A festive getaway

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope your Christmas preparations are going well. The weather seems to be cooperating so far, although I'm not convinced we will have a white Christmas. We have a thin layer of the white stuff and it's hanging on only because it's been cold the past few days.

Russell and I got back from our pre-Christmas getaway a few hours ago. We had a great time. It started last Wednesday after we dropped off the pooches at Camp Talemaker. To say that they were excited would be an understatement. So, we said good bye and carried on to the Windsor Arms Hotel in Yorkville. It was our first time staying at that hotel and we were not disappointed. It is a boutique hotel, only 28 rooms, very quaint and cozy, not pretentious. After a cocktail at the bar, we had dinner at Sassafraz, a fixture in Yorkville. The food was excellent and on the light side. We both had the sea bass. Yum and Yummer!

On Thursday, we had a leisurely breakfast...an egg white omelet for me. I'm on an egg white kick these days, what can I say. Totally tasty. We then went to Sherway Gardens, just for fun, and then to Sheridan Nurseries. We were looking for copper string Christmas lights and found them. We drove back to Toronto and had lunch at La Societe, another favorite of ours on Bloor Street. A typical French Bistro in the heart of uptown Toronto. That night, we had dinner at Dimmis, our all time fave restaurant, again in Yorkville. We've been going there forever, and although we do not go as frequently as we used to, the staff recognizes us. It is a small Italian trattorria, cozy and incredibly reasonable in terms of prices. We always have the same thing...a bottle of Verdicchio and a pizza (each). Simple but delicious. BUT, before going to Dimmi's, we went to the Toronto Christmas Market to take in the sights, sounds, smells and lights. It was a true feast for the senses!

Friday morning came and we left for Niagara-on-the-Lake. On our way, we made a pit stop in Vineland to have coffee with Pat, a former colleague of Russell's, dating back to the 80's. It was truly nice to get together after all these years. Over time, we have gotten to know each other more through the magic of Facebook. Quite nice actually. After coffee and yummy shortbreads, we made our way to NOTL. Our room was ready and it was as I had requested: on the main floor, no stairs, being conscious of Russell's knee. It was probably the best room we had in a long time, with a fireplace to boot!  We had lunch at the Irish Harp Pub, great lunch, too good actually. We shared a decadent spinach and artichoke dip with homemade kettle chips, to die for. My motto these days, you only live once so it's OK to splurge from time to time. That night, we had a lovely tasting menu paired with wine but on the light side with fish as the main course....so it all balances out in the end.

After a nice breakfast, and a visit from Santa who was getting ready for his parade (I truly was hoping for a pic with him), we drove to Mississauga to have lunch with a good friend and former neighbour who lost his wife in June. It was really nice to get together with Roland. We spend some good quality time catching up and it felt good. Then, we made our way back to Toronto, to the Windsor Arms Hotel for one last night. We saved our last getaway night to have dinner with good friends, George and Diane. George and I go back a long way, having been work colleagues for quite some time. A great night, as always, at Cibo Wine Bar, in Yorkville.

So, that sums up our time away. We got home in record time, a five hour drive including two pit stops for the doggies. The road conditions were perfect. Thank you Russell for driving us home safe.  Before I end this blog, I want to thank Darlah for doing such a wonderful job at shaping and thinning Cooper's legs and chest, and Spicy's feet. We do not trim their coat but at times it becomes necessary to thin and shape, especially for Cooper. She did an amazing job and we are grateful.

That's my blog for today. I may have gone overboard with the details of our trip, you can just skip over them.....or ask for more details. This week is quite busy: tomorrow, Spicy and I will visit a college in Lachine as part of our therapy dog program. Tuesday, Coop and I have our last Fun Obedience class before Christmas. It will be special and I will bring goodies for the humans. Wednesday, Spicy and I have another visit at a seniors home. Then, I have to focus on Christmas...a bit more baking, meal planning, etc. It's all good. I leave you with a few pics of our getaway. Have a great week everyone!

Russell and I in the lobby of the
Prince of Wales Hotel and their lovely
Christmas tree.

Santa Claus made a special visit to the Prince of Wales,
morning breakfast service ahead of his parade in NOTL.

The Prince of Wales Christmas tree
is splendid and fully decorated to the
maximum!

I took a moment to pose with the tree in the lobby of the
Prince of Wales.

The Christmas lights in Yorkville are amazing....Russell
captured this moment.

....more of the Christmas lights in Yorkville!

Some of the bright lights of the Toronto Christmas
Market in the Distillery District.

Cooper and Spicy enjoying quality time at
Camp Talemaker...they love it there!

Cooper sporting his freshly trimmed/shaped feet and chest...
Darlah did and amazing job!

A Christmas orchid in full bloom at Sheridan Nurseries.