I am certainly in the process of “savouring” right now! I am sitting in my bedroom in Martigny, Switzerland, a nice breeze coming in my window, from which I can see one of the Alps Mountains, about a kilometer in from of me. The house I am staying in belongs to Helene Chevalier, daughter of my 87-year-old housemate, Gloria. Helene’s daughter, Loriane, also is currently living back at home.
How I Got Here
This trip came as a real surprise to me. Three weeks ago, Helene phoned us at home in Burnaby, BC, and proposed that we come for a visit, stopping in Montreal enroute. Gloria had not been to Switzerland for five years and or in Montreal for more than 15 years. My first reaction was “I’d love to but there is no way I can’t afford it. “ I didn’t say this however, because my heart was saying “Wow! I’d love to.”
The decision had to be made quickly, because Helene and Loriane are both teachers and their two-week autumn holiday began October 8, and we wanted a week in Montreal on the way. So, three days later, we made out airline reservations, and left nine days after the initial invite. Wow!
First Stop- Montreal
My stay in Montreal was very pleasant. We stayed at the home of Gloria’s son, Denis, and his wife, Lisette, who live in Laval. We spent much of our time being entertained by family—practically every night was dinner out at someone’s home, or a restaurant. Most of the conversation was in French, of course, which I can occasionally follow. I am becoming a little braver about trying to use the words I know. They were all very kind in including me and I enjoyed these visits. It was especially wonderful to Gloria reunite with her younger brother, Paul, who was celebrating his 86th birthday.
I managed to spend two days in the city, and would have liked to have another day there. I did take a 3-hour bus tour, which gave me a good overview of the wonderful historic buildings and gave me a flavor of the city. We also drove north to the Laurentians one day, where Denis and Lisette have a beautiful lakefront chalet. The fall colors were beautiful--- much like in my native Minnesota. An awesome time of the year! Of course, I had some Montreal smoked meat at Dunn’s, visited the Oratoire St-Joseph, and did some shopping in the Underground and on Rue St. Catherines.
The week went by very quickly. This was my first real visit to the Montreal area, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had a great time in Montreal -- "Merci beaucoup" to Lisette, Denis, Philippe, Caroline, Luis-Philippe, and everybody who entertained us so lavishly.
Now on to Switzerland!
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