Spring has Sprung!

I am definitely not much of a winter person. Kingston winters are long, cold and particularly windy. This is why I am so elated when the first signs of spring return to the city (although this usually coincides with the end of the semester which can be a particularly stressful period and makes me all the more bitter about spending my time inside). So this post is dedicated to spring and since I am studying and marking, my pictures will be restricted to the patch of land immediately outside my window which I can see from my desk.

As my landlord longingly tells me every spring, the people in this apartment before me were amazing gardeners. Luckily they left a lot of perennials so my un-green thumb can benefit. I have been waiting for weeks for my tulips to bloom, and this morning they finally did!!!



Also in my garden are daffodils and the last, lonely soldier from the previous tenants herb garden (a mint plant!).





Also, on the topic of things seen from my desk, check out this muskrat spotting from yesterday:



Yes, my desk is at my front window. And, yes I keep a camera on hand. Do you think this qualifies me as the neighborhood creep?

Anyways, 4 more days until the end of the semester when I can go out and see some signs of spring not right outside my house! Yay!

La Belle Province!

Bonjour! Evan and I just returned from our weekend trip to Montreal and I thought it would make a good first blog post. Despite the cold and rain, we had a fantastic trip. We stayed at the Victorian Heritage Bed and Breakfast and I would highly recommend it. It was right in the Latin Quarter so there were restaurants and pubs outside our door as well as one of the main Metro stops only a couple of blocks away. Breakfast consisted of fresh baked breads, cheeses, fruit, yogurt and cereal. Another thing I love about B&Bs is the company you meet. During breakfast we met an author, a rock collector, and a Japanese importer all at one table. It was a very romantic place to stay and I hope we will be returning!

Friday had the worst weather of the weekend, so we got a metro pass and toured around the city. First stop was lunch on Rue St Denis. Of course the poutine was a must. The curds were squeaky and the fries still held their shape under the gravy. Yum. Evan was happy because they had crayons and paper. Next up was St. Joeseph's Oratory. It was a very peaceful place to start our tour and the sheer size of it blew me away. Next up was the Biodome which was apparently CLOSED due to labour disputes. Finally, we went out for dinner back near the B&B and then to our room for an early night.

Saturday showed a bit more promise since it wasn't pouring. We walked down to Old Montreal and wandered along the streets. We visited the port and watched a couple of street performers who braved the cold weather. One was a fire juggler who we watched for quite some time. The other was a harmonica player who only knew "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". Lunch was at Les 3 Brasseurs which was an interesting microbrewery/restaurant. Seeing the brewing equipment was pretty neat, but I don't think either of us were too pleased with our beer choices. I don't think I was quite prepared for the strength of the coriander in my drink. Afterwards we went to the Montreal Eaton's Centre to see the Bodyworlds Exhibit. Who knew we had so many arteries? After warming up we went to the McGill campus.
We went into the William Shatner Student Centre and checked out the library which was over run with undergrads studying. We had dinner at a decent steak and chicken place up from the B&B.

On Sunday morning we left for Kingston after breakfast. I had a great weekend and was sad to leave. Au revoir Montreal!