Montreal

Our house party was a varied group. Rona is a retired lawyer (one of the first female attorneys in New York City). Sheldon is a retired sociology professor.  Joan, our co-hostess, is a real estate agent in Sarasota. Eddy is choreographer and artistic director of Ballet Eddy Toussant, and Tim is principal dancer in the company. My cousin and I are, well, my cousin and I. Four men, three women ranging in age from 87 to 24. The age discrepancy was not an issue. Conversation flowed freely amongst the group. I was happy that there was youthful energy at the house. In Sarasota I am often the youngster in a population heavy with septa and octogenarians.

The house sits on a lake. There is a dock for ease of entry into the water. I swam across the lake. The water was cool, the days on the edge of hot.We did excursions to nearby towns and into Montreal proper. If you would like to look at pictures go to my Smugmug album: Esterel and Montreal. The explosives going off in all parts of the world seemed far away. It was a good beginning to setting off.

I've been trying to think of some pithy comment to make about Canada, or Canada and the U.S., or whatever. Canada is very much like the United States. It is also very different. In Quebec, the American uniculture is previlent, but it is overlaid with a strong French - and lesser British - influence. The country side is provincial as is the American countryside. Montreal, like any other great city, is a rich mix of many cultures. Canada is a great place to visit in the summer, but I wouldn't want to winter there. Not very pithy. The pictures on my Smugmug album say more about my experience there.