Visiting my Daughter

Visiting Montreal is always a treat. I found a lovely hotel in the old town near the water. I read a review in the New York Times some months ago, but the 'Le Petit Hotel' was full each time I came to visit, until this time. There are only 24 rooms with big king size beds, funky furniture, a delicious breakfast each morning, and it is close to many wonderful restaurants, bars, galleries and 16th century buildings. It takes about 25 minutes to walk to McGill, mostly uphill in the freezing cold, but I enjoy the walk. I took a taxi last night, because I had my suitcase, and I really was not sure of my way, but after meeting Tara for breakfast, I took my time strolling through the old town snapping a few photos of the art deco buildings against the stark blue of the sky.

Tara visited me for breakfast at 'Le Petit Hotel' and we caught up after several months of separate lives. We walked through Old Montreal, but Tara had an appointment to get to and rushed off, while I took my time strolling along the cobblestone streets and up to the main shopping street, Ste Catherine. Renee picked me up on de Maisonneuve and McGill and drove us to 'Il Cortile' for Italian food which was not as good as expected. Somehow Italian food anywhere but in Italy doesn't taste quite right.

I thought that Tara's play was on tonight, but in fact there are thirteen plays by different directors over two weeks, and she had the night off. She suggested we go to the ballet and I admired her persistence in waiting at the entrance to the theatre at Place des Arts until the last moment for returns and we got tickets to the very last row of seats in the theatre. The Grands Ballets Canadiens are amazing, and the first dance was accompanied by the 'Four Seasons' by Vivaldi, the second by four women singing Neapolitan songs -- the effect was impressive and the dancing shocking; a combination of modern and ballet. There was a certain violence in the movements, and of course it appeared as if the dance was about the relationship between men and women, tender and violent.

I should have headed home after a good evening and a good day, but Tara wanted chocolate at 'Juliette et Chocolat', and I was remembering the amazing Italian chocolate that Maya and I had skiing, so I agreed to walk through the cold and the wind, to St Denis where we stood in line outside for over a half hour until we got a table and ordered chocolate delights. Unfortunately our conversation devolved into unpleasantness. I never know how to respond to Tara's perception of her life and my role in it and I end up defending myself and getting into worse and worse trouble. This was the sort of conversation I do my best to avoid and I wonder why I keep walking into the same script over and over again.

I arrived at my hotel frozen and agitated and could not sleep for hours.