Christmas and New Years

This Christmas Fernanda, Phil, Amy and William drove out from Montreal to spend a few days with us on the mountain. The weather was great - warm and with just enough snow to to let the kids go tobogganing. Marie made a turkey with sausage stuffing and a raspberry trifle for desert - we all enjoyed it thoroughly! We had cut and dragged a big spruce home that week. Decorating it was a challenge but we managed to get our almost 36 years of special ornaments up without toppling the tree and it looked good. After Christmas Marie and I drove back to Montreal, dropped off Ben and caught the VIA train for Toronto where we were to meet up with brother Richard and Nancie. The day before New Year's we all attended a fantastic Christmas concert performed by the Trans Siberian Orchestra at the Scotiabank Arena. They started out with their famous Carol of the Bells and thrilled us all with an amazing light show, beautiful vocals and non stop excitement. We stayed in the Marriott downtown that night before driving back to Richard's place in Cambridge the next morning. We brought in the New Year, staying up till the new decade began, wishing one another a prosperous, healthy and happy 2020.. Thanks Rich and Nancie for a lovely supper and your very special company! We returned to Montreal on the 2nd where we met up with Christina and her two boys, Damien and Declan and had Christmas all over again. Then it was time to head back home and to the snow and ice that seemed to be the norm for this winter. An eventful year to be sure. But now too all - the very best of the new year!  gws

Amy and Frosty

William and Amy

Phil beat us!

sister and brother hugs

William lying in the snow, lost in thought

Marie at the Montreal train station

Nancie and Richard waiting for the concert to begin

above 5 photos at the Trans Siberian Orch. concert

looking at cheese at a market, downtown Toronto

dinner with Richard and Nancie

leaving the Big Smoke on train to Montreal

Bonaventure Metro in Montreal, heading back to Phil's place

William and Damien

Damien, Grandmama and Amy

happy Grandmama

Grandmama with Declan and Amy

Damien and William

Amy and Damien

Fer, me and Damien, Amy and Christina

home again!

Illumi, Féerie de Lumiéres, Dec 2019

The first week of December, after an early snow storm at our place, Marie and I headed to Montreal to look after William and Amy for four days while Phil and Fer were partying it up in New Orleans. Fer had bought the four of us tickets to Illumi for that Friday night so we bundled up warmly, caught the Metro to Station Montmorency and then the shuttle to Laval where the event was being held. Illumi proclaimed to be a 'magical, captivating and extraordinary nocturnal outdoor journey created from thousands of monumental light sculptures'. I had not been aware of it until Fernanda told us and thought it would be a great experience for the kids. We got there just as darkness fell, picked up our VIP wrist bands and grabbed some free hot chocolate. Soon the night was aglow with more than 10 million brilliant lights and music, the largest multimedia sound and light show in the world. We spent the next three hours exploring the fantasy worlds, Feliz Navidad, the Merry-go-Round Square, Infinite Poles, Magic Lanterns, the Many Colours of the Savanah, and Dreaming on a Star. We checked out the Christmas market and the food merchants gathered around a gigantic tree of sparkling lights trying to decide what to eat. It was certainly cold but frequent trips to the VIP tent for hot beverages and pizza later kept everyone happy. The kids especially enjoyed the train ride and a warm place inside the giant tree to play video games! A visit with Santa was next before we headed home with rosy cheeks and wonderful memories!   gws

Phil, New Orleans

on the Metro

Map of Illumi

warming up at one of the fire stops

entrance to the Magic Lanterns

Marie and William, Montmorency Metro station

breakfast at Amy's favourite restaurant, Eggsfrutti

William doing his homework