18.1.16

Mont. Saint-Hilaire + Strøm spa Nordique

Over Christmas we celebrated with Brad's dad and his brothers in Mont. Saint-Hilaire in a rented Airbnb house. As much as I loved spending Christmas in the city, it was equally fun to head for the hills (literally!) for a few days. And we timed our trip perfectly with the first major snow fall. It was amazing!


Last year we rented a place too, but his year the urban options were just too expensive. We were able to find a huge, beautiful home nearby in the small mountain town of Mont. Saint-Hilaire. For only $120/night we had a five bedroom house, able to sleep seven adults and three kids!  I love using Airbnb whenever we travel, near or far. You just can't beat that price, and it gives us the option of all being under the same roof for several nights. I also love that we can cook all of our own meals, whereas staying in hotels means eating out all the time. Not that I don't love eating out on occasion, but it's usually healthier, and always cheaper to cook at home!


As soon as we arrived the snow started falling and didn't stop for two days! We hunkered down, played board games, listened to music, got to know my brother's new girlfriend (spoiler alert, we are all obsessed with her), and played in the snow. We also had amazing food and drinks. I brought the last of my Christmas baking and we cooked our meals together in the massive kitchen. It was so so wonderful. 


Playing in the snow was by far the best part! My sister bought the kids these scooters for Christmas and they were a huge hit!


On our last day in St-Hilaire, I visited Strøm spa Nordique. Ohhhhh you guys. What an incredible experience!


When I told a friend that we were spending a few days in St-Hilaire, her first question was "ARE YOU GOING TO THE SPA?!". At that point I had no idea that there even was a spa near our Airbnb, and I wasn't planning to go. But then I looked into it, and decided it was something I wanted to do. My package included a massage (which my health insurance covered fully!), access to the thermal experience, and a delicious meal in their restaurant.


The Thermal Experience is incredible, and I imagine it is best enjoyed in the winter months. You start in a steam room that smells like eucalyptus. A few seconds in there and you forget how cold you were on your way in! There's a cold shower in the steam room if you get too hot, but don't want to leave.  Then you go into the dry sauna, which is neat because it's still very hot, but your body feels relief from the steam. The dry heat is so comforting! And there are massive windows overlooking the beautiful grounds, which is lovely. Next you go outside into the cold pool. FREEZING pool I should say. It's intense. Shocking, but a relief at the same time. Then the last stop on the circuit is a swimming pool-size hot tub surrounded by waterfalls and rocks. It's absolutely stunning and so very relaxing. 


Strøm spa Nordique is only 30 minutes from the city, and packages start at $50. So it's definitely a treat, but within reach. I can't wait to go back some day! What a perfect way to end a wonderful holiday.

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