Au Revoir Montreal

Dear Montreal,

It's time to say goodbye and part ways.  It's not you, it's me.  We've had a great year filled with many tears, laughs, frustrations and joy.  I've experienced a lot of new things and have taken risks.  I've made wonderful friends and will miss them dearly. 

Thank you for all the fun adventures.

Cheers,
Leah

P.S. Here are some of the signs that I am going to miss, they always make me chuckle.

 

Goodbye Harry Potter

Many, many, many summers ago, when I was just a girl of 15 years old, I babysat for two wonderful kids.  Everyday we played, read and did math problems.  They taught me many games (chess and nertz) but the most important thing they taught me was to imagine.  I have always had a great imagination and as a kid was never bored of transporting myself to other worlds, but this was different.

" Leah, do you want to be in our play?" she asked.
"Of course," I replied.
"You could be Hagrid," he said.
"Hagrid?" I questioned.
"From Harry Potter," they responded.
"Harry Potter?" I asked.
"Here, read this," she said handing me a book, a portkey really, into the world of J.K. Rowling's imagination, into the world of magic, friendship, challenges, tragedy, comedy and the boy who lived.

I have always considered myself a reader but reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone lead me on a reading journey I will never forget.  From the beginning, I was pulled into Harry's world.  I empathized for the boy who lived in the cupboard below the stairs, the girl with frizzy hair and the redhead who always got teased by the mean Draco Malfoy.  I was in awe of Dumbledore and Hogwarts.  Secretly I would wave a pencil around, practicing the spells (wingardium leviosa, pronounced lev ee oh saw) then I secured a wand but alas I am a mere muggle (don't tell Forest because I keep telling him I am destined for a career at Hogwarts). 

One of the most magical things about the Harry Potter series is that it got the world reading.  Imagine millions of people lining up or pre-ordering book after book and all reading on the same day.  Reading is a wonderful thing, the best really and I can't believe the spell J.K. Rowling held over the reading world.  What she did was amazing, I knew a lot of people who didn't read but would pick up Harry Potter. 

As the last book came out, I waited by my mailbox in a chair from noon until 4 p.m. when it finally arrived (the last delivery of the day according to the mailman).  Once I opened the book I kept reading until it was finished.  When the book was finished, I felt empty knowing I had read the last book and that the series was over.  The silver lining was that the movies would still be coming out.  I went to the movies dressed up in my Hogwarts robes, Gryffindor scarf, HP glasses, Gryffindor tie and holding my wand.  Similarly I was transported into the wizarding world for two sometimes two and a half hours.  I would leave feeling hopeful, excited for the next movie.  Now that silver lining is gone as the last HP movie opens at midnight and tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., wand in hand, I will say goodbye to the last Harry Potter movie (but not in 3D). 

Totem: A Cirque du Soleil Spectacle

When bend over, I can't touch my toes.  I have to use the yoga bricks when I do yoga (once every other year), I was the only person on the dance team who couldn't do the splitz, and I failed the sit and reach in elementary school.  Growing up I was in dance and gymnastics. I had to quit gymnastics because I was scared of walking on the tall balance beam.  There are a few things that scare the beejesus out of me and plummeting to my death from a balance beam is one of them.

 It has taken a little emotional healing but I know that I will never be in the olympics, a backup dancer for someone awesome, a yoga instructor, or most likely ever touch my toes when I bend over.  Lately my exercise has consisted of bending over to pick up the t.v. remote when it falls on the floor or sometimes I reach really far to get my glass of water or snack on the side table in the living room.  Needless to say, I was pretty dang impressed when we went to see Totem yesterday.

Totem is the Cirque du Soleil show that is currently in Montreal.  Montreal is the home of Cirque and for some strange reason I didn't have this on my bucket list but was very happy that I got to go.  Cirque has set up a tent, well many tents in the old port.  The yellow and blue stripes beckon people from the street to step right up and see the greatest show there ever was.  And that is just what we did.



Leah and Angela

 The show is about the evolution of the journey into mankind.  Totem traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly.    And fly those acrobats did.  Everything was mesmorizing from the set and costumes to the performers who would flip and twist and land on a little plank in the air.  It is amazing how fearless the performers are.  Everytime someone did a stunt I said a silent prayer as I watched grinding my teeth down to nubs.

All of the acts were well choreographed, my favorite being the trapeze.  How anybody was able to create a show like that was beyond me (I am also creatively challenged).  The show was definitely in the top three of my favorite things I have done in Montreal. 

    

Jazz Festival and Fireworks

My sister is here!  Angela flew in Friday night and will be here until Tuesday.  In order to give her the proper Montreal summer experience we had a full day yesterday.

We started the day at the Jazz Festival around 11:00 a.m.  Unfortunately there was nothing going on.

We walked down to Old Montreal for lunch at 3 Brasseurs and to check out the Saint Jaques Square.  After watching some funny yet dissapointing street performances (the guy kept messing up his tricks) we walked along the water and then headed to Les Glaceurs for ice cream and cupcakes. 

We walked back to the jazz festival and must have just missed the afternoon performances.  With time to spare, Forest ran some errands and Angela and I headed to our sanctuary, the movie theater.  We pulled a double dip and then met up at Guido and Angelinos for dinner.

We went back to the Jazz Festival and this time there were more people and some acrobats.  We even saw two different performances.

For our grand finale we took the metro to Jean Drapeau, hopped a bus and off roaded up a big hill to get seats on the bridge for the international firework festival.  Upon our arrival we were greeted by several large spiders (I was worried about getting bit and becoming the first Spiderwoman) and thousands of moths.  Once the fireworks started I no longer felt like I was on a jungle safari but somewhere magical.

Starting June 25 and continuing every Saturday and some Wednesdays until the end of July, fireworks are set off at La Ronde.  Every week a different country showcases their pyromusical talents for the competition.  This Saturday, July 2, the pyrotechnicians were from the Czech Republic and the theme was a Flower Duet. 

I love fireworks and these were pretty amazing.  There were fireworks I had never seen before and plenty that I had.  The explosions of light and color and the lingering sparks remind me of willow trees with their hanging branches.

Photo courtesy of Forest Isbell

Photo courtesy of Forest Isbell

Photo courtesy of Forest Isbell

We ended the night with the longest bus ride ever (why is there so much traffic in Montreal?) but finally made it home around 1:00 a.m.