L'Ancien Monde et le Nouveau: Day Two in Montréal

    On Saturday morning, the streets of Montréal were cold and icy. We had hoped the weather would be a little better, but we decided to brave the sidewalks and basically skated down Rue Sainte-Catherine, through Chinatown, until we reached the Place-des-Armes. 
Our destination? One of North America's most famous and most beautiful churches--the Basilique Notre-Dame. 

 This Gothic-Revival Basilica, designed by Irish-American architect James O'Donnell, was built between 1824 and 1829 in reaction to Ville-Marie's growing population, which the old chapel (built at the end of the 17th century) could not support. Its famous bell towers, affectionately called La Persévérance and La Témperance, were added later on, making one of Montréal's jewels really resemble its Parisian counterpart. 

Aside from its gorgeous façade, one of the things that really drew us to Notre-Dame was its history. Hundreds of thousands of people have passed through there, many have been baptized, wed, and given funerals there, and people from all over the world have flocked to the Basilica to see this amazing arm of the Catholic Church in New France--now Canada. When I visit churches on my travels, I can never stop myself from thinking about some of the amazing people who might have stood where I stood. In this particular case, when we entered the church, we walked the same path as Luciano Pavarotti (who held at least one concert there), Canada's own Céline Dion (who was married there), and Pope John Paul II (who celebrated mass there).

 One of the things I love most about visiting Basilicas and Cathedrals is the collection of prayer candles scattered around the perimeter of each church. As small as the building might make you feel, the little kneelers and candle-filled trays make the church feel even more peaceful and oddly intimate. And even if you're not religious, they provide a great place for quiet contemplation. 

Time in the Basilica passed quickly as we looked at the beautiful artwork on its walls (and ceiling), and we decided to move on.

Our next stop was in stark contrast to Notre-Dame--as the weather was still snowy and freezing, we decided to head to the Musée d'Arte Contemporain.

I will preface this by saying modern art isn't really my thing. Some pieces I absolutely love, and some just don't speak to me. The MAC was one of those museums where I was crazy about some pieces and bewildered or weirded out by others. However, it is one of the most thought-provoking museums I have ever visited. 

The first piece we saw I absolutely loved. It's a piece you can interact with, one that looks and is physically heavy but, in a fantastical way, seems rather light and airy. 

A piece we saw after that drove me and the man a little crazy, and I couldn't bring myself to take a video. Ann Lislegaard's Time Machine  involves a computer-animated fox which stutters as it tells a hard-to-follow tale of its trip to the future. It's a really cool concept (a talking fox in a mirrored box), and I love that Lislegaard mixed English and Danish to make the fox's story make less sense, but to be honest, the fox's face is haunting... and not necessarily in a good way.

After we decided to escape from the room which housed Time Machine, we happened upon an installation which I really loved. Given my passion for Economics, it probably won't be too surprising when I say I totally geeked out when I saw what the installation contained. 

Entitled The Prophets, this piece by Richard Ibghy and Marilou Lemmens embodies what I love so much about my field--the amazing power of models in predicting future events. 

Overall, this was probably our favorite part of the MAC, but we saw some other weird and cool things on our way out, including some unexpected taxonomy (a deer and a fox, seemingly sleeping, on the floor of two different rooms), some sort of arctic sled, and lot of heartbreaking videos. 

We went for lunch at Eggspectation (which seriously has the best omelettes I've ever had) and learned that there would be a huge snow storm that night. Because we knew we probably couldn't eat out, we made our second venture into the RESO to pick up some groceries--emergency food if you will. The result? 

Butter Chicken, Wilted Garlic Spinach, and Naan, which we prepared in our room's kitchenette. Not super fancy, but not too shabby in light of the heavy snow outside.
 We paired this with Revolution White Wine (Rev Vineyards, Napa, CA), a Colombard-Chardonnay blend. (For those who are wondering, it's very fruit-forward, floral, and tropical with a medium body and finish.) While the wine wasn't quite dry enough for our tastes, we were still impressed with how well our IGA run turned out.

As Saturday night drew to a close, we were absolutely exhausted. So, we cleaned up, turned on Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys (excellent, by the way), and turned in on the early side as we waited out the snowstorm. 

A Snowy Retreat: January in Montréal

      For Christmas this year, rather than giving each other physical presents, my boyfriend and I decided to do something a little different--we took each other to Montreal for a week of exploring and relaxing. 
      In grand American tradition, we took an overnight Greyhound bus up from New York City (after an absolutely wonderful New Year's Eve spent with friends) and arrived in the early morning. Because we had several hours to explore before we were allowed to check into our room at the wonderful Hotel Le Roberval, we decided to take a walk down Boulevard René-Levesque (and initially intended to see some art museums).

Montréal has a noticeable Catholic influence, so on our way through the Quartier Latin (home to the École Polytechnique de Montréal, the Université de Montréal, and the Université de Quebec á Montreal), we passed beautiful old buildings and many, many churches. 

Although we never made it inside (as apparently they no longer give tours), we saw our first Montréal landmark: the Molson Brewery.

  

Having dropped our bags at the hotel, and having realized that we were heading in a completely different direction than we intended, we decided to to scrap our original plans and head instead towards Old Montreal. 

Across the way from the our ultimate destination--the Chateau Ramezay (which was obscured by a lot of cold-weather additions, so I won't picture it here)-- stood Montreal's City Hall, one of the most gorgeous government buildings I've ever seen.

  We then spent a few hours exploring the Chateau and headed to the gorgeous Old Port, where we stepped into the Héritage Gallery to look at some Inuit art. This particular gallery is partly a showcase of the work of some really great Inuit artists and partly a fur shop. Most of their wares were, as expected, just a tad out of our price range, but we still took a look.
  

  Among the things we saw and really, really wanted to take home was this polar bear. We were this close to adopting it for my new apartment--a total bear necessity if you ask me--, but we didn't think the folks at Greyhound would appreciate us bringing home an extra passenger. 

    Having sated our curiosity about this (pretty magical) Inuit gallery, we made our way to the Old Port and stopped into Montreal Poutine for a bite and a brew. MP is admittedly very touristy and a little spartan--if you're looking for a fancy, boutiquey gastropub, this is not it. When you enter, you'll walk up a set of stone steps that lead to an attic, where the menu and beer list are short and the wooden tables are mostly full.  But don't be discouraged--if you're looking for a low-key place with good food and a lot of attention to detail where food and drink are concerned, MP is just the place to go. We ordered Poutine with Montréal Smoked Meat and Rickard's White Ale, and though we'd been a little skeptical, I'm pleased to say Montreal Poutine was well worth it!
      
    Anywho, that's enough for today, but be sure to stay tuned for more of our Montreal adventures! On the docket for tomorrow's post: some of the other sites we visited and one of my absolute favorite art installations (you'll see why). 

A domani,

Caroline 
Xx

               

Mahrajan and Moving

          I admittedly haven't done too much besides work this summer, but now that I've given my notice and headed back up to Boston, I feel as though my summer vacation, however short it may be, is finally beginning. 

    On Friday morning, I boarded a train bound for Boston armed with two massively overpacked (and yet underpacked) suitcases, a duffle bag for the weekend, and my handbag. A few hours and a taxi ride later, I found myself in the heart of the Fenway area in front of my new apartment. I unfortunately didn't have too much time to hang out with my roommate, as I had to leave almost as soon as I'd come in order to board another train to see my gent and his family for his birthday weekend...

    So yes, things started out quite hectic, but I'm finally settling into what looks like it'll be an amazing week. 

    D's birthday was yesterday, and we all headed up to Mahrajan, a Lebanese Festival held by Our Lady of the Cedars Church in Manchester, NH. I've had some exposure to the Lebanese culture so far, but yesterday was the first time I felt truly immersed... and it was absolutely wonderful. 

   When we finally arrived, I was a little floored by the fact that there was a camel present... I'd never actually seen one in the flesh, so I may or may not have been like a kid on Christmas morning when I actually touched it. 

(Credit for this lovely shot goes to D's mom, who was probably highly amused by my slight freakout. :P)

    At what I will call the actual entrance to the festival, we saw a handful of bancarelle (IT: stands) where merchants sold religious icons, books, and jewellery, woven goods, and all forms of Arabic food and sundries. But before we got too distracted, we made a beeline for the big tent, where we met up with D's extended family and listened to some live music.

     

Arabic Instruments from L to R: Arabic-voiced Keyboard, Oud, Qanun, and Tablah.

    Before long, it was time for lunch, so we headed over to the food tent for some great Arabic food. 

The Kibbeh Platter
Kibbeh (ground beef, bulghur wheat, minced onions, pine nuts), Loubieh, and Rice.  

and a Spinach Fatayar and Majaddara


We didn't end up getting this, but I's food looked too good not to share...

He and A got Spinach and Meat Fatayar and Lamb Shawarma. 

   Alas, the Hommus and Tabbouleh we had escaped the camera, but everything was better than I can even begin to describe. 

   After lunch, L convinced me, A, M, and S to get henna tattoos with her. 

   And then, it was time for dancing.

We were total dorks on the dance floor, but we had so much fun belly dancing and doing the Dabke.

   When we were finally tuckered out, we decided to head into the hosting church for a look. 

Our Lady of the Cedars is a Melkite Church. It's a little bit Catholic, a little bit Orthodox, very cool, and absolutely beautiful. 

                There's iconography absolutely everywhere. 

It's all beautifully painted and is an amazing testament to the growth of the church.

 I'm not the most religious person out there, but there's just something awe-inspiring about being in a church like this. It was absolutely amazing listening to Fr. Thomas talk about about Our Lady of the Cedars, the Melkite Church in general, and the town, and I will contend that the entire building is a work of art.

(Also, I may or may not have fallen in love with these lanterns.)

    After we'd seen what we wanted to see and we'd thanked Fr. Thomas, we went back out to the big tent for farewells and headed back home for cake, The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and movie night. 

   **For fashion lovers, I'm wearing an H&M dress (sold out, but similar here), Birkenstock Gizeh Sandals (don't knock 'em until you try 'em--they're really comfy), Alex and Ani Bracelets, and a golden honeybee necklace from Etsy (c/o Luxe Lovely Gifts).**

A Good Morning

So, this will be quite short, but I just wanted to take the time to reflect upon all the things, big and small, which make this morning (and generally my life) pretty great.

I'm finding lately that it's so easy to get caught up in our daily obligations and stresses that we often forget how well things are going in general. 

So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are some things which make me really happy to be where I am:

• Despite the cold and the snow which have hit Boston almost constantly for at least the past month, we have been blessed with several beautiful, sunny mornings, and I can't help but marvel at them on my walks to my 8 AM class. This morning was one of them, and "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" (from Oklahoma) almost seems made for today. 

• Yes, I have two big exams today, had a paper due this morning, and will undoubtedly have more work to follow. But as time has gone by, I'm starting to realize that these are very small bumps in the context of my entire life. In the past, I let my work become my life, but I'm just now realizing that I've finally learned to make my work a relatively small part of my life as I think of it. 

• I feel so blessed to have met so many amazing people this year. It's taken the past week to help me realize how much I love my friends and professors--some of whom I really consider friends--, as well as how important they are to me. Again, I've found that it's so easy to get caught up in work that one tends to forget how great it is to simply chat about anything and everything--even the most mundane aspects of life-- as a respite from the stresses of life and work. 

• I also feel quite blessed to have such strong support from my family. It's strange, but while I was chomping at the bit to start my own life when I moved up to Boston, now that I have, I'm finding it even more important to call them frequently to catch up and stay involved in their lives. I also know I'm getting into the big leagues now because my parents' and grandparents' advice is starting to make sense, and as scary as that is, it's kind of exciting. 

• I can't help but marvel at the fact that I'll be going to the Museum of Fine Arts to look at the Impressionist exhibit for my writing class on Saturday morning. My professor and his wife will apparently be giving us a tour of the exhibit and explaining the works. Not only is he one of my favorite professors, but it's tremendously cool to have a professor who wants to spend time and go places with his students outside of the classroom and on weekends. The best part? We're doing these trips the last weekend of every month for the remainder of the semester. 

Anyway, that's all for now. It really is a lovely day, so wherever you are, take a moment to appreciate everything that's going right--it'll make all the difference in how you view your life. 

Xx Caroline

Seeking Peace

So, I'm back home for the holidays and just about a week before I'll be heading back to Boston, things have finally started to return to the way they were before I left home. 

Because things have been a bit hectic, I thought I'd pop out for a bit with our dog and head over to Natirar. 

Natirar is a gorgeous, 404 acre estate-turned-park filled with beautiful bridges, fields, and greenery. The Ladd mansion still stands (it now houses a restaurant, spa, and culinary school of sorts), but the real magic lies in the property. It is one of my absolute favorite places--the sort that reminds you how small you are in comparison to the rest of the world. It's also a well-kept secret (so shhh!).

So, without further ado, Welcome to Natirar!

 We got a lot of snow this past week, so we weren't the only ones taking advantage of the park. There were a lot of families out sledding (a capital idea on their parts) and quite a few people out cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

 
I was really pleased to finally be able to bring my camera out to shoot again--it seems I'm almost always too busy in Boston. 

   Here's our adorable Portuguese Water Dog, Sofia. While I can't promise she'll be a regular fixture on the blog, she will be making some guest appearances.

      
   
And here's the Ladd Mansion. The ca. 1912 40-room Tudor Revival was, at one point, home to the King of Morocco. I haven't made it up to the mansion yet, but I imagine the interior is just as gorgeous as the exterior!

     Unfortunately the walk was a tedious one, as Sofia stopped every few feet and either laid down or sat on a bench. As I soon discovered, the poor thing had ice stuck in her paws!

Returning to Natirar made me realize how little I appreciated it when I lived at home full-time. 

It's an absolutely perfect place. As you've seen, it's lovely in the winter, and, in my experience, it's even lovelier in the summer. As much as I love the Public Garden, the Common, and the Esplanade, I'll miss this when I return to Boston.