On Tuesday, PDub and I boarded an airplane and crossed the well-guarded border to our neighbor in the north. Canada: home of maple syrup, hockey, and the word "eh." Our destination was Montreal, where over 1,000 petroleum land managers gathered for their national meeting. No, Paul and I have not changed our careers, but it just so happens that my mom has been a petroleum landman for over forty years now.
PDub and I have become tag-alongs, attending the opening reception, free lunches, and fancy dinner/dances. We basically skip everything educational, take in the good stuff, and hit up the city in between. Our first evening involved an opening reception at the Gare Windsor Station (built in 1887). Once an actual train station for the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Windsor has become a provincial historic landmark and event location. The theme of our evening was "across Canada" with glaciers to tipis to lighthouses. To top things off, the association went all out by hiring some Cirque du Soleil folks to entertain us. Fun fact: Montreal is the birthplace of Cirque. After the reception, we headed to Vieux-Montreal (Old Montreal) for a rooftop, sunset, and cocktails.....a perfect evening.
 |
| Our room overlooked Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral. Some call it Jordan, Queen of the World Cathedral. Now, that sounds much, much better. |
 |
| The opening reception took place at Gare Windsor Station, an old train station turned historic monument a.k.a. event destination. |
 |
| PDub would not allow me to sit Indian style. He said that was officially out of style. |
 |
| Giving the terms "shrimp cocktail" a whole new meaning. |
 |
| Because why wouldn't there be a swing and a therefore a photo shoot? |
 |
| Royal Canadian Mounted Police ensuring the area was secure and posing for pictures. Definitely a high-stress job! |
 |
| Just hanging around in unitards. My favorite pastime. |
 |
| PDub and I attempted to reenact this later in the evening. Bonus: no one got hurt. |
 |
| Cue: Ribbon Dancing music. |
 |
| Cocktails on Terrace Nelligan overlooking Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. |
