Summer, ete

Visiting Montreal always seems like returning home. Within an hour I feel like I've travelled much farther than just north of the border. Perfect croissants and true baguettes that you can never find stateside. Escaping the 4th was a joy. A short hop in the air, arriving into an empty Dorval mid-day. Taxis peel rubber into town. Metro to Peel St., just in time for lunch at Vasco de Gama cafe.

Shortlist:

Holt's sale

Zara

YSL retrospective at the Musee Beaux Arts

LePlanete, Piccolo Diavolo, L'Indpendent dinners

Daniele Allesandrini outlet at Les Cours

Petit Italie

Milano's grocery

Jean Talon market

Vichy Homme products (unavailable in the U.S)

Provencal soap from Jean Cotiu drugstore

salmon tartare

drinking at LeStud

karaoke at Club Date

Fait accompli.

I love visiting the Jean Talon marche, one of the best outdoor-ish markets.

Summer on a plate: le jardin.

Olives.

I usually don't like North American Little Italys. Montreal's feels much more authentic, with the requisite Guido-restos, but also some authentic working cafes such as Caffe Italia and Bar Sportivo. Milano's grocery is heaven. Even spotted some Napoli suede loafers in one of the local shops.

Perfect start.

Charming neighborhood streets, typical Montreal terraced duplexes. Easily liveable.

My Spring, Argentine Autumn

On Plaza Dorrego in the San Telmo area

The summer has been a mad blur of work, travel, rain, sun. Buenos Aires in early June was amazing. Filled a notebook with...well, notes. Now remembering:

• Polo (as opposed to polo-inspired, or -- horror -- R.L. Polo) clothing at La Dolfina
• Gotan Project remixes wafting through every art-directed Palermo space
• cafe cortado at La Biela cafe
• Recelota cemetario
• La Marshall gay tango on a Wednesday night, huge glasses of whiskey, in a radio taxi speeding through Blade Runner-esque Microcentro at night
• The smell of Malabia 1555 hotel -- lingering in my clothes after returning home
• parillas (grills) in Palermo Soho such as Lo de Jesus: Malbec and lomo steak
• locro stew and empanadas at El Sanjaunino
• Pacifico and Bullrich galleria style shopping, Etiqueta Negra stores
• Rossi and Carusso leather
• San Telmo antiques
• Seguridad opening every door
• Huge ice chunks and individual buckets with every drink

Palermo Soho: an amalgam of Old World villas, some still unreconstructed, Romantic squalor, trendy boutiques, Right Now restuarants, tourists and a few old haunts.



Malabia House: formerly a convent coverted from two very narrow "sausage houses". The interior is my perfect aesthetic: spare, Old World, quality... brass number plates, restrained chandeliers, tiny courtyards, polished wood and marble floors, french doors, quality sheets and an overall unfussiness that is lacking from most "Design" hotels.



Etiqueta Negra. The boutique's brown bag is ubiquuitous amongst Recoleta's bourgeoisie. Which is everyone. Made in Argentina quality. The overall feel is distinctly B.A. Swanky, polo, deco.

Recoleta cemetary. Lace draped coffins, webs, a real funeral procession. Nothing short of a goth fantasia, a Romantic's dream. Wandering around all morning murmuring: This life of games, this diligent trust, forever sleep now, go into dust.

Perfection.

June = Argentine autumn. This is what I want to wear next Fall. Extant waxed and quilted Barbour, new Napoli shirts, cashmere quarter zips in new colors (violet? tan?).