An outing

There is no place like home, but frankly, Montreal is certainly more exciting. Convenient, that, since I rather unexpectedly found myself in Quebec this weekend. The Spouse is really getting rather good at this business of surprises. Canada was lovely, this unfamiliar part as much as the already familiar. It was a little bit like an alternate universe mix of Belgium (the off-brand Frenchness of it, the window sills full of snake plants, the easy and chaotic charm), France (the sincere patriotism, and the frowns at things non-francophone; and the Frencher-than-French plethora of fleurs-de-lis), the US (the skyline, almost like any highrise skyline) and a variety of places.

And yet there is no place like home – the best thing about Quebec, lovely Quebec, was the time spent with the Spouse. It is amazing to what extent one can miss out on really talking to someone one lives with; and so sometimes clicking your heels three times summons an airport taxi, so you can find yourself elsewhere. Besides, who wouldn’t travel so far if only to see the lupines?



Today, then, I get to be exactly as sentimental as I want to be.