I’ve been away from the city (and the blog) for a brief spell and I can say this: I missed you Montréal. Because I love you, Montréal.
The sound of Montréal is what I noticed first, upon my return after several weeks away: French being spoken around me is a welcome sound of home, even though it’s my second language (I can almost feel the neurons firing). French spoken with accents by people whose families have been here for generations, but also, French with accents from around the globe. It’s music to my ears.
And the sights of home in Montréal? Yes, there are the murals and the graffiti art (which I appreciate, certainly), but what says home to me is the liveliness of the neighbourhoods (Rosemont is my favourite) and the tapestry of green spaces (from the Olmsted trail on Mont Royal, to the smaller parks like Parc De Lorimier, and of course, les ruelles vertes); it’s the residential architecture (the stone, the brick, the balconies, the spiral staircases) of the duplexes and triplexes. It’s the human scale in much of the city, a reflection of the art of living modestly.
The art of living, really.
That’s how it feels, when I come home to you, Montréal: it’s returning to a practice in the art of living.
a few words ... from Montréal 