spring

today was a glorious day. a quintessentially spring day. warm but not too hot, cold at night but not so cold you can't go out and enjoy the evening. the leaves have burst out of the trees and are covering the city in green. there's nothing quite like spring.

one of the things i found most difficult to deal with when i lived in australia was the lack of seasons. oh sure, they have seasons. but it's not the same. they aren't quite as clear-cut. they flow from hot to hotter to unbearably hot to "cold" and rainy. that's it. the grass is greener in winter because the water is flowing. my garden always looked better then too. in summer, it just died (a sad, sad death). the transition from winter to spring still happened, but it's so much more amazing here.

it's hard to believe that only 5 weeks ago, the city was a wash of grey. the trees were still sleeping soundly, naked and cold. the grass was just shaking it's winter coat. flowers were still hiding under ground. the wind was cold and bitter, the clouds looming. people were complaining about the weather, wondering if the sun would ever show itself properly.

and then, as if in a dream, it all starts to change. you first notice a trickle of buds on the trees, a few brave flowers pushing through and some patches of green along the sidewalks. then, almost overnight, it just bursts. the leaves are out, green and vibrant. the tulips and crocuses (croci?) start to bloom. the grass is lush. the wind changes. the sun tries to come out more frequently (i say try because spring generally brings a ton of rain). spring arrives.

the thing i find most fun about the change in seasons here is how much people embrace it. the first day the temperature hits double digits and bam! hundreds of folk are out in shorts and t-shirts (and many girls in less then that), talking about how warm it is (no. it's not. you're only deceiving yourselves). the (newly erected) terraces are filled with folk trying to bask in the sun (which must be done before the sun starts to hide, because then it's still too cold to sit outside), whilst still wearing mittens and scarves. barbecues are fired up and the smell of burgers wafts amongst the neighbourhood. thousands of folk seem to be opening their doors, rubbing their eyes and stumbling into the streets, ready to embrace it all again.

spring really is glorious. i don't think it's my favourite season, but it has so many things going for it that it's definitely running a close second to my actual favourite season: patio season

ok, so it's not really a season. but i challenge you to find a canadian who would deny it that title
xo

cruisin'

on friday night, my colleagues and i were treated to a dinner cruise by our employer. there were some 200 other people on board with us, most of which we didn't know.

we were told to arrive sometime after 6,  but that the boat wouldn't be leaving the dock until 7pm. we all arrived with plenty of time to get a good table, find a drink and chat before the night got started. we stayed in the dock far beyond 7pm though, which was rather unfortunate because our view -until we started moving- was the industrial part of the old-port in montreal. to be more specific, we were looking at a parking lot.  once we did leave, the boat seemed to only do a few laps of the old port (rather than going up/down the river properly) before turning back and docking just before 10pm. so, it really was less of a cruise and more of a tour-of-the-port.

we had been told in advance that we'd be getting a 5 course dinner, with an option of chicken or steak for the main. as a vegetarian, neither felt like a good option. luckily, i have had enough experience with meatless-meat meals made very last minute with the wide-eyed look of "ooooh. of course there's a vegetarian meal. let me just go talk to the chef" - followed by 30 minutes of waiting, followed by the exact same meal the meat eaters got only without the meat- that i emailed the organizer and asked if there was a veg option. "yes!" they told me. "not to worry. some delicious grilled vegetable-thing with goat's cheese made special for you".

the first course came out and i had to laugh. it was some sort of duck-pate salad in a tiny little ice cream cone (the size of the ones filled with maple sugar), served with an eye-dropper (honestly) filled with some sort of sauce. clearly, no veg option (isn't duck a vegetable?). the eye droppers made us laugh, but the little suction cup thing that the ice cream cone stood in provided way more entertainment. all night long, in fact. the second course was a coleslaw-type entree served in (i kid you knot) a small tea-cup. so filling. the third was a small salad. then finally, the main.

my friends laughed at me when i told them that since they didn't originally offer a veg option as a main, i would probably be having a lesser quality veg meal. when i saw the duck-ice cream cone with no veg option i said "i am definitely getting a meatless-meat meal". and that's just what i got. all of my colleagues took the steak option, which came with a side of grilled veg and a baked potato. and what did i get? (surprise) a side of grilled veg and a baked potato! *gasp* not only that, but it was designed to even look like steak- 2 small pieces of grilled eggplant stacked on top of each other. (hey, i have news for meat eaters- i don't like meat. stop making my meals to look like meat). so there i was, munching away on the only thing vegetarians eat (right?) - a few sticks of asparagus, some slivers of carrots and peppers, grilled eggplant (which, btw, i freakin' hate!) and a baked potato. so satisfying.

luckily the desert redeemed the meal for me. in fact, i would have liked 2 pieces, which i think should be given standard to vegetarians when our meals are a full-on afterthought. the desert was some sort of delicious chocolate-cake-wafer combo with raspberries on top. so good.

the night was actually a rather good time, thanks to my friends and i tearing up the dance floor and having a good laugh,  but i don't think i'd pay to do it again.
xo