Our home for the long weekend was Montreal, and since any internet search of Montreal says the Atwater Market is a top destination and one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, of course we checked it out. It is beautiful: the architecture, the bikers, the sense of community, the strings of lights, the sunlight on the nearby canal… even the fruit in the stalls seemed more vibrant than at home.

We played games over a relaxing lunch, ate the best strawberries ever, checked out the sandbox, and played chess. You can tell this is a touristy place, but also a place filled with locals, who genuinely enjoy being outside and together as a community.

We try to focus on experiences rather than souvenirs, so each person usually gets to choose one activity per trip. Dave’s choice was a boat ride on the Lachine Canal. The little electric boats were a ton of fun, because everyone got a turn to drive. Maria liked driving under the bridges, Jack liked making the boat go crazy in circles, and Danny just liked having his hands on the wheel. I know we have pictures of us on the boat, but I can’t find them :( I guess they’re lost in the black hole that is our hard drive/cloud space. Everyone loved being on the boat and we all agreed it was easily a highlight of the trip.