Asian dreaming.

This morning I visited one of my favorite Tucson places...Eastern Living, on Park in the Lost Barrio. I was looking for a specific piece for a client-- I found it (below) and was fascinated with a few other gems. 

 I phone , blurry shot. A truly beautiful dresser to add some atmosphere to a guest room in a smashing new contemporary home. It took some convincing but I think the clients will love it.

Stylish grisaille oil painting from China.

Wouldn't this make a spectacular jewelry cabinet, with storage and display? I think I would add a few small lamps to the inside. Delightful! I'd have to buy some more jewelry, though. Lots of drawers.

Stunning table base. I think I wouldn't waste them down where they can't be seen.....

Another beautiful oil painting.

Groundcherries, Poha berries, Cape Gooseberries

I found one of these lovelies garnishing my plate at  Auberge des falaises in Malbaie, Quebec. "groundcherries" is what the waiter called them.  They taste like a very sweet tomato, but grow like a Mexican Tomatillo. I picked these up at a farmer's market in Tucson where they were called Peruvian Poha berries. Whatever the name, they are quite colorful on the plate and apparently make a great tart. If I can find them again after the weather is more tolerable for baking I will give it a try. 

Sweet Montreal

Montreal is one of my favorite cities. My husband has family right in the city, so our visits are frequent. While I love to see Westmount blanketed in snow at Christmastime, summer is spectacular! 

Produce at the Atwater Market.

At the Montreal Museum of  Fine Art.  An adjacent, abandoned Romanesque Revival church has been converted to a concert hall and boasts original Tiffany stained glass windows. .The contemporary addition to the church is an architectural highlight and houses Canadian art from many eras. 

Actually, the entire city is an architectural highlight.

Copper roofs abound, many are being refurbished to the original bronze, many have the green patina developed over hundreds of years.

View from above the city.

Great shopping in the Mile End neighborhood.

Classic views in Mile End.

Every time we go to Montreal we discover a new neighborhood or district -- this time it was Mile End. More Vintage Shops per Mile, it should be named. Bookstores, funky coffee shops. All adjacent to tree lined streets where families grow vegetables in the front yard  at the base of steep, snow efficient  stairways. The variety of foods and cultures is boundless, the atmosphere exciting and international. I almost didn't want to leave for the city of Quebec.