french is finally done and dusted. and somehow i managed to pull off an E...which means i never have to do french grammar ever again. that's a huge sigh of relief for me. so that means that the only thing i'll have to keep up for my 5 year/promotional qualification is my speaking ability. so as a present to myself for all my hard work and frustration (lol) i took a few days off to spend with the boy (who traveled all the way from london to see me!). it's been lovely, spent some time getting to know this city that i've been living in for a few months and then we rented a car to go to montreal for the weekend.
on the way out we stopped at a french sugar shack for a meal and a 'traditional' canadian experience for my british man. i had remembered going to a sucrerie outside quebec city years ago and having one of the absolute best meals of my life, so i was eager to share. did some research and found a really sweet cabane (haha...) half way between ottawa and montreal (www.sucreriedelamontagne.com) which seemed to fit the bill. it's a bit off the beaten track, but entirely worth it in my estimation if you're looking for something authentic. although it didn't quite live up to my remembered standards (i knew that was going to be difficult!) the setting was quaint and the meal and entertainment was great (there was even a guy who played a saw). especially of note was the sugar pie....delicious....i want some more right now.
absolutely loved montreal. it was like going back to europe. lots of great architecture, cute little streets, awesome shops and sweet restaurants. it even had the boy asking if it was possible that i could live there instead...i have a feeling it would sweeten the pot to get him to move over!! we finally got our first bit of sun and soaked it up walking the streets of the old town and sampling some more french canadian food in the form of poutine and smoked meat sandwiches. yum. also made a trip up to the Jean-Talon market which gave me fresh veg envy. the market in ottawa is not even close to this awesome. i got some quebecois honey and lavender oil and got to sample some of the other local wares. did i mention i love montreal? :)
