IT WAS OUR last night of a fabulous B&B getaway on Georgian Bay (Ontario, Canada). We wanted a low-key, low-budget way to round off our 4th of July long weekend trip, so we asked our Beacon Shore B&B hosts for a recommendation.

Bob & Jacquie told us about the Georgian Grill in Balm Beach, where the historically-minded owners have been making great hamburgers with their secret recipe since 1934. Bob told us Balm Beach would also be a great place to get some sunset pics, so we were sold.

The Surf Restaurant had a jaunty longboat-style entrance

(It was also Canada Day weekend.)

We lucked out with a table right next to the beach, and our waitress helped expedite the fast delivery of our dinner (we were in a bit of hurry not to miss the sunset).

Burgers & beer at the Surf Restaurant

When it was time for the beach sunset, we drove from the restaurant to the beach parking area. Since Balm Beach is incredibly tiny (it’s part of Tiny Township), we only did this because we would have missed the sun sinking below the horizon. Otherwise, it would be an easy stroll across the beach from the restaurant.

Families frolic on the front beach

While I waded in the brisk water and let my feet settle blissfully into the wet sand, Brian took shots of the sunset. I used what I reckon was his best one for the main photo. Do you approve?

Naturally, we did not want our beach sunset interlude to end. But if one really must have the Oh-Bummer-Last-Night-of-Mini-Vacation blues, this was just the ‘balm’ we needed to ease us through.

Another bummer was that I missed my chance to meet Patti Friday. Patti is a world-read blogger who lives in Wasaga Beach, about 20 miles by road from Balm Beach. I found her colorful blog as I was researching our dinner options, but sadly it was way too late to email her to suggest meeting for coffee as fellow writers. Wah!! But here’s her page about Balm Beach (she has some great photos): Wasaga Beach News + Opinion > You Should Visit Balm Beach.

Hola, Patti!

HAD ANY GOOD lattes lately? If so, you may be ready for a new twist on the old routine: the breve.

Breve translates from Italian as ‘brief’ or ‘short.’ What that has to do with this drink beats me! It should really be called cremoso (creamy).

Wiki defines the breve thus:

Caffè breve (caf-ay brev-ay) is an American variation of a latte: a milk-based espresso drink using steamed half-and-half (a 50:50 mixture of milk and cream) instead of milk. The use of half-and-half increases the foam in the drink.

Sounds rich, doesn’t it? If you try one, don’t sue me if you wind up addicted! But for those concerned about stacking on the pounds, here’s a morsel of comfort. In her article at Cocoajava.com, Low Carbing at the Coffee House, Vicki Shaver says:

“Whether it’s a Breve Latte or a Breve Cappuccino, you will love this creamy version of the standard so much that you will never want to return to the land of skim! This is a low carb staple, and a must when turning coffee into dessert.”

4 Insider Tips for Getting a Good Breve

For daily coffee at home, we use our Keurig machine and a variety of K-Cups (extra bold). In coffee houses I almost never drink anything but breves, so I’ve learned a few simple tricks for getting it the way I like it. It starts with good beans.

Chris Cole lists his occupation as Full-time Coffee Expert

Does your local hangout use great beans? If you’re not totally sure, do a taste test. Visit several coffee houses in your area over a period of 3–4 days. Order the same type of drink in each establishment. Which one stands out the most?

My second trick is that you have to be able to taste the coffee itself. It’s not just about the cream. When I see people ordering gigantic mochas with only one shot of espresso (or adding all kinds of sickly flavoring), I have to wonder: does this person actually like coffee?

If you can’t bear the taste of espresso without some added pumpkin pie or mint or hazelnut then—even with all the cream—my perfect drink will be too strong for you. I order a small breve with two shots of espresso, and that’s the intensity I like. Anything less tastes bland to me.

If you’re out globetrotting (at least in North America) and you want to hunt down a breve, there’s a third trick you must know: how to ask.

A Peaberry's breve undergoes my rigorous taste test (score: A+)

Here’s how your spiel should go:

“Can you make a breve?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a latte made with half-and-half.”

“Sure, we have half-and-half. But I’ll have to charge you more.”

You might pay up to 50 cents more . . . but I think you’ll agree that the heavenly taste is worth the extra cost.

Incidentally, when ordering in Starbucks, be sure to say you want a “breve latte.” That’s what Starbucks baristas are trained to call it, and they won’t feel right until you’ve said it.

(The proper term is caffè breve, but I’ve never had to say the caffè part to get what I want.)

When all else fails and your (non-corporate) barista is looking blank, just remember to say it’s a latte made with half-and-half. This worked like a charm for me in Ontario, where no one I encountered knew a thing about it. But after hearing my magic words they knew just what to do.

The fourth tip—and this is critical—is about steaming the half-and-half to the correct temperature: 160 degrees. If you encounter an over-zealous barista, you’ll end up with a burnt taste (and probably burn your mouth as well). Ask your barista what temp is used for steaming. If the answer is a wishful glance at the front door or “I’m not sure, let me check with the boss,” then you should order something else.

My Own Personal Barista

Apart from my local hangout (where they always do it right), I also have my own barista at home. Each Saturday and Sunday morning, Brian grinds our Peaberry’s beans fresh for each cup using our Mr. Coffee grinder. He uses the small Krups espresso machine we found for $5 at a garage sale in Jackson, Mississippi—we’ve had that little baby for three years now and it’s still going strong.

The final product is served in our favorite red “feng shui” coffee mugs (see main picture) with a dash of cinnamon. Brian definitely has it down to an art.

If you’d like to learn to make breve at home—or coax hubby into learning—you might enjoy the video at the end of this article.

Divertiti!

(Enjoy yourself.)

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He’d love to do the San Juan Islands in a Nordhavn 62-footer (around $2 million pre-loved, including VIP stateroom). Or, for those moments when the budget calls for something a little more modest, how ’bout the Saint Lawrence River in a 29-foot Ranger Tug (just under $225,000 for the 2010 model).

Millionaire dreams aside, the exciting moment finally came when Milliver’s Travels got to visit one of the places Brian learned of in Motor Boating magazine: Big Chute Marine Railway on the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario, Canada.

Big Chute is fascinating for boat lovers and engineers alike. Brian is both. But would it prove of interest to a foo-foo type such as moi, who needs her hot shower, her well-rounded breakfast and her breve (pronounced bre-vay) sipped at the local coffee house before she’ll agree to go adventuring?

I can safely proclaim that even a girlie traveler like me found Big Chute a tourist activity not to be missed!

A load of boats crossing land via Big Chute

But how does it work? In the words of your technically-challenged friendly travel guide, Big Chute lifts boats overland from one side of the Trent-Severn to the other. It does so by allowing boats to drive onto a submerged ramp; operators then secure all craft with special webbing slings.

One of the fun parts of watching from the sidelines is seeing a collection of different-sized boats gently glide up or down the steep incline (depending on which side they entered from) as you stroll beside them on the observation sidewalk. While bikini-clad wives wave to you from the suntan decks of their pleasure craft you can hear the hard-working Big Chute operators communicating by radio.

We watched four or five loads going in both directions and never tired of the novelty.

The same load of boats from the opposite angle, as they begin their stately descent

After gloating over the main attraction you can see the remains of the Old Big Chute, built in 1917. That one could only carry boats up to 35 feet long, which ruled out a lot of larger commercial vessels.

Brochures and prominently-placed info boards also educate visitors on the flora and fauna of the region. This can be stirring stuff!

For instance, Engelmann’s Quillwort is a primitive aquatic plant with a fossil record dating back 206–248 million years. Closely related to ferns, quillwort is on the endangered list due to human development.

Meanwhile, if you didn’t already know that You Are in Black Bear Country, you can grab the brochure of the same name to learn how to avoid a bear encounter. Get the low-down on which local snakes are poisonous and which are not, and which are endangered. The Massasauga Rattlesnake is a provincially threatened reptile.

(Provinces to Canada are like states to the USA.)

You can also see a bottled example of the Sea Lamprey: a little dude with a scary smile that caused a big change in the modernization plans at Big Chute during the 1960s. The Sea Lamprey had been devastating the fishing industry; researchers had to find a way for the system to stop assisting the migration of the Lamprey before modernization could go ahead.

Lego model of Big Chute

I badly wanted to get the Big Chute documentary on DVD, but we’d spent all our money the day before on a glorious float plane ride. One of my favorite displays was the Lego model of Big Chute that was sitting underneath the TV as it played the documentary for visitors.

Big Chute is operated by Parks Canada. Located approximately three hours north of Niagara Falls, we visited Big Chute as an easy day trip from our luxury base camp: Beacon Shore on Georgian Bay B&B (Midland, Ontario). Our B&B was all the luxury you could ask for in a vacation on the Bay, but without paying the high prices.

If you’re having a hard time narrowing down your activity choices in the Georgian Bay area, here’s the skinny: you simply MUST put Big Chute on your list. Free to watch and the only one of its kind still operating in North America.

Bring your own breve.

Photos Copyright © 2010 Brian Williams & Milli Thornton

The 1901 lighthouse on the front lawn, night shot

We’ve met some lovely B&B owners in our time but it was truly a wrench to leave Bob and Jacquie at the end of our stay.

(I jokingly applied for a job at Beacon Shore. On the morning when we had to leave I whimpered: “Can we live with you?”)

When it comes to the top two criteria for a successful B&B, the Blacks are experts: fabulous breakfast and the gift of making you feel at home. So much love, craftsmanship and sheer art goes into every detail.

The serene and colorful garden features a water fountain, cottage-style benches and a swing

As we often do when Brian and I forget that a long weekend’s coming up, we booked at the last minute. The only room left was the Twin, but it looked nice on the BBCanada.com listing so we took it. The room turned out to be so charming and well-appointed, we did not feel any pinch of compromise. We were very happy with our comfy beds and our private bathroom. And we loved the view from our second-storey window of black squirrels playing in the forest.

Our Queen room was pretty as well as clean and comfortable

I say “we moved” but we didn’t have to lift a finger; the Blacks did everything. We came back tired and sunburned from our visit to Big Chute to find that (with a prior courtesy notice) everything had been carefully moved for us. Talk about service with a smile!

Even with moving to the Queen room we averaged only $101 per night; including taxes, exchange rate (which was in our favor, so that helped) and international POS fees. When you consider the value added by the breakfast—top-notch menu and personal pampering; two satisfying courses with bottomless coffee—this really frees up your budget for local activities. Much appreciated! The “steal of a deal” on our accommodation meant we could pick one or two high-quality activities each day.

Among other fun things, we took a float plane ride over 30,000 Islands, cruised the waters of Georgian Bay and watched boats being lifted overland at Big Chute.

The private dock, complete with flowers & Muskoka / Adirondack chairs

One of our other favorite pastimes was visiting the dock. We dabbled our tired city feet in the cool, refreshing water and soaked up the sun, while admiring the boats of many sizes that ply the waters of Georgian Bay.

If you’ve never been to Ontario, this would be the perfect place to start. So renew that passport and pack your suntan lotion. And don’t forget to order the pancakes!

Beacon Shore on Georgian Bay Bed & Breakfast, Midland, Ontario, Canada

P.S. Feast your eyes (and soul) on Bob and Jacquie’s amazing breakfasts in my special article: Best Ever B&B Breakfast.

Beacon Shore has been reviewed by Janette Higgins, author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide. Janette says: “Every Ontario bed and breakfast receives my consideration. I travel incognito, pay where I stay and write reviews of the top 5%.” Read Janette’s review on the testimonials page for Beacon Shore on BBCanada.com.

Travel writer’s note from Milli Thornton: I reviewed this B&B as a paying guest.

BEACON SHORE ON GEORGIAN BAY BED & BREAKFAST is located in Midland, Ontario on the southeastern end of a stunning body of water. The wonders of this Canadian B&B call for a separate article, but first you simply must hear about the breakfast.

Brian and I are breakfast people. We’re fussy breakfast people! So when I pronounce my “best ever” in writing, you can bet it’s not just food; it’s an all-round experience.

Owners Jacquie & Bob Black prepare breakfast dressed in spiffy white chef coats. And they have the genteel but professional style of hospitality to go with the fancy attire. Jacquie serves each eye-catching course with a flourish of showmanship and a persuasive description of the dish.

Not that any persuasion is needed. If you think it looks delicious in the photos, wait till you taste it while admiring the water view—and while being pampered by people so dear you want to take them home with you when the vacation is over.

Bob is the fruit man and the “toast master.” When you see his toast knots (like the center of a Celtic knot) you’ll agree he deserves to be dubbed master. And his fruit plates are nothing short of divine.

Bob's famous seasonal fruit plate

But if I could have Bob serve me a fruit plate every morning, I’d willingly become a big fruit eater!

The fruit plate comes out first, so that took care of my digestion issue. And I never once had to choke down a floury or crunchy piece of fruit. Everything was tender and juicy. After three days of this marvel, I asked Bob for his secret. He said, “I never serve anything I wouldn’t eat myself.” The Blacks keep a separate fridge for their fruit supplies. They nurse the fruit just like they care for their guests: with great heart and panache.

Jacqui was a teacher for 32 years (specializing in what was known back in my high school days as Home Economics), and she obviously understands a balanced diet. Her menu is not all starch and sugar as many American offerings seem to be, and the ingredients are high quality.

For me, protein is a must to start my day. If I don’t have protein, my blood sugar takes a dive later in the day. Accordingly, I went for the Sailor’s Wrap: mushroom, mild onion and cheese snuggled in a two-egg omelet, with bacon and wholegrain toasted breads. The Sailor’s Wrap was yummy and fueled me for a day of cruising on Georgian Bay . . . but I had my eye on a bigger prize.

While planning our trip I’d looked at everything on the Black’s BBCanada.com listing, including the breakfast menu. When I saw Beacon Shore Pancakes: Jacquie’s personal recipe for buttermilk pancakes bulging with plump blueberries, accompanied by bacon and real maple syrup —along with a tantalizing photo of the dish—I was sorely tempted. But I knew the bacon would not be enough protein for me. No problem! Jacquie cheerfully gave me two pancakes instead of three, with a side of poached egg. Perfect.

Guess what I ordered for the remaining two mornings of our visit?!

When I refer to being fussy about breakfast, pancakes feature high on the list. I rarely bother with them because I hate being disappointed. After a childhood of home-made huckleberry pancakes, prepared in a cabin by the lake in Montana (the berries hand-picked by myself and my seven siblings), don’t give me a stodgy or soggy pancake dotted with a few pathetic berries and expect me to give you my repeat business.

But when Jacquie says “bulging with plump blueberries” she means it! The pancakes themselves were tasty, attractive and expertly prepared, not just a vehicle for blueberries.

Brian also homed in on his favorites. He’s partial to a good Eggs Benedict so he started with Georgian Bay Eggs Benedict. On our first morning, we shared a table with a friendly couple from Toronto, Jane and Rick. Brian was intrigued when Jane had Captain’s Sausage & Cheese Casserole, so thereafter he alternated between that and the Eggs Benedict.

When asked about his breakfast experience, Brian said: “It was righteous, dude!”

(Now you can see why he’s the photographer and I’m the writer. Hehe.)

View from the patio, taken in the afternoon (note the small lighthouse in the shadows to the right)

There were three inviting breakfast locations and we got to try them all: the dining room, the sunroom and the patio. The patio was my all-time winner.

What could be finer in life than eating a fabulous breakfast on a patio overlooking a bay sparkling with sunlight, and busy with sail boats and cruisers?

There were many highlights during our trip to Georgian Bay. But my idyllic moments on the patio of Beacon Shore, enjoying Breakfast Heaven to the chatter of chipmunks, has been burned into my DNA as a five-star memory.

Check out the main article about Beacon Shore on Milliver’s Travels

Check out the listing for Beacon Shore on BBCanada.com

Beacon Shore has been reviewed by Janette Higgins, author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide. Janette says: “Every Ontario bed and breakfast receives my consideration. I travel incognito, pay where I stay and write reviews of the top 5%.” Read Janette’s review on the testimonials page for Beacon Shore on BBCanada.com.

WHEN WE SAY travel, we tend to think of world travel—or at least going to another county or state. But most of us travel every day without giving it much thought. Sure, we might be more conscious these days of the cost of gas (and its impact on the environment), but how much do we know that our local travel can make a big impact in other ways?

Do you have a beaten path to Wal-Mart, Target, Starbucks, etc. that you could almost drive in your sleep? I’m not suggesting you never shop in those places, but adding some new travel habits to your routine could prove life-changing.

Thanks to online friend Judy Clement Wall of Zebra Sounds, I’m now a member of the 3/50 project: Saving the Brick and Mortars Our Nation Is Built On. Have a look at these numbers from their site:

Get behind the 3/50 project!

3 – Which three independently-owned businesses would you miss if they disappeared?

50 – If half the employed population spent $50 each month in locally-owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine the impact if 3/4 of our employed population did that.

Below are my picks for the 3/50 project. I already have fun spending at least $50 a month between them, so my extra push is to feature them online with a link to each business.

My 'serene' route for errands

Brian tells me I’m saving gas because I’m driving slower (35 mph) and not doing the Stop-Go for traffic lights and stop signs. I get to share the road with walkers, joggers and bike riders instead of maniacs in SUVs.

Peaberry’s Café & Bakery

4350 Boardman-Canfield Road, Canfield, Ohio 44406, Ph: (330) 702-9230

Having a local coffee hang-out is essential to my writer’s lifestyle, and Peaberry’s meets my stringent criteria. The coffee’s always perfect (I drink double-shot breves), the service friendly, and I can sit in one of the quiet back booths to write.

Peaberry’s also makes killer gourmet sandwiches. My favorite at the moment is the #9: Cucumber with Asiago Peppercorn, Red Onion and Muenster Cheese on Croissant (I ask for turkey to be added). Yum!

The Flaming Ice Cube: Vegan Shoppe & Café

1449 Boardman-Canfield Rd., Suite 260, Boardman, OH 44512, Ph: (330) 726-4766

I *love* this business! I’m not vegan so I’ve only eaten in the café once, but I do love to shop in the eco-friendly New Age half of the store. I have bought candles, aromatherapy, books, a water fountain, CDs and other treasures. I found an agate candle-holder-cum-bookend that was just what I needed for a shelf in my office.

Cool merchandise: The Flaming Ice Cube

Fittingly for the theme of this article, the sign in the picture reads:

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

Health Food Center of Youngstown
(new Website coming soon)

6015 Market Street, Boardman, Ohio 44512, Ph: (330) 965-1515

I buy a lot of herbs and supplements, and I’m fussy about the quality of what I consume. This shop not only feels inviting as you walk inside, they do stock many items I was buying online.

I’ve also bought organic bananas for my organic banana bread, neem toothpaste (Do you read your toothpaste label? Do you know what you’re putting on your gums?), herbal shampoo, almond milk for my protein powder and more.

Which three businesses will you (or do you) support in your local area?

Visit the 3/50 project for more inspiration!

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MILLI INTERVIEWED ABOUT THE 30/50 PROJECT ON WKBN:

Story by Steve Pacer of WKBN, Youngstown, Ohio. Thanks, Steve!

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Photos in the body of this article Copyright © 2009 Milli Thornton. Feature image courtesy Chris Cole of Peaberry’s Café & Bakery.

EVERYONE KNOWS BURGLERS will target a house with uncollected mail bulging from the mailbox. And by now we should all know the dangers of identity theft should our mail be stolen.

But what if we don’t have kindly neighbors to take care of that for us?

Sure, we can trudge off to the post office and fill out a form to put our mail on hold. But there’s a faster and easier solution you might not have thought of: go online.

I must confess I hadn’t thought of this myself until I was preparing for our trip to the Montreal Jazz Fest. I didn’t want to ask the neighbors yet again. And I didn’t want to drive to the post office. I was way too busy!

That’s when I looked up the USPS Website and, sure enough, there was an online option. Here’s the scoop from USPS:

— This online service will electronically notify your local Post Office to hold your mail.

— For same day service, online requests must be submitted by 2AM CST Monday – Saturday.

— Mail can be held from 3 to 30 days.

— We will resume normal delivery of your mail on the date you specify.

— Online access to request this service is currently limited to certain ZIP Codes.

I live in a minor city so did not have high hopes that my ZIP code would be serviced. But, Yippee!, it was and it took only a few minutes to fill out the form.

I was skeptical it would be as efficient as claimed. But the day after we got home our mail resumed as requested. We’d been gone only four days so the backlog of mail did fit nicely in our box. If there had been too much for our regular-size box, I would have had to go pick it up. But that’s a trade-off I’m willing to make.

Ready for vacation? Go to Hold Mail Service at USPS and fill out the simple form.

Bon voyage!


Photo for this article Copyright © 2009 Milli Thornton

I intend for this blog to be a lucky magnet for fun experiences, making new friends and cutting my teeth on some free-wheelin’ travel writing as I gain the skills needed to become a published travel writer.

Kissing the lucky frog seems like a good place to start. This photo of me was taken at Bonnybank Bed & Breakfast in the Twenty Valley of Ontario, Canada on May 24, 2009. My puckered lips are reaching for the lips of a wrought-iron frog prince on the terrace of the B&B.

Owner Carla Carlson shared her most special memory of a guest kissing the frog. Leaving the B&B on her way to the church, a young bride resplendent in her wedding gown leaned over to kiss the frog in a moment captured by time.

Didn’t get to see a photo of that but I’ll bet it was precious!

Do you have a symbol that, for you, represents the spirit of good luck? Please post a comment and share. Blogging is definitely more fun when my readers participate!


Lucky Frog photo Copyright © 2009 Brian Williams

The festival layout includes stages for the performers, food and beverage stalls, sports cars on display, an alfresco restaurant serving mainly wine and appetizers and a playground for the kids. Stalls devoted to related fun stuff such as festival souvenirs, dance lessons and face painting for kids adds to the festive spirit.

We arrived at the Jazz Fest late on the afternoon of July 2, acutely aware that we had only three days to do it all. To really do the festival you need at least a week (plus some serious stamina).

Our first reaction to the outdoor scene was disappointment, for two reasons: the ominous, cloudy weather—it either threatened to or did rain for three days in a row—and missing our first free concert because we didn’t know the location of the all stages yet.

Montreal Jazz Festival street performers

However, my gloominess morphed to happy buzz as soon as I tried an Amarula drink from a nearby stall.

I was unacquainted with Amarula but it sounded fun. We were given a choice of flavors and, naturally, I chose coffee.

The result was a frappé style of drink prepared with blenderized ice.

Ohhh and it went down easy! One of those dangerously yummy drinks that could get you into trouble fast because it’s so more-ish. I was supposed to share it with Brian, but he was too busy crawling all over a Camaro SS 2010 to notice that he only got a few sips.

Amarula: La creme de l'Afrique

(Ever watched the YouTube video of the African critters getting rolling drunk? Yep, they were feasting on the marula fruit.)

The marula wine is distilled in column stills, and then in copper-pot stills, to produce a spirit. It’s then matured for two years in oak barrels. The final step is the blending of the liqueur with the finest, fresh cream until a smooth consistency is formed.

From Amarula HQ:

“The creaming process is of the highest standard, resulting in a cream product that is delectably rich and soft, with an alcohol content of 17%.”

I went back to my favorite drink (red wine) during the remainder of our time in Montréal. But that drive-by Amarula buzz definitely put me in the right frame of mind to relax and get over the Rainy Jazz Blues.

Sacré bleu. I regret not going back to that Amarula stall while I still had the chance.

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Yeah, baby! Amarula from a duty free shipper for only $14.99

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All photos on this page Copyright © 2009 Brian Williams

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Amarula Ad – For more funny movies, click here

From the happenin’ waterfront, terrace restaurants and cobblestone streets of old Montréal we progressed to Chinatown on foot. The narrow street that turns the corner at Chinatown’s Imperial-looking gates was clogged with Jazz Festival traffic, as well as a youth band and their supporters.

Falun DaFa Youth Band

The audience sat on the steps of a pagoda-style calligraphy store or joined the old people sitting at stone tables. It was easy to imagine the old men sitting at those tables on a quiet sunny day, perhaps playing checkers or swapping stories of the Old World.

The band was rousing, but I was keen to explore the shops.

Chinese kites hung from the porch of the calligraphy shop

Across the street I found a shop full of feng shui treasures that again severely tested my discipline. I found better prices for genuine red money toads and other lucky wealth objects than I had seen online. Many of these objects, though small, were quite heavy. Since I’m still attempting to master the art of packing light, I didn’t relish the idea of lugging home more poundage.

Lucky bamboo and money cats in the window of my favorite shop

(Well, maybe not easier. But it gives you a whip for your conscience.)

I was also tempted to sit down with the little old man advertising palm readings on a tattered handwritten sign. He looked bored and lonely and badly in need of a client. But there was so much still to see and do: Reluctantly, I concluded that was the wrong moment to park my bottom for a stationary activity.

We had to stay on schedule so as not to miss our festival shows that evening, so we didn’t get to try any of the restaurants in Chinatown. Yet another reason to visit Montréal again!

A truck delivering Chinese beverages to local merchants

“No trip to Chinatown is complete without sampling some of the local cuisine, the best that Chinatown has to offer will find you at Restaurant Hong Kong, Le Jardin du Nord and Ming Yeng, serving up Chinese specialties for visitors and locals alike. Choose from a variety of dishes such as Won Ton soups, dumplings, Peking Duck, Crispy Chicken, General Tao, Sea Bass and Lobster dishes.”

Alright, already. Stop torturing me! I don’t wanna know what I missed!

Ring, ring.

— “Can you deliver to Youngstown, Ohio?”

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Falun Dafa: Over time, the principles of Dafa unveil the deepest and most profound truths of the universe. Following the principles, practitioners of Falun Dafa are able to reach very high realms, enlightening to the true meanings of life, and finding the path of return to their origins and true selves.

While the exercises have deep inner meanings, they also help to reduce stress and can bring great improvements in health and fitness.

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All photos on this page Copyright © 2009 Brian Williams

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