WORDS TO LIVE BY

GATINEAU HIKE IN OCTOBER: PINK LAKE

EARDLEY ESCARPMENT?

Pink Lake is green! Named after the Pink family, it has been so well preserved that the bottom 7 m has no oxygen. We found glitter along the path but have no explanations except for maybe a quartz rock broken up by a patient person before us, if that's possible. A lovely hike!

NATURE'S PAINT IN AUTUMN

STEWART HALL ART GALLERY, POINTE-CLAIRE

Helmet Langedor
Au Carre St Louis

Susanne Strater
Old Montreal From Bonsecours Market, pastels

A GREAT RESTO WITH A FAMILY FEEL:ENOTECA ARTISTI IN VENICE

LA ZUCCA, VENICE

The Best Food in Venice, if you can find it!

I dream of eating these baked artichokes often. Unbelievable!

My Venetian Principessa with pasta pomodor and ricotta!

Lamb chops and fresh mint

VENEZIA, ITALIA

We love you Venice!

Fruit market on a boat, of course!

Room with a View

Afternoon reprieve

View from the bathroom toilet!

I never thought that a 12 euro coffee could be worth it, but with the orchestra playing and the the nicest table complete with ice cold water and a great cappuccino! Next time I'll take inside and see the Aqua Alto!

A powerful symbol of Venice

BELLAGIO

Dr. Seuss trees on the edge of Bellagio town

A perfect trio

Pasta Pomodoro

Lake Trout and veggies

Pasta with local fish sauce - yummy!

MILK RIVER, LAKE COMO

I think it's so cool to think that in the same year, I saw the "chocolate river" tidal bore in Moncton, and climbed to the source of Fiumelatte (Milk River). Both were worth the trek.

VARENNA, LAGO DI COMO

A gorgeous salad with pineapple flowers

Nice cold drink on a hot evening

One of the pair of swans that travel the lake

Night lights

Steps into the square

Varenna alley

Villa Monastario

Two lucky cloverleafs!

Gorgeous vista

Espresso and ice cream at the Monastery

Lake Como

TORINO

I think Pipa Pig is actually British, but we know her in her Italian form. Here she is in a Torino bakery!

I don't know if my husband loved this room, but my daughter and I did!

Cronuts are even making it here! But I didn't have enough room to try everything while we we here! I did carry home two sweets that I can find in Montreal occasionally: the delicious gianduja in a gold Caffarel wrapping and mints by Leone in lovely flavours - cinnamon, liquorice (anice), violet (violette), field berries (frutti di bosco), raspberry (lampone) and even Spritz (a Venetian classic made with Aperol)! And beyond that is some great chocolate, so keep scrolling!

Mole Antonelliana, site of the most thrilling elevator ride outside of Disneyworld's Tower of Terror, and the world's tallest museum dedicated to cinema

My family refused to go into another church, which is a shame, since this is the one that houses the shroud of Turin (St John the Baptist's cathedral)

Host of 2006 Olympics, home of the shroud of Turin (I feel dumb that I didn't know Turin was in Italy!), Juventus soccer club, birthplace of Victor Emmanuel II, the first King of united Italy after being King of Sardinia, Venti and Caffarel chocolate, and Lavazza espresso.

Piazza Vittorio Veneto

Santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice across the River Po

Borgo Medievale, an original amusement park like no other

Santuario de la consolata

Pictures of healing

Side chapel

Marble awesomeness

Venchi chocolate

Via Roma