Many of you know that I’m on the super-taster and super-smeller spectrum–nose like a bloodhound, lungs like a canary. I’ve written before about how this affects me in unfortunate ways here in Montreal and my life in general.… [Read More]
Here’s a riddle: Why is Saskatoon like service?
Answer: they’re both names for native trees that produce edible berries.
Amelanchier canadensis has a lot of names: serviceberry, shad-blow serviceberry, bilberry, juneberry, sugarplum, or currant-tree.… [Read More]
Last night we went to see a bangin’ all-girl brass band in Parc Molson, just a few blocks away–one of the many City-sponsored summer events we love so much here.
Below is a little video snippet (1:40 long) from the finale, just a taste of some sassy, brassy musicians and the rare delight of a typical Montreal summer happening.… [Read More]
I wrote about nostalgia for May. But today, on a rainy Sunday, I’ll show some of the sights from the botanical garden in June.
We’ll start by the cafe, where new hanging baskets are fiery bright.… [Read More]
We’ve been here just over a month. Can I possibly be getting nostalgic already?
Well, May 10th was a lovely spring day; the sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the trees were green.… [Read More]
Montreal is notorious for its ragged infrastructure: aging water pipes, fragile electrical grid, but especially the nasty potholes that damage hundreds of tires (and people) every winter.
The mayor elected last year, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, blamed the former mayor Valérie Plante for the poor state of the roads.… [Read More]
Last weekend, we went for a jaunt to l’Estrie, the Eastern Townships of Quebec. This region stretches from the St. Lawrence lowlands down to the Vermont border, and includes some of the northernmost extents of the Appalachian uplands before they swerve off to Newfoundland.… [Read More]
Though–as I predicted—the Habs were spanked and eliminated from the NHL semi-finals last week, the Montreal women’s hockey team La Victoire brought home the PWHL championship Walter Cup.
The women of La Victoire were celebrated with a big parade here in Montreal this last weekend, though their winning streak received only a modicum of the Hab’s media coverage, as their games were often scheduled at the same times as the men’s.… [Read More]
The flowering time for plants can be very short, which, of course, is not unique to here. Some species flower for longer than others. Chrysanthemum and thistle flowers can last for weeks or months.… [Read More]
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]
