All the cute villages presented at Christmas time are typically in Europe. So while we have great access to all kinds of information, sometimes it is irritating to see how much more beautiful it is there.
Where could we go to experience such quaintness? I suggest it is quaintness as that seems to be what our eye is looking for at Christmas - pretty, charming, old world...
Are there quaint and charming towns in Ontario? Number 1 is Niagara-on-the-Lake. That's almost next door to us in Grimsby and a very familiar town. And the drive along the River Road, through Niagara-on-the-Lake and along Lakeshore Road - that is one of the great drives in North America. A double score.
Another cute town? Paris! We drove through Paris yesterday and I commented on how cute it is. And it is on the River whose name is Nith, which I find entertaining. That's a Scottish name with the meaning enmity, spite, hate towards another person. They could say on their sign: "Welcome to one of Ontario's prettiest towns on a river of spite".
And what about St. Jacobs. We were there a few weeks ago, and my comment? Look at the heritage houses along their main street that haven't been disfigured with ugly add-on store fronts and huge display signs.
I bet there are some pictures of Niagara Christmas in Niagara-on-the-Lake that rival the alps and snow-capped trees in town squares. Here's a great example.
Note to self: go take some pictures when it snows of our own prettiest Christmas town in Canada.
Another past Christmas card. This one is one of Floyd Elzinga's beautiful metal artworks with the addition of little stars created with one of Topaz's plugins.
