Bed Breakfast Montreal

A less Maestro-like Federer gets ignored

No doubt about it, the guy is a marketing juggernaut, the likes of which tennis hasn’t seen since the incomparable (if considerably less cultured) Andre Agassi. If you own a luxury brand business, you can’t get a better spokesperson than Roger Federer. He’s continental, he’s good looking, he’s suave, he’s well-spoken – and unlike his Spanish counter-part, he actually seems to have some acting ability....in fact even as I sit here, I have an overwhelming urge to run out and buy some Lindt chocolate truffles. But fan sentiment and his abilities as Rolex and Mercedes Benz salesman aside, the rest of the tennis world is starting to doubt Federer’s relevance in terms of actually winning titles. Oh, the television commentators give the Maestro lip service....but that seems more out of a quest for ratings (nobody gets viewers to tune in like Federer and Nadal) than any actual belief that he will be successful. Consider the French Open as exhibit A. Pundits were falling all over themselves proclaiming their amazement that Federer reached the final. Now, we’re talking about a guy who won the event in 2009, and made his way to the final 3 other times. Understandably, he can’t be considered the favorite with Rafael Nadal hanging about, but to be shocked at his success? Hardly complimentary, even if the turn of events delighted all but the most diehard Djokovic fan. I won’t claim that Federer’s dominance is what it once was. It isn’t. He has too many off days and he is vulnerable to too many players on those days. But if you doubt his ability to produce sublime tennis, I urge you to re-watch his Roland Garros semifinal against Novak Djokovic. That was very close to perfection from the Swiss. And unless something phenomenal happens at the US Open, that right there is the match of the year.

I love Roger, but I'm sooooo tired of the over the top marketing. After the first week of a slam, I'm begging the media powers that be to please put Roger to bed. Im a huge Rafa fan but there are times when I'd rather see Soderling hawking swedish anything, than Roger and the watches, and the airplanes, and the chocolates, and on and on and on. In regard to the pundits, all it would take is another win and once again Roger would be right in the mix. Maybe even the favorite. Cheryl, you must not have seen Rafa's ads with Pauo (Lakers basketball).

He may not be as dominant as he used to be, but is it realistic to expect that? The level of dominance he has shown is incredible! It is still a joy to watch him play and I'm glad he's still playing and it would be a shame if he would stop. I don't expect him to win every match he plays, I never did.... but I'm rooting for him every time.

Gay and Lesbian Travel: Montreal Rolls Out The Pink Carpet For ...

Summer vacations are a time-honored tradition for most American families. Most of us look for a little cool weather to refresh us from the summer’s heat and humidity. Summer is also a time to reconnect with our loved ones. Gay and Lesbian families are no exception when we look for a little time together away from the daily grind.

Harry and I decided to go to a new spot this year for our vacation. We both love to travel so we decided to visit Montreal. Canada has a special place in our hearts since we were married in Vancouver in 2003. That was before any US states offered same-sex marriage. We traveled 3,000 miles to be able to have what all couples want – to marry the person they love. Now we would only have to go as far as New York to be married, and hopefully if the Supreme Court does the right thing, we can just go down the block to the county courthouse on Whitehead Street. It infuriates me that an opposite sex couple can meet in a bar, know each other for 10 minutes and walk into the Monroe County courthouse and get married- but a same-sex couple that has been together 20 years has to fly to another country to secure the blessings of liberty.

This has to change, but I digress.

We flew to Montreal to find an amazing, clean city, with parks, a beautiful waterfront and a very gay friendly vibe. Montreal is in the province of Quebec and most of the population speaks French. Nearly 65% are bilingual so English is readily spoken, but I got to practice my French and Harry can now order ice cream in French with no hesitation!

We were fortunate enough to find a quaint little bed and breakfast in the part of Montreal known as the Gay Village or Le Village Gai . This former working class neighborhood has undergone tremendous gentrification in the past 20 years as gays and lesbians have moved in and renovated many run down historic buildings. The B&B we visited, the Alexandre Logan (established 1870), is located in a beautifully renovated brick Victorian town home just two blocks from St. Catherine Street, the heart of Le Villlage Gai.

When we walked down to St. Catherine Street we were greeted by a pedestrian mall stretching ten blocks. From May to October, this section is closed to cars and there are dozens of cafes, restaurants, shops and theaters. The street is decorated with rainbow flags, and pink ornaments hang from one side of the street to the other on the light poles, creating a sea of pink that looks like a flying carpet of gay apparel – a canopy of pink stretching as far as the eye can see. Imagine if Upper Duval Street were closed to cars from December to May! Instead of noisy cars and scooters, we would have outdoor restaurants, people strolling along, sidewalk cafes and art galleries filled with pedestrians. Maybe the powers that be in Key West can take a little trip to Canada to see how it is done.