10th photo

Our annual photo on the terrace of Shutters on the Beach was taken a few days after our anniversary this year.  As you can see, it was windy which reminded us of our wedding day with the chuppah blowing in the wind.  Since we take this photo every year, the boys are starting to remember stories that we have shared and it's been such a fun reminder of the love and time that has passed since 2005.  What will our 10th year of marriage bring???

Happy 10

For our 10th anniversary, Jawsh and I ate at Toqué! We ate delicious French cuisine using locally sourced products at one of Montreal's most popular restaurants.  We had a wonderful dinner with incredible service.  Big thank you to Bubbe who had a special dinner with the boys and yummy maple desserts.  This was such a great trip to take as a family and we are thankful for the time that we got to spend together.  Where will we go to celebrate 11???

Bonsecours Basin

We had a relaxing afternoon in Old Montreal.  After a delicious Olive and Gourmando lunch in the park we strolled by the port.  To enjoy a new perspective of Old Montreal we explored the waters of the Old Port in a paddleboat, or ‘pedalo,’ as it’s known in French. We took a 30 minute paddleboat rental on the Bonsecours Basin which allowed us to admire Montreal’s beautiful waterfront in a fun and active way. The boys loved kicking off their shoes and letting their feet drag in the water.  This was a highlight of our day.  When will we paddle boat in LA???

Funiculaire

The Old Quebec Funicular is a funicular railway in the Old Quebec neighbourhood of the city of Quebec in Canada. It links the Haute-Ville (Upper Town) to the Basse-Ville (Lower Town), which includes such sites as the ancient Notre Dame des Victoires church, the historic Petit Champlain district, the port, and the Musée de la civilisation (Museum of Civilization).  We took it down to Lower Town for our last dinner in Quebec City with Bubbe and took it back up when we returned to the hotel.  It was a slow ride that showed us views of the city.  When will we go on one again???

Foos ball

We are in Quebec City... in a new country... staying in a beautiful castle... a UNESCO World Heritage site... and all the boys want to do is goto the game room and play foos ball... That sounds about right for a  6 and 8 year old.  We had a nice time playing the game and now the boys love it... where can we find a foos ball table in LA???

The Smith House

This afternoon we took some time to hang at The Smith House so the boys could sketch and write postcards while enjoying the weather.  There were street performers, good coffee, and yummy swirl ice cream.  I have to admit it was nice to just sit and relax with no where to go.  We should probably do this more in LA... don't you think???

Citadel

One of the most imposing sights to visit in Quebec City is the Citadel.  The Citadel is an active military and official residence of a Canadian monarch and although we didn't see one, we did get close enough to take a picture with the Queen's Guard.  The boys enjoyed the free roaming and running, the cannons, and the time outdoors without rain.  We didn't have the time to tour inside but hopefully we will do it the next time we visit.  When will that be???

Via Rail Canada

 

This was the boys' first train ride.  They really enjoyed it and had a good time.  The ride was smooth and the views were picturesque.  The attendants were really nice and we just had a nice roundtrip experience.  When will we go on a train again???

Cafe St Malo

We left the hotel in search of Cafe St. Malo.  Within 10 minutes it started to rain down hard!  The umbrella was being hit and we were so glad that we were within steps to the restaurant.  When we entered, there were a few people but by the time we left the restaurant was full.  This was the best salmon we had on the trip... doesn't it look delish???

Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac

We arrived in Quebec City and had the wonderful opportunity to stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.  We had a lovely time walking around the city.  It really felt like we were in Europe in a small town with street performers and French speaking people everywhere.  Our first night we enjoyed mussels and fries and the best salmon we had on our trip.  What will tomorrow bring???

Juliette Chocolat

After our very wonderful lunch at Schwartz's Deli, we continued our walk.  We made our way to Juliette Chocolate and the boys had a great dessert.  Micah ordered a chocolate sampler plate and Noah had his first experience with chocolate fondue.  I think its safe to say that he will be ordering this again in the future.  Tomorrow we head to Quebec City... what does tomorrow bring???

Schwartz's Deli

We only had to wait about 30 minutes to squeeze into Schwartz's Deli.  It was one of the best meals we had because the smoked meat was that good.  I also really like the pickles.  Everyone was very happy with their meal and we had a nice time there.  If we every head back to Montreal, I am definitely coming here again... who is with me???

Drawn and Quarterly

Finally, Jawsh has been called to the homeland... well, comic land.  Drawn and Quarterly was a very intimate comic book shop that had some hard to find comics.  The boys really enjoyed their time there and bought some more recent comics whereas Jawsh spent most of his time debating which comic novel to purchase.  It was definitely an eclectic shop and I'm glad that we could other and support this business and the cause of art.  After this, we are heading to lunch... what will Schwartz' be like???

St. Viateur

We began the day at St. Viateur Bagel Shop.  Every review that we read states that Montreal bagels are better than anyone else.  I don't know if it was the hype but many people in our party did not care for the bagels!  I liked the bagels and thought that the old school method of cooking was really cool.  After our bagel and coffee stop (Jawsh found 49th Parallel beans next door and was happy with his coffee), we walked toward Drawn and Quarterly.  What are we going to do there???

Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal

Today we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art.  There were so many wonderful art pieces outside of the museum and a small maze that the boys enjoyed walking through.  We bought tickets to Rodin and saw so many beautiful sculptures.  Afterwards, we went to Old Montreal where we had lunch.  We walked to Notre Dame but missed visiting hours.  It was a long but lovely day... tomorrow we head to Plateau Mont Royal, the artsy part of town.  What will that be like???

Montreal

We made it to Montreal, Canada.  This is the destination that we have been planning for quite some time.  When we were first married, we thought we would head to Greece at our ten year anniversary, but after deciding to take the boys with us, the flights were just too expensive.  The next best thing to Europe, was Montreal and Quebec City, as its the closest we can get to Europe without going to Europe.  As soon as we arrived at the Fairmont, we were greeted with an anniversary tiramisu and a great view of Cathedral of Marie Reine du Monde.  I think this trip is going to be so wonderful... we have our family, Bubbe, Emo, and Uncle Zack... what does tomorrow bring???

Vegas, Baby

Las Vegas.  This is the place that the boys are waiting to go to every summer.  They love swimming multiple times a day, spending time with their cousins, and eating out all the time.  Only if life was like this everyday.  It's always fun to see the cousins reunite and play like no time has passed at all.  When will we do a different trip together???

MC

Check off the bucket list!!!  Tonight, Jawsh took me to see the one and only, Mariah Carey.  It was such a great show.  She was amazing!  We left before the show was over and while I was in the lobby, we got a glimpse of her between songs getting primped and drinking water.  It was so cool that I was only ten feet away from her.  Will I see her in concert again???

Bye HOB

Jawsh worked at HOB for several years while we were dating so we came back tonight to reunite with old friends and to see the venue one last time.  We ran into old co-workers and had a nice time.  I remember seeing epic shows for free with all the food and drink comped due to Jawsh's employment.  Upstairs was the Foundation Room and I remember that was one of our first nice meals when we first started dating.  It was a fun night and I'm glad that we got  to attend.  When we will see his old friends again???

Date night

Tonight we made it out to Connie and Ted's for a nice meal.  I love when we can just walk up to the bar without a wait and have delicious seafood.  We were heading to an event at the House of Blues, but decided to eat here first.  The House of Blues is finally closing its doors and we wanted to say farewell before the location at Sunset strip is demolished.  What will go up in its place???

Happy 4th

This was the first year at the neighborhood, Westchester Fourth of July Parade.  It was a few blocks long of local organizations, politcians, and clubs that walked the parade route.  The kids had a great time with the W family.  Later tonight, we head back to Cheviot Hills to watch the fireworks light up the sky.  This has been a tradition that we have enjoyed because we get to see our old preschool friends.  Who will we see tonight???