Friday, Dec. 27th
Time for our 5th Annual DiSalvaCour Trip. This year, we decided on Montreal, Canada. The goals: not an excessively long car ride, cross the border and use new passports, try a new spot, mostly hang in the hotel for games, explore a little....and Montreal seemed to check those boxes. It was a bonus that the French-speaking region felt very far from home.
The trip has gotten increasingly harder to carve out. The very first one came to be in 2020 (Covid times) when the kids had NOTHING going on the week between Christmas and New Year's. Also, C4 really wanted to propose to Kelly. Also, travel was still reserved for the 'brave' so options were unlimited and very affordable. We thought, let's head south at least to hoodie weather. That was the year C4 and Kelly got engaged on Virginia Beach.
But now, things have returned to normal. There's work and practices and games. C4 and Kelly and Maddy, Mason, and Ezra were not with us, but the rest of us forged ahead with the tradition.
Oddly enough, Colombo and I were alone for the first leg.
Rocco was on Day 2 in Portland, ME so instead of caravanning with the rest of the crew, Colombo and I went to Maine to see his game and then grab him to take him with us to Montreal. We also got to see several cousins at the game! We had a fun afternoon chatting and catching up. So sweet of them to make the effort!
The rest of the gang caravanned in two cars and Colombo, Rocco, and I arrived around 10p.
Our hotel was precious! I took a chance on a non-chain. It was very boutique-y, two floors of the Institute for Tourism, and it was mostly run by the very eager tourism students. Our hang-out spot was a large cafe and game-room. Students were away for the holiday, so we had the place to ourselves. There were never less than two security guards at the stand. The free breakfast was a sit-down restaurant feel with student servers and amazing food. It was a perfect location attached to the metro station.
It wasn't perfect, for instance the second queen bed was a murphy bed and felt more like a flimsy pull-out than an actual second bed. We also felt the staffs eyes on us the whole time. They were particular about where we were and how many of us there were. There were also hidden costs that surprised us at check-in like charging extra for every person in the room, but I negotiated at check-out and in the end, all parties were happy. It all worked out so nicely, especially our time together, and the memories made.
Saturday, Dec. 28th
The Metro was very safe and easy and so fun for the kids.
This was the cold day, but we were determined to get out and explore beginning with Notre Dame Basilica. It was amazing, ornate, fascinating, and a warm place to hang for a bit.
Then we walked over the Christmas Market, which was sadly underwhelming. It was festive with live music and food vendors and fire pits, but just so much smaller than what we'd imagined. And it was cold!
Lisa and I ducked out to hit the coffee shop across the street to warm up a bit before taking an Uber back, saving Lisa an extra long walk back to the Metro.
Soon, the rest of the gang joined us!
We opted to do an easy pizza night after being out all day. The staff asked us to move to the closed and empty bar. ??
Sunday, Dec. 29th
Free breakfast with tablecloths and juice in champagne flutes! These two...
We ventured down to Old Port. We ducked in and out of some shops, threw snow at the frozen river, admired all the elaborate store fronts decorated for Christmas. It felt very old, very European.
SOOOO FOGGY!
Snow skeet...The larget would be launched and then everyone tried to hit it with their snowball.
Lisa, Renna, and I headed back to the hotel where we watched church online. The rest of gang grabbed lunch and then explored a museum.
Then games, puzzle, pool, and dinner at a Greek restaurant with an amazing waiter.
Back at home, Mason was asked to baptize Ben before we went back to school. They used a mutual friends' lake house. The teenage boys who live there selflessly and sweetly prepared the perfect spot.
Monday, Dec. 30th
This day we went to an indoor farmer's market that Jack found. Good local fare and fantastic people-watching!
Then back to the game room before hitting up a Mexican restaurant for dinner.
Tuesday, Dec. 31st
We promised all the kids we'd be back home in plenty of time for them to make evening plans, so we were on the road by 9. Ish.
I think the general consensus was in the moment, the kids were so happy to be together and satisfied, but also mildly underwhelmed by the trip. However, Lisa and I also think that down the road they will gain a fuller appreciation of where we were and what we did. It was a WIN, but probably not a re-do.
More pictures out-of-order since we had a shared album that multiple people added to.
We had an easy, uneventful ride home in an our 3-car caravan. Once home, we hustled to unload and prepare the house for Trevor to host a gang for NYE. I ran to the store and threw dinner together for the crew.
Colombo and I stopped by Jon and Annie's for an hour and then met C4 and Kelly back at the house to hang by the fire.
We poured sparkling bubbly for the basement kids and then huddled in the office to watch the ball drop.
Slowly the house started emptying as kids got picked up. With the leftover crew, we played a round of Empire.
His mom worked hard to give him a special day, and continues to work her tail off to do her best for her son. 
After her game, Colombo and Renna ran up to Maddy and Mason's annual (but delayed) Singing Christmas Tree production. They delayed it in anticipation of the reopening of their sanctuary after a nearly two-year major renovation. This day, they moved the services back into their beautiful new space along with a completely rethought atrium and cafe. I've only seen it happening in stages, but by all accounts, the finished product is absolutely stunning!
