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    Friday, 4 January 2008

    Happy New Year!

    We decided to spend New Years in Montréal Canada. I guess I was missing the usual white Christmas in Connecticut. Well, we more than made up for it here. Tons of the white stuff. They have two things going for them in this city that make life even possible in the winter months: 1) heated streets so that the snow melts! How cool is that? 2) Underground shopping – over 20 miles of stores, bars and coffee places located beneath the streets. It’s amazing, but with the weak Greenback, you’d better not be spending too much at the moment.

    Looking out of the hotel window in Montréal this morning, there is a swimming pool. I don’t believe it, there’s a snow - storm going on and people are swimming. Are these folks crazy? O.K. so the pool is heated but …anyway, I recommend the city for a visit; friendly people and lots to do and see. They speak this Quebeçois style of French, which you can actually understand, somewhat, since it’s like French with an American accent – I like it. Oh yes, and some great restaurants, museums and stylish boutiques.

    We asked the pretty girl at the information desk about New Year festivities and she recommended the Vieux Port area where there would be a fireworks display at midnight. Then she continued in her pretty French - tinged English “Zer weel be old folks music, also”…”Great” I said, “ We’ll fit right in, then?” She smiled indulgently and corrected herself,” No, excuse me, I meant, “Old - time folk music.” That made me laugh but actually when we got down there, the band was truly amazing. There was fiddle and accordion of course, but also much acapella singing with modal harmonies that sounded straight from the 16th century. Everyone knew the words and they were dancing in the street so we just joined in. It was fun and quite different from New Years 36 years ago when we were celebrating a great gig at the Marquee Club in London, the night before a certain wedding day on January 1st 1972. Who woulda thought that 36 years later the band would be celebrating a 38 year history and we’d be celebrating one of the longest marriages in Rock! Funny old world.

    Happy New Year Folks! ~ Andy and Pauline Powell.