Things we like to do in Montreal

Since our friends Ronald and Jessica are coming for a visit in a few days, I have begun to ponder the things I most enjoy in Montreal. As I've been walking around the city this weekend I couldn't help but make a mental list of all the fun things I want to do. Then I realized this would be the perfect topic to post on and will be fun to read after our time in Montreal is done. Tonight I will post exclusively on food!

Food/Restaurants
Le Express: This is a given, we are doing this for sure. We went here the first time with Josh's family, and then again with his cousin, and once more as a spur of the moment decision. It is a popular dining pick among the locals and the atmosphere is very European. The food is excellent, of course. You can choose from a modern French menu that will provide your taste buds with an exciting culinary experience. A dinner at Le Express would complete any visit to Montreal. I just wish I had known about this place when my mom and sister came for a visit.

Home cooked meal: I know this isn't a restaurant, but it replaces the opportunity to dine out, so it deserves to be explained. We were thinking it would be nice to cook for our friends, and what a better way to welcome them into our neighborhood than a piping hot plate of slow cooked pot roast. Hungry? Me too.

The Spices of Setzchouan: Just a few buildings down is our favorite place to eat Chinese food. Josh is crazy about the peanut butter dumplings. This restaurant made the list because the food is good and its a good representation of what we do in Montreal.

Cafe Nior: We have never been here, but my hair stylist told me about it. Basically, you order your meal once you get there and then you are taken into a room that is so dark your eyes cannot adjust for the entirety of the meal. And the really cool part is that all of the servers are blind! Your not only enjoying a meal but also experiencing blindness. The reviews for the restaurant are all good and everyone seems to enjoy their company and meal with their four other senses.

Second Cup/ Cafe Depot: We will have to grab a cup of Canadian Joe at one or both of these popular hangouts. They are both a lot like Starbucks, but it will still be a fun experience.

The Couscous place: That is not really the name, I forgot the name. This place is INSANE! It is so amazing, the couscous is so light a fluffy. We had shrimp couscous and the sauce and spices they used for the shrimp was so rich and savory. The veggies mixed in were tender and they literally melted in your mouth.

Picking just two or three of these is going to be hard!

Yes, I know, its time for a new entry.

Urban Wildlife:

In the city, the chaotic man made wildernesses of bricks and concrete we construct for ourselves, I sometimes feel out of place. Sometimes I just wanna drop it all and pull an Alexander Supertramp - but I'll save that for another update. While the city dweller longs for the wilderness, certain wilderness creatures seem to have found the grass greener in the urban jungle that is Montreal. Maybe it's the french culture they admire, maybe it's the good chance of being run over by an automobile, or perhaps it's the free food.

Lets check them out:



Chipmunk getting fed



Squirrel getting fed



Pigeon getting fed


Yea, I think its the free food.

Vermont

Hello and welcome to my first post.

We've been wanting to blog since our long drive from Houston to Montreal, and I sure wish we had started sooner. I have a lot of pictures from our road trip, first few weeks in Montreal and weekend get-away to Quebec City.

I don't want to start with an annoyingly long post summarizing a month of travel and change but I promise to include pics and stories of these events as the blog lives on.

Today we took a day trip to St. Albans, VT. St. Albans is about 70 miles away from Montreal and 30 minutes north of Burlington, VT. It is a really cute little town that has almost everything you would need to run errands in the USA- aside from a Starbucks. I was looking forward to stopping at a Starbucks for the WiFi and to reload my card, but there are plenty of Starbucks here that serve up all of the same tasty drinks. The drive from Montreal to Vermont is gorgeous! The trees are changing a little and the landscape is very picturesque. Josh even saw an amazing rainbow on the way back. If anyone wants to visit Montreal and fly into Burlington, VT, we would gladly pick you up!

My favorite part of Vermont? The 6% sales tax (compared to 15% in Montreal) and predominance of the English language.


I'll leave you with a video that was taken on the lookout at Mont Royal. We went there on my Birthday and it has a pretty good view of downtown Montreal.

...0100 0001 (Greetings bipedal primates-

I am Joshannyn, a collection of codes and digital languages working together through a global system of computer networks for the purpose of translating the thoughts of two homo sapiens who refer to themselves as Shannyn Madeleine Field and Joshua Patrick Schweser.

-awaiting further directive) 0100 0001...