Atwater Market - Fertilizer Friday

I am working with very scant means today.  My laptop is in the “hospital” for a few days so I am using the photos that I have on my old desktop.  Not a very co-operative creature.    C’est la vie. 

I did discover some pictures that I took last year while visiting Montreal (aka:  Home Sweet Home) just before planting season.  It was kind of a treat to revisit these pictures.  I hope you think so too.

This is the entrance to the Atwater Market.  It is a stone’s throw from downtown Montreal.  It opened in 1933.  Were it not such a landmark, it would not occupy such a prime piece of real estate.

Beautiful art deco building

  

With row after row of farm stalls.  Farmers from surrounding areas set up shop for the warmer months (April to November’ish)

All filled with gorgeous plants.  An absolute riot of colour.

This is the outdoor corridor that runs between the outdoor farmer stalls and the indoor market.

The indoor corridor has markets with fabulous foods.   Boulangerie (bread), charcuterie (meats),  fromagerie (cheese), poisonnerie (fish), and the outdoor cremerie (ice cream & sorbet) etc.

 

It is a wonderful place to visit, particularly after a long winter. 

I am linking up and getting in the Spring groove with Ms. Tootsie and Fertilizer Friday.    Please visit, it will lift your gardening soul.

Back Home

Been on the road again. Once again my 4 day road trip to Montreal turned into a 9 day trip. Thankfully my husband is fine with it. It's the 3rd time that I've done it this summer.

FARMER'S MARKET
My trip to the Laprairie farmer's market was a quick one this time. I sidetracked from the direct route home to make a pit stop to pick up some delicioso curd cheese (cheese curd??). It's one of the things from home that my family misses. Eaten as is or in the fabulous Quebec staple "poutine". French fries with BBQ gravy and curds.....mmmmm....mmmm. It's not available here in Massachusetts - at least not that I am aware of. It's available in grocery stores back home but nothing compares to the the fresh from the market version.

With the dismal condition of my garden, I wish I could have picked up some fruits and veggies. They had 10 lb bags of beets for $3.50! Pickling onions too. Alas the powers that be do not allow the transportation of fruits, veggies, meat or plants. Doesn't leave much choice at a farmer's market.

SEEDPODS
Sometimes ignorance is bliss. That is the case with the datura seed pods that I scooped up at my daughter's house this past week. These are some gnarly monsters. They bite! Prickly as porcupines! My daughter didn't know what to do with the spent flowers (deadheading) and just let them be. I happily pinched the pods and rid her of those nasty, seed-filled pods! I shall try my hand at daturas this winter. We shall see, we shall see.

Happy Canada Day!

It's our birthday! 142, eh? Woo-hoo!

I started thinking about my roots and the history that I had lost due to the passage of time.

So I decided to google it and after spending a couple of hours reading, for those who might be interested, this is what I found:

http://www.linksnorth.com/canada-history/discovery.html

I've been living south of the border for 10 years and still miss so many things. No matter where you come, your country is always in your heart. Canucks included. I am grateful to be Canadian - we are good people.