hockeymoon stop deux.

very early monday, february 13th we awoke in sleepy toronto. after all, it was 6am. the sun was just beginning to rise. we were catching an early train to montreal so that we could enjoy at least an extra half of a day there.

so we said goodbye to toronto just as the sun was coming up and a new day of hustle and bustle was beginning. we could only hope our time in montreal was as good as toronto.
we had a five hour train ride ahead of us. no problem. we had breakfast. took a nap. enjoyed the canadian country side views from our windows.

we arrived in montreal around lunchtime. before i tell you ANYTHING about montreal, it is important to note that montreal is a primarily french speaking city. but most people are bilingual and can speak english as well. however, the locals are very proud of their french dialect. if you do not speak the same french dialect as them, or if you speak no french at all, expect a not so favorable response.

so anyway...we were excited to get to our hotel, drop off our bags and explore the city before game time. our second hockey game was monday night. the train arrived in the gare centrale or in english, central station. we had mapped out the route to get to our next train. it was only a block or so away. however, dragging two 50+ pound bags, two blocks feels like two miles. we got to the station with ease. buying two train tickets was a little bit more of a challenge. there was a kiosk. and we were able to navigate the kiosk, by changing the language to english and choosing the tickets we think we need. we get through the ENTIRE process and try to pay. the damn machine only takes canadian money. cash and credit. WHAT?
so we go to the ticket counter. i speak to the lady who barely understand my english. again, she cannot take my american credit card. which i don't get. credit is credit...right? luckily she will take my american cash. so we are able to by two day passes. whew!
after all of this, we only have to ride the damn train up to the next stop. so we get off at the next stop. and start walking through the train station, like we know where we are supposed to exit. if you've ever been to a subway station...it typically has many exit points. since it is at an intersection. or you can walk underground to the next point to surface...which may put you out a few blocks from where the train dropped you off. so, it is important to know where to exit. we just knew the stop we were supposed to get off at. and knew that the hotel was not far from that stop. which is true...if you exit at the right street. in fact the hotel is TWO blocks from the train station.
so we just started walking. the stop we got off at will exit you to the street or lead you to place des arts. which is a theater center. well, we walked in the direction of place des arts. which was the wrong fucking direction. once we finally got outside, we had no idea where we were. and why should we...like we'd ever been to montreal before. so we started looking at street signs to see if any seemed familiar. again, why would they? keith finally, was like let me just ask someone where 'avenue de parc' is, which was the street we needed to find. he saw a lady who came out of an office building who appeared to be on a smoke break. great! she must live here. he went and asked her, she claimed that she didn't know where it was. keith attempted to ask two other guys, but they both chose to ignore him.
we were the epitome of stupid, lost american tourists. i was exhausted. keith was fuming. 
since we were in canada we had limited access to data on our phones, which would allow us to use the map function. since we were sooo lost with no help, we said screw it and used our very helpful iPhone to guide our way. thank you for saving the day iPhone. we were very turned around and very far away from our hotel. it was at least a 20 minute walk. uphill. all the way. and oh yeah, we are still dragging our freaking bags. i am so tired that i can barely walk. keith is so pissed that he is hauling ass. it was a rough start to montreal. and we brought it all on ourselves.
we finally arrived to our hotel. and we had to climb a flight of stairs to get inside. i was like "kill me now." luckily the hotel clerk was kind enough to help us carry our bags upstairs. and the hotel clerk was very helpful with checking us in early and telling us of a market and some restaurants nearby.
once we got settled in our room. we both we so tired and so hungry, we didn't know what to do first, eat or sleep. during our discussion of what to do with the afternoon, our bodies decided for us...we PASSED OUT. so much for enjoying that extra half-day in montreal.

after our nap, we got some food. and figured out how to use the metro. that really made our life easier. we could get around town without looking like lost idiots.
then headed onto to our second hockey game. hurricanes v. canadians at the bell centre.
i was really excited to see the hurricanes and to see them in a different arena. the bell centre provided some of the same glitz and glam as the ACC, but it mostly is a piece of shit arena. it definitely was the crappiest arena we went to.
with that said, the fans LOVE the montreal canadians. this team is borderline a religion. seriously. there was an article in the paper about it. and they definitely had the best pregame. the played awesome music to pump the fans up. the lights were great. i was ready to jump out of my seat before the game started.

the view from our seats.

montreal canadians on ice logos.

pre-game on ice lights. we loved this.

US. :)

because this game included an american and a canadian team, they sang both national anthems. and the fans sang their hearts out to both. it gave me chills.
this was definitely the best game. it was competitive the entire game. the 'canes only were able to put it away at the end. and the 'canes won! 5-3 yay!
and it was very tough not to cheer like i wanted to for our boys.

final score. 'CANES WIN!!!!

staal was the first star of the game. whoop.

the next day, february 14th, we slept in. kind of a theme of our trip, eh? but man, we were exhausted after our adventurous day of travel. our hotel room was like a mini-apartment. so we had a fridge and stove and sink. so the day before we had bought stuff for breakfast at the market the hotel clerk had told us about. so it was nice to lounge around, eat breakfast and make our plans for the day.

the first thing we did was go to old montreal. it is beautiful. it is full of museums, chapels, and old architecture. while we were there, we visited notre dame. i wish we had our pictures to share. it was amazing. now, we all know that i am not really a church person, but i don't think you have to be a church person to appreciate the beauty and history behind this place.

we then headed over to jean-drapeau parc to see the snow village. now montreal was much colder than toronto. the air was bitter and crisp. oh and the ground was ice. so we as made this venture to jean-drapeau parc, we were navigating through a frozen tundra. and were sliding everywhere. it got to the point that i was walking flat-footed and grasped onto keith for dear life. i had almost fallen too many times. i did not want to go down. we were almost to the snow village and keith had found a less frozen space to walk on, for some reason i did not want to follow keith and continued down the sheet of ice i was on, slipping and sliding. and guess what happened? I FELL DOWN. on my hands and knees. i sliced up my left paw and bruised up my left knee pretty good. guess that's what i get for acting like i know how to walk across ice. well, as i learned, i definitely cannot walk well on ice. as i think is the case for most.
so, we finally arrive to the snow village. and...OHMIGOSH. the entire village is made out of snow and ice. there were four main sections: the hotel, with rooms where you can spend the night. large igloos where groups can stay together, the chapel, and the bar/restaurant.
the rooms in the hotel each had different themes. our favorite was the stanley cup room, of course!

huggin' the iced stanley cup.

iced montreal canadian. our favorite kind.

this room even had bleacher chairs!

keith liked the cup so much, he ralphed in it.

the chapel.

inside the chapel.

the montreal skyline from the snow village.

horse-drawn carriage ride? why not.

and we couldn't leave without having a drink or two at the ice bar, amarula. we tried to get dinner at the restaurant, because how cool would that have been?! but it was valentine's day and they were booked solid. bummer. but, the hostess was handing out roses to all the ladies and i got one :)

us at the ice bar, amarula.

v-day rose.

snow village + montreal skyline at night.

so, since it was dinner time and we were hungry, and we obviously weren't eating at the ice restaurant we headed back toward our hotel. we were kind of unsure where to get dinner being that it was valentine's day and that everything probably was going to be booked up. so we found this cute little local diner, alto. and it was delish! we got poutine, as an appetizer, of course. and at the end of the meal, i got more flowers from our waitress. montreal is sweet on valentine's day!


even though we had a very rough start to montreal, which was totally our fault, we ended up having a great time on our second day. it was a very quick trip. we did as much as we could in 2 days. we left wednesday, february 15th to catch our train to NYC. and yes, we took a cab to the train station. no way in hell were we dragging our bags all over montreal. AGAIN.


sooo...after being in canada, here are some things we learned.

toronto and montreal: not the same.

most canadians are not fat. this may seem like a weird comment or thing to notice. but with the american obesity epidemic, i found it refreshing to be around people who weren't bursting at the seams.

canadians recycle a lot. torontonians more so than montrealers. but nonetheless, they both do it more than we do.

canadians lack personal space awareness and constantly run into other people. torontonians will then constantly apologize for doing so. montrealers will look at you like "why the fuck were you in my way."

food restaurants seem more natural and local. there were very few fast food restaurants. but don't worry, mcdonalds was still there.

canadians live, eat, sleep hockey. they LOVE it. hockey lives everywhere.

torontonians are friendly. in montreal, those who work in the service industry are friendly, all others, it really was the luck of the draw.

TSN = ESPN. TSN = hockey. hockey is always on this channel. it was awesome. and they call it sportscentre.

washrooms = bathrooms

our opinion of each city:
toronto feels new, vibrant and happening!
montreal reminded keith of "old" nyc, litter in the streets, dirty, homeless everywhere, and looks rundown. however, there are pieces that are beautiful and that we loved. 


we loved canada. and will definitely be back, eh?

xoxo,
ks

canada, eh?

when planning this hockeymoon i knew that i wanted to go to canada. why? i don't know. just because.
so, first stop: toronto.

we flew out of RDU on thursday night, february 9th. we anticipated that because we were flying internationally, check-in would take longer. well that was not the case. the check-in lady at the airport was very helpful in getting us our tickets and directing us to where to check our bags. the bag-check guy was even nicer. he started talking to us about "why on earth would we want to leave beautiful north carolina for cold toronto?" keith mentioned to him that we were going on our hockeymoon. the bag-check guy was then immediately going to place our bags on the plane for free. he took them both from us, put the airplane destination sticker on it, and was about to send us on our way. i couldn't believe it! then the check-in lady came running over and yelled at the guy "these two still need to pay for their bags!" the bag-check guy rolls his eyes, tells keith some price of the bags, and takes keith's credit card. the bag-check guy fake swiped the card. gave us a confirmation sheet, told us that he'd take care of the bags and to have a great trip. i couldn't believe it! what a great start to our trip. and how sweet of that man. i truly wish i could thank him.

after going through security, we found our gate and then found a bar. i had to do something to calm my man down. see, he doesn't like to fly. nothing a few cocktails can't fix.

exhibit a.

and he did great on the plane. plus, it was a quick flight. we were in toronto by 9pm. awesome.
we took the airport shuttle over to the hotel and we were ready to explore the town by 10pm.
we walked about 2 blocks from the hotel, by way of suggestion from the hotel clerk, to find a cute irish pub, called overdraught. we had poutine, wings and a burger. and of course, canadian beers. we were hungry and thirsty after our trip.

the next day, february 10th, we were eager to set out on our new adventures, but not really sure where to start. sooo we crossed the street and had breakfast at tim hortons. it's the canadian starbucks and mcdonald's smushed into one. and much better than both of those places, combined.

after we were full of coffee and egg sandwiches, we made our way over to the hockey hall of fame. and on our walk, it started to snow! kind of a big deal to north carolinians who haven't seen snow since last winter.
the hockey hall of fame was pretty amazing. so amazing that we spent hours there. the entire afternoon. and we didn't even do everything. we saw everything, we just didn't play all of the games. which there were a lot of, like taking shots on net or being a goalie. however, we did play a hockey trivia game. in which i beat keith and came in 2nd place overall. i would have won but this guy joined the game last minute and was a ringer. he came in a ruined everyone's fun with his ridiculous amount of hockey knowledge.
but the hhof was a place for hockey fans, old and new, to come learn and explore about the sport that they love. there is so much history to this great sport. that is why we spent ALL DAY there. we looked at the players cases who are in the hall of fame. historical stats. and the timeline of the league. we saw a "fake" locker room. and of course the trophies. which are breathtaking. there are also sections devoted to women's hockey, junior hockey, and world hockey leagues. hockey is kind of a big deal. and this place can really open anyone's eyes to that.

once we were done with our hhof visit, we were hungry. so we went to part of the underground network, PATH. the PATH is an underground walkway that connects the city, buildings, subway stops. and within the walkway are shops and restaurants. it really is like a whole other world. when we were walking on the streets we wondered where everyone was. once we started to utilize the PATH...we realized, everyone is down here! it's warmer and you are out of the elements; and can get to where ever you need to get to in the city. UNDERGROUND. it is the best thing since sliced bread. seriously.

so anyway, like i said, we got lunch at an italian restaurant that is part of the PATH. after we were done eating, we were sitting and relaxing. because i was tired after all that walking around the hhof. and guess who walks into the exact restaurant we are in?! ERIC fucking COLE. this may not seem like a big deal. but this is a big deal to 'canes fans who were sad to see this player leave carolina for montreal in free agency last summer. we happen to leave the restaurant at the same time as cole. keith said to him, "we really miss you in carolina...best of luck to you." cole nodded and said thank you. keith's comments, while very polite, probably caught him off guard...what are carolina fans doing in toronto?! and what was eric cole doing in toronto? well, montreal was playing toronto in the hockey game we attended the following night.

we then walked around downtown toronto. outside. in the snow. yes, we braved the elements. we wanted to see this new and beautiful city we were in. we walked down to the st. lawrence market. it is the market place that is all fresh foods. meats. cheeses. vegetables. spices. maple syrup. clothing. whatever you want. it is a permanent structure, so it's always open. it's amazing. every city should have one.
we went to a local grocery store for some provisions and went to the hotel to rest up before dinner. we decided that we'd have dinner at the hotel restaurant. it was close and convenient, plus we had a 10% off coupon. it seemed like a bar/restaurant that has a local following. the beers on tap were excellent, as was our appetizer. however, our main dishes were ok, at best.

we also had the pleasure of two local torontonians to sit next to us at the bar. one of the guys was drunk when he walked in the bar. as they sat down, the other guy accidentally hit keith and replied "sorry, eh?". what does that even mean?... "sorry, huh?" sorry, right?" "sorry, now get the fuck out of my way?"
the drunk guy repeated said to his friend "i am a good guy...i am a nice guy." it was hard to not hear their conversation because as i am sure you know, drunk people feel the need to speak louder. i am not sure why, but they do.
eventually this guy left. to go tell another table much of the same. "i am a good guy..." we aren't sure where his proclamations were coming from, but he definitely wanted the world to know that he is A GOOD GUY.
so we were left with the "sorry, eh?" guy, who quickly engaged in conversation with us. he was comical, and also drunk. he told us that he makes upwards of $200,000/year and that we were in the worst bar in town. we quickly wondered, why then, was he there? he attempted, repeatedly, to hit on me. in front of keith. keith handled it well. i mean, the guy was wasted. he saw a beautiful girl...what else was he going to do other than say something about it? he told us secrets about toronto and tourist things to do. which was nice. he told us that he's been all over the world and that american's don't travel well. apparently when americans get where ever they are traveling, they want to be pampered. they don't want to immerse in their new culture. but mind you, if this guy really is part of the 1%...wouldn't it be possible that the 1% behave this way? and wouldn't that be a skewed view of an ENTIRE population? just my thought...

THEN this guy gets a brilliant idea to go to another bar.
so, we off we went. we were going to be those american tourists your hear about on the news. “tourists last see at local toronto bar.” luckily that is not how our story ended. we went with mr. drunk to jack-astor's. yes, we do have one of those here in the triangle area. no, it was not at all the same. it was a huge bar. that was playing loud music. it almost felt like a club, minus a dance floor. this torontonian, knew everyone, including the manager of this bar. who conveniently wasn't working that night. but nonetheless, he bought us a round of drinks. and this is where things turned weird. he then approached a stranger. a very well-built gentleman to talk about his watch. obviously this stranger could not follow his dialog nor was he interested in doing so. thus, he quit talking to our drunk friend. this caused our drunk friend to inform us that he could kick that guy's ass. via different forms are martial arts. uhhh, ok. where did this come from? all because he wasn't interested in talking about your watch?? then drunkface continues his paranoia and makes some comments about keith's size and how big his shoulders are. what does that have to do with anything?? we are just trying to hang out, drink some beer and have fun. since this guy was getting all skived out, we downed our beers and got the hell outta there. weird.


as you can imagine, the next day was a little rough after our late night adventure. we were lazy, slept in. didn't DO ANYTHING. what a waste of a day in toronto, eh? by the way, using the word "eh?" is probably our favoritest thing we picked up from canada. it's so versatile to have many meanings. it's awesome.
one thing we did do was eat at this swiss market, marche. you go in and they give you a swipe card. so you go to different stations, order what ever you want: pasta, salad, crepes, stir-fry. at each station they put whatever you have ordered on the swipe card. then you sit down and eat. once you are done, you go check-out, with the swipe card and pay. it's really neat. i know that is a terrible adjective, but it was a neat experience. it's a high class buffet. because there isn't a flat rate, but you can go back for as much as you like.


so, the time finally came, after two days in toronto, it was time. for our first hockey game. montreal v. toronto. we were pumped. but also we didn't know what to expect. most of the arenas we went to were in the city. so they were accessible via the subway stations. this was definitely a new experience for us.
as mentioned, toronto has the underground walkway, the PATH, so we used that to get to the air canada centre (ACC). yes, that is how they spell center. when you enter the ACC through the subway entrances, there is A LOT going. on one side there are basketball games. and on the other there are hockey games. all in which you can participate in. and of course there are people in the middle of the concourse yelling at you trying to sell you stuff. then we went through the ticket entrance. keith and i got out our tickets, emptied our pockets, took off our hats and opened our coats. because this is what we are used to doing at the RBC center. well, they scanned my ticket and i was in the arena. i remember just standing there with my cell phone in my hand, thinking "what now? is there anything else?" they had no metal detectors. they didn't look in your bags or coats or anything. it was weird. once we realized this. we put our things back in our pockets and zipped back up. and there was more sensory overload. the ACC was full of lights and things to see and buy and do and touch. it really was hard to take it all in. i definitely felt like that lost fan that we make fun of at our home games.

game #1: montreal vs. toronto @ ACC

this game was also mats sundin banner raising night. basically they were retiring his number. he is kind of a big deal. so as we were walking around, trying to absorb everything we saw, keith noticed there was a maple leafs alumni puck giveway table. you pay $20 dollars to get a mystery puck of a former maple leafs player. well, when in rome...
we thought "what the hell?" it'll be memorabilia. and it would have been really awesome to get mats sundin's puck. so keith paid the $20 and told me to pick a puck. all the pucks were wrapped in tissue paper and sitting on a table. so i reached for one. and i wasn't going to take it, but i ripped the paper, so i kept it. well good thing. because the puck is signed by MATS SUNDIN. now, i know most of you don't give a shit about that. but as i said, he is kind of a big deal in the world of hockey. so it is kind of a big deal that we now have his freakin' signature. bitches.
we still can't believe it.
the puck and the banner ceremony were the best part of the game. along with the crown royal corner. it's like the RBC center's natty greene's pub deck on steroids. it is amazing. and they give out free samples of crown royal drinks. what could be better?!
final score of the game: toronto: 0 montreal 5

here are some pictures from the ceremony and the game.

Mats Sundin and family.

Sundin's banner.

#13 flag that was passed over the fans. it looked really awesome.

game time. whoo!

final score. what a beating.

tuesday was our last day in toronto. we did a lot on this day. we started the day by scaring the shit out of keith. we climbed the CN tower. not only did we go to the observation deck, which is 346m (1136 feet) high, we also went up to the sky pod, which is 447m (1465 feet) high and very tiny. it is definitely not for the faint of heart or claustrophobic. from the sky pod visibility is typically over 100 miles.
once we safely returned to the ground, we got some lunch.
some good did come from being up so high. we saw other things we wanted to do that afternoon. like visit the brewery across the street and go outdoor ice skating.

so, after lunch at the CN tower, we walking across the street to steam whistle brewing. it is housed in an old steam engine repair facility. the tour was a lot of fun and the brewery has a lot of unique history.

It's hard to see, but it's snowing! i took this picture on our way to the ice rink!

so after a few beers, we thought outdoor ice skating would be a fine idea. so we headed over to harbourfront centre. i had never really been ice staking outside before. ok, i have done it once. at the stupid rink we have in raleigh. but i hardly call that "real". this was real. hell, it was even snowing and they have a real zamboni for the rink. plus, they played the united stated national anthem. weird, eh?
as it started to get dark, we made our way back toward our hotel for our final dinner in toronto at an italian restaurant. man, was i tired. it sure was nice to get back to the hotel to relax before we had to head on to montreal the next morning....


so, these are the things we LOVED about toronto...


it was a true melting pot. you couldn't tell who was a visitor and who lived there. there were so many cultures, races and languages. it really is the NYC of canada. but smaller.

they are environmentally friendly. every trashcan had a recycling bin. our hotel room even had a recycling bin. and typically there were multiple recycling bins to divide up the recyclables. HOW AWESOME?

the food is fresher. a lot of restaurants and markets advocate local products.

they have bicycle rentals. where you can rent a bike in one place and drop it off somewhere else. it offers another means of transportation without using a car. amazing.

the people are friendly. and helpful. we never felt out of place. even as newbies.

the underground walkway. it created a whole other way of life. it was like two cities in one. there were people, restaurants, shops on the streets. BUT there were also all of those things UNDERGROUND. it was like a secret society. so interesting. but if you don't know your way around, it is also easy to get lost in.

it is walkable. we walked everywhere. HUGE plus.

toronto, we will definitely be back to visit.

xoxo,
k2

HONEYMOON

i have gotten some requests for details about our honeymoon...so what better way than to share with my blogger world :)

so, keith and i have not gone on a 'honeymoon' yet. we had an amazing wedding week at the beach when got married, so it felt like a honeymoon. but all of our family and friends were there too. so it was definitely not a honeymoon. not that we don't love our family and friends, but i think you all know what i mean. ;)

quickly after keith and i got engaged we talked about what we wanted to do for our honeymoon. we tossed out ideas like tropical vacations. mountain trips. exotic islands. and all of sounded wonderful, yet none of it fit. it just wasn't 'us'. then out of no where, i had it! this amazing idea just came to me....a hockey honeymoon! we'd take a hockey road trip and go to several different cities, see hockey games in different arenas and get to experience different towns!
now, if you know keith and i at all this idea is PERFECT. hockey started our relationship and will forever be a huge part of 'us'.
first of all, we are HUGE carolina hurricanes fans. the point of this trip is not to follow the hurricanes, but yet to experience other hockey cultures. we are going to each city and really try to immerse ourselves in what the locals do. we know that other hockey clubs are cherished by their fans just like we cherish our hurricanes, so on this trip we want to learn why.
and of course, all the while, we will be in amazing cities...so we can be big, huge tourists! we can stay at amazing hotels, eat awesome food and drink great drinks; and perhaps do some sight-seeing ;)

the kicker, hockey is a cold weather sport. so there is no 'warm' time of year to take a hockey road trip. well, we are going in february. eeeepp.
when trying to decide what cities to go to, going to canada was a must for me.
so the trips starts with....us flying up to toronto. this is the longest leg of our trip. hang out there for a few days. go to a montreal vs. toronto game. see the sights. toronto has a lot to offer. the hockey hall of fame. the CN tower. the royal ontario museum...sounds fancy. centre island, which appears to be an amazing park. and niagra falls isn't far away if we can brave the cold. an underground walkway filled with shops, restaurants and entertainment. part of the city lives underground. literally!!!
after all the fun in toronto, we will hop on a train and head to montreal. now, montreal has a legit underground city. toronto's underground 'area' is more like a township. montreal's is a city. you see, canada is so fucking cold that they had to figure out a way to get people to shops, restaurants, movies during the 10 months of winter. eureka! the underground city! while in montreal we will see the hurricanes play against montreal. now, now...it wasn't on purpose. it was just the way the schedules worked out. we will not wear any hurricanes paraphernalia to the game. just something red...since both teams wear red. no one will know that we are secret 'canes fans :)
montreal is our last canadian stop, eh? then we'll get on another train. and take a very longggggg train ride to NYC. we will see chicago play against the new york rangers at madison square garden!!! i am so excited! i love everything there is to love about NYC. and i am even more excited to be seeing a game at MSG. whooop. while we're in NYC, for only two days, i want to go to a broadway play, climb the statue of liberty, go to the 9/11 memorial, walk museum mile (and perhaps go to a museum...MET), and ellis island. whew. that's a lot for two days.
our next stop is in philadelphia. we'll see pittsburgh come to town to play the flyers. philly has so much of our national history, that i don't even know where to start. the liberty bell, all the original documents of our nation, betsy ross house. and we'll definitely eat cheese steak. a lot of it.
the last stop is raleigh. obviously we live in raleigh, but the hockey road trip part of it will end in raleigh, with a home hurricanes game against the washington capitals.

so. there you have it. as we add more details and things we'll want to do in each city, i'll update you guys! we can't wait!!!!

it truly is our honeymoon.....♥

xoxo