when i was younger i moved to old montreal into my first loft. at the time there was hardly anything in town, just empty buildings, cobble stone streets an obscure Jazz place " air du temps" and a few restaurants in the center. my loft was housed in a run down building, first floor belonged to sculptors, second floor chefs, third floor painters, fourth photographers and fifth musicians, i lived on the fourth but i could have lived on the fifth too for i made money to buy film by playing drums in the subway , yes i did but to hear me play today you might say that people dropped coins in my hat out of pity.
on my last trip i started noticing a shadow of myself walking along side of me, whispering about the montreal i used to know. the quiet winter walks along the side walk edge. the greys, the weathered doors and handles and dirty french panes. so much has changed now, every building converted too condo's restaurants and shops. only those with a certain income can live there now and i am not sure if it ever gets as quiet as i remember but just for a moment i heard the sounds and saw scenes from a place i used to know, just for moment i saw a reflection through the geraniums covered glass of the person i used to be and a place that helped shaped who i am today.
17 comments:
...Funny thing, no matter where - no matter who, we've all been there. That younger version of ourselves walking down the streets in our past remembering who we once were and who we've become. It'd be nice to go back for a short time knowing what I know now. You? :o)
...Gorgeous photos dear! Makes me want to visit Montreal.
...Thank you for letting us tag along!
...Have a lovely weekend!
...Blessings :o)
I walk a fine between being a stalker and a girl who is moved every time you write.
What a beautiful way to remember ~
I apologize that you have to decode all of my comments!
I meant to say I walk a fine LINE between being a stalker and a girl who is moved every time you write.
I suppose my brain is quicker than my fingers... :)
I so loved reading this post, walking along with you in a ghost town of sorts. So beautifully felt and written, Nadia. I think how lovely this person I see before me is today!
I have just returned home from a tour of the Oregon coast. The long drive through such beautiful landscapes, seascapes, and forgotten rundown towns; drizzle, fog, sunshine, wind and rain stirred me. Filled me with nostalgia for my hometown and days gone by. It also brings me to ponder the woman I’ve become. The girl I was back then, floating on dreams and desires, grounded by the family and forests I’d come from. I am so grateful for the life I’ve thus lived, so much richer and so far beyond my dreams of youth. Thank you for allowing us a peek inside the geraniums of your past. Blessings!
Beautiful, Nadia. You shuttle back in time with words and pictures with all the urgency and feeling that you describe all your moments of today. Places I've never been to but which immediately feel familiar.
your pictures are so very stunning and they really draw me in...your posts about montreal make me want to visit
thank you for sharing such lovliness
I missed your post a lot,so happy you are back.Love those photos,one day I will visit Canada I am sure.
What is in the long wooden bin above the blue checker fabric?
Domenico
i guess that's why we cling to our memories because what we perceive as the real world is forever changing and we get to time travel simply by closing our eyes.
I love the texture in these photos.
A lovely journey to Montreal. The snippets of geraniums are little windows into spring. A whisper of the summer to come.
Hello - I recently found myself staring at a twenty year old version of myself sitting outside a cafe on Brighton Sea-Front, smoking Lucky Stripe, tossing her long hair and most concerning of all she didn't even see me...or rather she looked straight through me.
I think it's called "passing yourself coming back" there were so many things I wanted to tell her...but later I realised there was no need...it's all here waiting.
Your photographs are beautiful.
Sarah -x-
i love this post. and i love those images in the windows. there is something about gerraniums that i love too. i'm currently nursing one back to health indoors. it's doing great. ;)
I love you're posts about Montreal. There's nothing like seeing my city through someone else's eyes. Beautiful.
Oh how you make me miss Montreal!
Lovely. Thank you.
I really love Montreal, can't wait to go back soon!
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