Nice weather and a lazy Sunday

Well, it would seem I need to catch up on my postings so here goes.

Two weeks ago, we had the luck of having wonderful weather (warm), to the point where Salem decided to take me out to Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue for supper on a terrasse and some walking. We ended up going to Peter's Cape Cod, had fish & chips and a tuna steak. Both were quite yummy and we later on went to a coffee shop to discuss our upcoming summer trip. Needless to say, not much was accomplished as Salem was low on energy, went on a sugar high (chocolate and coffee) and then crashed!!

The construction of the new MUHC super-hospital is in full-swing!

Yayy! Fresh air!

It was a bit cool but still nice to be outside.

Bwahahaha! Stalking random people!

I love you bi!

And a lazy Sunday...

We just bummed around the following day after shopping for camping equipment.

Salem is enumerating something... most likely something political such as "Why I should rule the world".

In total relaxation mode... woof!

And I decided to accessorize my nails:

With little 5-petal flowers and dots. Cute.

My birthday yet again! And more snowwww - yet again!!!!

This weekend, I celebrated my birthday with a few friends over at Ciné Express. I've now decided that Ciné Express is very hit or miss. Salem and I met at this very place and we used to go to just grab some food and hang out. A few years ago, it went all downhill (only one waitress for the whole place on shift and I ended up wearing some of the beer that fell from a glass off her tray). We hadn't returned until about a year ago - they had renovated and our usual waitress was there to serve us. We were happy! We're returned a few times since and service was always good. Well, not so last Saturday. The waitress rarely came around and when she did, she took one person's order only to turn and leave before anyone else got to put in their order. After getting sick of waiting, I took down everyone's dessert order to bring it to the counter. After complaining to the guy behind the counter, he told our waitress to take care of things to which she started telling me "I went back many times and no one was ready to order"... Bah! BS! We got our orders in, half of their cakes were no longer available, etc. I was none too impressed, read even a bit embarrassed for picking this place! I don't think we will be returning.

Next time: party at my place - BYOC (bring your own chair). Honestly! Don't talk back to the customer when they have to go and do your job for you. Here are some pictures though, we at least got a couple of good laughs and I got to spend some time with friends. :-)

It was a dark and stormy night...

... a pair of lovebirds were cuddling on a couch, seeking shelter from outside...

While Sabrina was busy giving physicals and Adam... well it seems he was busy using Sabrina as a back rest! ;-)

Ok, I will admit, the couches are good for large groups of people..

Chris even joined us!

Lisa - post parking disaster - with Caro and Salem.

Cheeeeeeese!

Some little extra birthday tidbits i never got around to posting about!

Salem surprised me with a wonderful bouquet of flowers on my birthday! He even thought to lower the bedroom temperature so the flowers wouldn't get hot between his lunch hour and my arrival! Honestly, I never wouldn't thought about this.

I especially loved the irises, lillies and the frilly yellow rose!

I made some small double-chocolate birthday cookies to celebrate (no cake this time around)! They were AMAZING!!! We're still finishing them off now. Recipe to come soon.

They may look like miniature cow patties but they sure as heck don't taste like them!

It's Caro's birthday!!! Lets stuff our faces!!!!

It was my birthday on Monday/Tuesday and as is customary with weekday birthdays - the birthday experience takes place over a few days.

I celebrated with my immediate family on Sunday evening by going to Elixor in the West Island. Yummies were eaten by all!! Here are some pictures!

The peeps!!

The celebrators: Dad, Salem, the birthday girl, Mary Ann and Mom.

With Dad and Mary Ann - Totally loving Mary Ann's shirt by the way!

Salem just wanted to take a picture of what I was wearing. Unfortunately, you can't see the whole boot! Darn!

I love my hubby - he's so cute! Chèque moi c'te sourire!!!! Ayoye!

Mom enjoying her salad and Salem listening to his father-in-law.

The birthday girl getting ready to eat!

And now for the food!

Mary Ann's chicken tenders with coleslaw, 2 sauces and mashed potatoes (they are very yummy!)

Mom took the special of the day: Mahi Mahi with lobster ravioli and asparagus.

Dad took the cedar-planked salmon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

Salem took the chicken Louisiane: breaded chicken breasts on pasta with a Cajun sauce. It's amazing! Lama and I will both attest to that!.

My Plate: the Siam explosion: chicken and shrimp in a sweet and spicy sauce with peanuts, rice and bean sprouts. Yum yum!

I love my Dad!!

I just wanted to share with everyone what my Dad surprised me with for Valentine's Day. He came by my work last Monday to give me a wonderful bouquet of flowers!

Merci Dad, elles sont magnifiques! Je t'aime très fort aussi!

The bouquet upon arrival at home. So pretty!

Some of the flowers up close.

The flowers (in natural daylight) a whole 5 days later!

5 days!! Honestly, Camille Fleuriste in the West Island has got to be the best!

I usually hate using the flash at night, but I love how this closeup turned out.

The classic carnation - the touch of yellow was really nice!

It feels like spring!!

I don't know what this flower is called but I do love it!

I love lilies!!

Look!

Another awesome lily closeup! Look at the colours!!

Sutton!!!!! Way better than Mont Tremblant!

Yeah, you heard me! Mont Tremblant is over rated! Why? Because it's quite expensive, you're packed in like sardines and everybody goes there.

Salem and I wanted a quiet, relaxing and romantic couple of days out of town during the holidays. After searching all over the place, we decided to head for the Eastern Townships - affordable, quiet, quaint and welcoming.

On our way in, we drove through St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. I'd love to come back through there sometime in the summer to take more pictures along the waterfront.

On the other side of the river, looking towards St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

My habibi!

A beautiful place to take pictures.

The happy couple - along with the darn Maximum 50 sign that kept creeping into our pictures. I just had to throw this one in here!

Most of the Eastern Townships are characterized by flat patches of land (hello agriculture!) with hills off in the distance here and there. Actually, it reminds me of my childhood visits to see my Pépé. It's a bit bittersweet honestly - the good memories but also the reminder of just how much I miss him.

A typical winter view outside the car window while driving through the Eastern Townships.

Our arrival in Sutton was nice - you see more hills in the background. We arrived later on in the day so we were gunning to make it to the B&B before darkness was fully upon us. We made it!

Sutton at our arrival - you can see the hills in the distance.

The house was amazing, the hostess was super nice and the room - OH MY!!! A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a couple thousand words! We'll definitely be going back to Les Caprices de Victoria!

Our room as we come in. A magnificent, old, metal bed, amazing old wood floors and the ceiling beams just added so much charm to the room. I think I could've spent the rest of my life living out of that room alone.

From the window: Our bed, the sink and the washroom hidden away.

The couch by the window and fireplace. So romantic. 

I love the sink and the little details that went into everything in the room and the house itself. 

My favorite part of the room!!!! And yes, the bath fits two!

Here's a note to you all: to add a bit of romance to a room, never under-estimate the power of light dimmers!

And because Les Caprices de Victoria is a B&B, well there has to be an amazing breakfast, right? Well, this place certainly didn't disappoint! Every breakfast started with fresh juice, a patisserie, a starter (usually dairy and fruits) and the main course along with plenty of coffee and tea. They also offered a dessert but Salem and I were always too full by then. Here's some of what we stuffed ourselves silly with (boy was it ever gooooooooood!!!)

A mixed berry juice with berry skewer on top. So cute!

A mandarine and fruit juice with a "cerise de terre". Very sophisticated!

I fell in love with this berry and cheese pastry.

Salem thoroughly enjoyed his almond and crème anglaise pastry. 

One of the starters: a soft cheese with some berries in a light dairy sauce. 

A fruit kabob over yogurt in a light honey sauce, sprinkled with lavender. Yum!

A new twist on eggs Benedict: mini pie crusts topped with smoked salmon, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce, served next to a soft cheese and tomatoes. Where does this woman get her ideas? Spectacular!

The dinning room. 

The wonderfully decorated living room.

We relaxed, walked around the village, did some cross-country skiing - to which I forgot to bring my camera, but perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing after all considering all the falling we were doing. Honestly, the cross-country skiing was almost therapeutic for me: it was a bit cool but my body warmed up quickly, the trails weren't crowded so we could take our time, etc. I recall one spot where I actually felt the first bit of utter piece I have felt in a very long time (years maybe?). I was standing there, at the top of a small hill, waiting for Salem to get a bit further ahead so I wouldn't run right into him at the bottom (I can't stop yet). I looked up at the trees and their branches covered in snow, listened and heard nothing, took the time to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the rays of poking through the branches here and there. It was as if the world had stopped. I wish I could go back. Alhamdullilah, I think Allah gave me a glimpse of what heaven could be like.

The trees! The Snow! Breathtaking!

Just an idea of what the trees looked like with the snow stuck on their branches. I love this part of winter.

Salem and I drove back up the hill at Sutton on the day we left. Here are a few pictures of the storm we drove in (we got stock once or twice - I helped push the car out at one point). We made our way to Lac Brome and then took our time making our way back home.

Salem cleaning off the car playing in the snow while I take pictures. Bwahahahaha!

Going up Mont Sutton. There's some snow falling.

Near the top of Mont Sutton.

At the top of Mont Sutton - Holy Snow!!!

Of course, we just had to take a picture! I can't just be quiet for a minute. 

On the way back down! To the village!!!!

My hot husband. 

Sutton - the Village. Really cute! Checklist: chocolate, patisseries! Done and Done! 

I love shopping!

On our way to Lac Brome - I love the winding roads. I also love that my husband knows how to drive in this kind of weather. :-)

A few pictures of the daytime (winter) skyline of our beautiful city. It's only in the last couple of years that my love has truly grown for the beautiful city I call home. Don't get me wrong, Montréal has it's pros and cons, just like any other city, but any time I travel and go to another place, I end up missing this city and looking forward to just walking its streets again. It really is one of a kind.

Downtown Montréal from Pont Champlain - click the image for a bigger picture.

Pont Jacques-Cartier, the top of the Stade Olympique and part of Île Sainte-Hélène (Expo 67) from Pont Champlain - click the image for a bigger picture.