NYC & Montreal - April 2003

We often try to get over to NYC to see the city and our friends at least once a year. Usually the trip involves a mad 5 day dash which sees us back in London more exhausted than when we left. This time Jacqui suggested we made the holiday longer and maybe took in a side trip to somewhere like Niagara. Bert emailed back and suggested Montreal; suddenly a plan was taking shape as it turned out that Michael, Monica and John P were also interested in making the journey into Canada.

In the end only Bert made it to Montreal with us but we stayed w/ M&M in Brooklyn (NICE new pad) and managed an evening out with the legend that is John Pastore. Upon returning to NYC before flying out we even managed to finally hook up w/ Dave Derby again for the first time in 4 years. In Montreal we met some lovely people, most notably the mighty Karim. The weather was great, Jacqui had no jet lag problems and the world was our oyster. A shame indeed then that Ed had a bad neck for the first week and couldn't actually do anything. A bummer, but there you are.

These photos are a mix of digital and 'analogue' - we borrowed a 35mm SLR from Michael & Monica and used a roll of 200ASA slide film that was 2 years past its sell-by date.

NYC

• Our hosts for the Brooklyn leg of our stay, Michael & Monica, relaxing in the Brooklyn Botanical gardens.
• Despite his dodgy neck Ed managed to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (at the speed of a 90 year old). Jacqui snapped this shot on the approach to the bridge.
• Ed & Michael managed to get one song recorded at Michael's home studio.
• Bridget the cat at the controls.
• Ed doing some bad neck blues vocals.
• Obligatory 'ER' shot of Ed in the hospital waiting room after having to be 'air lifted' from the Botanical Gardens in their golf buggy.

Montreal

Montreal hosted the Olympic games in 1976 (I think). Apparently they've only just finished paying for it, or almost finished. Here are some shots taken out at the Olympic stadium.

• Distant view of the main stadium.
• The huge whitewashed concrete structure offers enless opportunities for 'the arty photograph'. Here's one.
• Here's another.
• How about a third?
• Some flags marking the countries who won gold medals at the games. A lot of those countries no longer exist.
• Bert & Jacqui walking next to a sloping sign.
• Ed smiling for once...or is it a grimace?
• A picture of the huge tower above the Olympic stadium. You can get a furnicular to the top, but it was closed during our visit.
• Another picture of the tower? Why not...
• The old Olympic velodrome has been turned into a really impressive nature park that I would recommend anyone visit - unles they hate animals and fish! We popped in on the off-chance and stayed till we were kicked out at the end of the day. This 'little' fella is a Capybara. Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world and even though you can't tell from the picture, this one's the same size as a fully grown sheep.
• Bert got close to the fish.
• Twice.
• If you've read Mark Kurlansky's book you'll know by now that cod are the coolest fish in the world. Here's a top 'cod shot' for Graham.
• And here's one of the beauties heading straight for the camera.

OK, enough of the Olympics & cod already. There's a lot more to Montreal:

• On a trip out to the Fairmount Bagel to taste the best bagels in the world. Bert noticed a Chilean diner across the street and popped in for a taste of the homeland. Considering he's already had a good helping of bagels, his food order in the diner was impressive.
• Having said that, Ed's never one to sit back when food's being offered around.
• Nor's Jacqui for that matter...even though her approach is a lot more elegant.
• Just down the street we have a classic old 'salt beef and sausages' working man's food joint called Wilensky. It's been there since the 20's apparently and looks very cool.
• A close-up of the window.
• A sneak view inside.
• Our host Karim Vickery. A man of the people and that all too rare a species, the polite Candian :-)
• Bert hanging outside Karim's building.

Anyway, Montreal pretty much looks like....well, um Montreal I suppose. Unique in my experience and pretty cool to boot.

• A typical street.
• Another.
• ...and another.
• Nice shot of an alley.
• Moving into a business district, things get a little more familiar, but still very cool looking.
• Just time for Bert & Jacqui to do the 'stationary people, moving subway train' shot some beloved of Ed.

Eating & dinking are understandably two of the primary holiday activities. Wherever we go the local specialities must be sampled. Montreal seems to specialise in bagels (smaller, fluffier, sweeter than the NYC variety) and beer brewed on the premises - I'm sure there's a LOT more, but those are the two that struck me during our 4 day stay.

• Karim, Deagen, Jacqui and Bert in a bar.
• The same group without the flash.
• Jacqui checking out the old cigarette machine recycled to sell art, poems and CDs. A great idea.
• On our last morning we had breakfast at the diner across the street from karim's house. The slide film came into its own here producing really warm colours. Jacqui and Deagen waiting to be seated.
• The food arrives...
• A close-up of Karim's French Toast (the 'Ed Shot@ as Bert now calls any picture of food).
• Bert tucks in.
• Jacqui at the table.

NYC Again

• By the time we returned to NYC the magnolia trees had all bloomed and the streets were lovely. Jacqui snapped this just down the block from M&M's apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
• Introducing Mr Dave Derby - across the street from Kelly & Ping, in Soho, Manhattan.
• Dave's partner in crime these days is a jolly nice fellow called Michael. Here's a shot of his back.

Page posted on Thursday, 22 May, 2003 2:49 PM