More on our road trip later, but July included a stop in Montreal and yes, there are museums and churches, etc. but my favorite things aren’t necessarily the most typical. Well, maybe this first one – the Botanical Gardens were spectacular. Without any planning on our part, we had fantastic weather and it seemed like absolutely everything was in bloom all at the same time. What a treasure so close to the center city.
On our way out of town, though, I had my favorite experience. I had heard of St. Armands paper, and I thought I was somewhere nearby. Their website is kind of basic, and tells you right off they are primarily a factory, but invites you to stop by. My boyfriend/husband is always game for a trip to an industrial park in a potentially sketchy neighborhood, though this one has a great looking walking/running/biking path right across the street. The dooway is a little hidden, but the neighbors kindly sent us in the right direction. It is a fantastic, below ground space with presses and vats and luscious paper everywhere. The husband and wife team that run the place have their hands full, and confided that it’s tought to find help (isn’t that the story everywhere) so it’s hard to keep up with demand and they have to turn down some expansion. (If you’re reading this, and know someone passionate and dedicated, send them along, because we can’t afford to lose artisan knowledge like this). I could have been easily overwhelmed so I just made selections quickly, including mostly handmade sheets and pads, but also some machine made sheets from repurposed firemen’s uniforms – love that!