Our Summer Travels: Montreal

And so, from Iceland we travelled on to Canada. A surprise upgrade on the flight from Reykjavik was a bonus, a nightmare experience with Air Canada on our connecting flight to Ottawa less so. We spent a short time in the city before travelling to my family reunion in the Ontario countryside: I'll write more about that soon (at the moment I'm still processing the whole experience!). And from there we went to Montreal, at the heart of French-speaking Quebec.

Montreal was amazing: totally and utterly our kind of place. Awesome vegan food, good local cider (thank you French influence!), amazing street art, cosy bookshops, and a very winning combination of European and North American sensibilities, which seem to result in a completely unique city.

To me, this is the ultimate Montreal image: beautiful old architecture mixed with anarchist graffiti. The Catholic churches in the Old Town and surrounding areas are just stunning, and I loved the juxtaposition of Parisian-style buildings, towering spires, and huge skyscrapers.

As lovely as the Old Town was, though, my favourite neighbourhoods were the hip Plateau Mount Royal and the slightly grungier Mile End, both to the north of the city. The vegan food here was so good: Thomas was in raptures over the vegan crispy duck at Chu Chai. I adored both the cider and the huge veggie nachos at Lola Rosa, while I think T would quite happily marry their vegan poutine. Honestly, we barely scratched the surface of vegan Montreal and are already planning our next visit.

Also in the area, we came out of Drawn & Quarterly a good few dollars lighter. Specialising in graphic novels but with a superb fiction and non-fiction selection too, this English-language bookshop was a real highlight.

On Sunday we stumbled upon Under Pressure, an international festival of street art taking place in the Centreville. With sound systems booming, skate ramps set up in the street, entire buildings being used as canvases, and artists working everywhere, it was quite a sight. A couple of pints in a nearby rock bar (I'm happy anywhere painted black and covered in graffiti) made for a happy afternoon.

It honestly broke my heart a little to leave Montreal, as I feel that our four days there barely scratched the surface of what the city has to offer. If you get the chance, go go go!

August Reads: Part One

The first two weeks in August were spent in Iceland and Canada, and as is my usual habit, I tried to read as many books as possible set in, or about, some of the places I visited. First up, three books set at least partly in Quebec.

1. Speaking In Bones* is the latest crime novel featuring forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan. Far less ludicrous than some of the recent in the series (on which the TV series Bones is based), I enjoyed this as an easy read which, refreshingly, relied on more than horrific violence against women for the plot (after reading the, admittedly brilliant but horribly graphic, new Karin Slaughter novel last month I've been put off this plot trope). In Speaking In Bones, Tempe is approached by an amateur web sleuth who thinks she's found a clue linking the disappearance of a teenager to some bones found locally. The solution, needless to say, is far more complicated than it at first seems.

2. Last Night In Montreal was St John Mandel's - author of the brilliant Station Eleven - first novel, and it explores some similar themes: travelling, performance, escape. Following Lilia, who is abducted by her father at the age of seven and has subsequently spent twenty years on the road. For some of that time, she is pursued by a PI, whose daughter who meet in Montreal, where she is either trying to help or hinder Eli, Lilia's most recent boyfriend, in tracking her down. Sound complicated? It's not, with Mandel demonstrating a keen understanding of what makes people tick, and particularly of how damage inflicted in childhood can reverberate for years to come

3. After reading the last Gamache novel in July, and finding it a bit lacking, The Nature Of The Beast* was a welcome return to form. When a young neighbour of Gamache's, known for his tall tales, runs into the village bistro shouting about a giant gun hidden in the woods, no-one gives much credence to his story. Things change, however, when the boy is involved in an accident.

4. The Readers Of Broken Wheel Recommend* was utterly predictable and packed with cliche, but I loved it regardless. Sara from Sweden has been a penpal to elderly Amy in Broken Wheel, Ohio, for a while now. But when Sara arrives on a long-anticipated trip to visit her friend and finds, instead, Amy's funeral in full swing, she must turn to the one thing that brought the friends together in the first place - books - to make the most of her time in Broken Wheel. This is clearly written by a book lover, not a bibliophile: someone who is as passionate about the Bridget Jones books as she is about Dickens and Austen, and I loved it for that. Despite the predictable plot, if you love books then I'm sure you'll enjoy this.

5. While in Iceland I re-read Names For The Sea, author and academic Sarah Moss's account of her family's year living in Reykjavik. I loved this on first read and loved it even more this time around; it was just perfect to read her witty, incisive stories of Icelanders and Icelandic culture whilst in the country.

6. In Love Letters To The Dead, teenager Laurel is starting high school and dealing with her grief over losing beloved older sister May earlier in the year. Taking the form of a series of letters written from Laurel to dead celebrities, such as Kurt Cobain, Judy Garland and Amelia Earhart, the author captures the teenage voice perfectly and, as some terrible secrets unfold on the page, the reader comes to understand the truth behind May's death. The cover contains a quote from the author's friend, Stephen Chbosky, and if you liked The Perks Of Being A Wallflower I'm pretty confident you'll find lots to enjoy here, too.

7. & 8. I read The Storied Life Of A.J Fikry and This Is Not A Love Story for Alex's A Blogging Good Read series, so I'll save my lengthier reviews for her blog. What I will say is that I enjoyed the former, despite it being fairly predictable and light, and found the latter infuriatingly hit-and-miss. Some of the aspects of the story - particularly the character of Theo and the stuff about Jewish culture and religion in Amsterdam - were great, but it was inconsistent and I never really cared about the second main character, Kitty, nor with what was set up as the central mystery of the book.

*These books were kindly provided by the publishers, via Net Galley, 

in exchange for an honest review. 

Our Summer Travels: Iceland

We're back! After an epic 20 hour journey on Thursday and Friday, we've spent the weekend recuperating and doing all the boring stuff (shopping, gardening, endless loads of washing) that needs to be done when you've been away for a few weeks.

We had an amazing time and I have tons of photographs to share with you from Canada, but I thought I'd start at the beginning: in Iceland.

Because we flew with Icelandair, we were able to incorporate a three day stopover into our travels. I'd arranged an Airbnb apartment in the centre of Reykjavik, which enabled us to spend much of our time wandering the streets of the city in which the majority of Iceland's tiny 300,000 population live (to give some context, that's fewer people than live in Leicester, my home town).

Reykjavik is a beautiful place full of brightly coloured houses, influenced by the long-time Danish occupation of the country. The main street, Laugavegur, was busy at all hours due to the constant daylight (this close to the Arctic Circle, the sun barely sets even into August) and we found amazing vegan food at Glo (who also, randomly, serve chicken on their otherwise all-vegan menu) which was so good, we ate there two nights in a row.

Cheap alcohol isn't easily found in Iceland, but I'd read about the rooftop bar at Loft Hostel and it turned out to be a Scandi chic space full of locals as well as travellers, and most importantly, a source of cheap beer and cider. And with Mount Esja looming over the city from across the bay, and the incredible mid-century concrete architecture of Hallgrímskirkja on the hill inland, Reykjavik is not short on breathtaking views to admire from the roof terrace.

However, no one goes to Iceland for a city break and getting out of Reykjavik into the countryside is a must. I visited Iceland in October 2011 but Thomas had never been before, so we took a Golden Circle tour with Iceland Horizon, as it's the best way to see the key sights in one day. From rushing waterfalls to gleaming glaciers; sulfurous springs and geysirs to mile upon mile of black volcanic lava fields, Iceland is like nowhere else on earth. Having previously been there at the start of winter, I found it interesting to see the country in warmer weather, when the grass and moss covers the lava and flowers bloom (although be warned - 'warm' in Iceland is always a relative term, with a biting wind that cut through any heat the sun could provide).

My favourite site, as on my previous trip, was the awe-inspiring landscape of Þingvellir National Park, in which you can see the edges of two tectonic plates - the North American and the Eurasian - exposed to the air as they move away from each other at a rate of about an inch a year. The cliff to the left of the photograph below is the edge of the North American ridge: pretty incredible, right?

Þingvellir is also where Icelanders established one of the earliest democratic parliaments in 930, and it's amazing to think of the Viking inhabitants travelling on foot and horseback to this seemingly desolate and empty landscape to meet together.

Iceland has dramatically increased in popularity as a tourist destination since I was there last, and although very little could ruin its spectacular beauty I would recommend that, if you've wanted to go, now is the time to do so before it becomes even more overrun with visitors.

What I Wore: Bicycle Print Dress

Is this the most twee dress ever? It's bright blue; it has a print of tiny daisies and bicycles with baskets; it features a Peter Pan collar. I think it just might be. I think even Jess from New Girl might reject it for being too twee. Me though? I love it.

My favourite mustard cardigan from H&M goes well with the dress (it's hard to see on these images, but some of the daisies on the dress are yellow) and I finished off the outfit with my new Clarks shoes, which are crazy comfortable for a pair of shoes with so many potential rub-points.

This was my get-up for Indietracks a couple of weekends ago, where is made the perfect outfit. After all, if you can't be twee as fuck at an indiepop festival featuring steam trains, when can you be?!

* Dress: H! By Henry Holland for Debenhams (not online) * Cardigan: H&M (old) * 

* Shoes: Henderson Luck from Clarks *

What To Expect When Your Partner Has A Vasectomy

Thomas and I have known since we became a couple that we didn't want children. I'm not maternal in the least, finding children at best bewildering and at worst dull. And in a world which still significantly penalises women for taking time out to have a baby, it was a no-brainer for me to prioritise having my own life and career. For his part, Thomas has a great affinity for cats but less so for small humans and has been adamant his entire adult life that fatherhood isn't for him. We love our life together and wanted desperately to stay child-free, but being on the Pill wasn't working for me any longer - too many side effects - and we needed a more permanent and less hormone-based method of contraception.

Sterilisation was the obvious choice. However, we weren't totally confident that Thomas would be approved for the male sterilisation operation known as vasectomy. At just 28, and with no children, he wasn't an ideal candidate for the procedure. Meanwhile, there is a wealth of anecdotal evidence to show that women - even women like me, at the (fertility-wise) advanced age of 37, with two abortions behind me - are very rarely trusted to make a decision on sterilisation if they are childless. This knowledge, plus the fact that vasectomy is a much less invasive procedure than female sterilisation, made it our first option.

At first, our chances didn't look good. When Thomas first raised the question of a vasectomy with his GP the doctor was very dismissive, telling him he was too young to be considered for the procedure. Nevertheless, she sent him away with a wealth of information about it, with an instruction to think about it carefully.

Six weeks later he was back at the GP's surgery seeing a second doctor. Our ace in the hole was the fact that not only do we emphatically not want children but that, as we both have severe and potentially inheritable mental health conditions in our families, we have no intention of mixing our disastrous genes. Deciding to conceive a child that was genetically ours would be like playing a game of roulette, with extremely poor odds. This argument seemed to do the trick, and the GP agreed to refer Thomas onto the next stage, a 'Vas Chat' (??!!?) at a local clinic.

This was mostly a practical discussion about the operation and what it involved. The doctor asked in more detail for reasons why we were choosing a vasectomy and Thomas was again discouraged because of his age and childlessness. Ultimately, though, the doctor agreed to go ahead (look at that! It's almost like men are given control over their own fertility and trusted to make medical decisions that affect only them!) and a date was set for four weeks time.

Thomas had what is known as a 'no-scalpel' vasectomy (look away now if you're squeamish), which involves the skin of the scrotum being pierced with a sharp instrument, through which a tiny pair of forceps are inserted so that the doctor can access the vas deferens (the tubes which carry sperm from the testicles to the penis). The vas deferens are then cut, cauterised shut, and pushed back into the scrotum. Because this method was used no stitches were required, so Thomas was left with only a tiny mark at the base of each testicle and minimal pain.

I've found the whole process fascinating, not least because part of me expected to have some 'road to Damascus' conversion to baby-hunger once I knew the option was being removed. I spent a great deal of mental energy probing and prodding at our decision, testing for weak spots, as a tongue may probe at a sore tooth. So I was relieved to find that there weren't any weak spots; that our choice to permanently commit to a child-free life was entirely the right one.

At the time of writing we're awaiting the results of Thomas's three month sample. A vasectomy isn't an instant guarantee of contraception and it can take up to three months for the ejaculate to be completely free of pesky baby-making sperm. But, with any luck, I'll soon be off the Pill and we'll be able to plan for our future, confident in the knowledge that it will remain completely child-free.

July Reads: Part Two

I have to say I'm not really feeling it at the moment when it comes to reading; everything I pick up seems to make me kind of, "meh." I need a really amazing read to pull me out of this slump: any recommendations?

1. I always enjoy the Shetland setting of Ann Cleeves' Jimmy Perez novels, and Thin Air was no exception; the descriptions of island life during midsummer made me want to hop on a plane (and then a ferry, and then another ferry). When a group of London-based friends travel to Shetland to celebrate a wedding, the joyful occasion turns to tragedy when glamourous TV producer Eleanor goes missing. Although the denouement required, as with many thrillers, some suspension of disbelief, I found myself liking and sympathising with the characters, who felt very real. If you haven't read any of the Perez series, this would be a good place to start.

2. A re-read of How To Build A Girl seemed like just the thing to reinvigorate my reading. I first read it last October and thoroughly enjoyed Moran's raunchy humour, class war rants, and perfect depiction of how it feels to be a particular kind of weird, bright, isolated teenage girl, and it stood up well to a second reading. Very much recommended.

3. I Let You Go was an interesting read about the aftermath of a hit-and-run accident in which a small boy is killed. Although it was full of cliche and not amazingly written, it tackles the subject of domestic violence unflinchingly and there was a vibrant realness to the characters and settings.

4. The Long Way Home is the latest in Louise Penny's series about Quebec detective Armand Gamache, and finds him newly retired to the idyllic village of Three Pines that's featured so often in earlier books. Gamache's neighbour, artist Clara, separated from her husband a year ago with the promise that he would return to the village exactly 12 months later. When he fails to turn up, Clara asks Gamache to investigate. I return to this series because, in Three Pines and its inhabitants, Penny has created something quite magical, and I enjoyed reading this because I always enjoy reading about these characters. But there was a lack of tension to the story, which dwells mainly on the philosophy or art before, at the very last minute, revealing itself to be riven with sinister intent.

5. I'd heard lots of good things about Mindy Kaling's book of - what? - essays? Comic vignettes? Autobiographical snippets? But unfortunately my reading of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? became overshadowed by the fact that so many people had told me how much they loved it and how funny it was. As a result, I spent a lot of the time waiting to adore it, waiting to laugh uproariously, and never quite getting there.

6. Periodic Tales is a collection of stories - true stories, about their discovery or their discoverers, or about their historic relevance - about the elements. It's fascinating, although I couldn't read very much in one sitting without feeling like my head was going to explode (it's fair to say science  wasn't my best subject at school, and it took me a shamefully long while to even remember what an element is when I started reading).

7. I really did try with Cross Stitch. Despite it being a behemoth of a paperback, and despite finding my attention waning within 60 pages, I tried to persevere. But it all - the awful transcription of Scots accents, the weird plot points that came without warning, the poor characterisation - just became too much for me and I gave up after 300 pages. So, although I hear great things about Outlander, the TV series based on the book, I don't think time-travel and Jacobite rebellions are quite the thing for me.

Off On My Travels

We've been packing our bags and readying our passports, and today we leave.

First Iceland, for three days of mountains, glaciers, volcanoes and lagoons.

Then onto Canada, visiting Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto in a whirlwind eleven days. Most importantly, a family reunion: cousins, aunts, uncles, grandchildren, gathering from across three continents for four days of re-connection. The first time so many of the Kotze family have been in one place since 1991.

So, if things are a little quiet around here, that's why. I've scheduled a post or two but, for the most part, I won't be as present here or on social media. See you all when we get back!

The Buyer's Archive: July

Earlier this year Elise started a series called The Buyer's Archive as a way to track her purchases from year to year and figure out which items had been worth it, and which had already found their way to the charity bag. As reducing my spending is always a goal, I decided to give it a go too.

July has followed my usual pattern of very little spending until the end of the month, when I suddenly buy all the clothes - before this weekend, all I'd spent was £30. But preparing for our trip to Iceland and Canada led to a shopping spree yesterday, when I picked up stacks of items... some I needed, some I didn't.

Striped top, H&M £12.99
Did I need this? No. But did I have a space in my wardrobe for a short-sleeved striped top? Certainly. I love stripes and this top has a lovely airy feel, perfect for summer (although not for the summer we're currently 'enjoying' in England, with torrential rain and chilly temperatures).

Floral skirt, charity shop £2.00
I've already featured this skirt in an outfit post and it's shaping up to be a favourite. Originally from Bon Marche, I found it in a local charity shop and was particularly drawn to the floral design and the buttons down the front.

Yellow raincoat, M&S £75
Eek. It actually makes me feel a bit sick to think about how much this cost. However, I'm notorious for not wearing weather-appropriate clothing if I don't feel it's cool enough (I know, I'm such a teenager) and with our visit to Iceland coming up I really needed a raincoat I'd be happy to wear. I know yellow raincoats have become something of a blogger cliche, but that didn't stop me snapping it up. It's cut really nicely, fits well, and the yellow is a darker mustard shade, which is a lot more flattering with my skin tone and hair colour. Plus, I figure a coat is the kind of item where it pays to, well, pay.

Black sandals, New Look £15.99
These sandals fill a gap in my wardrobe: I have plenty of tan sandals but no black ones. I saw someone wearing these on the train home from Bristol a few weeks ago and fell totally in love with them, so as soon as I got home I began an internet search. I was dead chuffed to discover they were not only still available, but also quite a bargain.

T-Bar shoes, Topshop £25.20 (with Thomas's student discount)
These shoes are definitely not something I needed, as they're almost identical to a pair I already own, but I loved the cute cut-out design and when I realised that they were almost sold out I decided to grab a pair.

Polka dot dress, H! By Henry Holland via eBay, £4.20
So much navy blue in this picture! I've come to accept that it's the signature colour of my wardrobe. This jersey and cotton skater dress is something I won on eBay and is yet another addition to my collection of summer dresses when what's really needed in this country is plenty of winter clothes.

Navy blue dress, Joy £24 (not online)
I found this in the sale at Joy in Bristol. Made of a lovely, heavy, lined viscose that falls beautifully, it's well cut and classic, and paired with a statement necklace and some heels, I think it will do very well for my brother's wedding this autumn.

My total for the month was therefore an eye-watering.... £159.38, with almost exactly half of that total being the raincoat.

A Day Out At Indietracks

I've long wanted to visit Indietracks Festival, a small and family-friendly affair specialising in Indiepop music which takes place every summer in the Derbyshire Dales. For the music, yes, but more so for the lure of the setting: at the Midlands Railway Centre, on a site filled with vintage trains. So when fellow Midlands blogger Laura, of Make Do & Mend, got in touch with me to ask if I'd like to be her plus one, I jumped at the chance.

Arriving at Butterley Station, a beautifully restored building just outside the village, we jumped on a steam train and grabbed our seats for the short journey to the festival site.

After torrential rain the previous day, we were lucky to be met by blue skies, dry ground and lots of friendly people. Indietracks is such a relaxed and chilled out festival, with everything within an easy 5 minute walk of the entrance and a crowd that skews slightly older: 30-somethings rather than cavorting teens, in the main, with lots of families.

As you'd expect from a festival focusing largely on music from DIY scenes - indiepop, noisepop, punk - the merch tent was a delight, filled with vinyl, charmingly hand-lettered t-shirts and tote bags, and a smattering of zines. The food offering was good, too, and with a number of bars across the site (including one in a static train carriage) you wouldn't go thirsty.

We ended up missing not one but two performances on the steam train, as the carriage was too crowded, but did manage to squeeze in to see London-based punk band Flemmings on the Church Stage (which, as the name suggests, is in an actual church). Colleen Green was a big draw on the Main Stage, and we chowed down on tasty pizza as we watched. My pick of the day, though, were grrrl band Feature: seeing three powerful, cool women rock out on stage is what festivals are all about.

We left to drive home before headliners Wave Pictures and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, which I was sad about but - a real sign of age here - my bed beckoned. But my taste of Indietracks has left me wanting more: I'll definitely be back next year.

(Yes, I took a photograph of the loo sign because INDOOR TOILETS! At a festival!)