Member-only story
Canadian Winter Weekend eScapes
From the weather app:
Current temperature in New York 22 F (-5 C)
The current temperature in Ontario, Canada 4 F (-15 C)
Growing up in hot, hotter, hottest conditions in the South of India, I am not a fan of winter weather. It’s taken me half my life to learn to layer up and get used to sub-zero temperatures in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States, but a weekend trip to Ontario, Canada, made me appreciate the relatively warmer winters in New York.
If it weren’t for wanting to meet a childhood friend from India, I would be no fool to make such a trip. I love winters from inside the house, sitting next to a fireplace, listening to the firewood crackle.
What does one do on a weekend trip with this weather? We go outside only if necessary, or else we find ourselves indoors in the comfort of heating.
I thought about how perfect the weekend would be if someone made us a hot cup of chai accompanied by pakodas (an Indian snack: chickpea fritters).
My friend wanted to visit an acquaintance who lived about 30 minutes from the university town we were in, so we set out on a Sunday morning trip to the countryside.
We were amazed by the vast expanse of land and the picturesque, with the sun glistening on the…