distance in Vieux Montreal, is Stash Cafe, who serve authentic Polish food.
Poland is on our list of places to visit and this restaurant has made us move that trip higher up on the list. The view from the outside, of the ambiance on the inside, calls to you and lures you in. It has that old world, rustic charm, which is both comforting and inviting. The ambiance is made even better by a piano player playing nice dinner conversation music. The food is traditional, from Barszcz, the traditional Polish beet consomme, to Sznycel Mielony, breaded meat croquettes served with a creamy mushroom sauce and potatoes. It's warm, cozy and just all around, great food!
I hope I have done a good job taking you on this short, culinary journey. There are so many more to list, which I'll add later down the road. Until then, I'll leave you with this quote:
"Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.”
― Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Until next time.....
When I read food blogs, it seems the writers are pulling those words from deep within their souls; as if they have a personal love affair with their subject. I imagine when you write about the same subject and since we all eat with our eyes first, you have to be able to convey that visualization to your readers; to make them think they are sitting right there with you, taking in the aromas, experiencing the same sultry textures and tastes. You take them with you on your culinary journey.
I am going to try my best to take you on our journey, so please bear with me as it may be a bumpy ride! Make sure your seat belts are on and your tray tables are in their locked and upright positions.
Here it goes......
In my search of the city who boasts the claim of the most restaurants per capita, Montreal popped up to stake the claim, along with San Francisco, New York and other major cities. This is what I found on one website:
"The one Canadian city that can make a great claim to have the most restaurants per capita is Montreal in the province of Quebec. With just over 5,000 restaurants in the metro island area, is appears there are at least one restaurant on every street corner. With its diverse immigrant population and French majority, the city has every type of cuisine available from Lebanese to continental French to native Canadian. Some 3,720,000 Quebecois live in the metro area making Montreal the second largest French speaking city in the world. Giving it a restaurant per capita number of 744."
Below that, was this little tidbit of info:
"When you leave Austin you enter Texas so the saying goes. This funky city in central Texas has 1,088 eating places to enhance its reputation as Music City USA. That list includes 128 establishments in or around the University of Texas alone. Austin's burgeoning population is currently 690, 252 making their people to restaurant ratio 634."
With that, lets start with Mexican food or more to the point, the non-existence of it. There are Mexican restaurants, however, there are very few Hispanics here, so the food suffers a terrible mishap. It's actually an injustice. It's like swallowing a bitter pill with no water to wash it down. There's a thin line between cooking and actually knowing how to cook; how to use spices and incorporate those into something with great flavor. What we get is void of anything resembling great, much less, good tasting Mexican Food. Don't even think about ordering a Margarita either. When you visit and come upon a Mexican restaurant, keep walking. You will be extremely disappointed. Do not stop/go; do not collect your 200.00. Move along, nothing to see here.
With disappointment, comes success! We have found some really great spots, with great food and atmosphere. A few of them, we try to frequent as often as we can! Below are a few of our favorite spots!
Brit&Chips: http://www.britandchips.com/
We have eaten at some of the best fish-n-chips places in London and Dublin. This place ranks right up there and it is like being back across the pond. Some of their fish includes Salmon in a Guinness batter, Haddock in a maple syrup batter and others. My favorite is the traditional Cod; the batter is light, not heavy and greasy and for me, it's the best! Their chips are a nice size, non greasy and are great! With a pint of one of their beers, this is the ultimate comfort food!
This is one of our favorite pubs to go to. It's close by, has a great atmosphere, awesome food and inviting staff. When we walk in, the owner always asks if we would like our usual! It's not that we go every night, week or month, but I think it's more we don't look like the typical resident, so we're easy to remember. That's what I tell myself, anyway! They have a parsnip and leek soup that is out of this world! It's creamy, light and just lip-smacking good! It is like the comfort you get from being wrapped in your favorite blanket, watching your favorite movie, on a cold winter's day. We have tried several items on the menu and have not been disappointed by a single thing!
Mechant Boeuf: http://www.mechantboeuf.com/
This is located in Vieux Montreal, which is within walking distance from our house and have been here a few times. It boasts to having the best burger in Montreal, which I will admit, is pretty good. There's nothing like a hearty burger to satisfy even the most healthy appetite! It's a great place to meet up with friends for some good food and excellent cocktails! They also have a quirky DJ, who spins 80's music! It's a foot tapping, finger snapping, make you want to get up and dance at times, place, while still having a laid back atmosphere.
Stash Cafe: http://www.stashcafe.com/
Another place within walking distance in Vieux Montreal, is Stash Cafe, who serve authentic Polish food.
Poland is on our list of places to visit and this restaurant has made us move that trip higher up on the list. The view from the outside, of the ambiance on the inside, calls to you and lures you in. It has that old world, rustic charm, which is both comforting and inviting. The ambiance is made even better by a piano player playing nice dinner conversation music. The food is traditional, from Barszcz, the traditional Polish beet consomme, to Sznycel Mielony, breaded meat croquettes served with a creamy mushroom sauce and potatoes. It's warm, cozy and just all around, great food!
I hope I have done a good job taking you on this short, culinary journey. There are so many more to list, which I'll add later down the road. Until then, I'll leave you with this quote:
"Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.”
― Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Until next time.....
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Winter is over.....or is it?
Since my last blog, the weather has been akin to raging waves on the sea, comparable to being a passenger on the SS Minnow, being tossed up, down and around.
We had days where we packed up and stored the winter coats, scarves, hats and gloves; then a few weeks later, we're getting it all out again.
We had a few bitterly cold days, where the blustery wind would blow right through to our core, no matter how many layers or how bundled up we were; where it looked as though it were snowing up instead of down. There were days when there wasn't a cloud in the sky and even with the sun, that huge sphere of hot gas, blaring upon our faces, it didn't warm us.
We've also had days when we walked the city without the need of a jacket, where a slight, warm breeze sweeping between the buildings, wrapping around us, giving a glimpse of what's to come and soon we would have the weather we were accustomed to.
What we didn't have, was a lot of snow. The locals seemed surprised and disappointed at the "less than normal" winter. We've heard some say it was the warmest winter in 100 years; others have said 20. Regardless the time span, it was not the brutal, agonizing winter we were expecting or even prepared for. It was cold, or rather, colder than what we are used to. I also wouldn't go as far to say we were disappointed.
I was hoping it would have been more like taking off a band-aid....just rip it off and get it over with, the pain won't last long. Fortunately for us, Mother Nature controls which boo-boo's she puts band-aids on, and this winter wasn't one of them. We may not fare so well next winter!
Maybe we brought some of the Texas heat with us; maybe we didn't. Whatever the reason, we're glad the "winter welcome wagon" lost a wheel, which slowed it's pace.
However, unlike the SS Minnow, we didn't take a 3 hour tour; we didn't end up on an uncharted, warm tropical island, and there aren't five other people with us to help ease the transition.
There's only the two of us. That is enough to keep warm, when it's so very cold outside. When Summer comes and it's hot, that's what my trusty hand held, portable misting fan is for.
We had days where we packed up and stored the winter coats, scarves, hats and gloves; then a few weeks later, we're getting it all out again.
We've also had days when we walked the city without the need of a jacket, where a slight, warm breeze sweeping between the buildings, wrapping around us, giving a glimpse of what's to come and soon we would have the weather we were accustomed to.
What we didn't have, was a lot of snow. The locals seemed surprised and disappointed at the "less than normal" winter. We've heard some say it was the warmest winter in 100 years; others have said 20. Regardless the time span, it was not the brutal, agonizing winter we were expecting or even prepared for. It was cold, or rather, colder than what we are used to. I also wouldn't go as far to say we were disappointed.
I was hoping it would have been more like taking off a band-aid....just rip it off and get it over with, the pain won't last long. Fortunately for us, Mother Nature controls which boo-boo's she puts band-aids on, and this winter wasn't one of them. We may not fare so well next winter!
However, unlike the SS Minnow, we didn't take a 3 hour tour; we didn't end up on an uncharted, warm tropical island, and there aren't five other people with us to help ease the transition.
There's only the two of us. That is enough to keep warm, when it's so very cold outside. When Summer comes and it's hot, that's what my trusty hand held, portable misting fan is for.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and winter...a LOT of "firsts"
It's been a while since my last entry, but time really does slip away. I can't believe it's the middle of January, 2012!!! We've had a lot of "firsts", living here and the adventure continues!
We finally settled in our home; Bill settled into his new job and the cats have finally given up hope of going back to Texas, anytime soon. This cold weather is something they've never experienced and come to think of it, neither have we(spending time in Europe during Christmas, doesn't count!).
We reached the point of just going with the flow and accepting things are done differently here than what we are used to, although we still get frustrated at times. They aren't going to change and do things that actually make sense, so why keep fighting an uphill battle? I've also met a few people that are amazed that I have what they view, as a positive attitude towards winter. Again, why fight it? The one 'person' you will never win against, ever, is Mother Nature. So, "when in Rome....".
We decided to stay in Montreal during the Holidays and although we missed seeing and spending time with our family, we made the most of it. I decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner and trying to find a Butterball Turkey, was a challenge to say the least! It was more comparable to searching for Jimmy Hoffa, or finding Nemo! Three days and 4 stores later, jackpot! They don't sell turkeys here like they do in the States; a month before. No, it's more like a week, maybe two, before the big day. Next time, I may make soup or have cheese and crackers; it would have been easier and less stressful! All in all, it worked out!
We had read and heard about how Montreal goes all out, decorating for the Holidays. Those of you who know me best, know how much I love to decorate for Christmas! What we found or more to the point, didn't find, was less than desirable. Maybe they decorated in a part of the city we didn't venture to. Maybe they took it down the day after they put it up. We walked a good part of the city, searching for "it" and was disappointed at what we saw. Their idea and my idea of decorating, are definitely on opposite ends of the spectrum! Again, different ways...
We didn't want a repeat of Thanksgiving, so decided to make Christmas, relaxing and stress free! We have made some great new friends, and a few came over for a day of snacking, drinking and fun conversation! New Year's Eve, we actually braved the weather and ventured to Old Montreal, where they had outdoor concerts, ice skating and fireworks! We crossed the river to get a better view of the fireworks which went off at midnight, accompanied by a musical melange. It was so awesome, but so very COLD!!!!
We are getting out and experiencing the city, which is a lot more often than what we did living in Texas, and in the winter!! One of the great things about living where we are; we're across the street from the metro and when it gets too cold , there's always a place nearby we can duck into, to get warm.
A few people have asked if I regret moving here; my answer is this: right now I don't regret it, but that's not to say I won't/can't change my mind. You never know how events will play out, as those determine how you may feel and react about a place, person, situation, etc...
When I'm older(say around 90), sitting around looking back on my life and the paths I've taken, while reflecting on this time, I don't want to say, "why didn't we", rather than "why did we". Life is filled with too many of the "what if" questions. I'm not much of a collector so I don't want to start collecting these questions at this point in my life. They tend to weigh heavy on the mind and take up too much space. Besides, my "No Vacancy" sign, is on!
The brunt of it is on my husband, as he's the one working(I'm still holding out hope for me!). So the only thing I can do now, is give him LOTS of support and encouragement; lend an ear when he needs one; make this house a home and hope for the best possible outcome. That's all we can do. It doesn't matter if you live your whole life in the same spot, or if you venture out of your comfort zone. Whatever you do, where ever you go, get out there and take on the world!
Start having a LOT of "firsts"! You never know where the road will lead or who you will meet along the way.
Stay tuned!
We finally settled in our home; Bill settled into his new job and the cats have finally given up hope of going back to Texas, anytime soon. This cold weather is something they've never experienced and come to think of it, neither have we(spending time in Europe during Christmas, doesn't count!).
We reached the point of just going with the flow and accepting things are done differently here than what we are used to, although we still get frustrated at times. They aren't going to change and do things that actually make sense, so why keep fighting an uphill battle? I've also met a few people that are amazed that I have what they view, as a positive attitude towards winter. Again, why fight it? The one 'person' you will never win against, ever, is Mother Nature. So, "when in Rome....".
We decided to stay in Montreal during the Holidays and although we missed seeing and spending time with our family, we made the most of it. I decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner and trying to find a Butterball Turkey, was a challenge to say the least! It was more comparable to searching for Jimmy Hoffa, or finding Nemo! Three days and 4 stores later, jackpot! They don't sell turkeys here like they do in the States; a month before. No, it's more like a week, maybe two, before the big day. Next time, I may make soup or have cheese and crackers; it would have been easier and less stressful! All in all, it worked out!
We had read and heard about how Montreal goes all out, decorating for the Holidays. Those of you who know me best, know how much I love to decorate for Christmas! What we found or more to the point, didn't find, was less than desirable. Maybe they decorated in a part of the city we didn't venture to. Maybe they took it down the day after they put it up. We walked a good part of the city, searching for "it" and was disappointed at what we saw. Their idea and my idea of decorating, are definitely on opposite ends of the spectrum! Again, different ways...
We didn't want a repeat of Thanksgiving, so decided to make Christmas, relaxing and stress free! We have made some great new friends, and a few came over for a day of snacking, drinking and fun conversation! New Year's Eve, we actually braved the weather and ventured to Old Montreal, where they had outdoor concerts, ice skating and fireworks! We crossed the river to get a better view of the fireworks which went off at midnight, accompanied by a musical melange. It was so awesome, but so very COLD!!!!
We are getting out and experiencing the city, which is a lot more often than what we did living in Texas, and in the winter!! One of the great things about living where we are; we're across the street from the metro and when it gets too cold , there's always a place nearby we can duck into, to get warm.
A few people have asked if I regret moving here; my answer is this: right now I don't regret it, but that's not to say I won't/can't change my mind. You never know how events will play out, as those determine how you may feel and react about a place, person, situation, etc...
When I'm older(say around 90), sitting around looking back on my life and the paths I've taken, while reflecting on this time, I don't want to say, "why didn't we", rather than "why did we". Life is filled with too many of the "what if" questions. I'm not much of a collector so I don't want to start collecting these questions at this point in my life. They tend to weigh heavy on the mind and take up too much space. Besides, my "No Vacancy" sign, is on!
The brunt of it is on my husband, as he's the one working(I'm still holding out hope for me!). So the only thing I can do now, is give him LOTS of support and encouragement; lend an ear when he needs one; make this house a home and hope for the best possible outcome. That's all we can do. It doesn't matter if you live your whole life in the same spot, or if you venture out of your comfort zone. Whatever you do, where ever you go, get out there and take on the world!
Start having a LOT of "firsts"! You never know where the road will lead or who you will meet along the way.
Stay tuned!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Settling In
It has been a while since I have updated. It's been a whirlwind past few weeks! We made the final move from our temp housing to our new "digs", September 15th. The cats still don't know if they are coming or going, but we hope they realize there will not be another car ride anytime soon! We are all still in our adjustment period, but we know this will soon pass and we will finally, be settled.
I've never really been a fan of Ikea; actually, it hasn't been a store I ever thought about. Ikea is now our friend and slowly, becoming our enemy. I love their concept of storage and have found some really great deals on some much needed storage pieces. My Niece, shopped there a few times and told me how it all worked; write down what you want, go pick it out and check out. Simple, right?
So, off we go with our little blue and white inventory checklist and little pencil in hand, which they provide, to do our shopping. We walked, and walked, and walked....it's a seemingly, never ending maze which seems to not make any sense at all. When you see the little white dotted lines on the map, it all becomes clear, kind of like smeared mud on a window pane.
After 5 hours, yes, that's correct...5 hours and a full inventory list, we proceed down to the warehouse and check-out. Out of the many items chosen to purchase, one was a chopping block with 4 drawers(pictures will be posted later of all our "wares"). A few items like that were "special", meaning a sales associate had to give us a print out to take to the checker and we didn't have to pull it from the warehouse. Since we don't have a truck, we decided to get it delivered along with the other many other items on our list; then we proceeded to the delivery department.
We were thinking since they were in another area, we just give them the little blue and white inventory list, they ring it up, we pay, they pull from the warehouse and deliver. Yeah, that is SO NOT the way it works! We had to go back, figure out where everything was; load it on these little carts; and take it all back to a cashier. By this time, they were now closed and did not want anyone going back in the warehouse area to get their items. We did manage to grab in a flash, with the help of an associate, the few meager items they did have in stock. It reminded me of that game show, "Supermarket Sweep"!
We checked out, stood in line again for the delivery; paid for that SEPARATELY, then went home. Whew! I'm tired all over again, just from typing that!
If you have never bought anything from Ikea, then you have no idea of the complex directions they have for the assembly. There are no words; only pictures. If you don't arrange the pieces just like it shows in the booklet to get it ready to assemble, then you will find yourself staring intently at the "picture book" for a while. I've found, when it gets to that point, just walk away, pour a glass of wine and kick back in a comfy chair. Also, no matter how tightly you close your eyes and click your heels together, when you open your eyes you realize you are home and the items are still laying there, in pieces, all over the floor and not put together. How much wine am I drinking? Maybe not enough!
It will all get finished and soon, as we are having house guests in 2 weeks!!!
Off to pour a glass of wine and get in my comfy chair. In the immortal words of Miss Scarlett O'Hara: "I won't think about this now, I'll think about it tomorrow".
I've never really been a fan of Ikea; actually, it hasn't been a store I ever thought about. Ikea is now our friend and slowly, becoming our enemy. I love their concept of storage and have found some really great deals on some much needed storage pieces. My Niece, shopped there a few times and told me how it all worked; write down what you want, go pick it out and check out. Simple, right?
So, off we go with our little blue and white inventory checklist and little pencil in hand, which they provide, to do our shopping. We walked, and walked, and walked....it's a seemingly, never ending maze which seems to not make any sense at all. When you see the little white dotted lines on the map, it all becomes clear, kind of like smeared mud on a window pane.
After 5 hours, yes, that's correct...5 hours and a full inventory list, we proceed down to the warehouse and check-out. Out of the many items chosen to purchase, one was a chopping block with 4 drawers(pictures will be posted later of all our "wares"). A few items like that were "special", meaning a sales associate had to give us a print out to take to the checker and we didn't have to pull it from the warehouse. Since we don't have a truck, we decided to get it delivered along with the other many other items on our list; then we proceeded to the delivery department.
We were thinking since they were in another area, we just give them the little blue and white inventory list, they ring it up, we pay, they pull from the warehouse and deliver. Yeah, that is SO NOT the way it works! We had to go back, figure out where everything was; load it on these little carts; and take it all back to a cashier. By this time, they were now closed and did not want anyone going back in the warehouse area to get their items. We did manage to grab in a flash, with the help of an associate, the few meager items they did have in stock. It reminded me of that game show, "Supermarket Sweep"!
We checked out, stood in line again for the delivery; paid for that SEPARATELY, then went home. Whew! I'm tired all over again, just from typing that!
If you have never bought anything from Ikea, then you have no idea of the complex directions they have for the assembly. There are no words; only pictures. If you don't arrange the pieces just like it shows in the booklet to get it ready to assemble, then you will find yourself staring intently at the "picture book" for a while. I've found, when it gets to that point, just walk away, pour a glass of wine and kick back in a comfy chair. Also, no matter how tightly you close your eyes and click your heels together, when you open your eyes you realize you are home and the items are still laying there, in pieces, all over the floor and not put together. How much wine am I drinking? Maybe not enough!
It will all get finished and soon, as we are having house guests in 2 weeks!!!
Off to pour a glass of wine and get in my comfy chair. In the immortal words of Miss Scarlett O'Hara: "I won't think about this now, I'll think about it tomorrow".
Sunday, September 4, 2011
We have our "stuff"!
 |
| Hallway Entrance |
 |
| Kitchen/Hallway |
The delivery went about as smooth as possible. The movers were very nice and professional. They put together our new couch(which is much smaller than the one we left behind) and Bill's new computer desk - all for the price of a cheap lunch! Then they unpacked and put things in the rooms they were supposed to go in, all while I plugged in each section of my Christmas Tree(yeah, I brought it!)to make sure it worked, which it did! After I tested it all, the movers even re-packed it back in its storage bag - which is a major pain!
 |
| Kitchen |
 |
| Living Room |
One thing we know to be a very true statement is; Ikea will soon become our best friend. I'm sure they will love us for life after all of the things we are going to have to buy there, to store our "stuff" here!
We are paying extra for a parking space in the garage, and let me tell you...it's a challenge to get the car in the space. I'll blog about that next time!
Here is a video I took of the end of a 'Flash Mob' ballet performance we saw from our balcony. The La Joute Fountain below our unit is a gathering point for things like this.
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