Winter Holidays’ 2016 

Dec 25th, 2016

3:40 am: Toma walks into our bedroom : ‘Papa! Do you think Santa came? Is it time to go downstairs? ‘ Papa (hopelessly): ‘No….we have to wait until the sun comes up….’ 

7am: Toma walks in the bedroom towing hers and her sister’s stockings..: ‘I checked downstairs!! Just toys and candy … No coal!!’ 

Girls open their stockings on our bed… We are trying to get the last seconds of shuteye but an ice cold metal slinky on my face quickly jolts me out of my slumber. We make our way downstairs to open the rest of the presents. Present opening is as crazy as expected but by about noon we are able to make it out of the house and set on our first leg of a trip – Boston.

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts for the first day driving. Pretty uneventful beside a mad drive through a seedy part of NY suburb in search of a place to eat and a bathroom. Mama and papa about to pee their pants but we find a small Subway. We are greeted by a friendly counter person with ‘summer’ teeth. Toma makes big eyes and in a loud ‘whisper’ inquires that perhaps the counter person did not brush her teeth well?! I want to run out of the store in shame at this point but have no choice as it’s the only place open on Christmas Day. 

We are in Boston around 8pm. Girls are given a box of candy canes by mama and are spreading holiday cheer by handing them to all hotel clerks and other passersby…

Hotel room has a gorgeous view of Custom House Tower and Boston Harbor. Girls promptly jump on the bed and we get room service while watching Beauty and the Beast we caught on TV. 

Dec. 26, 2016

Boston morning is nice and slow with big breakfast in the hotel and a stroll through Faneuil Hall to see the tree and Christmas market that understandably has more security personnel than visitors. We don’t last long as it is frigid. During the breakfast a nice server came to check on us and asked how were we doing (with this enormous amount of food) to which Toma raised her index finger and advised that we were doing exquisite, thank you.. very much

We say goodbye to Boston (after some criss crossing through the downtown, which Toma quickly calls ‘redicument’) and set off to cross Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Pretty soon we enter snow country as signs along the road warn us of winter storms along the route.  

Early dinner/late lunch in cold and windswept Burlington Vermont. While we are walking to a pizza place bundled up but cold, Sasha solemnly announces : ‘you need warmness to survive!! You die in cold!!’ 

We make the rest of the way through Vermont/Montreal/Quebec….in pretty severe sleet and high wind. Sol’s hands get pretty sweaty maintaining a death grip on the wheel. Toma entertains us by rocking out and singing loudly to Sugar Rush (song in Wreck it Ralph).

We clean out Tim Horton’s (everything else is closed) buying a dozens of pastries, bunches of small milks and juices, and pick up wine at the local gas station (long stand the country with a decent wine selection at the gas station) to bring dinner of various pastries  to friends who are waiting for us at a rental chalet on the mountain.. 

Another very slippery and icy drive and, after a minor incident involving riding a 3 ton unmanageable sled down ice covered hill, hitting a stranded car, we finally arrive at our destination and have a glass of wine to calm nerves. Our friends are happy to see us mainly because we are the sole source of food for a foreseeable future given the weather conditions. 

Kids are excited to see their friends so there is not much sleeping among the 3 three year olds, a five year old and an almost seven year old especially when three of them are sharing the room with the bunk beds (first sleepover experience for Toma).

December 27, 2016

Adults are keen on chilling around the house after a long travel day but kids are ready to go! Temperature is a balmy 20’ Fahrenheit, so we layer up and go shake some ice down from the playground near chalet. Toma appears to be quite a snow leopard. It is hard to get her out of snow and she is happy playing in it all day. 

We catch a free shuttle circling between the resort’s main promenade and all the living areas. It proves to be invaluable with our various trips to the slopes and to town throughout  the next week.

We reach ‘ Village Pietonnier’ and it’s lovely. Nestled at the bottom of Mont Tremblant it is akin to a French Alps village where people frolic among fondu’s and creperies and every one is speaking French. People are polite with this specific European aloof politeness which reminds me of Paris. Many hotels surround the area with the ski slopes coming straight to entrances for ski-in experience. ‘Le Cabriolet’ runs atop the main drag taking skiers to the ski lifts. Mont Tremblant is majestic. 

We find a place for a quick bite and walk up the hill to investigate. We find another playground and play there…. with minor slips and bumps on frozen metal. I add another phrase to my library of most used parental expressions: ‘are you stuck?’ 

We stumble upon la ‘Cabane A Sucre De La Montagne’ selling frozen maple syrup treats (hot maple syrup is poured in the snow and rolled on the stick for a lollipop treat) that one of our friends (Yarrow) describes as a ‘heaven on a stick’. 

At night, we are entertained by kids who discovered a karaoke machine (Toma’s and Sasha’s Christmas present).

December 28, 2016

First solo ski day for some of us (Sol and Yarrow) who scarf down breakfast, put on their gear and are off to catch a shuttle. They call back to report that lines and crowds are HUGE (holiday week) but they make it up pretty swiftly and are able to enjoy their day. 

Spots at kids ski school are all taken up for the day, so, Myself, Tina and David take the five to town again.  We ride ‘Le Cabriolet’ and kids are ecstatic. We add to excitement by establishing communication between the two gondolas we are riding via Walkie Talkies. 

We visit the playground again and, of course, la ‘Cabane a sucre’ where kids opt for maple syrup candy. We enjoy our goodies by the outdoor fireplace.

At home we take the kiddies to an outdoor hot tub and they absolutely love it while we are trying to keep them from jumping in and out in 16’ Fahrenheit temperature.  Night is some more kid karaoke and at bed time it is quiet in kids’ rooms quickly.

We end our night with some good ‘clean’ humor playing cards against humanity.

December 29, 2016

Gabe and I are on the 8:20 am shuttle to the slopes. We get our latitude cards and I catch a gondola to the 1st lodge on the mountain. I am joined by a group of 8 year olds and their ski school instructor. They chat is French but I hear Shopkins a lot, so I figure they are discussing their Christmas haul.

Gondola climbs higher and higher and I go between total euphoria and a mild panic. Looking at the frozen peaks I briefly consider just riding a gondola back…. It has been a while since I was on skis.

At the top I see a big sign ‘Bienvenue Dilettantes’ – my kind of skiing. In a few switchbacks skiing comes back to me and I breeze down the slope. I spend morning hopping off and on ski lifts and end up at the peak of the mountain where I am completely alone with the white frigid gorgeousness. 

I leisurely ski down and meet Sol and kids at the bottom to spend some time on the bunny slopes before ski school starts.

Later we meet up with Gabe and Yarrow to go explore some slopes at the top.

Late afternoon we receive our kids from ski school exhausted but undefeated. We drink some hot cocoa at the outside fire pit.

December 30th, 2016

Lazy day with some Star Wars, outside snow play and tubing. Toma still can not get enough of climbing in the snow and climbs up pretty high up the nearby hill covered in about 3 feet of snow.. She is ready to spend all day outside and Sol, Sasha, and her enjoy their first official organized sliding experience at the nearby tubing place. Girls, of course, are in love with the experience.

At night we venture into pedestrian villages to see the christmas/New Years lights. It is lively and lovely and there is an open air discotheque going on with the dancing lights and a DJ. Everyone is dressed in snowsuits and is dancing on ice in about 0’ Fahrenheit. Kids are along with the program and we all shake a leg before retiring into a nearby chocolatier shop for some treats that quickly become frozen as we step outside. Sol has to finish his caramel apple quickly while he can still bite into it.

December 31, 2016

Birthday boys (Sol and Gabe) jump into their gear and are off to the mountain in wee hours. They have promised to not do any of the ‘I’m 40 and my life is over’ tricks on the slopes. 

Me and the girls are off to the village to find a cake for papa and to hang out. It is crisp 6-7 Fahrenheit. We hit some shops and find little toy Wolf puppies that girls just can’t leave behind. I budge, puppies are cute. 

We meet up for lunch with Tina and Parker who are done making their Canadian giraffe at the French version of ‘build a bear’.

We meet European versions of christmas spirits walking the town and le Toufou- the local mascot reindeer. Girls are elated.

At the chalet kids pass time in jacuzzi in our bedroom while David makes delicious savory crepes (spoils of traveling with a French guy who is a great cook) for a birthday dinner. We finish with a nice chocolate mousse cake that I carefully decorate with 40 candles.

We let kids stay up to ring in the New Year but only two make it to midnight (Toma and Parker). Toma decorates herself and others with glittery flair and lighted hats.

We drink champagne, send the year off and watch the ball and Mariah Carey descend on TV. 

January 1, 2017

Me and Yarrow are on the 9am bus to the mountain. Last day of skiing , so, there is no time for hangovers. Wind is biting but the temperature holds at about 16 Fahrenheit…. balmy.

Mountain is nearly empty in the morning and I spend some time going down the most obscure lifts to find quiet whiteness….mountain obliges.

Slopes are empty, fresh and powdery. Truly a treat.

We have lunch at the top lodge and I try Poutine….. The cold cheese on the top is interesting…..

for the afternoon runs we are in for a treat. The sun chases clouds and fog away and the mountain grows colorful. The white is brilliant, the green is emerald and the sky is clean blue. 

I have to stop often going down the slopes to snap a picture or two. It is so vastly gorgeous that it seems like everything else in life resides on a different planet. 

Lifts close early due to holiday and we stop by for some Cafe au Lait at the bottom of the mountain.

At the chalet I hear about kids’ day of sledding and snow play at the town’s playground. It also has a hockey rink (of course) and a basketball court made into a hockey rink (Canada), so, there is some skating.

We pack up and run out of wine early in the night. Cards against humanity save the day after kids are in bed. 

We say goodby to our chalet and the village in the morning. We drive back home with a brief stop for lunch at 7 grains cafe and bakery in downtown Montreal where food is organic, delicious and expensive.

Goodbye Canada! We will be back soon! 

Takeaways:

There is no ‘too cold’ to be outside if you are dressed adequately 

Sometimes dressing adequately for cold prevents you from folding arms or sitting down

Toma LOVES snow

Sasha thinks that hot cocoa is the only way for her to warm up (she may be right)

Poutine is not worth the calories but frozen Maple syrup on the stick is.

Montreal food is good enough to making a trek out there sometime soon