“The most powerful words in English are, “Tell me a story.”
Pat Conroy, My Reading Life
Do you ever stop on the side of the road to snap photos?
Grass itch is real
On our way back, we drove past a meadow of dandelions off the highway. The view was just too beautiful to miss, so we pulled over. We couldn’t miss it anyway, even if we tried. The weather was nice, our outfits were on point, and the lighting was perfect. Why waste the moment.
This will definitely go into my postcard-worthy photos list
A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. However, a mere picture will not show you everything that’s happened at a particular moment. Not trying to be philosophical here, but things aren’t always as they appear.
Balancing with a sprained foot for 5 seconds x 10 attempts LOL, to get the perfect shot. I also don’t know what I’m trying to achieve here. I just went “Hey , let’s make it look like I’m trying to reach for the sky”. Haha whatever
What you do not see in these photos are cars passing by and the bewildered looks people are giving us, probably wondering what the hell we’re doing. Only a few feet away stands a Defense de Passer (No Trespassing) sign on the curb–which we deliberately ignored for a “Cedie” moment in the grass field. The photos won’t tell you that I’m limping off with a sprained foot and very much struggling to get the poses right.
And this one, is just an awkward photo. Me treading on dangerous ground (like literally), being really extra careful not to twist my foot again
Our “shouldn’t take long, nobody will notice” photo op took an eternity to wrap up, finally after 9 billion photos of the exact same spot. Lol
Regardless, the best roadtrip photos happen when and where you least expect them.
Sure, you can take as many photos as you can. But once in a while, put the camera down and take a moment to enjoy the experience through your eyes. Beauty is meant to be savored, not just captured. Although photos are a great “memory-replay” to relive the experience, the present moment is the closest tangible thing you’ll ever have to the original moment when everything becomes a memory.
When we look at a road map, there is more than one way to reach a destination. Just like everyone’s journey is different. We may find ourselves in a different path than others but that doesn’t mean we are lost or getting nowhere. Each experience is unique. We could just be taking a detour. There is no wrong or right path. Only our own path.
Once upon a time, the idea of driving absolutely terrified me. Growing up, I had so many silly and unfounded fears. Getting behind the wheel was one of them. Fear is such a bitch.
Until three years ago, this time of the year, when I finally got my driver’s license.
I bought my first car and started from taking short trips by myself to out-of-town group trips, just to conquer my fear. The goal was to keep driving. It was a commitment I made to myself.
Since then, roadtrip has been my absolute favorite form of travel. I love that it gives me greater versatility and freedom on the road. That’s one aspect of it that got me really hooked.
Then one day, on a whim, my friends and I put together this little roadtrip project of touring across Québec and eventually exploring every driveable province in Canada.
Putting our plan into action, I started planning and mapping out all our trips.
By default, I took on the role of trip leader. Half the time, I was the human tripadvisor, google maps, driver, tour guide and photographer, all rolled into one.
I suppose most people want to hit the open road right away and skip the trouble of travel logistics as much as possible. But a trip isn’t going to map itself. I’d like to think I’m one of those rare people who have the mental strength to deal with all the nitty-gritty work. (I’m pretty sure that’s my Type A personality talking.)
We live in a digital world where people can now easily organize trips with the help of travel apps and online tools. While they come in handy and mostly free, I prefer to do the work, the DIY way. I would spend countless hours researching places, checking out driving routes, browsing through instagram travel photos (a great start to collect some inspiration), reading travel blogs, and marking everything down to the last detail. It does not take an expert to pull it off. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”
~Murphy’s Law
At the end of the day, no matter how much you prepare for the trip, things don’t always go according to plan.
Here’s a narrative of some of our roadtrips, over the years. They’re proof that life has a funny way of teaching us lessons.
Roadtrip From Hell
It was last summer, probably one of the hottest days on record, I added too many stops to our day trip. Clearly, a careless mistake.
The trip started out as fun and exciting until later in the day when things rapidly went downhill.
On the last leg of our trip, we had already reached epic levels of exhaustion. We could hardly make the climb to the bridge. I felt like I could slip into a coma there and then. My camera died in the middle of the forest trail. One of our friends was having a classic “fuck off, i’m tired” moment, I thought she grew a second head. I had to endure a 2-km painful hike through the woods in my wedge sandals, in the name of fashion. In my defense, the bridge was way closer in the photos (photos don’t tell the whole story so don’t trust everything you see on social media). If it was possible to roll my way back down to the trailhead, I would, in a heartbeat.
After a while, everything returned to some kind of normalcy–me in my flats, camera back to life, our friend was her usual self.
With time to spare, we decided to squeeze in a quick trip to a nearby place, just within a short distance from the town.
After an hour of driving, my danger radar was telling me something was off.
Sometimes instinct is our best guide.
When I checked my phone closely, the GPS signal was lost. We had wasted away an hour driving aimlessly.
We pulled to a halt in the middle of the road, amidst landscape of lush green hills and meadow fields along either side.
The roads were empty. There were no cars, no people in sight to ask for directions. We passed by a barn or two along the way. Big deal. If we weren’t in a panic state, we would have enjoyed a scenic stroll with the cattles.
The sight of the paved road ending ahead, continuing into a seemingly endless, muddy road was the last straw.
Under the circumstances, it made sense to just turn the car around.
There’s a thin line between fun and safety.
As the driver, I had to take everyone’s safety into account.
Shortly after, we drove back to the main road and decided to forego any more side trips.
Our misfortune did not end there. So hold your horses.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a character in Jumanji? That with every turn in the road, a mystery challenge unfolds? That’s exactly how we felt! At least in the movie, they had clues.
After our little cattle safari adventure, getting back to civilization was a welcome relief. But our joy was short-lived as dark clouds began hovering in the sky. Suddenly, a violent thunderstorm broke. Strong winds started to blow along with big, loud drops of rain falling on the windshield and windows, I could hardly see anything. Fun fact: I’m still not comfortable driving in low-light conditions, especially at night. The glare from oncoming headlights made it worse. Thank God for edge-lined roads which helped me stay on course.
In a cruel twist of fate, which seemed to never leave us, the gas gauge neared empty. We had to locate the nearest gas station before the car goes dead and leave us stranded on the side of the road.
By some miracle, we spotted a gas station on the street corner. That town was full of surprises.
It was still raining heavily, so I ran into the store to pay the bill. The clerk offered to pump the gas while we waited inside the car. He walked back inside, without a word. It took me a while to realize that he just left the fuel pump in the tank so I got out immediately. I took the pump nozzle out mindlessly without flipping it off.
To my utter horror, I spilled gas all over my skirt. Gosh. Hadn’t it been a shitty enough day? I was already soaked from the rain. At least the rain washed the gas off my skin.
I had to ditch my skirt for a pair of skimpy shorts I wore underneath. The skirt was safely ensconced in the trunk but the smell still lingered in the air.
The drive back smelled of gasoline, despite keeping all the windows open. Nobody was happy. Getting high was not on our agenda. It was awful, health-wise.
Halfway through the drive, the fumes started to dissipate and we could finally breathe more normally.
After a long, torturous driving experience, we stopped by a roadside burger place. No choking or food poisoning whatsoever happened, in case you’re wondering.
While ordering a burger, still smiling like nothing happened
The Road Less Travelled
Our most recent waterfall trip was probably the creepiest route I’ve ever driven.
Backstory: Upon reaching the entrance to the national park (where we originally planned to go), imagine our shock and surprise when we got a strange welcome by the police, instead of the staff. We were denied entry, so technically, we were not welcome.
A week before our trip, a similar situation happened at a nearby park, in the same town. “It was all over the news”, the police officer informed us. How come we missed that? Okay, well, we’d been binge-watching Netflix all week.
Amidst the pandemic, crowds of out-of-towners flocked to the area, which spread panic and fear among the residents.
They were concerned for their safety as social distancing rules weren’t observed. Not only that, some day-trippers held parties and trashed the area pretty badly. This prompted the local authorities to close down the park to dissuade visitors.
For that reason, we had to make last-minute changes to our itinerary and ended up driving another half an hour to the next location. Good thing we had a fallback plan. But we were not prepared for what awaited us.
The GPS led us down an eerily quiet back road through the woods. It was a little more remote than I thought. We were the only car on the road, I guess all the sane ones followed the main route.
We actually enjoyed the peaceful drive, until it became a scene out of the “Wrong Turn” movie, in my head. When you watch too many horror movies, the visions stay with you, with a trigger button on your brain. My imagination was having a field day.
Come to think of it, most terrifying horror stories take place in small towns. Although oftentimes exagerrated, some of them are based on true events–a gruesome cannibal family living in a cabin in the woods hunting down a group of stranded travellers, a big dude with human-skin mask running around with a chainsaw, or a psychopath just randomly messing with people on the road.
Whether those stories have a real basis in fact or not, the possibility of them happening in real life is not too far-fetched at all.
Senses at full alert, we waded through what could be the longest shortcut of our lives, all the while telling myself, “I got a shovel, a screwdriver and a squeegee in the trunk”. A little reassurance goes a long way. I may not have a very particular set of skills, but I have a special set of tools. Haha
Skiing Gone Wrong
There’s nothing quite like driving in the thick of a howling blizzard. It was a trip we had been planning for months. Despite the snowstorm warning the night before, we pushed on, consequences be damned. Besides, it was the perfect snow condition for skiing, or so we thought.
We adjusted our plans to make sure we get there before the weather escalates. However, mountain weather is a different story. It changes fairly quickly and generally differs from conditions in the lowlands, more often on the extreme side. We didn’t see a blizzard approaching until we reached the mountains. It came upon us without warning.
The drive was slow and the road was a bit tricky to navigate due to reduced visibility and heavy accumulation of snow on the ground but we survived.
We never considered signing up for ski lessons because we just wanted to have fun and take photos for our first time.
At least we learned the basics of putting on ski boots and clicking in and out of our ski bindings, with difficulty. We were off to a good start but that was just a drop in the bucket.
Ideally, cross-country skiing is just “shuffle and glide” and is much easier to learn on your own than downhill skiing. It’s actually fun once you get the hang of it.
But for some people (like me, at that time) with the fitness level of a sloth, it was a lot of work. Nobody was prepared for the intense full-body workout in the snow.
Our first few tries were so awkward. We put in so much effort, yet we barely moved an inch. They said that was normal for beginners.
All that work sent us veering off course. We got stuck at the wrong place, at the wrong time. A horse-drawn carriage was coming straight in our direction and my friend chose that moment to fall down. She couldn’t get back up, so one of our friends helped. You probably know where the story’s going. She took her down with her, like the domino effect. Then everyone came to the rescue, pulling the others up as fast as possible. We were blocking the path so the carriage had to stop in front of us. All the passengers and horses included, had a front row seat to our little fiasco. It was so embarrassing and funny. We laughed our lungs out the whole time.
We decided to abandon the flat trails and move on to a more challenging terrain–the bunny slope, or put simply, the nursery slope!
The slope was dominated by novice skiers–to be exact, groups of small kids having ski lessons. Not very uplifting.
The best part was riding the “margic carpet” ski lift that took us to the top of the hill. It was a cooler version of an escalator.
My first run was not too bad. I managed to go a few meters before I landed on my butt. Two of my friends lost control, one crash dived into the safety net fence and one almost ran over a little kid. Poor kid. Having witnessed the terrifying visuals, the other one quit before even trying.
The parents shot us the most hostile looks so we left the area.
The golden rule is to stay in control, one that beginners should tackle first when hitting the slopes. We had to learn it the hard way.
Past the bunny hill were the advanced slopes. We envied the pro skiers gliding effortlessly down the mountain. There was no way we could match their skills, not by a long shot. But we could at least try the chairlift. So, for lack of better judgment, we did, thinking there was a roundtrip option.
We excitedly hopped on the chairlift and got ready for the ultimate ride of our lives.
When we reached the top, the safety bar automatically lifted. We asked the lift operator if we could ride the lift back down. He almost seemed unbothered by our concern, and dismissingly said “No, the only way down is through the slopes.” Just perfect.
Panic set in at the thought of going down the slopes, the blues (intermediate level), for that matter.
Hesitantly, we got off the lift and started moving towards the edge. It nearly gave me vertigo. We stared at the skiers hurtling down the mountain at dizzying speeds. That freaked us out. I was usually brave and confident, as long as I knew what I was getting into. But it was way above our skill level. We could seriously injure ourselves, or worse, die in there, no kidding.
Curiosity killed the cat. There is a really good reason for that saying.
Left with no choice, we set out together in the deep snow. We went slow and stayed on the sidelines, as “invisible” as possible.
When you’re a walking highlighter, you’re far from invisible, trust me
We didn’t make it too far because my friend went full speed and toppled over.
Newsflash: Skiing slowly in a steep run is hard, unless you’re an expert.
After much thought and consideration, we agreed to just hike the way down–no easy chore with 5 lb skis slung over our shoulders. Slow and steady wins the race.
Every so often, I would alternately walk and “semi-ski”, just to keep a fraction of my dignity intact.
When the slopes get overwhelming, I would take a break mid-run, sit in the snow and think about that big mug of hot chocolate I could be cozily drinking in front of a fire, if only I weren’t stuck high up in the hills.
I coudn’t count how many times I skidded out of control, tumbled over the bend and got ejected from my skis after a hard drop.
As a matter of fact, the only skill I’ve ever mastered all throughout the run was the “falling technique”. Yes, there is such a thing.
There’s no denying how tough it was out there (apart from embarassing), given my lack of skill. But having said that, I actually had fun humiliating myself.
You gain perspective under the hardest circumstances. I learned how not to give up, despite getting knocked down over and over.
To my credit, I’ve always had a lot of staying power. That holds true for pretty much everything I do in my life, to this day.
I had a better chance of surviving by moving forward than stopping. In my mind, it doesn’t matter how I’d get to the bottom, as long as I get there.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
After an hour of trudging along in -20 degrees, blowing snow, I made it to the bottom of the mountain, starving, bone-tired, and sore in all places.
It could have been worse.
Round Trip
We were headed to a local farm for our first apple-picking adventure. Since we took the scenic route, off the main road, it took us longer to get there. Our friends whom we expected to be running late, arrived earlier than us, wondering where on earth we were. Of course, there was an amusing story behind it.
We made a complete circumnavigation of the island. We couldn’t turn back when we realized we were about to board a ferry crossing to the nearby island. Screw it. We’ve never been to that part of the province and what better way to explore the place than by sightseeing from the water? Another 15 minutes off our timetable, but it was a fun alternative to driving while enjoying the beautiful scenery surrounding the lake.
Ferry ride
On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to go on a roadtrip with me?
Are you looking for a thrilling yet relaxing activity while reveling in the beauty of the fall foliage?
Head out north on a roadtrip and discover the unique attraction in Mont Saint Saveur, a ski resort just a 50-minute drive away from Montréal.
Unleash your inner child and ride the “Viking”, an Alpine Roller Coaster that runs down a 1.5 km hilly path, deep in the forest, richly bordered by trees and the colors of autumn.
Imagine an amusement ride but on a whole different level, with the Laurentian Mountains as your backdrop.
Unlike the traditional roller coasters, you have full control over the speed (and your life, lol).
There’s a brake lever on both sides of the car. You can either push the handle to accelerate (go full speed Vin Diesel at 35 kilometres per hour haha) or pull to slow down or stop. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
But that’s before I decided to one-handedly maneuver the car with the other hand hanging on to my camera for dear life. My little stunt didn’t disappoint, the uphill was one helluva ride. I don’t remember ever putting my muscle groups to use. By the end of the day, my left arm was sore I could hardly lift it.
Dead arm aside, it’s not, in the least, scary (unless you have a coasterphobia?). There is no question of falling, flying or being thrown out of the car. The car wheels are securely locked to the tracks which are installed pretty close to the ground. You could literally step out of it and walk your way down. But I don’t suggest doing that. Although a friend of mine considered the idea. Haha
Each car is equipped with a safety belt to hold the riders on their seats especially around tight curves and sudden “oooohhhh” drops.
The Alpine Coaster operates all year-round. We actually purchased the tickets with our ski passes, so we got a discounted price. Unfortunately, at that time, the rides were temporarily shut down due to the heavy snowstorm. It would have been nice to try it in winter when the mountains are all covered in snow. Nevertheless, it’s lovely in the fall when the leaves are dramatically showing off their vibrant colors.
If you’re not short on time, you can also try the Dragon, a double zipline that takes you up towards the mountains and back down TWICE, if you’re up for it. So that makes it a quadruple zipline. Haha What’s a little extra thrill for free?
“In dreams, anything can be anything, and everybody we can do. We can fly, we can turn upside down, we can transform into anything”.
~Twyla Tharp
Have you ever tried seeing the world upside down, suspended in midair, feet bound, with nothing but a cord keeping you aloft?
Recently, I bungee jumped off a 200 ft. high crane sitting atop the middle of a massive amphitheatre-shaped cliff of limestone rock, overlooking a 150 ft. deep aqua-blue, spring-fed lagoon.
The Great Canadian Bungee’s “The Rock” is by far the highest bungee jump in Canada and only place in America that offers a head/body water dip experience. The 160 ft. rebound is higher than the entire jump height at any other site in Canada.
All ages are welcome but there is an 80lb minimum weight limit for participants. Parental consent is required for all those under the age of 18.
As all adventures are, it involves some element of danger. But unlike skydiving, paragliding or any other extreme sports, it requires no skill or training. All you have to do is show up and B.Y.O.G. Bring Your Own Guts. Tons of it.
Most sites require advance booking. But I managed to snag a 4PM slot. Thanking my lucky stars, the sun and the moon that somebody cancelled at the last minute.
We spent the entire 2 hours watching other people jump and scream their heads off, which made me all the more restless. I just couldn’t wait to get it over and done with.
At 4 o’oclock on the dot, the crew signaled us to follow the rough, rugged road towards the limestone pavement at the top. It was a short 5 minute hike from the center.
After a short briefing which said a lot, “Empty your pockets”and “Spit out your gum” LOL, we were all set to get strapped.
The jump master ushered us to the crane and queued us in order of weight.
As far as safety checks go, we had our weights written on the back of our hands to help them determine the appropriate equipment to use. As you know, there is a weight tier system for bungee. They change the rope for every weight category. I was exactly 100lbs (the lightest among the group) so I stood next to a 103lb girl, my “weightmate”. Haha
I chose the ankle harness over the body harness, as suggested by the jump master. A padding was wrapped around both of my ankles with straps tied over and secured with a velcro. For added support and comfort, I donned a seat harness (the back-up harness) with an adjustable waist belt and leg loops.
One by one, we were called forward to the opposite end. When my turn came, they asked me to sit on the bench while they fasten the bungee cord to the middle of the strap in my feet. Then they ran all checks from top to bottom. Second checked. Third checked.
They had to secure my slippers in the belt. I was forced to go barefoot. Classy.
The lead jump master gave me a final briefing on how to do a proper jump. It was at this very moment that I told him I was scared. He replied nonchalantly, “Good! Fear is an integral part of adventure”.
It didn’t resolve my concerns in the least. But the comforting thought that somebody else was seemingly cool and unfazed by this whole ordeal, made me feel confident that I’d come out of it alive. So in the name of non self-preservation, I did it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the full “water dunk” experience. Blame it on my lack of height, my ungraceful jump or my anxiety-induced brain fog that affected my ability to follow through on things.
Head first
Hands up (like in a diving position)
Chin tucked (into the chest as far as it will go)
Simple.
You’ll hear the jump master say that a couple of times in the video. Think of it as every jumper’s mantra.
Yet the very moment my feet left the platform, it seemed like time stopped and everything happened at breakneck speed. My body just went into autopilot and all logic escaped me (including the mantra I had been mentally reciting a thousand times).
Add to the fact that I was falling as fast as 100 kilometers per hour in 5 seconds!
So instead of raising my hands high above my head, I held them stiffly, at my sides. Apparently I lost my sense of direction as well. Lol.
It was the sudden tug on the bungee cord that brought me back to my senses. Then I realized, ughhhhh I screwed up the “hands” part. Well, too late. In a matter of seconds, the cord snapped me back up and I began bouncing up and down 2 or 3 times, moving back and forth (which felt like an eternity) before coming to a swaying standstill.
All of this to say, it wasn’t what I exactly pictured in my head. And certainly didn’t pass muster in James Bond’s standards. Lol. The screaming didn’t help either.
Throwing yourself 200 feet down towards the earth is definitely not a walk in the park. Unless you’re JB. Look at this guy! Defying gravity in all his glory.
#jumpgoals
But at least I was able to pull off that “Superman” Dive the first few milliseconds of the drop.
Oddly enough, falling is the easiest. Once you let go, everything follows smoothly. You’re giving up even the tiniest bit of control you have. You’re left at the mercy of gravity. And honestly, it’s too short an experience that you won’t even have time to breathe, much more think about anything. All the fears, worries and anxieties disappear in an instant and replaced by an overwhelming feeling of serenity and freedom. It’s surreal.
On the contrary, the hardest is always the beginning–when you’re standing with your feet halfway over the edge, waiting for the countdown. And the only thing between you and the drop is your fear telling you that you can’t do it. Worse, you have to do the jump on your own. Nobody will do it for you. It’s ALL YOU. And it MUST be done.
Trust me, it’s a real struggle–no amount of “pep talk” will ever make you feel better. You will be terribly scared, regardless. That’s totally normal. It’s part of being human and alive.
Imagine looking down from a height, into the blank, open air. It’s terrifying beyond words! “Omg the view seems to stretch forever” “Why does the ground below looks further away than it should be?” “What if I throw up all my lunch?” Suddenly, you find yourself second-guessing and overthinking. All these silly questions flood your head.
At one point, my legs felt too heavy. I was holding onto the railing as if my life depended on it. Am I ready? No, not really.
Bungee jumping is all mind over matter. It may sound clichéd, but it’s true. The mind is our biggest battleground. The longer time you take to make the leap, the more time you have to make up excuses and chicken out.
Sadly, nothing in life waits until you’re ready–even the bus to work (true story of me every single day! lol)
“There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any”.
~Hugh Laurie
You will never be 100% ready for anything. But that is the beauty of life, you’re free to take chances despite being entirely unprepared. There are no rules. Every moment could be the right moment.
In the words of Benjamin Mee in the film Brought a Zoo,
“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come out of it.”
With 5 seconds of my own insane courage, I took the leap of faith. It was hands down the best impulsive decision I’ve made in my life.
It was an experience like no other.
In the end, you realize it’s not about conquering the jump, but yourself.
Make the jump. Everything you need is already within you.
“Life is full of surprises and serendipity. Being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success. If you try to plan every step, you may miss those wonderful twists and turns. Just find your next adventure-do it well, enjoy it-and then, not now, think about what comes next“.
~Condoleeza Rice
Unexpected fun is the best
Well, technically I paid for the tour so I’m not sure if it qualifies as “crashing”.
However, to some extent, it felt like I did. To them, at least.
For the record, I’ve never been to a bachelorette party; more so riding a giant bike and partying in the open with 15 or so other women I have never met in my life! To say it’s hilarious is an understatement.
Imagine the look on their faces when I, out of nowhere, just hastily plopped down on the last seat left–because I was running (literally) late, as usual. Lol. I could practically hear the gears spinning in their heads–wondering why i was there, as though I was some creep. I had to quickly introduce myself to avoid more confusion. I could hear their surprised “Ohhh’s”. All eyes on me. Boy, was it awkward. Haha
Then Gabriel (the tour guide/bike operator/my savior) happily welcomed me and everyone just followed suit.
Halfway through the tour, he actually asked me if I knew what was going on. I probably looked lost.Lost in translation. Lol. The tour was entirely in french. Although I understood, to some degree, when he started rattling down the details of the tour, I struggled more with the unfamiliar local words. But I survived despite my imperfect french (giving myself a mental pat on the back).
18-seater bicycleWith the Bride-to-be
Thanks to Vélo Festif Montréal. I had my first ever Bachelorette Party! Haha.
Check out their website, they normally host party tours–birthday, bachelorette or any party. You can choose from a variety of tour themes with different itineraries, depending on the day of the week. Or you can rent the entire bike privately.
I booked the Gourmet Tour which perfectly suited my foodie self. Food is included in the tour. In our package, we had Smoked Salmon Bagel and Poutine–two of the most iconic foods in Montréal. And then we stopped by Siboire (their bar of choice) for some beer and cocktails.
Smoked Salmon BagelPoutine (made with fries topped with cheese curds and gravy)
Like they say, the best parties are the ones you never expected to be in. And fairly enough, I had an absolute blast! It was a great way to meet other people as well. For nearly 2 hours, we danced, sang (yelled for the most part) and pedaled our way through the busy and vibrant streets of Mile-End, with loud music blasting from the speaker (great playlist, btw). Pubs, restos and shops lined up the streets and people and pedestrians were waving, even taking photos and videos of us. It was insanely fun!
If I had known, would I still have gone?
The thing is, you wouldn’t possibly know. The booking is done online but will only ask for your personal information, the number of seats you want to reserve and your preferred tour and date. Mind you, even the mighty tour guide had no idea.
But c’est la vie. Sometimes, we have to embrace the unknown and just adapt to whatever life throws at us, no matter how challenging or uncomfortable it may be. Because in reality, things don’t always go according to plan–swerving off the track once in a while. That’s just how life is, unpredictable. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun while we’re there, does it?
Mont-Royal is a big hill overlooking the island of Montréal and Saint Lawrence River. The Beaver Lake, Kondiaronk Belvédère and the Mont-Royal Cross within Parc du Mont-Royal are among the most popular spots in the area to visit. There are numerous trails that you can take. If you’re up for some good cardio workout, try climbing up Mont-Royal stairs, with 400 steps going up the mountain starting from the corner of Peel street and Pine Avenue (which we did and was totally worth it). You’ll be rewarded with a refreshing and stunning view on the hilltop. Finish off the morning with a nice and filling breakfast/brunch at Café des Amis/Pavillon du Lac-aux-Castors.
En face du Lac-aux-Castorswith the girlfriendsLife’s simple pleasures The girl behind the lens–Moi
We also took some photos of the castle-like buildings on our way to the stairs, just along Peel Street. They were giving us the hogwarts vibe. But they’re actually university residences. How cool is that! It was quite a sight!
“Today is life–the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto.” – Dale Carnegie
Life Through the Windshield 