Our attention wasn't really piqued until we got to the end of the vendor's table...
Holy cow, it was Maple Syrup Lemonade! We were all so thirsty being in the hot sun, walking around, looking around and all so we thought a few cups of this would hit the spot.
In the U.S., maple syrup is usually seen as something you pour on top of pancakes and waffles. It comes in pourable jugs from brands llike Aunt Jemima or Log Cabin. Sometimes, it's a candy flavor like those Brach's soft chew candies that we see during Halloween. I always thought of maple as being one of the more unpopular flavors. Maple is one of Berts favorite flavors, but for donuts. He loves a good maple bar or a maple glazed donut. As for me, maple isn't a flavor I would normally turn to but I do like it on bacon! Well, after having had homemade maple syrup from C and Farmer John and the canned syrup from her friend NM, I might just convert to using more maple syrup in my recipes.
Our lemonade was chilled, refreshing and topped with
This was one of the best drinks we've ever tasted! We obviously haven't had it since, but I'd like to make our own version once I can find those maple sugar crystals.
The ancient cobblestoned streets gave Old Montreal a dignified and historic air. These stones are probably older than the United States itself.
We meandered along, listening to FJ's anecdotes and sightseeing until we came across a sweets shop...
The sign was a maple leaf (I can't make out what it says), but they had window decor that featured macarons as flowers on them!
Of course, we had to stop in. It was just Bert and myself while TC hung out with FJ outside. They had all kinds of sweets here, like cookies, scones, muffins, macarons, and muffins as well as all kinds of coffee drinks. Amazingly, I did NOT select any macarons at all. They were all flavors I'd tried before, you know, the standard flavors. Nothing too wacky or imaginative so I passed on them.
Instead, we got one maple sugar shortbread cookie...
along with a dark chocolate maple leaf shaped chocolate. I forget the flavor, but I think it might have been maple!
I was really enamored of those maple sugar chunks on top of the cookie!
We walked further along and started walking back up the hill.
I liked the old "ghost" paint on the walls...
Now THIS is a sign we definitely wouldn't see in San Diego!
Only in Canada, right?
We had a nice time seeing bits and pieces of Old Montreal with FJ as our guide. In the daytime was much better than seeing it at night as we had the night before. Our snacks were quite memorabe too, especially that maple lemonade...
Our next stop before heading back out to Ottawa was a very famous landmark. We were hoping that C and her daughter were okay in the car.
3 comments:
Get yourselves to a Peets coffee shop (we go to the one on Point Loma, but I know there is one in Hillcrest and also one in La Jolla, in the Whole Foods Mall). They are making a maple latte (assume for autumn only, like the pumpkin beverages). I am going to try to go there today, but maybe they have other maple-centric items...will keep an eye out for the maple crystals; have seen, but don't remember where.
Oh- this is a very nice post; between The Mister growing up close to Vermont and me right next to canada, we have seen lots of those maple-centric items, though not lemonade(!)
hi cathy - too bad peet's is too far! the only time i've gone was to use a peet's e-coupon that kirk gave me years ago.went to the point loma location. let me know how those maple drinks are. if you find maple crystals, let me know. i'm sure they're in some sort of health food store somewhere, maybe even sprouts or trader joe's (but i've never looked).
re: your 2nd comment - yes, thank you. did your husband ever go to the sugar shacks? i heard they serve EVERYTHING with maple syrup for their meals there.
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