9. The Appeal of a Lush Meadow, nuanced by Montréal Nostalgia
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A Blakean Obsession with Luxuriant Meadows and Remembering Montréal
Growing up, I completely took for granted the beautiful intimidating landscapes of Canada. Upon visits to different national parks I was indifferent to the lush greenery, wide expanses of lakes, layers of wildlife. All I saw were bugs and murky water. It took moving to the flat swamplands of the Netherlands to begin truly seeking out nature and the scientific research backing up it’s benefits, however, the seed was planted during my first year as an English Lit undergraduate when I was introduced to the romantics and the wonder that is, William Blake.
Blakean pastoral imagery compliments the Dutch countryside landscapes, as the idyllic English countryside is just across the pond and runs quite parallel with the delicate cows and abundant grasses of The Netherlands. So I found myself reminiscing his writing and how I first began studying his work. Reading through Blake’s poetry was a respite from the harsh Montréal winters and generally aggressive city folk. The cozy corners of cafés, specifically Café Castel, just down the hill from where my romantics course was taught, were a sanctuary from the winding wind tunnels and salty death traps of sidewalks that lay beckoning beyond the café doors. At that moment in time I was prone to drinking copious amounts of americanos, and this was even before the inevitable obsession with Gilmore Girls began - at the overripe age of 21 during a wifi drought resulting in a fervent pilfer through a roommate’s DVD collection. The caffeine-induced heart fluttering only accelerated as I reread the illustrated Songs of Innocence and Experience. Enjoying his rough commentary on those that tamper with the natural world and the heartbreaking truth behind his poetics.
I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen;
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.
And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
And ‘Thou shalt not’ writ over the door;
So I turned to the Garden of Love
That so many sweet flowers bore.
And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tombstones where flowers should be;
And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars my joys and desires.
Finding nature living in Montréal required hiking up Mont Royal, a timid ‘mountain’ filled to the brim in the summer and slated in ice in the winter. I trekked up there no matter the time of year to gasp at the fresh air above the city. Even remembering it now triggers some sweetness. Unfortunately, I lived in MTL right before the onset of mainstream smartphones - I held onto my blackberry and it’s shitty camera until the very last moment (2015) so my photographic memories of most of my time there are stored away in a box filled with 35mm moments in my parents home back in Ottawa.
Wandering through Mont Royal, I used to clip away some branches and petals to recreate my own floral paradise back in my apartment in the autumn to prepare for the days when it was -40 and too miserable to leave the house. Floral shops are not as plentiful in Canada as they are in the Netherlands, where you can get a stunning bouquet for under 5 euro no matter the neighbourhood. An attribute I will miss dearly when we decide to move onto our next adventure in another country. So foraging non-endangered flora throughout Mont Royal became a way to capture floral moments. This was way before I knew anything about Shinrin-yoku but there I was, shoes in hand, choosing the forested pathways instead of the well-trodden main winding path, and relishing in the tranquility of the trees. Misting over some Blake and enjoying the natural reset. Or come springtime, rushing to catch the bountiful grasses along the Mont Royal hills before they were mowed down for picnics. Just so I could dance through the fields and feel the joy of winter behind us and the sun warming up my toes.
When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy,
And the dimpling stream runs laughing by;
When the air does laugh with our merry wit,
And the green hill laughs with the noise of it;
When the meadows laugh with lively green,
And the grasshopper laughs in the merry scene;
When Mary and Susan and Emily
With their sweet round mouths sing ‘Ha ha he!’
When the painted birds laugh in the shade,
Where our table with cherries and nuts is spread:
Come live, and be merry, and join with me,
To sing the sweet chorus of ‘Ha ha he!’
I am a sucker for anything nostalgic/melancholic and Blake’s poems are right on the nose. Although nowadays when I miss Montréal I reach for Irving Layton or the classic L.C., this is a nice memory capsule that I revisit from time to time. Especially during warmer corners of the year, when I linger in European meadowed landscapes with picnics pretending I’m starring in an Éric Rohmer. The back of my mind is always mulling over the cozy corners of Café Castel or the grassy fields of springtime Mont Royal.
Grasses, wildflowers, pollinators and soaring birds, all unaware of their prolific gaze upon our sun-kissed legs and blissful impact unto our tick-anxiety/rippling-heartbeats.
Some things nourishing me this week:
Ruth Reichl’s Substack takeover, I recommend reading through the articles. Also reading all of her books. She is fantastic. Start with Garlic & Sapphires for belly laughs and recipes.
Lulu doing literally anything and looking cute
Elvis choosing to sit in my hat instead of disrespect Lulu by sitting in her bed
The last tomatoes of the season, which fruited as a result of a fallen cherry tomato from a summer salad into an empty strawberry pot many months back
Dried verveine sent from the garden I planted in Nico’s family home in Figeac, France
Thank you all for being here <3 there was a heavy new moon eclipse this past friday, I hope you celebrated and manifested and are having a nice slow weekend. We are deep in the grays of Dutch winter so revisiting sunnier memories like those above is enjoyable, I hope you were able to indulge in the warmer escapism as well!
My first podcast was released today! Listen to the edited version here, or enjoy the unedited version here where Paula and I get into her time in the Amazon and dream Amazon-inspired project. Subscribe to be notified when my podcast with Evgenia Emets is released this week! Thank you for your patience!
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