Wow, almost a month since I last posted! It’s been a mix of busy summer days, lazy summer days, and then getting ready (kids and myself) for a little vacation and all that goes with that. Last week, for an early celebration of our 10th wedding anniversary (happening in November), my husband and I took a kid-free vacation up to Burlington, Vermont and Montreal, Canada! It was a wonderful time – delicious, fancy dinners that were not rushed; wandering around just to wander without having to chase little ones; lots of knitting, and peace and quiet. We are very lucky that family is around to help out and the kids spent time with their grandparents and attended camp.
A few highlights:
Crossing the border into Canada I was struck by the change in landscape – from the Green Mountains to corn fields! We stayed in Old Montreal, which was very beautiful – cobblestone streets (so narrow!), lots of boutiques and a ton of restaurants. The food was delicious! The Mile End Food Tour was a neat way to sample a variety of foods we wouldn’t have normally sought out: felafel, Greek pastries, local beer / meat / cheese from a butcher, local chocolate… I’m also a big fan of the tasting menu, we did that at a tapas restaurant and a french restaurant.
I would only change one thing – I wish I had brushed up on more French before we went. Everyone spoke English, so it wasn’t a big deal, but when you try to be polite and say “Bonjour!”, you would be answered in French. I know I had a deer in the headlights expression on my face more than once, because immediately they would say “Oh, English is better for you?” Um yes please. That and I didn’t take French in high school, I took Spanish. In my head I would think of a response in Spanish, which wasn’t right either!
On the way up to Vermont, we stopped at Webs! Dan hadn’t been before, and though I told him about how big it was and the warehouse in the back (with grocery carts!), he was still wowed by the size. I promised him a new pair of socks and gave him a few guidelines for picking out a yarn. I wandered over to the display of madelinetosh Vintage and picked up a skein of Dachshund (how could I not?), Dan returned with a skein of Mrs.Crosby Train Case in Squid Ink (nice!). I wasn’t able to get to any yarn shops in Montreal, but when we were back in Burlington, I found Nido – a really sweet little yarn and fabric shop. They had Quince & Co! I picked up a few skeins of Chickadee – maybe for colorwork flittens or a hat or something?
It’s back to reality today, the daily grind of kids and work. I expect to be back on a regular blogging schedule this week! I have lots of WIPs for Wednesday, books for Yarn Along, and a FO (or two!) for Friday!
