Clem in NYC

Happy New Year, friends! We hope 2023 is off to a great start for everyone.

The end of 2022 was more hectic than we anticipated, though in a good way. In an effort to catch-up with the blog, the following are some snaps from Clem's trip to NYC in November.

Clem wined and dined at Claud, Una Pizza Napoletana, Ataboy, Golden Diner, among other places. She also enjoyed reuniting with her pal, Karl, seeing the Vessel, and walking all over Manhattan. This was Clem's first time to the Big Apple. She hopes to return one day.

Montreal Eats

Like the other friends, Clem is a monster foodie. We took Bixi bikes to pick up bagels from Fairmont Bagel. We also picked up a dozen donuts from Bernie Beigne to bring to a gender reveal party later that day.

The donuts were well liked by all at the party. Clem's favourite was the pink one with sprinkles. And this was very fitting since our friend is having a baby girl.

For our main dinner in the city, we went to Liverpool House (by the same folks of Joe Beef). We had a nice salad and potato dish to start.

For Clem's main, she had the restaurant's famous lobster spaghetti. B had the poisson du jour (which was trout). Clem was stuffed after. Everything was delish.

Puttin' on the Ritz

B had a conference in Montreal so Clementine and I tagged along. We had a wonderful stay at the Ritz.

We received a free room upgrade and some sweet treats and fizzy water upon arrival. A nice touch.

Clem felt like a princess sitting on this chair. She enjoyed tea here every morning.

On Saturday, Clem had a leisurely brunch at Maison Boulud. The setting was very nice. We had a table close to a garden and duck pond. Clem's first course was gaspacho.

She then had Quebec char. Clem gave the main course five stars.

While B enjoyed the rooftop pool, Clem had a massage at Spa St. James.

Post-massage, Clem napped at the spa's relaxation lounge. She said she felt like a million bucks after.

Summer Picnic

We had a lovely summer picnic at the Beaches, care of Suresh Doss. The picnic featured delicious South Indian dishes, many which were new to us.

Clementine loved the tiffan box from Anitha’s Homestyle Kitchen. Her favourite appetizer from the box was the masala vada (fried fritters with chana dal, onions, and herbs).

The main dishes were prepared by Minerva Tiffins. This sambar idil (savoury rice cake in lentil soup with peanut sauce and spices) was very filling.

The other mains included puri bhaji (friend bread) and pongal (rice and lentils).

We had mango lassi shortly thereafter. It was so delicious, we finished the whole thing before taking a photo.

Clementine really liked that the dessert was monster size. It was served in a small clay pot, which we were able to take home with the tiffin box.

We are now back home with happy tummies. Suresh will be hosting other picnics this summer. Sign up for his newsletter on his website for more details.

Clem's New Bling

Clementine is not the biggest basketball fan but she is a fan of bling! B and I went to the Raptors home opener last night. We received replica championship rings to commemorate the 2018-19 season. The ring was too heavy for Clementine's hand. It fits her foot though. And she hasn't taken it off yet!

Happy 2019!

Hi there! Sorry we've been MIA the past few months. We were very busy at work, selling my condo, moving into a new condo, and family get-togethers.

On behalf of B and I, Clem is excited to announce that we're engaged! She played a strong role in the proposal. She was glad to help out since she likes to hold sparkly things.

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and wishing you the absolute best for the year ahead!

Amazon et al.

My friend JK works at Amazon so he took us around the Amazon campus. Here's Clem at the front desk of Day 1 (all the buildings have nicknames). 

The Amazon Spheres are open to the public every other Saturday. You need to book a ticket in advance (and they book up quickly).

Clem enjoyed making a monster-sized Sphere in the learning centre.

 A highlight of our trip was Amazon Go. Clem was trying to find a snack to bring home to B.

Clem was curious what would happen if she climbed onto a veggie tray, or a yogurt. If you take an item off the shelf and put it back, you won't be charged for the item.

No trip to Seattle is complete without a trip (or several?) to Starbucks! The Roastery in Capitol Hill was really cool. Their menu was extensive. We were tempted to try a flight of espresso but didn't want to be up all night.

Pro travel tip: avoid the wait and order your chowder from Pike Place Chowder online! Clem had the Manhattan style chowder.

We explored Bainbridge Island on our last full day in Seattle. Clem liked the downtown since it had several cute shops. I liked the harbour. We had a local pint there to cap off our trip.

Girls Trip with Clem!

I went on a girls trip with friends from school last weekend. My friends met Maggie on previous trips to Ottawa and Nashville. This time, they met Clem! Our first stop was Pike Place Market.

We went on a nice afternoon stroll along the waterfront.

We also had a great brunch at Shaker + Spear the next day. Thanks JK for the recommendation!

We checked out the Space Needle and the surrounding attractions.

And we checked out a bunch of neighbourhoods, including Ballard. It had a lot of hip stores and restaurants. Clem tried Beecher's cheese with peppercorn toffee ice cream from Salt and Straw.

Kerry Park was a great place to view downtown Seattle. You should be able to see Mount Rainier on a clear day. Our first few days in Seattle were cloudy (and one day, a bit smoky from forest fires).

Clem joined us on a nice hike to Rattlesnake Ledge, a 35-minute drive away from the city.

At the end of our hike, we spent some time at Rattlesnake Lake.

Clem found the perfect shop in Pioneer Square! She was very happy because she loves (loves!) shopping.

Hello, Ralph!

Maggie and Clem are posing with Ralph, a 15 foot dog created by Hamilton's horticulture staff. He is made of grass from New Zealand, which was recently grown in the city's greenhouses. He has an internal soil and water system to keep him cool this summer. We think Ralph is going to bring a smile to many faces!

Royal Wedding

Maggie, Clem, and I slept over at my parents place so we can watch the royal wedding together. We had to wake up very early but it was worth it. My mom prepared scones which was a nice touch. Three cheers for the happy couple!

Sunday Strong

Clem likes the hit up the gym every now and then. Here she is spinning with B.

And here she is trying another machine for her arms.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Last Day in Paris

One of the highlights of our trip was the Musee d'Orsay. It was an impressionist art paradise in an old railway station.

This painting was one of Clem's favourites in the museum. There were so many famous pieces in one place...we couldn't believe it!

Clem loved this sandwich at Abri. It's a tiny Japanese restaurant that only serves the sandwich on Mondays and Saturdays.

We ate a ridiculous amount of bread, pastries, and other baked goods within a three-day period. This lemon tart was divine, and apparently the best in the city.

It's hard to see Clem but she's in the bottom lefthand corner of this photo. We watched the light show at the Eiffel Tower. It exceeded our expectations. We felt like we were in a movie!

We can't wait to return to Paris! It was simply magical!