A Cold Sunny Afternoon

Sunday turned out to be the sunniest day of last week. We've been planning to spend it walking and discovering another nearby commercial area in Montreal. Rue Sherbrooke is a thirty-minute walk from our house and is considered the second longest street in the city. The long stretch of street was filled with various architecture, shops, art galleries, museums, cafes, hotels, etc. We could spend a full three days here and I am certain we still wouldn't be able to see it all. We walked from 1:30 PM to a little over 5 PM. We made over twenty thousand steps. I was dead tired by the time we arrived home and I never made it after 8 PM. My entire legs were very numb and tired, I had to ask Jan to apply Salonpas, a pain reliever patch. Would I do it again? Absolutely! Jan and I will always remain to be huge fans of long walks especially when the weather is pleasant. 

Can you spot the car?

ice popsicles as "double kill"

really grateful for the sun <3

It was still cold at -9C and temperature dropped after 4 PM, so gloves were necessary

Westmount Seventh-day Adventist church

this white adorable house stood out from the crowd

Jan and I went into several shops to browse and Quincaillerie Hogg in Westmount left us speechless. It had everything you would want inside your house. J'adore! <3

a gravy boat that's so cute you can use it as your pen holder or just display it by the kitchen shelf--makes for a nice conversation starter

Jan wanted to buy this book but I stopped him, asking him several times if he's really going to have the time to finish it what with his already busy schedule juggling school and work. He left with a heavy heart </3

Jan: If zombies were around they'd surely catch up on us because you're easily distracted and wouldn't care if they were after us
Me: Jan, let me just finish my snowball.

Bonjour from Mr and Mrs Ong!

always looking at the sunny side of life <3

It's still Christmas in February

straight out of a fairytale book-- a big beautiful castle hidden in the thick woods

Can you find the hidden cone?

What We Did on the Last Day of January

Jan and I wanted to end the first month of the year on a beautiful note. We woke up at 9:30 AM to have an early start. Yes, this was actually an early start for us considering it's still the weekend. We had to make sure we could get more of the sun since it sets early on winter. A few nights prior, we were looking online for a park where we can just go on a walk and just enjoy the sun. It was unbelievably cold at -24C last Sunday that it was a tough decision between leaving the warm comfort of our home or braving the chilly weather outside. You already know we went for the latter. 

We eventually chose to go to Parc-nature du Bois-de-Liesse in Pierrefonds, Quebec. It was a short fifteen-minute drive via Transcanadienne Ouest. Car parking was easy as there was a pay parking inside the park, but if you're not one to pay like us, then you can park outside the street and have a short three-minute walk. As soon as you enter the park, an uphill climb of snow made for toboggan will greet you. The park was home to many winter activities like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It has several hiking trails ranging from mild to moderate. I also saw some people renting winter equipment. The entire park had several outdoor tables and chairs good for summer use and plenty of open areas for picnic.  It also had a lake and a river. I am very sure it will make for a lovely sight come spring or summer. Dogs were also accepted but they were kept on a leash. Just kindly take note that there is a portion of the park where you will literally be walking under a highway and you will see some towers of power lines. It did bothered me a little as I could see the vandalism under the highway support. Other than that, it made for such a peaceful walk where you can see a blanket of heavy snow as far as your eyes can see.

the park entrance

toboggan slope

hiking trail markers

Poison Ivy, do not touch or ne pas touche

Did you say you wanted snow?

the woodpeckers must be working so hard

the park map was scattered around the area, making it easier for visitors

I saw two portapots while we were walking. There could be more but I'm not entirely sure.

this Great Pyrenees dog which was really large in person was well-trained by the friendly owner

hanging by the stem

I came prepared to conquer the cold.

bonjour from Mr and Mrs Ong's footwear of choice

 

 I couldn't pass up on this rare opportunity. I have been wanting to do this ever since I came to snowy Canada. Ladies and gentlemen, I stood, I sat, and I lied on a frozen river! I had to make sure it was 100% frozen or else...

After two hours in the cold, we decided it was time to have our late lunch. We chose the umami flavors of Chinese food takeout and hot coffee from Timmies. We ate at home and rested for 1.5 hours before embarking on yet another short walk to just allow our food to digest. It was indeed a beautiful day to end the month. <3