A French Canadian Love Affair

"Montreal, Montreal, Montreal" This beautiful and culturally vibrant city has been calling my name since my last visit there in summer of 2009. Whispering nightly in my dreams yearning for another French love affair with the island city. I couldn't resit any longer and finally decided to give in to the temptation. The last 2 weeks in April I spent wandering around the city, exploring side streets, visiting museums, listening to live jazz, and tasting as much food as possible. Renewing my love affair with a city that combines the best of American and European lifestyles. Indulging all of my senses...classic architecture, modern art, and handsome men delighted my eyes; fresh baked croissants, coffee roasting, and spring blossoms tickled my nose; hot chocolate, innovative vegetarian cuisine, and excellent wine tempted my taste buds; all different types of jazz, street musicians, and college graduates performing classical music pleased my ears; and new forms of dance with partners to twirl me around satisfied my touch. I was fascinated and enthralled with the myriad of cultures that I engaged with and absolutely loved hearing the French language on a daily basis. Many say that the French Canadian French language is a bit more harsh, but I just fell in love with it. This is one city that I would welcome the opportunity to live in if it ever arose. The culture, the language, the landscape, the music, the food, the clothes, and the gorgeous men. What more can a girl ask for?
I was blessed with good luck throughout my stay there and had the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones. Merci/Thank you Montreal for a wonderful two week fling.

Winter Escapades

Yet again I have passed too much time without writing about my latest adventures. After yoga training last fall I decided to embark on another bold quest...attempting to pass the winter in New Hampshire. Growing up and living most of my life in warm climates made this an intense challenge, and to my surprise, it wasn't that bad. That is until the official day of Spring began and it snowed. OK, I thought I had made it, but this was not fun anymore. So I realized that I can deal with winter for about 3 months and after that I am just not a happy camper.

Things I did to pass the time...well to name a few: learned how to bake and decorate giant gourmet fortune cookies with a new and upcoming company; spent a holiday weekend in NYC bonding with my cousin while we acted like kids in Dylan's Candy shop, sang "Feliz Navidad" in public at Rockefeller center, and sampled cannoli's in Little Italy, cupcakes at Magnolia, and Liege waffles at the Christmas market; spent a day with fellow yogi's completing 108 sun salutations to raise money for fuel and food for local families; house sat a quaint waterfront home; completed 5 solid days of dance training in Boston; visited my best friend and her new baby in Louisiana which included a stay at a plantation home in Mississippi; and enjoyed the local nightlife with my new friends. Not bad for one long winter in New Hampshire.

Next and current adventure...explore Montreal.