The Shmall

For those of us originating from the West End of Montreal, we grew up at the Cavendish Mall. My high school was just two blocks away, so we would make the quick lunch time walk for a slice of Pizza at the dearly remembered Pic Nic or Cattlemans restaurants.

So many memories...my first button up vest from Le Chateau (circa 1989), getting my ears pierced, the anticipated opening of McDonalds.

And while the mall has seen better days, it still is the place to be for the Cote St Luc 80+ crowd. Yes, there are barely any stores left and half of the mall is being turned into condos, but there is a great Pharmaprix, IGA, movie theatre and Dollarama.

While the octogenarians hang out in the food court or MMMuffins, the kiddies can have fun too.

This weekend we discovered all that there is to do in the mall on a rainy Sunday. With tons of rides including a merry go round, taxi cab and forklift, Hannah had her first spin on a quarter (or loonie or toonie) operated ride. And she had her share of thrills on the train. Not cheap at $2/person but an entertaining 5 minutes nonetheless. As my husband pointed out, the train conductor took real pride in his job. Dressed in overalls and a bandana, he distributed tickets, then came to punch them and yelled "all aboard". I think I am the only person to ever get nauseous on that train, but he was twisting and twirling through the mall.

All in all, a fun way to spend a few hours to beat the rain. And a nice walk down memory lane.