A voyage back in time

After a leisurely day strolling around Port Erin, we stopped in again at The Station and tucked into a a traditional "steak and ale pie" (made with local brew).

I noticed a very sage saying above the dining room.

No trip to the Isle of Man is complete without a ride on a vintage steam train!  The following day we travelled back in time to a more gentile period.

 We rode from Port Erin to Castletown in a '1st class car"

The afternoon was spent visiting the capital of Douglas, with its harbour and pedestrain shopping area.

 You can even bet on the outcome of the races if you wish.

 The promenade was filled with a carnival atmosphere amid the classic motorcycles.

Love the sidewalk art!

Getting back we opted for a more modern mode of transport!

All that walking around is hungry work!  Wood fired oven pizza called out to us!

A sunset stroll was the end to a perfect day!

Arrival in the ISLE OF MAN

After 36 hours of travel, we have finally arrived in the IOM.  The clouds over 

the Irish Sea were breathtaking!

The winds were in our favour, giving us a panoramic view of 

Port Erin & Port St. Mary as we flew in.

First stop, dinner at  The Station Hotel and Pub 

The manager, John, had my lamb shanks waiting for me.

We were joined by our friends Barbara and Eric who run a fabulous B&B at their Edwardian home, West Lodge B&B

We spent our first night in Ballabeg.  The garden and view were gorgeous!

After a well needed night of sleep, we strolled down to Port Erin harbour.

Only on this side of the pond can you find BAKEWELL TARTS.  I gave it the starring roll in this photo.

My Somerset friend, Christine will laugh knowing that my better-half almost had to fight a bird to enjoy his tart.

The bird lost!

Toronto bound

I had occasion to visit Toronto last week for a business conference.  Before heading out, I was treated to a Mother's day brunch at my favourite restaurant:  Days on Front

The eggs benedict and sweet potato fries were yummy!

I was amazed at how much Toronto had changed; 

so many new buildings and condos!

I stayed at One King West which is the old Toronto Dominion bank.

The conference floor is the old banking hall

 and still has many of the original features.

They even use the old vault for private functions 

(I hope no one slams the door shut)!

The first night I met up with an old friend 

and we feasted on mussels and steak tartare.

At least a bit of 'old' is still part of the skyline!

I couldn't resist this chocolate mousse cake on my final night.

We really needed a walk after sitting for 2 days,

 so I gathered up the girls and hit the pavement.

Old City Hall

A trip to Toronto is never complete without getting caught

 in bumper to bumper traffic

 on the 16 lane wide Trans Canada Highway!

A great learning trip, but it is always great to get home!

A birthday visit to Montreal

My niece was turning 16, so that was a perfect excuse for a family reunion in Montreal.  As you might have already noticed, we always focus are gatherings around food!  

The first day we tried out a new 'all you can eat' sushi restaurant.

We feasted on sashimi and mango chicken.

We felt a walk by the water was in order to help work off our feast.

The following day, we prepared all of the birthday girl's favourite foods!

 

Don't forget the cake!

You can't visit Montreal without 'smoked meat'; a reuben from Moe's!

We headed downtown for our last day and went back to Deville's (see previous post) and tried their fish tacos, chicken and waffles with maple sauce as well as the coconut battered onion rings!

On my drive home, I stopped at our local lock to watch the rushing water as a result of the major rain we have had!

 It was a fantastic few days!