I've spent way too much time in Austin lately. I guess that's only to be expected since, well, I live here. Last year I kept making plans to get away for a week or two to make personal photos only to have them foiled by little medical kerfuffles and family obligations. This year I had high hopes for an early, early Spring jaunt somewhere that's not Austin but then... another delay. This week I resolved to just go. Made reservations at my favorite hotel and also on a non-stop flight to my favorite city in North America; Montreal. It is, for me, the perfect city to visit, to wander around, to photograph, to visit museums and galleries, to eat fun food, and to just chill out in. When I visit there I don't feel hurried or hassled. I can spend an afternoon nursing a coffee or tea in a wonderful café and not get anything done beyond writing a few travel notes and jotting down ideas. And then there is the wonderful Metro...
I'm heading up in a couple of weeks. I'm ready for some solo photography. Solo travel, and working with only my own personal agenda. I'm looking forward to cooler weather. And I'm looking forward with relish to heading to the biggest art museum in Canada to spend a day looking through their fabulous collections and spending an hour or so diving into the Richard Avedon show there that I've been anxious to see for some time now.
Since I am quite eccentric when it comes to photographic gear I'm thinking about doing a "one camera/one lens" sort of thing. My current consideration is the Leica SL2-S (wonderful low light chops and all around great files) combined with the Leica 50mm APO Summicron SL. Having been a Boy Scout I'll have to take the little Leica Q2 along as a back-up. (Same batteries). But only as a back-up in case something show-stopping happens to the bigger camera. Sure, the SL2-S and the 50 APO are big and heavy but if they are the only pieces of gear you have to carry with it all averages out. I have a lot of ideas for things I'd like to photograph while I'm there and I'm hoping that the food markets are open. There are still neighborhoods I haven't explored on past trips and that's also a lure. I'm booked in for six nights so I've got time to slow down and dive into whatever interests me in the moment.
But today... For the last several days the heater at the pool where I swim with my masters team has been out of commission; broken, in need of professional attention. This, of course, conveniently? happened just as we're experiencing what might be our last cold snap of the Spring season. Temperatures overnight have been dipping down at night to the upper 40s and the dry air makes evaporative cooling faster and more efficient. When we swam yesterday the water, which is usually a consistent 82°, was a chilly 73°.
While that might not seem off-putting to our more Northerly readers it's all about what you are acclimated to. A drop of nearly 10° is something you feel the minute you hit the water. When you watch the swimming in the Olympics (and I'm sure ALL OF YOU do!!!) you probably find yourself wondering: " I wonder what the water temperature is for competitive swimming at the games?" And I'm here to tell you that they keep the water as close to 78° Fahrenheit as they can. If the water is too hot you lose your feel for the water and also, on longer races, have issues with fluid loss (osmotic pressure...) and heat exchange. If the water is too cold then muscles tighten up and the water saps core body temperatures which hampers optimum blood flow. Especially, again, on the longer races.
To have consistency in things like world record performances it's critical to limit variations tightly. Evening the playing field as it were.
Today the pool was closer to 70°. I wore two swim suits and two silicone swim caps to try and retain as much body heat as possible. The first entry into the pool really wakes one up. Dramatically. In the middle of the workout we hit a good spot where we felt our muscles warmed up enough to get through our usual sets and distances but at the 45 minute mark the cold was really sinking in. And since we mostly swim in warmer water we mostly don't have anywhere near the body fat that "polar bear" swimmers carry with them. So, without the insulation, we all started feeling the energy slowly draining away. By the hour mark we bagged it and headed to the hot showers. And, even though it was already in the upper 60s by the time I crawled into my car I put on the seat warmer for my ride home. An added boost to the warming cycle initiated by the warm shower.
Today is a mellow day. Lunch with a friend who was one of my favorite advertising clients. This afternoon I'm looking forward to a long walk through downtown or the UT area with the camera and lens combo I described above. I'll use it daily before my trip to make sure my own interface with the camera and lens I'll be shooting with on my vacation is as dialed in as I can make it. Muscle memory and all that.
Here are some photos from my previous, Fall 2023 visit to Montreal. Why do I like the city so much? Because it's so, so, so different from Austin. Not that there is anything wrong with Austin but familiarity is cloying.... Spring! Who knew it could so fun? Wish we had the pool heaters fixed right now.....
Walking through the old town.
Tiny kids on a food field trip.
Amazing blast from the past: A working Bell payphone.
(in) famous photographer tests a Leica Q2 in a convenient mirror.
Montreal mannequins have a relaxed panache.
Parade of restaurant chefs.
young gourmands sampling cheeses at the Marché Jean-Talon market
self explanatory
Yes. Coffee shop/bakery/café and art. Big art.
The Weather in Montreal in late April??? Will I need socks for my Birkenstocks???
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