Brooklyn - Two Days

Whirlwind
After Sunday golf with Che and the crew and Dodo's mall shopping, we hopped into the rental and finished off the final 80 miles to Brooklyn.  We walked all around, cruised the subway and took cabs.  There are many more bike lanes - even a few that slice through Times Square.

New York - B&B

Communing in Sugar Loaf
We drove down 17 for about 4 hours and settled at our B&B in Sugar Loaf.  Not sure they're a "community of craftsmen" but there were a block or two of arts and crafts stores around the corner from where we stayed.

Syracuse - Relaxing

Underappreciated
I've not spent so much time here in twenty years.  It was relaxing and fun.  I played a lot of golf, spent time with the old lady and Geppie.  Ate tons of ice cream from Gannons.  Ate fish sandwich at my favorite place in Baldwinsville.  If I ever hit lotto, I will spend each summer here.  Sal is all back together wrist-wise.  No sling anymore and identically arm-strong.  Goodbye Cuse, I am gonna miss you.

Montreal - Odds and Ends

A Great Three Days
I always liked Montreal but now I like it much more.  I guess vacationing there turned up the love.

Montreal - Paris Parallels

Lunchus Interruptus

There we were outside in the warmth, enjoying our Frenchie lunch.  I with my turtleshell shades from Tokyo.....

Montreal - Vieux Cite

Fickle Memory

I should remember the old city, I spent 6 months working there.  But nope, no recollection at all.  In my defense, I worked there from November to March, every day dark and cold.  I recall that the road salt left a dull stain on the bottom six feet of all the buildings.  In the glow of summer, it's a totally different vibe.

Montreal - Canadian Love

She Loves Me When She's Full
Shot from Beauty's Luncheonette.  For some reason, she is clear and I am blurry.  Hmmmmmm....

Montreal - Mob Business

Anyone Spare a Loonie?

Something you don't see much any more - a public payphone.  Better to order your hits from.  "Shaddup and listen to me, willya Carmine?  You'll know him when you see him, he's short and grumpy.  Just take care of it, alright?"

Montreal - Language

Oh How It's Changed
When I worked in Montreal in 2006 it was a bilingual city.  All the street signs were in both French and English, ditto the menus.  We spent a considerable amount of time ensuring the software we were installing could be used by both English and French speakers, meaning we had to translate the entire UI into French.  Not just any French, specifically Quebecoise French.  In just six years, there has been a hard turn towards total French.  Now you see very little English.  Even at KFC, they've changed the name to PFK (Poulet, Frites, Kentucky or chicken, fries, Kentucky) something my friends in France don't even bother with.

Montreal - One International Benefit

Trade with Cuba
God forbid they let Americans buy Cuban cigars!  We'd be supporting commies!  No such problem north of the border.  Geppie popped into an upscale store with his mind on a giant Cohiba rocket but settled for a scud missile.  He puffed on it like he knew what he was doing.  We look like a hitman and his accountant.

Montreal - Oil and Water

A Tale of Two Countries
While working in Paris I took my share of American bashing at the hands of the French and British.  However, nothing was better than watching those two bash each other.  The level of teasing, mocking, friendly joking and back-stabbing was something to see.  These two countries really do not get along.  Yet, here we are in Canada, an attempt to house the Brits and Frenchies under one roof.  No wonder the Quebecoise want to secede and the rest of Canada disdains them for it.

Montreal - Little Italy

Largest Minority
Italians are the largest minority in Montreal, though their version of Little Italy is smaller than a postage stamp.  It takes up just a few square blocks east of the Jean Talon market.  We strolled it, peeking into the cafes and stores.  When I spent a year traveling to Toronto in my Price Waterhouse days, I became enamored of a quintessentially Italian soda called Chinotto.  It's made from the citrus fruit of the "myrtle leaved orange tree" that grows in Malta, Liguria, Tuscany, Sicily and Calabria.  I was really shocked that my Italian paisano Geppie hadn't ever tried it so I set out to rectify the situation.

Montreal - A Perfect Beginning

Combining Two Pleasures
We slept off the Friday night drive and midnight poutine eating to rise early Saturday morning.  We visited Le Marche de Jean Talon, a large market, for breakfast and people watching.  Whereas Joe saw Montreal through a Brooklyn lens, I kept seeing and feeling Paris, for better or worse.  We arrived at the market at 9am and many of the stallholders were just beginning to set up their wares.  The market consists of outdoor stalls selling all kinds of fruits and vegetables and a covered section where you can buy cooked food.

Montreal - Poutine

Quebecoise Soul Food
We drove past the hotel forgoing an immediate check in.  We went straight to the epicenter of the Poutine world - La Banquise.  There was a line coming out the front door when we arrived at 10pm, a good sign.  We'd talked Geppie into it, trying to gloss over the fact there were cheese curds in addition to the fries and gravy.  He looked as excited as a French colleague of mine who when discussing Poutine with me said in a heavy French accent with typical French arrogance "dees eez not food."  I'd had it in Brooklyn and liked it and was interested to see how it was in its birthplace.  Sadly, I didn't care for this version at all.  Fries were kinda soggy, the gravy tasted like it was from a can and ultimately, the cheese curds proved to be a manhole cover that settled somewhere in my lower intestinal tract for the rest of the weekend.

Syracuse - Raspberry Follow Up

The Upside to Physical Therapy
After wasting half the crop on a failed crumble which came out way too dry, I macerated the next batch with a dose of sugar.

Syracuse - Raspberries

AKA "Picking" Therapy
Over the rolling hills we drove, along route 20 towards Skanaeateles.  A long train of tailgaters followed as we slowly looked for Navarino farms, our berry picking target.  Once found, we got to work quickly.  We were late to the party, most of the bushes had already been picked clean.