Back from my travels over the weekend. I’m happy I have more chances to travel now, even if it’s just to the next province. A change of pace is much welcomed after being in Toronto for what seems like ages. I’m getting tired of this city and have plans to move out within the next year or two.
Over the weekend I’ve been to Montreal again. On Friday I went to Parc Jean Drapeau, where they have a temporary snow village, There was an ice hotel, which was like one giant igloo with several rooms. Each room had beds and chairs made from ice, all of which had different carvings in them. My favourite room had plants frozen into the wall, which was an interesting effect. I don’t know how people could possibly manage to sleep there, it was freezing in Québec! They also had an ice chapel, which was beautiful. Some parts of the snow village weren’t ready yet, but it was still really impressive.
On Saturday I went to Parc national d’Oka with my bf and some of his family, which was my favourite part of the weekend. The park is about an hour outside of Montréal and is well worth the visit. I went snowshoeing for the first time and it’s definitely something I’d do again. It feels just like walking…except maybe with something extra dragging on your feet. The texture of the snow wasn’t too good for snowshoeing, as it was icy in parts, but most of it was soft and powdery, which is ideal. I loved walking along the shore of Lac des deux Montagnes (which was completely frozen over). It actually got quite warm by the shore (it was minus 15 that day but I didn’t feel it by the lake). By the lake I noticed some people paragliding on the ice, which I’ve never seen before.
There were a few trails for snowshoeing to choose from, and we ended up trying part of one and completing another. We tried one called Le Marais (The marsh) and another called L’Écureuil (The Squirrel). L’Écureuil was the easier trail, but we got a bit confused at one point, probably because we were all getting tired. Just like the name of the trail suggests, we saw a squirrel along the way back. Le Marais was a much longer trail and we didn’t complete it all. I liked this trail better because it went along the shore of Lac des deux Montagnes, and because it involved a lot of maneuvering through the forest. I loved seeing how the sun shined on the trees and the colours it produced, it’s an image that’s still stuck in my head. I wish I had taken some pictures, because words can’t describe the beauty of the park accurately. But I think my hands would have turned to ice and it’s not easy using a camera with bulky gloves hah.
I’d definitely go back to this park, maybe try another sport in the winter, or go back in the summer for some camping and hiking. I really love being surrounded by nature, there’s really not enough of it in Toronto. There was so much snow in Québec and I miss it.
When I returned home on Sunday, there was some snow…but it was melting. I was exhausted, but ended up going to see the Ghost show in the evening. I’m glad I did, it was a lot of fun! I missed the first two bands, but I was really there to see Ghost anyways. The venue was so much more crowded then I thought it would be! After the show things felt kind of surreal….I had a difficult time going to sleep, even though I knew I had to be up at 6:30 am for 8:30am class today, hmph.
I really enjoyed this weekend and am feeling quite content. I’ve seen lots of nature, had fun at a show, and spent time with my bf and his family. Being in a ldr relationship is difficult sometimes, but I’m patient. Saying good bye and knowing you’re not going to see them for a few weeks is one of the most difficult things I have to do, but i’d rather be with him and wait to see him, as opposed to being waiting a shorter time for the wrong person.
