I remember reading a translation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and being surprised at how many paragraphs Hugo dedicated to critiquing the architecture of Paris. He was very concerned with good buildings and bad, and the attention paid by the builders.… [Read More]
Even as I type this, thousands of hockey fans are preparing for tonight’s big game, where Montreal’s Canadiens (aka The Habs, short for habitant, a Quebec settler) will be playing the Sabres in the Eastern Division semi-finals.… [Read More]
Row-zoo?
Remember “Yanny or Laurel?” I experience a similar thing here on the metro.
On the Orange Line, there’s one station that gets announced and the way I hear it is very misleading:
To my ear, that sounds like “prochaine station row-zoo.”… [Read More]
The New Neighborhood
On the first of May, some people go a-Maying, some celebrate Beltane, some celebrate the Labor movement, and some riot outside of multinational corporate offices. Manon and I have our own ritual where we arrive in a new neighborhood for the Summer.… [Read More]
Remember way back in May, when we encountered the “trees to be planted here” signs up in Saint-Léonard? No? You know, this here?
Well, anyway, we were back up in that area yesterday, and, sure enough, some trees have been planted.… [Read More]
Look Sharp!
It’s a summery day in Montreal, and this morning during my coffee break I heard the tinny digital chimes of what I presumed was an ice cream truck coming down our street.… [Read More]
We Enjoyed It But Have Some Questions
Hockey is to Canada what baseball and football are to the U.S. It’s a cultural touchstone and a massive revenue source for the sports industry.… [Read More]
Tree Installation
On my morning walk, I came across the city’s tree squad in action.
Truck o’ TreesThey were upgrading a yard just down the street from us.
Tree squad in actionTwo trucks, one excavator, five workers, and about ten minutes for a new tree to go in.… [Read More]
It’s been a busy end-of-Summer. We’ve had some visits from out of town, and work has been taking up a lot of time.
A few weeks ago, Manon and I managed to get away to the Pointe-à-Callière 18th Century Public Market event.… [Read More]


