Domaine Forget

I just got back from a two-week session of woodwind masterclasses at Domaine Forget in Quebec, Canada. Domaine Forget is located on the north side of the St. Lawrence Seaway, a wide river (and set of locks and canals) that enable ships to make it from the Great Lakes out to sea.

Not only was this my first time to Canada, but also my first trip out of the country. My prior exposure with all things Canadian was a two-pronged: Barney Stinson jokes from How I Met Your Mother and the more romantic Anne of Green Gables. Regardless, I knew I was going to like it there.

After a 16-hour drive, we arrived at beautiful Domaine Forget - a plot of land on the side of a hill with old renovated barns, and a magnificent view of the water. I enjoyed this view from the front porch of my little studio apartment. It was the perfect spot to read a book and listen to Valtari, the new Sigur Ros album.

In fact the correlation between the video they released to promote the album almost exactly captures the way the ships float along. If the light is just right, the ships look like ghosts floating just above the water. The effect is eerie and magical.

The romantic in me got used to eating meals on the deck with a a view of my very own "'lake' of shining waters," climbing a hill on a rickety wooden staircase in the woods, and admiring the green grass flecked with all sorts of wildflowers. I was one step short of picking them and weaving a wreath to wear on my head.

I even made some "bosom friends." Who knew you could get so close to people in two short weeks? My long drive home was a nostalgic one, recalling that time I cried all the way home from my last All-State orchestra concert senior year of high school. Hopefully music will bring us together again. After all, the music world is a small one.

The unfortunate consequence of being surrounded by such beauty is that Cleveland pales in comparison. Lake Erie is usually various shades of black.