Kingston is, apparently, the old capital, and we found some rather unsuccessful efforts at nationalist mythmaking as we walked along the north bank of the St Lawrence river, just where it opens out to (or from) Lake Ontario. It’s hard being a less excitable and important country than your neighbour, just ask Pakistan. We took […]
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Day of distress
Some distress that it looks like a miserable UK election may occur on a date in December that means something to my family. I have lost all hope of remaining, of a second referendum and of a single market. The best I can hope for is a customs union and an urgent campaign to rejoin. […]
Prancing on a cloud
In the night I woke, or sort of woke, and thought, fuzzily, that the thing to do would be to imagine myself doing something I never would do. I imagined myself prancing, half dancer, half gymnast, on a roiling cloud, similar to one of the desserts we had at El Cellar de Can Roca some […]
Working weekend
Finally got a bit of momentum going after a week where I found it quite hard to just get down to work, so spent most of the two days at my computer. It is somewhat frustrating work, as it’s been lingering for six months now and is really quite tricky work, but there it is, […]
World on fire
Protests in the UK, Lebanon, Ecuador, Iraq, Haiti, Chile, Spain, Hong Kong and I’m sure other places that haven’t yet crossed my radar. It feels a precarious moment.
Desperately sad
I am feeling really cast down about Brexit, really genuinely sad. Not that I have much affection for the country, but the dream of integration, open borders, cooperation, is one that I can care for. The other country which I care far more for, Pakistan, stabs me in the heart so often that I can […]
Change of weather
Yesterday I woke to find the weather had changed (as I type this I realise that there is at least one, possibly two other blog posts with the same title, so clearly I often find this worthy of remark. Shows how uninteresting this blog is, really). It was grey and windy and wet, and when […]
Working days
Yesterday morning we went straight to what turned out to be the best meal of its type that i’ve had in months. It was a small plates places, which I suppose I must forgive (I dislike them as I find it impossible not cater to my companions’ preferences instead of my own), and everything was […]
Up the hill
We went first to a Jewish deli for breakfast, where I had superb French toast with a veal pancetta, then we went up Mont Royal Parc. I hate to admit it, but during my 9 months or so living in Montreal I never actually went to the park, it felt too difficult even though the […]
On the Plateau
I arrived in Montreal early yesterday morning. It was all fairly smooth despite the long journey and an unexpectedly rude immigration official – maybe they learn from the Americans? Anyway, I took a taxi to the Plateau to wake up the Gentleman Friend to be let in, and here I am. We’re staying in a […]