Parc Naturel Lavigne

February is the best month for winter activities !The days are longer, there's still lots of fluffy snow, and it's warmer than January. So with no big plans this Family Day long weekend we decided to enjoy some winter fun and head east to Parc Naturel Lavigne.

This little park is a real cross-country skiing gem.  It's only 40 minutes from our house in Ottawa but it feels a world away: a woodlot surrounded by farm fields as far as they eye can see. In some places the trails meander here and there around the trees. In other places you get to enjoy some surprisingly big hills.

In terms of variety of experience, I would say its the best overall cross country trail that I've tried near Ottawa, and that includes both the Ontario and Quebec side of the border. A lot of skiers in this area are drawn to Gatineau Park, but you have to pay to use those trails - and they are so crowded! In comparison, we passed only one other group skiing the whole time we were at Parc Naturel Lavigne, which made for a very relaxing experience. It's also great for families as beginners can try the flatter trails while those with more experience can try something more challenging.

Bonus points for Margot: we passed a few horse stables along the way!

This is our fifth, and possibly last, cross-country ski of the season and I'm super happy that we are going out with a bang.

Perch

It's been awhile since I've been to a fancy restaurant. And it's been even longer since I've been to a new fancy restaurant. But as a pre-Valentine's day gift to ourselves Glosette Girl and I decided to try Perch, which is a new restaurant on Preston in Little Italy. They opened last November, and I've been meaning to give them a go.

In terms of atmosphere, Perch has a slightly edgy industrial look. The background music was modern and interesting but not overpowering, which I liked, because I hate it when you go to a place and you have to shout to talk. 

Right now, as the pandemic measures wind down, they are only serving set menus so we tried the 5-course option. Here's what we had:

• Brocolli Stem with Seabuckthorn & Camelina Emulsion
• Chawanmushi
• Birch Marinated Walleye Agnolitti
• Koji-aged and Seaweed Wrapped Roasted Duck Breast
• Carmalized Parsnip Ice Cream
  

There was also a free aperitif of boullion soup and bread when we first arrived. That was really appreciated because it was freezing the night we went out.

Some of the courses were better than others. In particular, I loved the duck breast and Glosette Girl really liked the brocolli stem.

Enjoying the broccoli...

But neither of us really liked the parsnip ice cream. So I think they need to tighten up a few of the courses.

...but having second thoughts on the ice cream!

The service was really timely and efficient though and I could tell they were putting a lot of effort into making sure we have a nice experience and overall I had a great time. So I definitely think it's worth a try.

One funny thing though: we were still a tad peckish even after our five-courses! We ended up having a post-meal snack at Tooth and Nail, which is just around from our house. If you're really hungry, maybe best to stick with pub food!

Lovin' the Beer and Pretzels at Tooth and Nail

Guest Post: Day in the Life of Margot

When the world feels heavy with conflict, sometime its nice to remind yourself what it's like to see the world through the eyes of a kid. Here's Margot narrating a tour of our house or as she calls it "A Day in the Life of Margot":

 

 

I didn't plan this video by the way - it just showed up in my cellphone one day and I decided to share it! But I love these candid portrayals into Margot's mind. It's moments like these when I say: thank goodness for ubiquitous cameras! I'm smiling now as I see Margot narrate what she thinks is important about our house and in 25 years when I look back at this I'm sure I'll still be smiling.

Freedom Convoy

Being in the nation's capital can lead to some...interesting adventures.

This past week Ottawa has been the focus of the Freedom Convoy, which originally started out as a protest against cross-border trucking vaccination and has now morphed into a more general protest against all things COVID-related.

Although many would say that my neighbourhood, Hintonburg, is "in the city", it's actually a good 30 minute walk from downtown. That's pretty far from Parliament Hill, where the protest has been focused.

For the most part then, this has meant that I haven't really seen or heard much of the protest.

I did have a couple of surreal moments though. In particular, when I picked up Margot from horseback riding this past Saturday I happened to see a line of trucks driving into the city. It was so odd seeing semi after slow moving semi driving on the highway that I stopped and watched.

Even crazier, to get back home Margot and I tried to take a side road. Unfortunately that just happened to be the road that the police had diverted the trucks onto as they made their way downtown. So for 5 minutes or so I was in the convoy!

I know that some folks have been really affected by all the noise related to this convoy and to them this is no laughing matter. But to me, it feels like everything is happening...on TV. 

The strange thing about the timing of all this is that things are looking up. Restaurants, cinemas and gyms have been allowed to re-open and except for wearing masks and having to be vaccinated to use in-person entertainment, there is very little you can't do.

Hang in there everyone - spring is just around the corner!