Last week this time, I was finishing a whirlwind trip to Montreal with my dear friend Alisa. We’d had it on the books for a while, a girls weekend in one of my favorite cities, to shop, eat well, tour and meet up with six women who became instant friends because we all belong to My Peak Challenge.
It was a fantastic time. But on the first day, I did something that I always do when I go to a place that is not mine. I ducked into an independent bookstore in Vieux Montreal, the Old City of this French-Canadian metropolis, and spent longer than usual reading the spines and back covers of the “local authors” section.
When I travel, I want to learn a place. I want to learn who I am in the place. And the best way, I find, to do that, is to meet local people, read local authors, and taste local foods.
I chose The Weight of Snow by Christian Guay-Poliquin and Nirliit by Juliana Léveillé-Trudel, but there were so many more I could have selected. Local voices, telling local stories.
A day later, Alisa and I both bought A La Carte, a cookbook spearheaded by Rebecca Fruchter-Klein, whose profits go to the Children’s Hospital of Montreal. We met Rebecca in Marche Jean-Talon, an indoor farmers market with a culinary bookstore.
Not only did we experience the heart and soul of the place through the words people choose to describe it - we got to know some of the people behind the stories. And that is incredibly powerful.
Sunday night, we spontaneously decided to take a tour of Montreal all lit up. It was a fascinating journey through four sites, including the ferris wheel on the water, Saint Joseph’s Oratory and a cold stroll through icy slush to a mountain overlook of the city.
The guide taught us that the word Canada comes from an indigenous word meaning home or village. Quebec, similarly, has an indigenous meaning: where the rivers get narrow.
The words make the place. Literally.
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Two days ago, I hosted my Monthly Writealong with a robust group of lovely writers. You’re welcome to join this free monthly opportunity to write in community! Next date: Sunday, May 7 at 11 a.m. ET. Sign up here.