In the inspiring city of Montreal,
Shona and I had the pleasure of a fancy dinner at The Fairmont Hotel.
We had the cash to splash (well actually a gift card) but our
wardrobe selection was a limited affair. Sadly, the tie and
jacket recommendation for gentlemen was not going to be upheld on my end.
Montreal is sexy. Its fashionable, is
intimate with cool and blazes a trend setting path. Women
ooze sophistication with heels and little black dresses abundant in
the evenings and the latest jackets cloak the men of the city. Its
nightlife beats with a pulse of a true international destination.
Even their French conversations flow infatuatingly.
Meanwhile I had my one good shirt. My good trousers have small
paint marks. Shona was wearing thongs (or flip flops, or jandals
whatever you might like to call them). They were pretty thongs mind
you.
Slinking into the hotel I quickly
removed my grass stained rain jacket. I knew that table d'hôte was what I wanted for dinner, but I beautifully
mangled that french phrase in the way only an Australian accent can.
So was dinner a bit of a disaster then? Au contraire!
For you see to be beautiful, to be
sexy, to be cool, its not found in an expensive jacket, or a flash
set of heels, rather its ordering a bottle of sauvignon blanc not a
Coors Light and enjoying the roast duck and hearty offerings with
indulgence and enjoyment. We looked just fine in our backpacking
clothes as I went for another crème brule and lingered over a final
drink. I don't know what the chocolate thingy was but it was simply
divine. I'm so full, bah, just one more bite of that pecan pie .
The city was a confusing contradiction.
I'm in Canada. I've lived in Canada for the past 16 months. I may
have struggled with some of the countries quirks, but never have I
been lost to understand the language. No matter, I didn't meet one
Montrealian who wasn't bilingual.
It seems that Canada, weighing in at just under 10 million square kilometers cannot be pigeonholed as simply "boring" which is what I've done. Sure the west is a bit dull. And the north is just odd. And that middle bit seems a tad simple. Never got to Ontario, so I can't comment, but Montreal, hmm, that does add a new dimension to the true north strong and free. Or as those french canadians may say "Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!"
The world's most indirect travellers, Josh and Shona
