Montreal - Part Three

With a busy day planned we met in the hotel dining room for an early breakfast before driving two hours to Mont-Tremblant for a day of fun in the snow. It took longer than expected to get rental gear but the kids still had time to hit the slopes. Nick decided to snowboard, thinking that it would be more like skateboarding. After all the kids had boarded ski lifts, we chaperones took to the shops. We also found a warm and inviting pizza restaurant and had a lovely lunch.

Unfortunately, there was trauma before the afternoon was over when three of our students didn't make it back to the bus on time. Two chaperones stayed behind to wait for them, learning that two of the three had just taken a trail that went to the wrong side of the mountain. However, the other missing student had been injured and was taken to the hospital to be checked out. Thankfully, his mother, who was born in Montreal, was one of the chaperones and also spoke french. Her son was a bit shaken and hurt pretty much all over but his tests turned out fine.

Another two hour drive and we were back at the hotel to dress up for our evening at the dinner theater. John the Bus Driver got us as close to the Le Festin Du Gouverneur Dinner Theater in downtown Montreal as possible but we still had an icy, cold walk down a long city block to the warm restaurant. The wind chill must have been about -20 degrees. It was worth the walk becuase the dinner theater recreated a 17th century banquet and once again the kids were included in the show.

We were happy to receive an update on the student at the hospital when we returned to the hotel. His tests all came out clear and he and his mother were on their way back to the hotel.

Montreal - Part Two

Friday, February 12, 2010

After a quick breakfast at our hotel, the orchestra loaded their instruments on the bus and attended an orchestral clinic with Alexis Hauser, Director of the McGill Symphony Orchestra. After the clinic, a young student named Matt gave the kids a tour of McGill University. He made it sound very desirable and more than a few are now considering school in Canada.

Driver John got us safely through the tight streets of old Montreal and the instruments were unloaded at the Basilique for safe keeping while we lunched at the famous restaurant, McDonalds. We finished our yummy lunch (yes, it was better than at home) and spent a moment or two of souvenir shopping and then headed back to the Basilique for a concert in the breathtaking cathedral. After tuning there was no time for the planned guided tour so the docent stood with the orchestra and pointed out the many marvels of the grand basilica.

Just before their performance at 3:00 pm, Chris Davis and I were escorted to the closed, second balcony so we could photograph and videotape the concert. All of the parents and grandparents shed a few tears of joy and pride as the Mariemont High School filled the grand sanctuary with Mozart and other well played pieces.

In preparation of our next adventure, we arrived back at the hotel to change into warm clothes for our one hour bus ride to the Sugar Shack. The bus was greeted by a team of draft horses pulling a large, red sleigh. At the Sucrerie de la Montage we were talked through the steps of sugaring, given a tour of the bread cabin where 90 loaves a day are made from scratch by a gentleman in his 80’s, which was followed by a feast in the largest cabin. We learned during our tour of Montreal that dinner out is a social event in itself. The courses are individual and spaced so there is time to take pleasure in the food, the company and the conversation. Nothing was rushed as we spent over two hours just enjoying the many courses which included the freshly baked bread, pea soup, mashed potatoes, sausages, quiche, meat pies and, of course, for dessert, pancakes with fresh syrup.

Music was provided by a very entertaining French speaking host who actually had the kids singing, dancing and marching through the room. Fun was had by all!

Montreal - Part One

Wednesday, February 10th

School was closed for a snow day so we gathered at Mariemont High School at 1:45 p.m. to give the orchestra time to run through their Mozart once more. As the kids arrived we collected their information and passports and were ready to board the motor coach when it arrived. We left the school grounds just a bit after 4:00 p.m. and headed for Erie, PA where we made our first driver switch at 11:00 pm before heading east to Syracuse, New York, then north into Canada.

Thursday Morning, February 11th

We made it to the Canadian border at 3 a.m. and everyone was asked to wake up and sit with passport in hand as the customs agent came through the bus. She asked a few questions and then sent us on our way. We made our last driver change in Brockton. The kids loved John, the driver who would be with us for the rest of trip. As he got out of his car, the kids noted his pony tail, his boots and his cowboy hat and for some reason he was dubbed "Chuck Norris". He fit the bill with his long rider coat and his deep voice. As the trip progressed, he definitely lived up to the name as he maneuvered us through some mighty tight streets and highways.

We picked up our tour guide, Gary Mandel (yes, he is related to Howie), who first took us to breakfast at Brisket Montreal just a bit after 9:00 a.m. The restaurant was ready for us and served up plates of steaming french toast and fruit.

After the museum we were dropped off for some free time in Old Town Montreal where we strolled the cobbled streets and checked out the many shops. Even though we had just eaten, the kids decided to stop in at Crepe Suzette, a little restaurant with mouth watering crepes and soups.

We met up with our bus and drove to the Hotel du Fort to change for dinner at the a LeBifteque Butchershop for a marvelous steak dinner.

Last but not least for our first day in Canada, we were treated to a concert by the Arion Baroque Orchestra at Redpath Hall at McGill University. The musicians were so precise it could have been a recording but not only did they play beautifully, the stories with the songs sounded much more intriguing due to their heavy, but lovely, accents.

Finally, back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

Kitchen Fever

Jim did a lot of work on my kitchen this past weekend. We have the base cabinets in place and the countertop is set. Our new black stove comes on Friday.

We had a bit of a set back when the new countertop was installed. Seems the base cabinet under the sink area is smaller than the former and our large stainless steel sink did not fit. We found another tonight that we like so tomorrow we install the new sink and faucet. After that the doors will go on the base cabinets, then handles and then I can put everything back. We will also need to replace the cabinet we installed over the stove because the new over-the-range microwave needs more space. Thank goodness for the IKEA rail system because we only need to detach from the rail and put up the new.

I also have to finish the tiles on the kitchen floor and decide on a wall color. Next a new kitchen exterior door and there's a black dishwasher that caught my eye. This will hold us until spring when we are going to take it all down, refinish the walls and put a window over the sink. We discovered that there had been one there years ago (more than 20) and we will have to open the hole on the inside and cut through the siding on the outside. Ya gotta love old houses! So much to do but we're doing our best!

Pinwheel Quilt

I'm working on another baby quilt. This one is made of bright pinwheels and will be quilted with bright purple, blue and pink threads. I am also working on my charm quilt which consists of different fabric for every square. So far I have 144 squares in the project and thanks to Julie and Jo, I have more pieces to put in.

Snow

I left home once again this morning to a light snow. It was dry and soft and made me think of fairy dust. I brushed it off the windshield and windows with just a sweep of my glove.
Nick had hoped for enough for a snow day from school which seemed just a bit greedy after a two week holiday break but snow days are precious jewels of childhood. Complaints of icy bus stops are forgotten when the choice is one's own on whether to go outside or stay indoors.
However, today's snow was just enough for a soft blanket of white covering the gray landscape of winter. I smiled all the way to work.

Happy New Year

It was snowing today as I left for work...tiny, gentle snowflakes. Ahhh, I love snow.

I try to empathize with those who do not. It's cold, it's slippery, it disrupts lives. However, we choose to live in a climate that promises snow in the winter and unbearable heat in the summer. I bite my tongue when others complain, wanting to tell them to move somewhere else if they despise the inevitable. I respect that everyone has the right to their own feelings but for me, I love each flake.

I miss the winters I spent in Idaho where it stayed white and fluffy, piled high for months on end. There was never a disparaging word about snow when we lived near a ski resort. I am not able to live there now and I miss it. In truth, like anywhere else, we had a trade off in Idaho. The summers were short, springs were muddy and we had no lovely fall foliage.

I admit that I am guilty of whining about the heat and humidity when July and August roll around but I choose to live here so I guess I'll just have to think of winter as sweat beats on my brow. Ahh, I love snow.