And so we're home. Ten blissful days of unfettered relaxation, i.e. sleeping in, shopping, eating and drinking copious amounts of coffee. It was a wonderful holiday, snow and all- the only dark cloud was that we lost our beloved digital camera... It's not so much the cost of the camera that upsets me but the sentimental value- I bought Jude the camera as my wedding present to him, so losing it kinda hurts. We're still hoping it's somewhere in our uncle's home or that the places we've called will find it and call us; but honestly, we're not holding our breath...
Nonetheless, the break was much-needed and much-appreciated. Just some highlights of the trip some of you may appreciate in case you ever want to drop by Toronto/ Montreal (in Winter no less...):
1) Jude bought me a handmade bead and resin bracelet from the gift shop at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. It's really pretty- red and turquoise- and goes with everything I have. The art gallery itself is really cool too. They were having a Modigliani exhibition but Jude & I were too cheap (and hard-pressed for time) to get tickets for it.
2) We found the most delicious baklava this side of Beirut. Not the drippy sticky Greek version though; Middle-eastern baklava is richer, less sweet and more nutty. The shop in Montreal, Aboh Sali, is actually a branch of a Lebanon-based baklava company and apparently, they deliver world-wide. What are you waiting for?!
3) Shopping in Montreal & Toronto (or any major city for that matter) is so different from shopping in this little college town. In larger metropolitan areas, you have a critical mass to support a large variety of merchants, from multi-national conglomerates like GAP and Barnes and Noble to independent stores like the many along Toronto's Queen Street and Montreal's Rue St. Denis. It makes for an infintely more interesting shopping experience than just your regular run-of-the-mill stuff. At Pages, a "fiercely independent" bookstore (as they call themselves), we found a treasure-trove of graphic novels, design books, stuff from smaller publishing houses and other literary gems we rarely see elsewhere. I bought myself an anthology of writings from the Paris Review and can't wait to make time to savor it slowly.
4) Because of the bad weather the first couple of days, Jude & I spent a lot of time just staying in and watching cable. Saw episodes of my TV guilty pleasure, CSI (the original one thank you very much- the Miami and NY spin-offs are no where as intelligent or well-written); HGTV's What Not to Wear (it's terrible to be addicted to a show that thrives on people's bad fashion sense, but I can't help myself!); Good Will Hunting (for the first time, believe it or not), When Harry Met Sally (for the second time ONLY, believe it or), and Days of Being Wild & Infernal Affairs on DVD. You have to catch Infernal Affairs; as far as cop-and-robber stories go, Hong Kong films have got that down pat and this one will go down as an absolute classic.
5) Shopped at Caban, a lifestyle store based in Canada. Everything there is exactly what Jude & I want for our home (when we can finally afford one of our own that is...). Clean and simple designs that just have enough of that edge to make it interesting without being obnoxious. Didn't buy anything much except a box of lights and a cute skirt which were both on discount. Mental note: clear the store when earn enough money.
6) Visited the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal for the second time. A Montreal monument, this cathedral is profoundly breath-taking. No photo can do the interior of the building due justice but the website comes close. Bearing the weight of both history and religion, this cathedral also requires a two to three year wait if you want to marry in it, and is the church where former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's funeral was held, attended by world leaders from all over. On another note, this is also the place where Celine Dion got married...
7) Discovered maisonneuve, a general interest magazine based in Montreal. Covering everything from pashmina to politics, it's very intelligent writing that manages to be both funny (sometimes downright hilarious) and thoughtful at the same time. We then bought the commemorative box-set that has all six 2004 issues. Jude and I are now plotting to worm ourselves into writing for them...
8) Sat for two-hours in an old-fshioned jazz bar in Toronto, The Rex. Nothing fancy, just decent drinks, good music and a relaxed atmosphere you can soak up for hours on end.
9) Finally had a taste of the Vietnamese sub, Bahn-Mi in Toronto's Chinatown. A humble sandwich, it was surpringly refreshing and very hearty too. I wish Ann Arbor had more places that sold such simple, affordable (CAN$1.50!) fare.
All that's left to do now is to cross our fingers that we find our camera so we can retrieve the photos we took, take up French in preparation for our next trip up, suck it in for the next 4 months until the next holiday (hopefully home), and call our uncle often to remind ourselves of the last ten awesome days.
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