Oh Montreal..

I must admit, the romance I felt with Montreal faded drastically when Winter was here, but as the days get warmer I am quickly rediscovering the beauty of this city again. The nature that surrounds this city has blossomed with Spring and I have been very happily enjoying it. With some dear friends from Australia in town, I was able to play the tourist again and show them around, one of our stops was Mont Royal. Of course I have visited this mountain many times before but I had never taken the time to walk up to the top. Doing this last week was a beautiful experience. It amazed me that such a large, tranquil and green walk trail sat so peacefully right in the middle of down town Montreal. It is so nice to have this contrast of nature and the city to enjoy. The trail is such an escape from the hustle of the city and reaching the top has its own rewards, the view of Montreal is stunning. On my way to the base of the mountain I passed a boutique bicycle shop called Fitz&Folwell. I wondered in with no intention of buying anything, and I walked out.. $600 later with my lovely bike I named Basil. This was the first big thing I have ever bought for myself and so far, it has been more then worth it. My bicycle has enabled me to gain a whole new perspective of Montreal. There is a very unique beauty to the side streets and small shops of the city that I feel you can only find if you know the place well. I am actually quite sad that I am only discovering these special little places now when I only have 4 weeks left here.

One very special place that I feel so blessed to have visited is my coach Stacy's cottage. This place was absolutely breathtaking, no photo I took could truly capture the beauty of this place. The island "Pine Island" is only accessible by a boat, and the lake you cross is so picturesque, it is an experience in itself. As we reached the cottage the first thing that catches your eye is the docks, one with a very fun diving board. The name of the island does not lie, the whole floor is covered in a bed of pine needles and pine coans which are surprisingly soft to walk on. Pine trees crowd the island and provide a stand for the very comfortable hammock Stacy put out. The main structure is what any cottage should be, it is made out of logs and the bookshelves display "Cottage Life" magazines and books on bears, birds (loons) and nature. The decor was my favourite, lots of gas lamps, hand made quilts among other cosy bits and pieces. As we left the main house, we passed a very small beach and a selection of canoes and kayaks. The cabin the four Australians (me, Karina, Stacy's housemate Lisa, and her friend Kaleb) stayed in was the cutest little place I have ever seen. The Grandma in me adored the floral decorations and the pale yellow walls. The cabin is designed for children, and we slept on very cosy bunk beds. Spending two days at this amazing place felt like a retreat, I was able to swim for the first time in ages, enjoy the serenity of the lake on the canoe, relax around the bonfire, lay outside and enjoy the stars (which are rare in Montreal) and indulge in delicious food and tea provided by the lovely Stacy. I want a cottage!

On to the shows,
They have been going swimmingly, I am still having so much fun, and mentally it is becoming less and less taxing which I am pleased about. One show last week was delayed due to 74km/h winds and torrential rains, but other then that Amaluna is settling into a routine and running very smoothly. It is still sinking in that tour begins very soon, I can't describe how excited I am to tour. One thing I am intrigued about is how I am going to pack one years worth of stuff into the two suitcases I came to Montreal with, and carry this around with me for the year and a half. As the routine of show life has set in, we have been able to play around with other disciplines and I have become particularly fond of cerceau. Of course, having the amazing Marie-Michelle Fabre on our show is an inspiration in itself, her cerceau act is incredible and very inspiring for a beginner like me. It has been fun to try something new and search for inspirations for this discipline.