Thursday, November 29, 2012

V is for Victoire

As part of a recent mother and daughter day which included a delicious meal at The Wellington Gastropub, a divine, hour-long massage at Renu Spa and a mouth-watering maple bacon donut (among, ahem, several others), courtesy of Suzy Q, the mum and I stumbled upon what I now consider my favourite boutique in Ottawa: Victoire.  






Located on Wellington Street in the trendy Westboro/Hintonburg area, the shop is a virtual incarnation of the kind of store I would open if I were ever to open another store (R.I.P. one-eleven). Full of unique, one-of-a-kind clothing, jewellery and accessories, the boutique is a vintage lover's dream.






From the incredible, flower-patterned wallpaper to the cozy, old school-house style dressing rooms, the shop is as much a work of art as it is a great place to find an incredible dress, ring or even a bow-tie.

And now, for another donut...



Sunday, November 11, 2012

11, 11, 11

Maybe it's Remembrance Day, or maybe it's just me, but I've been feeling pretty wistful these days.

Thinking about my family in Poland, and everything my grandparents went through so I could have the life I enjoy today, it's hard not to be grateful for all of the sacrifices made by soldiers, yes, but also everyday people who value humanity enough to risk their lives for others.

I remember my homeopath telling me that children, and even grandchildren, of WWII survivors carry a sadness in them, a memory, of a memory of a memory of a time gone by that was scary, bleak and very, very inhumane.

But even in that inhumanity, in that bleakness, in that living hell, incredible sacrifices were made. 

Just this week I watched an unforgettable movie that reminded me of that very notion. Called In Darkness, the movie tells the tale of Leopold Socha, a Polish sewer worker who risked his life, and his familys', to shelter and ultimately save a group of Jews in Lwow by using his knowledge of the city's sewer system. 

(Sidenote: Lwow used to be part of Poland but it's now considered part of the Ukraine.)

After watching the movie I decided to do a little research. I started by looking up Mr. Socha, which led to a very interesting topic, and website: The Polish Righteous among the Nations. The Polish Righteous, in short, refers to the thousands of Polish people who were honoured by the State of Israel for saving Jews during the Holocaust.

Growing up, there was a misconception (that was often expressed to me by others) that Poles did little to help their Jewish neighbours during the war when, in fact, Polish citizens have the world's highest count of individuals awarded medals for their bravery, and courage. Hundreds of thousands of Polish people actually concealed and helped save hundreds of thousands of Jews, risking their own lives in the process.  

So on this Remembrance Day, let us not forget the sacrifices made by soldiers, medical workers, and even everyday people from WWI to today. Let us also not forget that while there is a lot of anger, hatred and fear in the world there is also a lot of love, beauty and humanity.

(Second sidenote: In the movie there is a young couple called Mundek and Klara, based on their real-life counterparts that spent 14 months in the sewers of Lwow. After the war, they married and moved to England. Throughout their life, they were very affectionate, always holding and kissing each other. Mundek was Klara's hero, just as Mr. Socha was both of theirs, and he always took the greatest care of her; bringing her flowers, holding her hand and loving her unconditionally. They literally couldn't live without each other. When Mundek was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and put into a home, she died of a broken heart. Six months later, her hero passed away too.

Lest we forget. Were it not for the courage and bravery of Mr. Socha, they would never have had their lives together.

Where there is darkness, there is also light. 

Such is the mystery of life.

(Third sidenote: Leopold Socha died a hero for more than one reason. Shortly after the war was over, he and his daughter were out for a bike ride when a Soviet military truck came hurtling towards her. He knocked her out of the way, saving her life and losing his own.) 


Yes, I understand that every life must end
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go
Oh I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love
Some folks just have one, others they've got none
Nothing you would take
Everything you gave
Hold me til I die
Meet you on the other side
Pearl Jam









Thursday, November 8, 2012

Chinatown, Westboro and Hintonburg, oh my!

Before a good friend left Ottawa for parts unknown (also known as London) for an undetermined amount of time, we decided to paint the town red (or something similar) and send her off in style. Being huge fans of dim sum (generally) and pork buns (specifically), we started our long kiss goodbye with a well deserved trip to Chinatown.   

The reason the meal was so well deserved was that the trip to Ottawa was the first that I made on my own, in my very own car (insert applause here)! I graciously picked up my muchacha and impressed her with my driving skills (or not) while she skillfully (or not) guided the way to crispy, fried goodness.




After a satisfying meal of dumplings, rolls and more tea you could shake a stick it, we made our way to Westboro, and then Hintonburg, where we perused hilarious greeting cards at Heavens to Betsy (a, in their own words, nic nac bonanza), bought vintage champagne glasses at the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul thrift shop and stumbled upon one of the coolest record stores I've ever visited, Legend Records.  

While on our recon mission, we also came across a seemingly very cute, very delicious restaurant, Burnt Butter and a quaint (ahem) tavern to celebrate my friend's final farewell the following night; The Elmdale House Tavern.    







While my friend is now gone, living a new and exciting life on the other side of the pond, I know we'll always have Ottawa.

Cheers mate!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

The vignoble du clos Baillie

The beau and I recently visited a vineyard that I stumbled upon while perusing the Outaouais tourism website looking for fun and interesting things for a citycountry bumpkin to do. 

The clos Baillie is one of two vineyards owned by Raymond Huneault, the second being in Montebello. Located at 490 Baillie in Aylmer, the vineyard didn’t disappoint and was a super fun and romantic thing to do on a rainy afternoon.





When we first got to the vineyard they were in the beginning stages of making apple cider, getting the apples ready for the press. We were able to taste some of the pure juice that came out of the freshly pressed apples. Frosty pink and icy cold, it was one of the most delicious things I have ever tried.




We were also treated to a complimentary tour of the vineyard and an incredible wine tasting. Trying everything from white wine to red ice wine, we settled on a few bottles of our favourites and are planning on returning in November for the oysters and wine night.



Held November 17th and with the proceeds going to The Arthritis Society, the evening, with oysters supplied by the Capital Fish Markets, promises to be another must-write-about happening.

Can’t hardly wait.