french kiss

Running away to a foreign city to surprise a friend certainly doesn't get your blood pumping. Nor, does it require the upmost secrecy. showing up on a friend's door step will certainly not result in a friend crying & hyperventilating for two minutes. None of these things took place this past

weekend.

Montreal is not one of the most romantic cities in Canada, every street and alleyway isn't filled with beautiful heritage buildings, iron spiral staircases and stunning bay windows. Students and locals alike rarely whiz past you on bicycles with fresh bread under their arms and smiles on their faces. The corner stores aren't generally filled with fresh flowers and local produce.

alright, alright. enough with the false negatives.

Montreal is honestly my second favorite city in all of Canada. I've been incredibly lucky enough to see most of the large cities in our beautiful country, and in my humble opinion, Montreal ranks right up there.

I chose to {surprise} a dear friend who lives in Montreal. After a short flight to snowy Winnipeg, I boarded my connecting flight to MTL. A twenty minute cab ride took me to the

Montgomery Building with it's strong wooden french doors.

After a quick & sneaky phone call to Catherine's roommate/ my surprise accomplice - Olivia, standing behind those stunning double doors was a bewildered Catherine. Crying & hyperventilating ensued briefly, smiles and laughs lasted all night.

Buildings that have history are innately romantic. Anything with age always makes me wonder what stories have already unfurled within it's walls. The Montgomery building boasts its

beautiful mosaic crest as you enter through it's doors.

The inner courtyard is reminiscent of a scene from a Shakespearian play - with sandstone lining window sills, and an iron spiral staircase.

The weekend consisted of amazing coffee shops, gazing and wandering down streets like St. Laurent, St. Viateur & St. Catherine's. Eating the best bagels, Montreal smoked meat, poutine and amazing vegetarian food at Lola Rosa.

// The amazing thing about Lola Rosa wasn't only the incredible squash soup, tofu curry (photographed above) or the mouth watering ginger & balsamic creme brulee. But each vintage, heavy wood table had little drawers, and when opened revealed a mass of handwritten notes, stories, quotes & drawings from previous diners. I'm officially in love.

Lastly on the culinary tour of Montreal, we delighted in the expertly crafted cocktails at Baldwin's Barmacie {This also included swooning over the design and type of their menu. wow.}

You really didn't think that I didn't go shopping did you? St. Laurent is home to stunning independent boutiques and Friperies alike {Free - pur - ri} // also known as vintage stores //

If beautifully crafted clothing is your vice, I would certainly recommend either Les Etoffes and Unicorn Boutique. Or if searching endlessly through vintage gems is more your thing, make sure to make a stop at Kitsch n' Swell.

Any trip to Montreal can't be complete without visiting Old Port. Also known as Old Montreal. The cobble stone streets, heritage buildings, art galleries & boutique hotels all had my heart jumping. Once there, make sure to visit Boutique Rooney.

The store's floor lay out is simple and elegant. The racks display beautiful clothing designed by talent's such as Ella Moss. While the raw wooden tables display gorgeous biannual magazines

like the gentlewoman {with the incredible Adele gracing the most recent cover.} Or stunning crafted leather bags by Heritage Leather.

Old Montreal also allowed me to take out, re-spool {in complete darkness. I would be lying if I said it took anything less than 20 minutes} and shoot with my beloved 620 Kodak Vigilant. This black beauty has been waiting patiently on my dresser for the moment it would be filled with 120 film, and cracked open to capture memories again.

In time, the film will tell back the story of smiles, laughter, wonder, adventure and love.

Paix & L'amour,

Brie

I Told You So

This morning I woke up earlier than I have in almost a year, pressing the snooze alarm at 5:36 a.m. As I sat in the Calgary Int'l Airport at Gate 45, waiting to board my flight to Victoria, British Columbia, I started a new game called "How many Team Canada jerseys can you spot in two minutes?" After my attention span tired of that game I shifted tired weight from one foot to the other and waited in line at Starbucks, (Soy Vanilla Latte. You saved my life) I listened to a lovely woman two people behind me offer a girl on crutches to carry her coffee, a task not easily done when both arms are tied up. The injured woman smiled broadly and said, "that would be awesome. I'll buy you a coffee if you can carry mine!" Made me terribly proud of being Canadian, I mean, where else would this happen?

Sitting down, I took out my iPod and cracked a book. Letting the caffiene and the sweet nutty taste of Soy slowly pull up my falling eyelids. As it would happen most times, my lovely iPod knew just what to play for me as I touched and illuminated the "Shuffle" option on the screen. Slouching back, my ears filled with the sweet sounds of Aidan Knight. Thirty minutes flew by and next thing I knew a snaking line of eager travellers formed in front of the gate.

A quick and painless hour and fourty minutes went by with only sparatic cries from the toddler one row back. I finally got the chance to make a dent in my most recent literary conquest - "He Died With A Felafel In His Hands".

As I landed, my purse across one shoulder, yoga mat on the other, I saw the friendly and loving face of my high school friend and kindred spirit Kat. For those of you who don't know her, she is my grounded, yoga practicing, composting, recycling, biking, smiling, giving, hippy friend. She stood at the arrival doors with a bouquet of 6 freshly cut yellow daffodils from her garden tied together with a blue silk bow. How on earth could I ask for anything more? I was already incredibly excited to be on a plane to somewhere foreign and fantastic. But, to be greeted by a warm, smiling, flower holding friend? Life is too good.

We stepped outside and I took the deepest breath of fresh, humid, rainy air which filled my lungs and seeped into my pores. Everything was green. The grass, the trees, the moss, the buds on the trees. Life was everywhere I looked.

I settled my things into Kat's vacant roomates humble abode and we trekked out to her second class. Earth and Ocean Science. By the time we crossed the street from Kat's house, I was suddenly in Fern Gully. The trees reached the sky and were cloaked in deep green moss, while the ground was wet and cool. Our footsteps; instead of making the rough "click, clack" on pavement made muted "thump, thumps" on the wet earth. After hanging out and learning about Paleolithic stone eras and the arrival of Oxygen on the planet we headed back home for a wicked lunch and an even better music swapping session.

Following tea we headed down to the beach. "To the beach, to the beach. After we climb up this mountain, we will go to the beach." (Jon&Roy, check out 5 or so posts down friends.) Even though the sky was overcast and the rain was drizzling, I couldn't wipe the smile from my face even if I had wanted to.

All my friends told me when I went to Victoria I wouldn't want to come home. Well feel free to say I Told You So whenever.

Tomorrow's adventures?
Breakfast, Yoga, Shopping, Dinner, Pubs, New Friends, Old Friends, Laughs and most of all, Love.

Peas,

Brie

Tips from a Saint.

The world is a book.

Those who don't travel read only one page.

-St. Augustine

"What no one tells you is that the book is no easy read. I'm just trying to read the entire book."

-Taylor Steele

I heard this quote in one of my favorite surfing movies to date, Sipping Jetstreams.

Even if you don't surf, watch the movie. It's about a lot more than just that.