Continuing on to Day 3 of my Mont Tremblant trip (if you haven't read about Day 1 and Day 2 yet, click on the links in this line):

Winter AerialAerial view in winter looks like a fabric pattern with snow blanketing most of the land. Knee-Deep in SnowSnow drifts reach the window sills of Mont Tremblant's airport.

This morning we slept in, catching up from the activities in the past two days. Well rested, we had brunch at La Maison de la Crepes. Their savoury and dessert crepes are all made fresh to order and very tasty, staff are friendly and the musical atmosphere completes the meal. 

To round off our trip, a visit to le Scandinave spa was a must. The outdoor hot tubs and cold pools were an amazing sight, not to mention the benefits of hydrotherapy along with the saunas. We were not allowed to bring in phones or cameras (for obvious privacy reasons), and all visitors were reminded to be silent in the pools and sauna areas, to truly appreciate and benefit from the relaxing environment and have a detox from our electronic gadgets, discussions about politics, parties, or other gossip of the day.

Winter FamhouseThis farmhouse and its hay bales are weighed down by a heavy layer of snow. What a serene view!    Winter Hide-and-SeekThough this school bus is mostly hidden in the snow, its yellow frame gave it away in this winter game of hide-and-seek.

Wrapped only in my soft fluffy hooded white robe and draping my towel around my neck as a scarf (a far cry from my typical winter gear), I quickly stepped into the hot tub and immersed up to my shoulders into the pool of 38' C water. Compared to the frigid -25'C temperature, this felt like heaven! Fresh crisp air kissing my hair and face combined with the gentle warmness of water caressing my body, what more can I ask for? Without cameras, we could only capture the incredibly beautiful scenes in our minds, using the memory "cards" of our brains: a thick curtain of steam rising from the water a mere few inches in front of my eyes (at times I couldn't even see my hands held up in front of me) and beyond that, a little pine tree with all its needles enrobed in snow, next to it a small deciduous tree whose branches were individually wrapped in glistening frost. Lighting this scene was the late afternoon sun peering through the mist in between the two trees. A truly amazing scene that I'll never forget! 

Winter Forest SketchWith the forest shrouded in snow, the line details of trees resemble a pen-and-ink sketch.    Winter ShowWho needs a TV screen when I have this beautiful view to enjoy? Watching the softly-falling snow and occasional drifts in the wind, while warming my hands and stomach with a steamy cup of hot chocolate.

Surrounding the hot tub were layers of rocks each blanketed by snow. Suddenly I felt as if I had been teleported to Japan - the only thing missing were the red-faced snow monkeys that love to lounge in the hot springs! After spending 10 minutes in this smaller tub (needless to day, I dreaded getting out of this pool, both for not wanting this amazing feeling to end, and fearing how cold I would be before reaching my robe and towel), we quickly wrapped up in our robes and stepped into one of the relaxation rooms to warm and dry up. Then we hastily walked over to the largest hot tub at the far end of the property. One of the highlights of this tub was a waterfall dropping into the pool. Just hearing the rush of the water splashing into the pool was a therapy on its own! Again the view from this tub was spectacular - behind a thin veil of steam were silhouettes of a group of girls sitting in a row, leaning against the infinity edge, enjoying the warm water soak and relaxing by the jets of the hot tub, with the sun shining through behind them. Later in the evening, changing coloured lights surround the pool, giving a romantic and magical feel to the whole place! 

Church Scene in WinterThe red roof of this church gets a wintry white coat, and the blue light transforms the skating rink into a mini lake by the church. Festive LanternA giant festive lanterns decorates the street in Mont Tremblant resort. Perfect for the Christmas season!

Although we would have liked to stay longer in the hot tubs, we had to drag ourselves out of the tub for the massages we had booked, which were much needed after all the activities in the past two days. It definitely helped to soothe my sore muscles from the snowshoeing falls and the hit by the snowboard! I almost fell asleep under the heated blanket in the pine-walled treatment room, soothed by the therapy and natural surroundings. After being mellowed out, we continued to relax in the lounge area, munching on complimentary apples and sipping spiced tea, warming up by the fireplace until it was time to get ready for dinner.

It took me longer than usual to get dressed after chilling for the past few hours. We took a cab to downtown Tremblant for fine dining at sEb, where we tasted local specialties including rabbit, sweetbreads, and lamb. Full of food and wine, we rolled back to the hotel to pack up for next day's departure. The next morning we made sure to have another fill of the delicious crepes before heading to the airport. This time we got a table on the first floor and could watch the young chefs dance to the music as they craft our crepes.

As I couldn't capture photos at the spa, scattered in this post are some pictures from the first and last days of the trip, as we commuted between the airport and hotel, at the airport and some aerial photos taken from the plane. 

  Sleepy-Eyed View of TorontoAs I emerged from my nap on the flight, this was my sleepy-eyed view of Toronto.   Travel BeyondThe perspective of lines lead you right to the vanishing point...what lies beyond? Hint - it has to do with travel.

After this trip, it sure has changed my mind about taking a vacation to a winter destination! I hope these stories and photos will inspire you to go out and do some winter photography. Until next time...

Darkness Shall PassAlthough these menacing cloud shadows dominate the scene at this moment, their presence is only temporary, as are the dark moments in our lives that eventually pass.