AGO a-go-go and a very colorful walk

7/13
we spent our second day in Toronto simply hanging out. the boys hit a trail for a wee bit of a hike (longer than i would care to go) while us girls decided to make skirts. actually it was a skirt lesson and i learned how to stitch one up lickety split complete with zipper and biase tape waistband. yes, i know. i now rock...at skirtmaking at least. so day two was nice and lazy with good times, good tunes, a movie and nifty eats.day three, we donned our fancy-pants new skirts, loaded up the adventure bag, grabbed the cameras and headed back to Toronto for a visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario and a wander through Chinatown to Kensington Market.the AGO is pretty nifty. the building itself is a spifferiffic design by Frank Gehry and emulates the lines of an enormous boat with wood the color of amber. it even smells pretty inside. the drama & desire exhibit was surprisingly interesting and pretty. i am not exactly a theater girl but enjoyed the show and the collection of paintings which included some Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec. after many hours in the air conditioned museum with a pause here and there for photo ops and beverage breaks, we made our way outside into the sun for a walk to Kensington Market in search of lunch.chinatown in toronto is full of color as most chinatwons are. i think i snapped dozens and dozens of pictures and thought how lucky i was to be somewhere so colorful and then..then my friends we turned a corner near kensington market and i discovered an entirely NEW rainbow of color. talk about happy photo ops. i snapped left, right, up down and all around. it reminded me of venice beach, california what with the vintage shops and incense everywhere.as we got nearer to our food options we were delighted to find a gluten-free cafe and as our awesome hosts were gluten-free we waltzed right in and chow downed on some super tasty crepes. and i mean scarfity-scarfed. good stuff.we wandered a tad bit more but turned back when mr. a-go-go's ankle got the best of him. seems he twisted it or something the day before and was aching in a big way. so we turned ourselves down a new street and headed back to the car.i thought for sure montreal would be the end all, be all for me in canada but it turns out that i quite like toronto as well and am looking forward to planning many more visits to our friends to the north (and northeast) of us. thank you again my most fabulous of hosts, we had a fantabulous time and were sad, sad, sad to return to the states....that is until we hit this lady's place and were greeted with fresh picked blueberries, little red hen bread, homemade chocolate poundcake, raspberry jam and cracked wheat goodness...oh my!

t-t-t-t-time for toronto

7/10 & 7/11we arrived in toronto after a very long drive on a very long stretch of highway. we did not take the pretty route but the sky was blue and the clouds were puffy and rodney, thankfully, is air conditioned.our hosts provided us with excellent beverages, eats and vintage togged beds. after a crash for the night, we were up and on our way for a visit to sunday antique market, art exhibit and tour of a wee portion of the very large Toronto.we walked around the flea checking out vintage aprons, dishes and sunglasses and then moseyed our way to the art festival after a beverage stop where i sugared up on an iced cinnamon latte (thank you stacey for the giftcard)!i got to meet a most scrumdillyumptious ceramicist/potter and wished wished wished we had space (and cash) for trinkets. we walked and checked out the art until the temps grew warmer and we (um, i) were positively tired from the heat. it was time for a mall break and some french fries...or, if you were us, a serving of poutine as our montreal host really, really wanted for us to try it and so we did. and we liked it.stepping back outside we were surprised to find the sky darker than dark and so we decided we should probably head back to the car. we had a bit of a walk ahead of us. we detoured through yonge-dundas square where crowds and crowds were gathered in front of various pubs to catch the final game of the world cup.soon enough, big fat drops began to fall with a flash and a clap. yikes! luckily we weren't too far and so we made it just in time and drove a long way to home for a home cooked dinner and a round of mojito floats. so far, toronto is the awesome!

museum of archaeology and history, and jean-talon market

7/9 Montreal

Our one full day in Montreal and the forecast predicted heavy rain with peels of thunder. Not to worry, we planned activities with a roof over our heads. First stop was the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History where an exhibit about Rapa Nui (formerly called Easter Island) and its art and culture is showing until November 14th. The installation includes plenty of information about the familiar Moai statues and their carving but more interesting are the less well known sculptures in wood, many smaller stone sculptures, and all the historical and cultural background gathered in this exhibit.

There are many examples of the smaller more intricate artwork of the Rapanui; two headed figures, birdmen, and anthropomorphised paddles. A black and white film clip documentary of a Belgian expedition struggling to haul a stone sculpture from Rapa Nui aboard their ship was on view in a small theater. The timeline of the changing beliefs and practices of the Rapanui filled in many of the questions about what happened to the islands' inhabitants and how the population was decimated by the 1860s. The many didactic panels and well arranged labels filled the exhibit with a wealth of fascinating details. If you are in Montreal anytime before November 14th I highly recommend seeing this installation, but it's not the only reason to visit.

The main permanent exhibit at the Archaeology and History Museum is down stairs, below street level. In fact it extends beyond the walls of the museum under the adjacent street. Here the layers of Montreal's history are revealed like an active archaeological dig extending back six centuries through colonial history and into the charcoal hearths left by the Native Americans along the riverbank.
The open and well labeled excavations include the stone foundations of an 18th century building, a 17th century catholic cemetery, what is left of the Little Saint-Pierre River vaulted with stone and turned into a collector sewer, and the site of the marketplace where digital ghosts of colonial Montreal will stop for conversation. Wall cases display artifacts uncovered in the excavation from clay pipes and gambling dice, to stone and iron arrow points. One case gathered glass and ceramic vessels in layers from an unidentified 17th century ceramic shards to a 20th century hourglass coke bottle. In the floor of one gallery I was treated to a satisfying dose of diorama-o-rama. Here in consecutive miniatures, the buried history of this small patch of Montreal is recreated from a summer fishing and trading village, to colonial outpost, to stockade, market town, and city. Just can't get enough of dioramas.

Upstairs in another wing of the museum we found a contemporary exhibit about the lives and histories of current Montreal residents. There were interviews with recent immigrants and people with families extending into Montreal's past. All spoke of why they or their ancestors came and what keeps them in Montreal. There was a collection of children's artwork about the city and one child's painting had been reproduced as a large free standing sculpture of the city scape. Our host's kids had a ball with this one, peeking through all the tiny windows. A bank of computer consoles offer the chance to search Montreal's population records for your family name and possible ancestors.

While at the museum the rain and wind raged on but it let up just as we emerged giving us a chance to make our way to our next stop, the Jean-Talon Market for a late lunch. I hope I have the name correct as I didn't think to write it down when we were there. I'm certain their are other markets in the city but this seemed to be a favorite of many people. The rain did little to deter the shopping crowd. I hear tell that it gets truly crowded here on weekends, but it was far from slow on our visit. The summer produce had the stalls overflowing with color and the brick and mortar shops facing the central plaza offered even more colors and scents.

In Los Angeles you're in a well stocked market if they offer three varieties of cured sausage. Here we found no less than 15 varieties all color coded. We wandered the aisles and refueled with fried calamari, middle eastern sandwiches, and some hot beverages to ward off the damp.

Our last stop for the day was to sample the creamy treat offered at Gibeau Orange Julep. The giant orange can't be missed if you get within a few kilometers. The whipped orange juice drink (with pulp, mind you) is sold by the cup or you can ask for a large bottle to take home. Think liquid form of an orange 50-50 bar with real orange juice and cream. Shlurrrp.

Well, our tour of Montreal was a whirlwind and too short, but the best part, as with most of our stops, was the visiting with our hosts. We were treated to delightful home cooked meals and a real welcoming hospitality. If you visit I hope you will be as fortunate to have a resident of this city show you the highlights, but even if you are on your own Montreal can't fail to delight.

rue saint paul and the river

7/8 Montreal

By evening we made it to Montreal and after wading through some rush hour traffic we met our host, Zenzhetty. After an early dinner we had a nice walking tour along rue Saint Paul, where the older buildings have all been snazzed up and filled with shops and restaurants. The streets were busy and folks were out in their dress up clothes for hot weather. Short slinky dresses and wobbly spike heels seemed to be the thing. Our host clued us in that the crowd was just getting started and people would be out until close to dawn. The weekend nights would be even busier. Montreal makes the most of summer nights.

The evening air was still hot and heavy so we took a turn and walked the river front where we hoped to find some cooler air. An impressively large and anvil shaped storm cloud cracked and flashed in the distance south of the Saint Lawrence River. We didn't feel a drop of rain in the city that evening as the orange lightning flashes lit up the last of the sunset sky and the city lights glittered on the river.


Cirque du Soleil had their big top on one of the Quays along the river near the boardwalk and a temporary photography exhibition. Montreal has implemented an excellent public bicycle system called Bixi. There are racks of these bikes all over the city and anyone can pay to use the bikes and return then to any other rack. They even have built in flashing red LED lights for night visibility. Some of the Bixi racks fill up more than others in popular destinations and we observed one of the trucks that regularly redistribute the bikes. I wish we had more time in the city (and a bit cooler weather) as I was itching to try out a Bixi. There were riders everywhere and Montreal accommodates bikes well. If only Los Angeles (where weather will keep you off your bike only 2 or 3 days a year) would make half the effort Montreal does it could be a two wheel paradise.
Our walk passed a temporary public art project, a cathedral, shops, cafes, and several museums. All were humming with activity. Too bad we aren't night owl a-go-gos. By the time things were really starting at midnight we had passed out in bed. If you have a taste for long summer nights out with cultural flair and Barcelona or Paris are too far to go, Montreal will fill the order with style to spare.

long live Canada

Things sometimes get out of chronological order on this blog and I apologize for the confusion. Sometimes we get so excited about one thing that we skip something else and have to go back. In addition, these posts are always written and scheduled at least a few days after we are in a particular place.

Anyhow, as I write this we are on our last full day in Canada. A week has been much too short and we knew that when we planned all this. We have had only an appetizer taste of Canada and we know we will be back for more.

So, why am I writing this ahead of the posts about the specific places we visited in Canada? Well, I just have a head full of things about the whole week and they need a place of their own, so here's my hindsight preamble to the Canada posts:

Long live Canada. I love so many things about my U.S.A... and then there's the wad of things that make me worry and frown. It's a mixed bag. Please, don't get the idea that I think I'm well versed in all things Canada and capable of characterizing the whole country, but Canada is swell. The same but very different. People here have their troubles, political fights, and awkward moments and all the shades of society that come with a big place with lots of people. The cities have traffic and the farmland is green.

But.

It's different. I'm going to sound like a dope here, because I can't quite put words to what I am thinking. Canada (and the Canadians that have been our hosts, granted, a tiny sample) see and do things from a different angle. There's some Europe here, some Asia, some Africa, and some South America like the mixed nuts in the U.S... BUT... still it's different. Can't figure out quite how to describe it in a meaningful way. At least stating that in a vague sort of way gets me to the thing I really want to tell everybody:

Thank goodness there is a Canada and Mexico (and Guatemala, Belize, Honduras...) so that manifest destiny didn't eat the whole continent. When I was a kid I was fascinated by maps and geography has always been a strong suit for me. I recall looking at a map of North America and wondering about the long horizontal line between most of Canada and the U.S. What happens when you cross that line? When I learned that Canadians speak English and French it brought home to my new little brain that the language I spoke came from another country and it introduced me to the big wad of colonial history.

So, Canada... North Americans that speak English (and French) like me (not so much the French... I learned Spanish living in Southern California) but they are not part of the U.S.?! My new little brain reeled. Over the years I've always been a bit delighted when I hear of Canada NOT going along with everything dictated by the U.S. I like that there is someone to say, "yeah, maybe that's not such a hot idea." Canada says it to London sometimes too.

OK, let me repeat, I still like the U.S. and don't want to live anywhere else, but I wish we weren't such excellent fodder for all the "Oh you self-absorbed Americans" jokes. Canada doesn't hate us (though I'm sure there are a few Canadians who do) but I think Canada just wishes we'd pay just a little more attention and not assume so much. This Superpower business and the 20th century I know has blinded the U.S. to so much detail in the world, but with all the paranoia about "The New World Order" and some kind of world government taking over we should glorify the differences and see all the facets of where we disagree.

So... Long live Canada and all the other wildly different places and people in the world. Any where you go, the troubles are all the same. We need all the points of view to see the way through.

snappers in Stowe, Smuggler's Gap, and crossing the border

7/8 Arlington, Mass. to Montreal

Boy, some days on the highway you just don't get a chance to stop for "Welcome to (insert state here)" signs. We missed a sign for both New Hampshire and Vermont. For some state line crossings we have taken the time to get on a back road where the welcome sign is usually easier to stop for, but for this leg of the journey we just didn't have the time to spare. We stayed an extra day in Arlington, Mass. and had an all day drive to Montreal.

We did take the time for a lunch of New England style hot dogs at Stowe Dogs (in Stowe, Vermont naturally). For those of you who haven't had one and are curious, hot dogs New England style seems to be mostly about the bun (there may well be a New Englander or two who will correct me). The buns are a nice soft, slightly sweet with an amber tanned top. Imagine a standard bun baked shoulder to shoulder with its neighbors so that each bun has an almost square cross section and two long sides that have no crust. These are sliced down the middle of the brown top and grilled/toasted on the two long sides. This adds a grilled cheese sandwich (or grilled panini) kind of toasty crunchy (sometimes buttery) thing to the completed hot dog. The buns also seem to be a bit smaller and matched to the size of the dog. A bit less bun per dog ratio. At Stowe Dogs we had the snappers with natural casing. Very tasty on their own, but I went for my personal favorite toppings, spicy mustard and some sauerkraut. Nyom nyom nyom.

After Stowe Vermont we drove through Smuggler's Gap. In the winter this is a ski area, but after passing under the ski lift cables we passed through the gap's summer cool green coat.


Just a bit north of Smuggler's Gap interstate 89 carried us to the international border. There must be more traffic here sometimes but the road was eerily empty. To add to the peculiar atmosphere all the road signs were covered with black plastic. We got a bit spooked and wondered if there had been some horrible international incident and we were naively heading for a closed border. At last we saw the customs plaza and a few cars waiting to cross into Canada. We showed our passport cards* answered a few questions and the Canadian official wished us a pleasant trip (after shaking his head at hearing that we had indeed driven all the way from California). I asked him, "Say, how do we get to Montreal, anyhow?" He chuckled and said, "That-a-way."

*So, if you're a citizen of the U.S. and you are planning to drive (or bicycle or walk) to Canada or Mexico absolutely do not forget to apply for and obtain a passport of some form, well in advance. These days you must have a passport or you will be turned back. The Canadians and the Mexicans really don't want you stuck in their country and they know that the U.S. officials will not let you go home with out a passport. The standard Passport book will do the trick BUT there is a cheaper option these days if you are going to drive (or bicycle or walk) to either Canada or Mexico. The new Passport Card costs less and will fit anywhere a credit card will, so you can keep it in your wallet. For more info see the Passport site. You will still need a birth certificate, and some small photos, and a fee, but get your act together and do it early. It takes at least a month by mail.