November 12, 2010 by Rae

A Long Journey Done

I made it back to Osoyoos!

When we boarded the plane in Vancouver, we were warned that there was ‘fair’ visibility in Penticton and that there was a good chance we would have to turn back to Vancouver. That would have sucked! Thankfully, we landed without incident. Except for some turbulence over the prairies, the whole trip back was very smooth.

I used my baggage allowance to bring back some of the kitchen things I had in storage in Montreal; I’ll do a post about them once I’ve had some sleep. I was surprised that the boxes made it to Penticton, what with the tight connection in Toronto! We’d wrapped everything in foam and stamped the boxes fragile, but I was realistic about everything making it across the country on three planes in one piece. So, when I heard the distinctive tinkle of broken glass, I wasn’t surprised, but I was curious. I broke open the boxes tonight and discovered that what had broken was the only thing I didn’t mind getting broken. Yay to Air Canada getting priceless (to me) antiques (and modern stuff) here safely!

The drive home from Penticton went well, too, and Donna had staged a lovely homecoming, what with thinking to put on the porch light and remembering to crank up the heat! *hugs*

The kitties and I are very happy to find each other again. 🙂

It was a great trip. Certain happenings in the last couple of weeks have made this eastern jaunt a bookend to yet another chapter of my RVing life and tomorrow I will return to a life similar to the one I left a week ago, but different, too.

Well, I should have hot water by now, so it’s time for a long shower and to get my body clock back on track. It’s 3:30AM right now back east, but my normal bedtime here, so in theory I should wake up on time tomorrow. But I try not to think too much about such things; it’s been my experience that not dwelling too much on the time change is the best remedy for jet lag. Still, zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

November 11, 2010 by Rae

Tight Connection

Whew! I made it to Vancouver! There was only forty-five minutes between my inbound Montreal flight and my outbound Vancouver flight at Toronto… and we ended up circling the airport for nearly a half hour! I had only enough time to bolt to my gate and grab a quick bathroom break while the priority customers boarded. I have some checked luggage for this return trip and I will be very surprised if it is waiting for me in Penticton.

Security screening in Montreal was a piece of cake. I didn’t have to take off my shoes and I didn’t even beep when I went through the metal detector so I was saved an invasive groping by the staff. I paid for that dearly on the flight to Vancouver, however, since, despite my checking several times that I would have a window seat, I was seated in a middle one! YUCK! At least, we were in the emergency row, so the leg room was luxurious. My neighbour to the left was very cold and sighed each time I moved around well within my designated buffer zone. The neighbour to the right, however, was quite friendly (and generous with his cashews) and we shared a few laughs as my, thankfully empty, beverage glass kept on leaping off my tray! I was glad I’d brought a snack of dried fruit flat bread, cheese, and clementines since the options for food in Montreal were dismal and I didn’t have time to grab anything in Toronto.

YVR has a burger jointed called Vera’s where I caught a very late dinner. I’d been looking forward to udon at one of the Japanese kiosks, but that restaurant was clear across the airport. The veggie burger piled high with fresh veggies and the fresh-cut fries we’re a very yummy, and inexpensive, surprise, though, so I’m not disappointed.

I only have about a half hour left in Vancouver before we start boarding for Penticton. If everything goes well, I’ll be there in two hours and home in three. I miss my cats and my bed!

November 10, 2010 by Rae

Falafel Heaven

I was out and about with my mother today. We were sitting in the horrible Montreal traffic at 6PM, heading home, and famished when she took a detour. I didn’t think anything of it until we stopped in a near-residential neighbourhood. There, she told me we were picking up falafel and baklava for dinner!

We entered a world I had nearly forgotten existed. A Lebanese bakery with racks piled high with sweets dripping with rose water and honey and a deli counter with all manner of manaeesh. The sandwiches are made to order and authentic; I can always tell that they will be good when their maker bosses me around and makes me take ‘everything’ even though I’m not crazy about the marinated turnips!

Oh, that falafel was like finding the oasis in the desert. Perfectly spiced, coated with sesame seeds, drizzled in tahini, and resting on a bed of parsley and mint then wrapped Lebanese style in a thin pita. I realised then that, for me, the concept of ‘home’ is intimately tied with food.

Everything I ate this week convinced me that the cuisine of western and northern Canada is generally bland. The teeming mass of mixed cultures in the most populated provinces, namely Quebec and Ontario, make for dishes that electrify the taste buds. I went to a restaurant on Saturday where an option was za’atar encrusted halibut. I haven’t seen za’atar on a menu in two years!

Asian dishes, like the sushi I also had this week, are the only thing I find ‘as good’ out west, and that’s because the immigrant population out there is pre-dominantly Asian. I’m not saying there aren’t any good restaurants out there, just that the savory cuisines I took for granted growing up aren’t as readily available.

My week in Montreal has come to an end (!) and it can best be summed up as a gastronomic journey. What did I do all week? I ate! 😀

November 10, 2010 by Rae

Montreal Urban Legend

Jacques Cartier Bridge seen from Montreal

Until this afternoon, I believed like many Quebecers, that the Jacques-Cartier Bridge was designed by Gustav Eiffel, or that the bridge was a gift from France. Not without reason:

The finials are not ‘Eiffel towers’, but sure do resemble them! They measure 13′ and weigh 6 tons!

Bonus picture of the day:

Olympic tower seen from the Jacques Cartier bridge through the suicide prevention barrier

November 9, 2010 by Rae

Pointe-à-Callière (and random shots)

My grand-mother wanted to do something special with me this week and suggested we go to a museum. I hadn’t been to Pointe-à-Callière in at least fifteen years, so that’s what I suggested. This museum is built over the foundation of some of the oldest buildings in Montreal and the highlight is to go under ground and walk through the old stone foundations.

It’s been easy to see my grand-mother this week since she moved to Chambly and is now living a kilometre away from my mother’s house. I walked over this afternoon and she greeted me with a light lunch, then we headed to Montreal.

Pointe-à-Callière is located in the most scenic part of the island, the Old Port. Walking through the cobblestone streets is just like being in Europe. The whole area is slowly being gentrified and more new structures are springing up, but I don’t think we will ever lose the look and atmosphere of the Old Port.

Our tour of the museum started with an excellent multi-media presentation about highlights in Montreal history, from pre-history to today. I found it to be a little too upbeat and it glossed over the more negative issues like the French/English disputes, but I’m being a tad picky. For a twenty minute overview, it painted a pretty accurate portrait.

The special exhibit this fall is one about Rapa Nui, Easter Island, and I enjoyed it very much. I discovered that I knew almost nothing about Easter Island, such as the important fact that it is still inhabited today!

We then headed downstairs and and took a quick jaunt through the foundations, the highlight of which are the sewer systems that were way ahead of their times. This archaeological site takes you through more than 360 years of history, from a 17th century Catholic cemetery to an 18th century marketplace to the 19th century sewer systems. The whole thing is rather labyrinthine and we had to get directions back to the surface!

Merci pour la belle journée, grand-maman!