Montreal... how to begin? I really enjoyed this trip. It was different from the last one, in March 07. We didn't do really touristy things. We went to a nature park and had a picnic. We hung out in the Old Port and Chinatown. (Okay, so maybe that could be a little touristy, but it wasn't.) We walked for blocks in the rain--which was slightly reminiscent of my previous trip, but much more pleasant--and just enjoyed ourselves. Most importantly, I was able to catch up with old friends and meet a few new ones.

First of all, I'd like to say that I love Martine's parents. They are so warm and hospitable. I always enjoy staying at their home.

Martine and I always end up watching lots of movies together. This time we watched three: August Rush, Enchanted, and Stardust. All were very good, though some were better than others. I fell in love with August Rush. It has reached that place in my soul reserved only for the best. The story line is great, the actors are fantastic, and the filming is superb. Please go watch it. Now. Enchanted was cute, as all Disney movies are. I still get some of the songs stuck in my head. It would be a good movie to watch with the little people in your life. It makes me wonder, though... was I actually meant to be a cartoon? I'll just have to wait for my prince to pop out of a sewer to find out. Stardust is an excellent movie. The story is good, not too predictable, and the acting is well done. It is original, that's what I liked most about it. I think I could have gone without seeing DeNiro in a tutu, but oh well. I will be purchasing the DVDs of August Rush and Stardust, as well as the soundtrack of the former.

Sunday afternoon included a trip to... um, somewhere... where the Piknic Electronik was being held. I won't say that I wish I hadn't gone. It was a fascinating experience, definitely, and the view of downtown was beautiful. But that kind of music doesn't move me at all. I guess that's a good thing to know. Well, it rained all day (more like drizzle, I suppose) and so that put a bit of a damper on things, but I enjoyed it. After wandering around for some hours, we (we being Martine, Nicole, Shawn, Alex, and me) hopped again on the metro destined for Chinatown. We eventually found what we were looking for (Martine was a little turned around for a while)... bubble tea! Yum yum. Then we found a nice restaurant in the Old Port, Papillon. My linguine primavera was delicious. The place was not crowded and we stayed for quite a while. Overall, it was a good day, though not without its setbacks.

On Monday I made an important discovery. Sushi is not for me. Martine and I went to Kanda for the lunch buffet. I gave it a brave try, consuming most of what was intended for me. However, the taste of fish doing what it does to me, I required lots of water and Martine had to finish of the last few makis. But hey, now I know for sure, right? I am not regretting the experience at all.

Ummm, the trip on Friday to the park, including a lovely picnic (featuring homemade peanut butter cookies) is best explained through the pictures taken there and the video, if I ever get it up. The weather was gorgeous. Pretty much the perfect day. The only thing that could make it more perfect would be a trip for some ice cream and swinging at a nearby playground. Oh wait, we did do those things! So it was an incredibly perfect day that will live on in my memories, bringing an inexplicable smile to my lips at work for many a day. However, now that Martine and Phil have seen what swinging will do for me, I doubt we'll ever do that again. Hehehe.

Anyway, I'll let you know all about the airplanes and airports at a later date. It's back to work tomorrow. Vacation's over. Very sad. But no regrets.

Sarah