Tag: vacation

Montreal

Les chuchoteuses (English: "The Gossipers").

Parle vu français? I don’t either, but I still find Montreal very charming. A multi cultural island, here you can find Italian, Jewish, French, English, and Chinese neighborhoods just to name a few. There are so many things to see and do, unfortunately we were there for two days only, and took a walking tour in order to learn more history about Montreal. The weather was pretty warm (in the 90’s) so it wasn’t the best weather for a 3 hour walking , but nevertheless we were able to see many neat places like the Notre-Dame Basilica (last time we were here 8 or 9 yrs ago it was closed for a wedding), City Hall, and some of the charming cobble streets in the Old Montreal.

They remind me so much of Europe, the cobble streets dotted with restaurants, cafes, and creperies.

The food here is delicious as well. We had foundue and crepes at Chez Suzette ,and we walked 2 miles in 90+ degrees to try this Portugese restaurant called Ma Poule Mouille and it was so worth it(even though it might not look so appetizing in the pictures, we were so hungry I almost forgot to take a picture.) They specialize in grilled chicken over smoked wood, delicious poutine(fries topped with cheese curds and gravy), and salads. The chicken is roasted to perfection them cut and topped with a sauce that is made from the chicken drippings and wine. The lines to order are out the door but move pretty quickly.

(Chicken and Chorizo Poutine)Ma Poule Mouille

I found the little balconies with their bistro sets so charming I had to photograh this one.

Statue of Amphititre wife of Posidon (underground Montreal)

There is an underground city in Montreal which has shops, offices and restaurants. Above is one of the art pieces in front of a beautiful marble fountain. A piece of the Berlin Wall resides here as well.

I just love this bronze statue called Les chuchoteuses (English: “The Gossipers”). It was placed in this part of Montreal to beautify this specific neighborhood.

We even made a little friend who liked to sit by the water and dip it’s paws in it.

Tags Canada, montreal, notre-dame basilica, on the road, restaurants montreal, summer, summer vacation, Travel, vacation

Travel

The Selkirk Loop-Ainsworth B.C

Post author By WhollyCupcake
Post date July 8, 2017
No Comments on The Selkirk Loop-Ainsworth B.C

Three and a half hours from the Norther Idaho border is the quaint village of Ainsworth in British Columbia, Canada. It sits on Kootenay Lake and it is a popular destination during summer and winter alike. What is so popular about Ainsworth is it’s natural hot springs resort.

We spent three days at the Ainsworth Hot Springs Inn. The outside pool has natural hot spring water that has to be cooled down as it comes from the underground spring. It’s such a relaxing feeling to soak in the warm waters and take in the beautiful surroundings of Kootenay Lake and mountains. If you prefer a hotter experience, you can head to the caves which are next to the pool. It’s exactly that, a walk through cave with mineral water which comes from the hot springs, it feels like a natural sauna inside. The Native Americans would come after battle and soak in these waters which they believed had healing properties. When you’ve had enough of the caves take a cold dip in the plunge pool which is filled with natural spring water continuously flowing through a spigot from the mountain. Let me tell you, it’s chilly taking a dip in there!

The resort has its own restaurant, the Ktunaxa Grill. We had lunch and dinner here and were pleasantly surprised. With items on the menu such as bison burgers, venison rack, and fish and chips, there is something for everyone. All the food is fresh and local, and most importantly very tasty.

We didn’t get a chance to visit Cody Caves, which is a very popular destination here as well. I was afraid my car wouldn’t make it up the 10 km steep and bumpy drive. I was already nervous about doing this 3 week close to 3000 mile road trip, I didn’t want to push my luck. I’ve heard the caves are an amazing experience…maybe next time!

Tags Ainsworth, Canada, hot springs, relaxation, road trip, summer, Travel, vacation

Travel

Sonoma Birthday Trip

Hubby and I share the same Birthday month of May. We usually go to Napa Valley because it’s a short trip away and it’s sooooo relaxing. It’s not called Wine Country for nothing. There are so many vineyards to go wine taste at , you can easily end up drinking enough to forget you were supposed to be at work two days ago.

This year we stayed at The Fairmont Mission Inn in lovely Sonoma. What I love about this place is the spa on the premises called Willow Stream Spa which sits on top of an ancient mineral spring used by the Native Americans for it’s healing powers. This spa offers many services such as your typical facial, wax, massage, and mani pedi. The best part is the thermal spring mineral baths they have. There is a bathing ritual which includes, exfoliation shower, warm mineral pool, eucalyptus steam sauna, whirlpool, and dry sauna. You can enjoy unlimited lemon water in between, and hot tea and fresh fruit after the ” bathing ritual.” When you feel you’ve detoxified enough at the spa, you can head outside and relax by one of their pools and enjoy a drink or lunch.

For dinner you can either have the driver from the Inn drive you to downtown Sonoma in the company car ( no fee, but you have to take taxi back to hotel) and try one of the many restaurants there, or you can stay on the premises and enjoy a dining experience at the Inn’s restaurant called Sante. We chose the latter, and we’re so glad we did. The staff at Sante is so knowledgeable and attentive about each item on the menu, and every ingredient that goes into that menu and how they all come together to create such a delicious and visually pleasing dining experience. They have two options when it comes to the menu. The Chef’s Tasting Menu, which includes nine courses for $149, or you can choose which ever courses you want from their regular dinner menu. We didn’t do the Tasting Menu, but a group of four next to our table did and let me tell you that I haven’t heard God’s name being called out so often in quite a while, especially when they were tasting the Chef’s Cheese Selection!

For starters we had the Salad of California Delta Asparagus and the Chilled Ahi Tuna Tartare and both were equally delicious. The asparagus was perfectly steamed and seasoned, and the tuna melted in your mouth. When they place each course in front of you they explain in detail what is on your plate that you will be eating, and where it’s been sourced from. There are about five different kinds of organic breads that you can choose from ( try them all, they are delicious), served with samples of a hand churned butter from France, a local salted butter, and a side serving of salt flakes. I want to personally thank that Frenchman, or woman, sitting somewhere churning butter by hand. It’s so worth it.

For the entrée I had the Slow Braised Lamb Shank and my husband had the Pan Seared Diver Scallops and neither one disappointed.

For desert we shared the Valrhona Hazelnut Chocolate Torte, so rich and decadent. Perfect with an after dinner coffee or digestif.

Cafe Sante serves breakfast/brunch, which we tried the following morning. You get a nice sized coffee carafe for $5 and many delicious menu choices from Dungeness Crab Benedict to Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, and everything in between.

From the cafe we headed out to St.Helena and stopped at one of our favorite wineries, V. Sattui. Here, you can wine taste for $15 up to 5 different wines. If you decide to buy a case of 12 bottles( which we did) the wine tasting is free.

The wonderful part about V. Sattui, besides their wine and beautiful grounds, is that they have a deli where you can cheese taste( I highly recommend the Ewephoria), purchase sandwiches and other homemade salads and items, and have a picnic at their picnic area. On the weekends they have outdoor BBQ oysters, shrimp, and pizza as well.