A Romantic Getaway

Last Saturday, Ryan and I flew out for what's become a yearly getaway for the two of us - the President's Circle trip.

This year, much to our excitement, the trip began in Boston, toured through Vermont and ended in Old Montreal. While there are a few things we do as a group, there is always lots of time for the two of us to go exploring.

Having just flown in this afternoon, I'm too tired to do more than show a few highlights.

The first full morning in Boston was their annual meeting, so it meant I had the morning to myself. After an early breakfast in bed (the only time we are allowed to indulge in this), I made my way uptown to the Boston Common Gardens.

They were beautiful. So many of the gardens were in bloom, the swan boats were touring about, there were some musicians playing classical music that you could hear throughout the park, and it was the perfect way to start the morning.

Next I headed to the other end of the gardens and walked up to Beacon Hill, the quaint older part of Boston. There were dozens of charming shops and cafes.

I then walked the cobblestone streets of the Gaslight District and parts of the Freedom Trail.

One of my favourite parts was touring the gardens in this part of town. They really have no gardening space, so seeing how they utilize what little space they do have is so fascinating to me! This was actually quite a large, and very old, private garden. The rest are tiny front plots, window boxes and urns on their front steps. They've mastered the art of making a big statement with a small amount of space.

That afternoon, we boarded a beautiful old boat and enjoyed a lunch tour of the Boston Harbour. It was the most relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon.

We had some time to waste before dinner, and felt like touring the city a little more, so we went back out to Beacon Hill and I showed Ryan some of the beautiful little spots I had stumbled across earlier that morning.

We always stay in beautiful hotels, which is an experience in itself; plush robes, choosing what we want for room service the next morning, luxurious beds with a million pillows, and always a great view. And the food... it's quite ridiculous. It's beyond indulgent.

The next morning we headed out early for the driving portion of our trip, which would take us to Burlington, Vermont, by way of Quechee. One of the perks is that each couple receives a 2016 convertible to "test drive".

We couldn't have had a better day to drive through the mountains.

Lunch was in an old mill from the 1700's, which is now a working glass blowing gallery and museum.

From there, we headed out to Burlington, for a tradition clambake and a stay overlooking Lake Champlain. On the way, we stopped at each antique shop to quickly browse. I even managed to find a few things I could tuck away in my suitcase!

The next day we left early again, and continued driving from Burlington, through Quebec to Montreal. We went by way of the islands on Lake Champlain, and stopped for lunch at a spa and sat on the patio and watched a huge thunderstorm roll in.

Our final evening was spent in Old Montreal at a beautiful hotel. Unfortunately though, by the time we arrived in town, there wasn't much time left to tour.

We did however wake up early to quickly walk around a little before heading to the airport this morning. Even in just the few blocks around the hotel, there was plenty to see.

And now we're home again with our beautiful boys, who we missed so much. But really, we were so spoiled, and it was so lovely to get away, just the two of us it seemed like, for a few days.

Montreal Part Two - Chateaux Ramezay

Tucked in the middle of Old Montreal, down the road from Notre Dame Cathedral, across from Old City Hall is the Chateaux Ramezaey garden.

This beautiful oasis is hidden behind ivy-covered walls. Upon opening the gate, you feel as though you've left the city and been transported onto the grounds of an old Chateaux in France.

It's beautiful.

In 1705, Claude de Ramezay arrived in Montreal as governor. He commissioned his home to be built on Notre-Dame Street in the midst of the city's social scene. This garden, done in formal French style, consists of a kitchen garden, potager, a pleasure garden, jardin ornemental, and an orchard, verger. 

The ivy-covered walls and old fountain.

A small walk through the orchard at the back which consisted of a few fruit trees, a wall of espaliered pear trees, a few rows of grape vines and a few rows of raspberry bushes.

The middle consisted of a formal walk with manicured shrubs and perfectly kept boxwood.

The perimeter was a pea stone walk.

Around edge of the garden was a simple border of Ferns, Lily of the Valley and Solomon's Seal. A few of my favourites.

The front kitchen garden consisted of rhubarb plants, vegetables, and fragrant herb borders.

It really was a highlight of my day spent in Montreal. And, though you pay to tour the actual museum, touring the garden is free.

A Weekend in Montreal

A couple weekends ago we got an unexpected surprise.

Ryan had been invited to the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal with Mercedes Benz. This was an event he's long wanted to go see, and with a free hotel room and a beautiful city to explore, I tagged along.

It was a short trip, only one night, but I had a wonderful time walking around the city.

I accomplished more than I could have hoped for in such a short time. I saw the major districts, dined on fresh bread and cheese, toured a historic garden, walked the old port, and snapped photos until my heart was content. It was as though I had spent the day walking the streets of Paris. I even got to practice a bit of french! Une petite peu.

It's a gorgeous city.

The first night we arrived, after a wonderful nap, I walked around until I came across the Griffintown District. This is an up-and-coming area of Montreal which was formerly populated mainly by Irish immigrants. It had been recommended in a recent issue of Chatelaine and I was so excited to have stumbled upon it! After window shopping for a while (everything was closed by this time), I made my way to the recommended place to dine and couldn't have been happier with what I found. The Griffintown Cafe was a welcoming place to rest after a couple hours of walking in the drizzling rain. It was full, but I found a seat at the bar and enjoyed my wine, a plate of cheese and a fun jazz band. After a cappuccino and some delicious tiramisu, I caught a cab to a theater near our hotel and met Ryan for a late showing of The Great Gatsby.

The antique shops in Griffintown were so gorgeous. It was probably a good thing I could only window shop!

The view from our hotel. We stayed at Le Westin in Old Montreal.

The next morning, after a late breakfast with Ryan, I set out to explore whatever I could fit into that day. I began in Old Montreal and saw Notre Dame. Next I toured the Chateaux Ramezay kitchen garden, and then made my way down to the Old Port. I wandered around and then made my way up to the shopping areas and finally caught a cab to Outremont. 

The architecture in Old Montreal feels very European. It's beautiful. There are gardens everywhere and it made for easy touring.

The Ritz.

The buildings were just gorgeous.

This is Marche Bonsecours. For more than a century this was the main public market in Montreal.

I came across a newly opened donut shop and picked up half a dozen of the most beautiful gourmet donuts! We enjoyed one (and a half!) with a coffee on the trip home. They were so delicious.

The Old Port was very interesting to walk around.

I just loved the old buildings with their beautiful gardens.

The city was filled with gorgeous statues.

I found this cheese shop in the basement of a store in Outremont. It's another district more up on the mountain. I also picked up a baguette and some french macarons at another pastry shop.

This is the park in Outremont. I believe it was designed by the same person who did Central Park in New York.

As you drive up the mountain, the hillside is full of beautiful old homes that belonged to the more affluent residents of the city.

I came across some charming little shops including this bicycle shop (above) and this used book store (below).

Tomorrow I will show you the historic garden at the Chateaux Ramezay Museum. It was beautiful and one of my most favourite sites I saw.