Two recurring themes: In 1983, I bought a royal blue Patagonia jacket with a red lining. After several years, three of my children fought over its ownership. Twenty-five years later it still looked new. The only reason we don’t have it anymore is because it was lost or, even more likely, stolen. I have a […]
From late 1973 to mid-1975, I worked at the corner of St-Laurent and St-Viateur. In the late seventies, I worked on Chabanel Street. In that era, much of the clothing that we wore in Canada was still designed and made in those areas of Montreal. And, it was there that I learnt to admire the […]
Québec distillers make 116 different gins, many of them international award winners. There are over 50 craft distilleries, located from Havre St-Pierre to Gatineau producing not only gins but also vodkas, whiskeys, rums and even absinthe. And, over 100 micro-brewers – if you are still buying imported or production beer, you don’t know what you […]
What kind of neighbourhood would you consider most livable? A community that is always a car ride from everything ? Or, do you want to have most of the things that you need and enjoy just a walk away? I don’t think my ideal neighbourhood should surprise anyone. My Ideal Neighbourhood I would opt for […]
I want to talk about arcades and public loos. Arcades That would be arcades as in covered sidewalks, not emporia for playing video games or pinball. Bologna and Torino boast extensive networks of arcaded sidewalks. Bologna has 38 kilometres of arcaded streets and Torino has 18 kilometres, 12.5 of which are interconnected. There are many […]
Slow travel allows time to really get to know places visited. Over the last several years, we have spent several months in and around Montepulciano. I no longer need GPS or a map to navigate most of Tuscany and Umbria. After over a month in Venice, I can read a Donna Leone mystery novel and […]