isobelmtl

Writing under a Montreal sky

Recent Blog Posts

about

Isobel Cunningham has published short fiction and poetry. Her book, Northern Compass is available on Amazon. She was born in Wales but Montreal is her adopted home. She speaks French, Modern Greek ( it’s a fun story) and a little Spanish…oh, English too, of course. She welcomes comments on her blog and looks forward to chatting with you over cyber-space.

Category: Uncategorized

  • Japan in Brazil

    Yes, you read that right.  There are about a million and a half people of Japanese descent in Brazil and most of them live in Sao Paulo province.  We were lucky enough to be taken to the Japanese section of the city and we enjoyed the atmosphere, the food and the shopping.  So, how did…

  • A Hopeful Sign

      Roll around world. Take winter away. Let Spring step out. Let blue skies stay just for a while. We know you’ll come back. But roll away, Winter. You’ve had your day. ( Wasn’t  this a strange thing to find on my windshield yesterday?)

  • Costa Verde, Brazil

    Between Rio and Sao Paulo lies a protected coastline known as the Costa Verde.  There is limited coastal roadway and the main way to visit the spectacular islands and beaches of this area is by boat.  A range of mountains covered with tropical greenery rises almost from sea level.  Tiny coves and beaches and islands…

  • Brazil, part two – far from the city

    It took about four hours to get from Sao Paulo to the little colonial town of Paraty on Brazil’s Costa Verde (Green Coast).  The distance is not really that far, about 250 km, but going on the ring road around the great metropolis was pretty time consuming.  Our intrepid host, Adolpho managed the truly amazing…

  • Big, beautiful, bewildering Brazil

      Canada is a big country too.  When people ask if I know their cousin in Calgary, I smile and shake my head.  So, I realize going to Brazil for a couple of weeks only gives a tiny glimpse  of this amazing country.  However, here goes on a few impressions of where we went in…

  • Amateur Plumbing

    This is a term that should strike terror in the hearts of all first world residents.  I have the greatest respect for all tradesmen and manual workers and garbage men are practically angels in my estimation.  Plumbers are the mainstay of western civilization, really!  So when I returned from a wonderful vacation in Brazil with…

  • Looking and feeling

      Is it possible for a writer to write something meaningful about a sunset without falling into corny sentimentality?  Is sentimentality corny?  Last night here in Muskoka we experienced a spectacular sunset.  I had seen a few like that in the far North.  I believe when there is a sort of ceiling of cloud and…

  • Thank you to the 153 authors who participated in our ME, AT 17 Poetry and Prose Series

    Thank you to the 153 writers — from 36 states and 16 countries — who participated in our ME, AT 17 Poetry & Prose Series, which ran January 1 – March  5, 2017. Many thanks to the following auth… Source: Thank you to the 153 authors who participated in our ME, AT 17 Poetry and…

  • Poem published

    I already bragged on Facebook so if you clapped already, please excuse me  but… I have some wordpress followers who might be interested. I recently discovered a wonderful online literary review – with an unusual name – Rat’s Ass Review – I noticed that poets I admired had been featured there.  This made me want…

  • Your cue – I flip the calendar

            Spring, like a well-loved old movie star is making her appearance a little too soon.  Of course we adore her and welcome her with open arms, but….I get a little uneasy when I see maple syrup buckets out at the end of February.  This is mid Ontario, for heaven’s sake!  We are…