Leaving the holidays behind

I’m back at work like a lot of you… but find myself still reflecting on the holidays. As challenging as the season typically is, and amid our recent failings at collective adaptation to a post-pandemic climate-changed future, I managed to get time to spend with family and friends. Time that had been very scarce in the last two years.

While certainly not a tradition from my childhood, though the family did put a trip to Raffles hotel on the bucket list, I relish the chance to fit in afternoon tea during the holidays. And the Fairmont Chateau Laurier’s holiday afternoon tea at Zoe’s measured up this year in a notable way.

The attention to both the savoury and the sweet this year had some exceptional entries, even if service had not been what it was in the past.

In particular the mushroom with mascarpone was a surprisingly well balanced and a dynamite combination; the yule log had lovely artistry details and much better flavours than in previous years, the gingerbread cheesecake was delicious and had a playful presentation.

It was strange to be able to celebrate things again without hyper anxiety around safety and public health. I realize it’s a privilege that not everyone has… and it also may not last. But for while it did I really enjoyed the chance for the visit to Zoe’s with the family, in the festive ambiance that the Fairmont created.