Ambience is a French word after all

It's been a crazy few weeks getting ready for our move back to the US. The last week was filled with quick trips to visit friends and our kids squeezing in visits with their friends from Montreal. One day Louis had his two best Montreal buddies over for dinner, followed a few hours later by Danielle and a couple of her friends....girls like ambience...boys just care about the food. Even Duke.

Because hockey is a religion in Quebec

We have not been the most dedicated of Catholics since moving to Quebec. After spending 11 years in the same parish in Naperville, Illinois, we didn't jump right into finding a new church in Montreal. We looked at one and didn't like it so much. Adding to the confusion, Danielle was not confirmed before we arrived here as in our old parish, kids are confirmed in 10th grade. Here they are confirmed in 6th grade. Danielle was not too crazy about attending religious education classes with little kids. Yes, a bit lazy of us, I know. We will look into it when she is in college. After all, she has come this far and she might as well complete those happy sacraments.

We did attend mass one time at a beautiful French church. Surprisingly, we got a lot out of it and could understand what was going on as most Catholics are going through the motions anyway. Amen is the same in any language. It just so happened it was during March Madness when we were at church. It was also the anniversary of my dad's passing, so getting my ass to mass seemed like the right thing to do. (When we moved out of the house and off to college my dad would call his kids on Sunday to make sure we all got our ass to mass). During the homily, from what we could understand, the priest was asking everyone to write down a special petition or prayer on a piece of paper we could find in the pew. I recall writing something about my dad. I looked over at what Louis had written and it said "Marquette win" as Marquette was in the March Madness tournament. At least he cheers for the Catholic teams.

The Catholic church has been in the news a lot lately and not in a good way. So in the last couple of days when this ad campaign caught my attention, I had to laugh. Some say hockey is a religion in these parts, and this campaign makes the case. 

So, kudos to Archbishop of Montreal for having a sense of humour and appealing to the masses...no pun intended.

(the article is below)

MONTREAL—With the playoffs just two months away and the hapless Habs currently in 14th place in their conference, perhaps there’s only one thing left to do — pray.

If you were so inclined, then you might find a new ad for the Archdiocese of Montreal a tonic, knowing, perhaps, that God was on your side.

The ad, placed in Montreal’s French-language newspapers, lists the current top teams in the league’s Eastern Conference.

Then, at spot number eight — the cut-off for the playoffs — it reads: “Let us pray.”

“It was a lighthearted wink, to ally with people who love sports,” said the Catholic Church of Montreal’s communication’s director Lucie Martineau. “And to pray they (the Canadiens) are in the playoffs.”

It tells average Montrealers that “we are there, we are present,” Martineau continued. “We have the same worries as you.”

Despite the longstanding comparisons of the Montreal Canadiens to a religion, the church has only now sought to ride the NHL club’s jersey-tails.

The Archbishop of Montreal, Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, was not available for an interview. But Martineau said he’s a Habs fan and quickly approved the idea proposed by the church’s outside ad firm, Bos.

Hugo Léger, the firm’s vice-president of creation, said Bos has searched for a long time to “link the two religions” but had to wait for the right moment.

It saw that moment in the club’s declining fortunes as the regular season clock runs out.

The reaction, Léger said, has been huge and positive. “I don’t know,” he added, “if it will make everyone fall to their knees Saturday night at the Bell Centre.”

That the church would eventually attach itself to the religiosity of the Canadiens — real or imagined — is not surprising, since Montrealers are so fervent about their team, said Olivier Bauer, a theology professor at the Université de Montréal and author of the 2011 book Hockey as a Religion: The Montreal Canadiens.

Bauer senses a change. Even in recent years, he felt the church was hesitant to make the link.

But the treatment the Habs receive from some fans, bordering on the sacred, is unmistakable. Linking the two is “logical,” Bauer said.

The team, and its jersey, are called “La sainte flanelle” (the holy flannel). Patrick Roy was called “Saint Patrick.”

“The religion of the Canadiens in Montreal takes the form of Catholicism,” he explained. He cited the example of one fan he knows who has literally created a Habs “temple” in his house, with the appearance of a Catholic church, complete with altar, the centre of which sits a replica Stanley Cup.

The ad is directed at a population that, more than elsewhere in Canada, has turned its back on organized religion. Fewer than 10 per cent of Catholics in Quebec attend mass.

In this way the ad might be an attempt to reach out to fill the pews again. “Is it a Hail Mary pass?” laughs Bauer. “I’m not sure it’s so desperate. But the idea is definitely to use something that works.”

Church spokesperson Martineau said, “We don’t think it’s something that will bring people to the church, but maybe it can lead them to reflect and think about their faith.”

It’s not the first time the church has comically commented on current events to make its presence known. Last year it placed a billboard ad at the entrance of the Champlain Bridge, whose state of disrepair has become infamous here.

“Say your prayers,” it read.

As for the Canadiens, what do they think of the newest ad?

“It’s nice to count on their support,” Was all spokesperson Donald Beauchamp would say.

Hannah comes to Canada

Five days...two provinces, three major cities, a little league baseball game, an historical tour, lots of meals out, discovering a new house, tolerating a neurotic dog and keeping an aunt, uncle, two cousins and a mom and dad on their toes...that was our wonderful visit with our beautiful niece Hannah. And of course her parents. We like them too. It was awesome to watch my baby brother, whose diapers I once changed, be a dad. We are so proud of John and Stephanie. While their 16 months with sweet Hannah has not been typical and they have faced hurdles that would make many parents crash and burn, they have taken Hannah's difficulties, focused on her abilities, (which there are MANY) and have become the best parents a child could ever ask for.

We love it when we have visitors. It's a great chance to see the place we live through new eyes. And this was a particular monumental visit since Hannah was traveling to Canada for the first time. For us it was enlightening to watch a 16-month old and her parents....how time flies. Hannah has some respiratory issues so we were quickly taken back to our days with Louis and nebulizer treatments every few hours. It's good for us to see how far Louis has come. And for Louis it was a great time to hang out with his Uncle John who happens to be one of his favorite people. He was thrilled to have his uncle at his baseball games and took some pointers from John, while Hannah was entertained and watched with enthusiasm.

We spent a day in Ottawa at Louis' baseball game and walking around the city. I love this city. It's very regal and a mix of old and new. Danielle joined us for the day.

A quick night at home was followed by a road trip to Quebec City. As many of said, this is the closest to a European feeling and we have to remind ourselves we are in North America. We had a great time walking the city, eating, embracing ourselves in history for a tour (Louis got to play hooky, Danielle had to stay behind for school). It was a wonderful time. Hannah was a rockstar! John was most entertained by the rude, aggressive drivers we experienced while trying to leave the city at rush hour. He opened is window yelling "douche bag" to one driver. I had to laugh when I told him that there are some things that just don't translate and in French, douche means shower, so he just called that dude a shower bag.

Our last day we spent quickly touring Montreal...with drives to the schools to show Uncle John and Aunt Stephanie where Louis and Danielle get their Quebec education. While in Montreal, John was quite patient when an old French guy gave him hell for not speaking french when he asked John a question and he responded with "no hablo fran-say."

We had some time at home and an adult dinner out which was appropriately capped off with Duke getting sprayed by a skunk at 10 pm. For John and Kish, it was just like old times in Arizona.

We had an amazing five days and can't wait to see the Colorado Schmitz family again!

Bikes and sangria

We are fortunate to have a wonderful network of bike paths in and around Montreal. Today's 30KM ride to Old Montreal was so much easier with a pit stop for a pitcher of sangria at an outdoor cafe. It was a beautiful day....

When you have three combination bike locks and have no idea what the combinations are....you resort to finding a cafe where you can BYOB...bring your obnoxious bike. 

Da plane

There's something eerie about driving down the interstate near the airport and having this plane appear in the windshield. It's the very large and regal Airbus 380....it makes a daily flight from Paris on Air France. No, I was not driving when I took this photo.

A nice night

It was a beautiful night for tennis in Montreal last night. Chilly temps. Good tennis. Our American won. Full moon. Full stadium? Yes, this match was sold out even though it doesn't look like it. Good times though.

Rogers Cup

One of my favorites things each summer in Montreal is the Rogers Cup tennis tournament. Louis and I enjoy going early in the tournament where we get to see some great tennis. Lucky for us our session last night was rained out and we learned the real meaning of "raincheck."

Construction criticism

This is what happened in Montreal over the weekend. A giant piece of concrete fell near the entrance of a tunnel on a major road frequented by 100K cars a day. Fortunately it happened on a Sunday morning when thankfully most people were off the road. 

The sad irony? It happens to be the middle of what is called the "Construction Holiday" in Quebec. A time when most construction shuts down for an entire two weeks so employees can take paid vacations (in addition to other vacation time). Bright orange signs and barricades remain up clogging traffic, but there is very little construction action on the roads in Montreal. We have always thought it was silly as winters are harsh and summer is an ideal time to jam on those projects. But, it's a union/political thing for the most part and these people need a break. In the summer. In construction "season."

Louis and I just returned from some time spent traveling in Canada (Toronto) and the northeast U.S....Niagara Falls, Cooperstown, N.Y. and the coast of Maine. I noticed right away in Toronto the clean and well maintained roads and infrastructure. It's the polar opposite of Montreal where freeway overpasses are dark and dingy due to age and lack of maintenance and have nets attached to them to catch the falling concrete rocks that can easily slam into the cars below. On our drive we appreciated the state of the U.S. roads too. Despite the debt ceiling issues, I never once felt like concrete was going to fall from the "ceiling" of a freeway. (Obviously, there are many roads in the U.S. in need of repair and there have been bridge tragedies and more, however, we will never complain about that after living in Montreal.)

Montreal is an island. The only way to get to the island is via a selection of bridges...most of which are in dire need of repair and it's not uncommon for bridges to be closed in any given day to to "expansion joint" issues. The government knows it's an issue...but instead they keep putting band-aids on the bridges  while keeping inspection reports out of the media so that we don't know the extend of the dangers all while blaming budgets when there is so much corruption in the construction industry and bureaucracy beyond belief. Several weeks ago someone said the area in the above photo was just fine.

I crossed the Camplain bridge yesterday to come home and noticed all sorts of noises coming from my car that I had not heard for a week...it was as if I decided to take my little Ford Escape Hybrid 4 wheeling. Each and every time I cross that bridge, I cross my fingers. 

My mom was visiting once and commented on the scary bridge. I though she was going to start with the rosary as we approached the structure. She said she couldn't the believe the condition of the roads. To which I said, "yes, but we have 'free' health care." And she commented "good, you're going to need it."

Prom night, and day, and morning...

Danielle celebrated her school's "Prom" this weekend. This stressful beautiful event is often referred to as "Grad" or "Grad Ball" in these parts. It's a big deal for the kids because they only have one big dance. We are fortunate to not have to buy three or four dresses a year and all the trimmings like many of our friends do in the States. It's the "Grad" and it's in the graduating year (grade 11) and that's it! However, when you go to an all-girls school finding an date can be a challenge. Danielle took a really nice guy who we have to say was more than patient as Danielle (who is not known to be shy for those who don't know her well) fluttered around like a butterfly. A real Canadian gentleman.

While it's "Prom" night the festivities start the day before with a class BBQ. Parents are not invited.

Prom day started very early with the hair and all that stuff. We were so fortunate that a rugby mom who also owns this salon gave Danielle a gift certificate for the prom package for taking such good care of her 8th grade daughter playing rugby for the first time. See, Danielle has to do this with her daughter -- lift her up in the air and all so she can catch the ball. That's a big responsibility.

Danielle loved the hair and makeup and they did such a wonderful job. Thank you Avanti!

The Prom took place on a Friday and her date arrived at the house at 1 pm for photos and the "interview."

I took this picture without knowing Paul was in the background...it's a classic though...

So the limo arrives with one couple in it...then they left to pick up another couple and end up at one girl's house where they pick up the last couple.

There they took more photos...and more photos...

After this meeting they were scheduled to gather at the Summit on Mont Royal to take group photos. However, as luck would have it, it was raining buckets. They made the stop anyway. Just for "fun." Fortunately, Danielle's hair looks even better in humidity.

Then they were off to the official "cocktail" party at another home where they ended up taking the official photos and some just for fun...

Then the limos take them all to the hotel for the dinner dance and where they meet up with the teachers and parents and the girls all complained that their feet hurt. All this after "a bit" of champagne.

After the reception there was the daddy/daughter dance which was so sweet....

The parents are then kicked out and we don't see the girls until the next day! It's all organized by the school...and the girls and dates are then bussed to a country home about 45 minutes from the city where they have an all-night party. Most of the guys left at some point during the night. Some stay. The funny part is that the school representatives went though all the girl's overnight bags without them knowing it and took out the excessive amounts of alcohol beverages for legal drinkers (it's 18 here) although many of the dates are over 18. However, they left just "enough" for them to have fun. While some parents might find it odd that we're being somewhat "laid back" about this...we were also high school prom-goers and well, did similar things, although our parents didn't know about it and fortunately we can no longer be grounded. 

The country house party had security and Danielle said it was well monitored and no one was sick and no one was out of control and it was a great party until 9 the next morning. However, I have yet to see any photos from this party on Facebook or otherwise. I was given an "approved" selection of photos for the blog. Hmmmmm......

At 9ish a bus then picked them up where they went to another house for brunch. The hosts told me when I picked Danielle up that they have never known Danielle to be so quiet....all the girls were very tired and had the time of their lives.

Danielle came home and slept for 18 hours. She had a wonderful time and we're pleased we only have to do this once!

The Cup

The city of Montreal is jazzed up about the hockey playoffs. There's a Canadian restaurant company called Boston Pizza...they decided to change the name during this playoff run against the Boston Bruins...they've been waiting for this match-up for quite a while.

"It" happens in Canada too

Just two days ago I wrote about gun violence. I wrote about how what's foremost on the minds of Canadians is why people in the United States have and use guns. Little did I know two days ago. Just this morning I got word that a fellow American Women's Club board member lost her 22-year-old son last night. He was murdered outside of his duplex apartment. He was shot. With a gun. This was the first homicide for Montreal in 2011.

The area of town he lived is Westmount, the same area where Danielle's school is located. Having someone murdered at gun point in Westmount would be like the same thing happening in downtown Naperville, for those Illinois friends. Other than petty crime, it's just not a crime-ridden area. While they don't know the circumstances just yet, it's devastating for this city and of course my fellow board member.

How are the guns getting into this country where the laws are so strict? Likely from our neighbors down south and via the borders somehow. Come to think of it, I've never been asked if I'm bringing firearms across the border; not that anyone carrying them would say anything. It always seems to me that the Customs agents are more concerned with whether or not I'm bringing a new iPad across, or God forbid, a bottle of tequila. And then of course collecting duties and taxes.

Certainly there is crime all over the world. It's just that this doesn't happen all that often here, and when you know the mother of the victim, it's a different story.

Merry Christmas from the Pisani Family!

At times it's frustrating

We've written about how much we do like living here in Montreal. Like any place, there are issues we wish we did not have. Take for example, taxes. You'll never hear us complain about US taxes ever again. Trust us...even without the recent tax cuts in the US...it doesn't compare.

The one thing that does frustrate us on a daily basis is the language issue. We're open to learning French, we really are. Paul carries a dictionary with him in the car and looks up words when passing by a billboard, hopefully not while driving. He listens to French TV and then leaves the closed caption on so the next person grabbing the remote has to remember the menu features. He and Louis even watch The Simpsons (Les Simpsons) in French. Danielle is doing an excellent job with her French, earning the highest mark on a recent exam in her class (she's in the lowest level of French, but nonetheless, it's a class with girls who are from Quebec and have been around French their entire lives, not just the last two years.) Kish...she's still on Bordeaux. And Pinot Noir.

However, each and every day there is some article in the paper or issue on the news about someone who is pissed annoyed about lack of French here or there. Someone actually complained that our social service group, The American Women's Club of Montreal did not have French on the website. I dare someone to complain about this blog...I would say...just cut and paste and throw it in Google Translate and I really don't care if it's grammatically correct in French. The Quebecois French sucks is not the same as France French and some would say it's like trashy French with a bunch of made-up words.

The irony is that the more the language issue is pushed and pushed in such a dictatorial way, the more it's a turn off of sorts. Sadly, most of the hard-core Quebecois people really don't get the importance of English in today's global society. It's as if they just want to keep people here in Quebec. Some would argue that's exactly what they are doing.

The following article in today's paper is just one of many. It took six months to get our Hydro (electric) and cable bill in English...I hope we don't go back to that.

There are times we want to scream "We're not in Europe, this is freaking CANADA!" Hmmm...better look that up in Google Translate.

Safety board limits English information

Orders from language watchdog. Employers

contacting CSST must do so in French, but policy 

exempts individuals

BY MAX HARROLD, THE GAZETTE DECEMBER 9, 2010

The provincial workplace health and safety board no longer offers information in English to the province's employers, the result of recommendations by the Office quebecois de la langue francaise.

The Commission de la sante et de la securite du travail du Quebec, known as the CSST, deleted its "Press 9 for English" option on its automated telephone answering service April 26 after the OQLF -known by some as Quebec's French language enforcers -urged it and 165 other public agencies to comply more strictly with Quebec's language law.

Callers can still obtain information and converse in English about employee rights, but Quebec employers must communicate only in French with the CSST.

Asked yesterday by an English-speaking caller if anyone could answer a question in English about employers' obligations, a CSST attendant replied, in English: "Are you from Quebec?"

Told the caller was from Montreal, the person switched to French and said: "I am required by the French Language Charter to conduct all communications with you in French, unless you are from outside Quebec."

The CSST "was being a good corporate citizen, just respecting the law," board spokesperson Pierre Turgeon said.

Many of the CSST's 4,000 employees speak English, but only to members of the public who identify themselves as workers, not bosses, he added.

The CSST is finally applying a 2002 government policy, OQLF spokesperson Martin Bergeron said. Communication between public agencies and the public -not necessarily employers -is being reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with a goal of making French the default language on phone answering systems and websites, he noted.

The OQLF reviewed 166 government agencies last winter and found 80 per cent of them had increased French and reduced English in their phone answering systems and websites. That's up from 50 per cent two years ago, Bergeron said. The agencies reviewed include Hydro-Quebec, the Quebec health insurance board and the automobile insurance board, which all still have extensive English sections on their websites.

Bergeron would not say if changes are coming, for instance, to Hydro's English billing service or the availability of English forms from government agencies. "Those agencies have no obligation to serve people in English," he said.

mharrold@montrealgazette.com

more:http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Safety+board+limits+English+information/3950531/story.html#ixzz17e6bvZfv

Sort of thinking about Thanksgiving

We know there's lots of hoopla in the U.S. getting ready for Thanksgiving...airport security, snow storms, fresh or frozen, the typical holiday conversations. It's not a holiday (or holiday week) here in Canada. Our Thanksgiving was in October. Danielle has school on Thursday and Louis happens to have a teacher's ped day that day so he will be home. Everything is open and it's business as usual. It will be our third American Thanksgiving in Canada. How time flies.

Tonight we went into the city to a bookstore near McGill University to hear the hilarious author David Sedaris do a reading and book signing. The store was packed and it was hard to even see Sedaris. Fortunately, we did hear him as he read from his journal. Most of it went over Louis' head, thankfully. I waited to try and get my books signed when Paul and the kids went down the street to a diner. It was a great chance to chat with some of the people in line, most of them students at McGill. Two of them were American "girls" from the Boston area who chose to come to McGill over U.S. schools. As we've written in this blog before, McGill is a bargain, even for Americans. These girls are paying 26K a year for tuition and room and board, helping make their decision easy. They love Montreal and are happy with their decision. And they love David Sedaris.

One of my favorite essays is "Jesus Shaves" (google it and you can read it or listen on This American Life). I read it long before we moved to French-speaking Quebec and reading it again brings it to a whole new level. It's a very entertaining narrative about his French class while he was in Paris. It's a funny essay detailing the way things can get lost in translation, especially when it comes to religion and holidays. So funny! Check it out.

During the question and answer period one person asked Sedaris what he was doing for Thanksgiving. He's American,  from a very entertaining household, but now lives most of the time in Paris when he's not on the road. He paused for a moment after the question was asked, trying to remember what day it was since he had no idea where he was going to be on Thursday. He admitted that he hasn't really celebrated that holiday in years. I can see how that could happen. It is easy to get into the routine of whatever country you live in, even if it is only an hour or so from the border. Of course Sedaris had to elaborate about how he hates to travel during the holidays anyway because of all the airport issues and and amateur travelers. He did recall though how he has to go to Utah this weekend and of course everyone there has "like 8 kids" so travel will be a real pain in the ass.

So, for this week anyway, we're thankful not to be in any airports.

A beautiful city

Montreal truly is a beautiful city. This photo was taken while sitting in traffic on the Champlain bridge...a bridge across the the Saint Lawrence River. Montreal is an island, so the only way to get to "the island" is obviously by bridge. The "Pont" Champlain is the busiest bridge in Canada. It's also, shall I say, aged.

Regardless of the age and condition (I say this to myself each and every time I cross the bridge), it is a magical drive to see the city...especially at night. It's a really cool place to live, rickety bridges and all.

Two years

It's hard to believe it was exactly two years ago today when we boarded a plane to move to Montreal. At the last minute, Paul had to stay behind since we found on the day we were leaving that Duke could not fit on the small Air Canada plane. So Paul followed up the next day, without the dog, who arrived ten days later. Long Story.

We left on a Sunday afternoon and the kids started their schools the next day. They didn't have much time to think about the transition. It was good that we were sort of naive and not knowing what we were getting into when it came to education. Overall, we are happy with it...there are a few things we wish we didn't have to deal with, but that's expected just about anywhere.

Danielle was not too thrilled about her new uniform on her first day of the new school. Today, she's loving it. "I can get out of bed and ten minutes later I'm out the door." Louis does not have to wear a uniform. For him, it's probably a good thing. He has enough Bears, Bulls, Sox, Blackhawks, etc. shirts to last a lifetime. 

Within days of moving to Montreal, Paul and Louis were at their first CFL game.

Here's a list of some observations/comments about where we are today....and how our lives are different from two years ago and life in suburban Chicago.

• We couldn't make it with the two ice trays. Paul received a cool ice maker for Father's Day which sits on the floor in our kitchen.  Ice trays, or lack of ice in the trays, became more of a hot issue than politics, homework or taxes in the Pisani home.
• We're so pleased to have gotten involved in Special Olympics Quebec. Danielle and Paul plan on taking courses to become Level 1 ski instructors this winter.
• We won't ever complain about taxes in the U.S. Ever. 
• The northeast is beautiful. We're enjoying being able to take road trips to a part of the country we had not experienced.
• Our kids will enjoy looking back at their passports some day.
• We're getting accustomed to customs. We know the drill now.
• Danielle knows the Montreal public transportation system so well -- and she doesn't need an app for that, although there is one.
• We've watched a rugby game a the Plains of Abraham. Danielle has traveled to New Brunswick twice for rugby. 
• We love Canadian beer. And wine. And cheese. And bread. 
• Duke responds to bon chien. Only when he's being good though.
• Danielle and Paul enjoy talking in French assuming the rest of the family does not know what they are saying. Sometimes we surprise them with our limited knowledge.
• Canadian politics -- entertaining!
• The price of gas can easily fluctuate 10 cents/LITRE from one day to the next. No biggie.
• Maple syrup is more expensive here than in the US. 
• Offering vaccines in schools is a good thing. Remember the 1970s? 
• We continue to be pleased with the health care in Canada. Are there issues? Of course. But, so far, so good for us.
• It's easier (and less expensive) to see the Chicago Bears on the road rather than in Soldier's Field.
• We still want to go to Cuba.
• Danielle has met friends from all over the world. Literally. We love her school. 
• If we travel out of town these days, when we fly/drive back to Montreal we feel like we are coming home.
• We did have to switch banks from the one that was only open from 10-4 to one that is open later and on Saturdays. We tried, but we couldn't fit in with those banker's hours. I supposed we truly are impatient Americans. Still no drive through windows though. As a result, we know the people in the bank. That's a good thing. 
• Quebecers have a lot of holidays. When in Quebec...
• Duke remains happy. He is a Canadian Field Labrador after all.
• We're happy about the Saints winning the Super Bowl. Funny how the fleur-de-lis remains a part of our lives.
• We've met some really, really nice people in Montreal and throughout Canada.
• US labor strikes are nothing compared to Canadian, and in particular Quebec, labor strikes.
• We'll never take freedom of education lightly again. 
• On that note...we know all about the Parti Quebecois...something we had no idea about two years ago.

As a perfect example of how different or life is these days...Paul left this morning for a meeting in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. What the?

Une visite de la famille de Flynn

We were so happy to have the Flynn family (Leo, Mary, Leo B., Emily, Meghan and Maria)  from Elmhurst, Illinois at our home for a visit! It was such a treat and they are very easy house guests. As in....we walk in the door from an eight day vacation (actually nine including flight delays) only to have them arrive just a few short hours later with all of our laundry in the foyer and Kish greeting them with "Come on in! Sorry I have not showered in two days and I still can't find my toothbrush, but welcome!" We did, however, have Molson in the fridge.

Actually, due to some scheduling mix-ups, the Flynn family stayed at our house for a couple of days while we were in Colorado, then they ventured up to Quebec City to take in the really, really French culture. They stopped back by our house on the way home.

Paul missed out on our visit to Olympic Park since his flight was ALSO delayed by a day. We always enjoy showing people the city we have grown to love.

Paul has another name for this structure in the background, but it is part of Olympic Park commemorating the 1976 games.

After the visit to the park, Leo, Mary and Kish dropped the kids off in Westmount and Danielle took them around to get a taste of the city from the teen perspective. They went to lunch and had Poutine...a well-known, not low-calorie, dish from this area. It's french fries, gravy and cheese.

Emily Flynn is not eating a worm, it's Poutine

The kids walked around, did some shopping and took the train home. During this time, Leo, Mary and Kish caught up with Paul and the adults went out for an early dinner at our very favorite French restaurant in the village of Pointe-Claire. It was so much fun to catch up with them and feel at ease with our kids riding the train home from Montreal. After some debate about whether to pick them up at the train station or not, we opted for a second bottle of wine and they walked home. Hey, they're young. When we were their age...never mind. It was really good wine though.

While the visit together was short, it was sweet. They had to leave the next morning for the long journey home to Chicago. We were sad to see them leave. We've known Leo since we were 17-18 and the kids have all grown up together.  Good times.

Any doubt these two are Marquette fans?

Duke LOVED the Flynn's and jumped in the van to go back home with them

Great to see you all! Sorry for taking your photo right after you got out of bed and loaded the car for the long ride home. 

Until next time...bon voyage Flynn family!