For the past few years, before my vacation ends, I’ve spent a day on my own in Montreal. I started doing this in 2015. It was a pretty rough time (seriously, 2015—what a shitty year!) and I had a deep need for solitude. I went to Saint Joseph’s Oratory. I’m not quite sure why, but I was drawn to this place, which seemed like the perfect spot: calm, peaceful, quiet, with a magnificent view of one of my favorite cities. So I went to sit there. I didn’t stay long—barely an hour… Just long enough to light some lanterns and have a good cry.
Afterward, I wandered all over the city before settling down in Lafontaine Park to round out my afternoon with a good novel. In the evening, I met up with my wonderful friends for a food truck festival at Olympic Park. When I got home, I promised myself I’d make this a yearly tradition!
So this year, I went back to light my lanterns with my family and coworkers.
This year, I went there with a smile on my face. The weather was so beautiful! The view of the city was magnificent! Afterward, I went on a completely different kind of pilgrimage: the Jean Talon Market! There, too, the view was magnificent, paired with the flavors and aromas… I spent the rest of my day there. I read, I ate, and I drank the best cappuccino of my life… probably the one that came closest to Italy (We were a far cry from that famous café with the green image of the Statue of Liberty…)
Long story short: I’m in love with Montreal! I love this city of a thousand colors, with its 1,001 facets: jet-set, bohemian, eco-conscious and activist, innovative and culturally rich. I love its sounds, its well-kept little secrets, its streets, and its smells! Not all of them—well, all of them… but you get the idea…)
As soon as I cross the bridge, I feel like I’m coming home. I wouldn’t have said that a few years ago—I was absolutely terrified of this city… However, the older I get, the more I realize I’m a city girl… As much as I love the countryside where I grew up, I absolutely loooove the concrete!
Ian Kelly wrote and sang: “Montréal, Montréal, don’t forget me, if I settle far away from you”…
I can’t help but think he wrote that song just for me…