Our road trip to Montreal included a long overdue visit with my cousin Jayne. We hadn’t seen each other in person since my last trip there 4 or 5 years ago. Jayne’s Grandmother and my Grandmother, both on our Mother’s sides, were sisters. Jayne’s Mom and my Mom were quite close growing up in Thunder Bay, then called Fort William. Our families had a strong connection over the years. Responsibilities and geography have reduced our in-person visits of late, so I was excited to have to chance to spend an evening with my crazy canuck cousin with the whacky sense of humour.
While I love our cyber chats and updates on facebook and always get a chuckle for the most descriptive FB profile pic I’ve seen (see below), there’s nothing like a real life visit with those you love.
It was January 01,2009 and we left Casa de Formosa in the morning, drove for almost six hours to arrive at bed number seven on our Canadian tour . This one located at the Quality Hotel near the airport. See Chris’ blog post about the human touch we experienced there .
Jayne and her husband, Brandon,were nice enough to pick us up from our hotel and escort us to our reservation at Gibby’s in Old Montreal. This historic landmark is located in the Youville Stables which is part of a series of buildings once belonging to the Sisters of Charity, (or Grey Nuns), founded by Marguerite d’Youville. Part of the original structure was built in 1694! Walking through the door, the unmistakeable step back in time was further reinforced by a the original beamed ceilings, stone walls and cozy fireplaces. The wenchlike waitress uniforms were a bit over the top, but it all added up to a warm and enjoyable experience catching up over a fabulous meal.
And about the food… my mignons of beef diane were tasty, tender and juicy and the kosher dills had me wanting to tote a barrel of them back to Oz. I almost put one in my purse! Chris pepper steak plate was licked clean and his cheesecake, while masquearding as a slice, was actually the size of a cake. The real highlight of the meal was being able to see Jayne and for each of us to finally meet our respective partners. Brandon seems like a great guy and I’m glad to see my cousin so happy.
Thank you both for a lovely evening and a wonderful visit. If you hit it big in Vegas, maybe our next one will be on Aussie soil sooner than we thought.
Family is always welcome – especially if they come bearing pickles!
A Broad Abroad in Broadbeach 