DAY 1, Christmas Eve:
Ben and I arrived at our cozy hotel in the afternoon - the drive from Calgary, which only takes about 90 minutes, was stunning, with bright sunshine showing off the snow-capped mountains. Our loft style hotel room (Charlton's Cedar Court) had a fireplace which we immediately turned on, and we set up all of our presents in front of it to make things feel festive.
We had made dinner reservations at The Maple Leaf, which specializes in high quality Canadian cuisine. We met up with our friend Almu and her boyfriend, who were also in Banff for the holidays, and the dinner was absolutely amazing. I loved my wild British Columbia salmon (maple glazed, of course), and everybody else ordered the organic bison tenderloin. So much for vegetarianism - I had to try a bite of the bison, and it was incredible. Just melts in your mouth, and not gamy at all! A love affair also began that night with a fabulous Australian wine - Love Grass - we polished off two bottles during our leisurely three-hour dinner.
After arriving home and talking to our families, we followed the Danish tradition of opening most of our presents on Christmas Eve. We LOVED all of our goodies, from the fabulous treats from Denmark (Marimekko placemats, Georg Jensen candleholders, Orrefors whiskey tumblers, oh my!!), to the video camera (perfect for filming the mountains!) from Chattanooga, to the stylish and warm sweaters and scarves (we've barely taken them off), the book I've been lusting after, and the deliciously scented bubble bath, from Nashville. THANK YOU, everybody!!
DAY 2, Christmas Day:
Christmas was a wonderfully lazy day. We headed to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, which is like a castle in the mountains, and staked out a window seat in one of the hotel's dining areas. We lingered over lattes, then lunch, and enjoyed the mountain vistas before exploring the gorgeous old hotel's grounds and Christmas decorations.
And what Christmas would be complete without Mexican food and margaritas for dinner?! Truly, the food at Magpie and Stump's Mexican Cantina was the best Mexican we've had since leaving Nashville!! Since most of the city was shut down, after dinner we returned to our hotel to sit by the fire and watch a movie in bed. :)
DAY 3, Day after Christmas:
After a hearty breakfast at Melissa's, the favorite local breakfast spot, we packed up and drove 3o minutes to the Lake Louise ski area, which was not only a beautiful setting, but also offered up several really fun green runs for us beginners. We managed to get in a full day on the hills, with a break in between for hot chocolate with brandy. Yum!
We finished our evening off with comfort food at a local pub, and as luck had it, the Wheatmonkeys, an area band, were performing. We had to stick around to see what a band with that sort of name sounded like! As it turned out, they were high-energy and tons of fun, so we danced our booties off late into the night!
DAY 4, Final Day:
Following our wild night, Ben and I were moving a bit slowly, so we opted to stroll around the quaint town of Banff and shop the after-Christmas sales.
We were sad to leave this little hamlet in the mountains, but were happy to see Bosco again! The doggy daycare took great care of him, taking him and all of the other big dogs to the park to run around each day. (They sent this photo of him in action.) Ever since returning home and opening his Christmas presents, he has been passed out asleep!
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