Dear Canada, Love England

Looking out over the city from Mount Royal Park trail.

Dear Canada, Tomorrow I am leaving you for the first time in three years and returning to my hometown of Newcastle in England. Already the arguments have started - our friend reassures us that dining out at Newcastle Quayside will not mean we will be surrounded by rowdy drunks. He says it will be perfectly civilised. Am I to believe it has changed so much since I left?
To say goodbye to Montreal for 10 days we took a hike with friends on some of Mount Royal Park's hiking trails. Great views looking over the city as the sun goes down. The temperature with windchill was -16C. So what were Montrealers wearing? Er... shorts actually. Don't believe me?

If it's -16C let's wear shorts.

There are two things I would like to know about this picture. One is, what state will his legs be in when he gets home? The second is trying to imagine how the decision went to wear them in the first place. Er...mate - what's the temperature outside?
It's minus 16C.
Great , I think I'll wear my shorts then. It's not as if it's minus 20C or anything.

The classic view of the city.

God bless them, one and all, the Montrealers who have suffered four months of snow now and still get out with a smile on their faces when it's flipping freezing. Going to the chalet lookout on a Sunday afternoon is a real Montreal experience. That's where I took the picture at the top of the blog. That's me and my husband. I set the camera on a tripod and ran into shot. Thousands of people over the years have taken similar pictures. (not with my husband)

Posing for the camera with the city as backdrop.

You can see them every Sunday. Yet just a short walk into the woods on the trails will net you more fabulous views, framed by the trees. Below you can just make out the white Olympic stadium in the east end of the city from the mountain.

Tomorrow as we fly to England I will be looking out of the plane for the mountain - and St Joseph's Oratory where I jogged today, both easily visible, and thinking of my happy times down there in my first three years as an immigrant.

My guide on how to emigrate.

PS keep looking out for my blogs from England.