This past weekend, after two weeks of the city being in lockdown, Jonah and I and our good friend Dominik took a trip up north to the cottage. I don’t think I’d fully realized beforehand how badly I needed some time out of the city, and as it turns out the fresh air was just what the doctor ordered. I took along my new-to-me vintage Barbour jacket as well to give it a test run in the wild — more on that later.
Not to plug Dominik’s family cottage too much, but I’m honestly obsessed with the place. From the massive ceilings, to the lake view, to the peace and quiet, I always leave feeling so refreshed. And after a few weeks of Toronto being in lockdown, the getaway felt like a total breath of fresh air (no pun intended).
Basically we spent the weekend relaxing by the fire, drinking wine, playing games (unfortunately I’m terrible at Tetris and only marginally better at Scrabble), and enjoying the brisk weather (including strapping a Christmas tree to the top of the car). A very wintry weekend indeed.
We ended up making homemade pizza on the Saturday night. It’s one of Jonah and I’s favourite things to do together, and I think we have it down to a science: he rolls out the dough, and I (mostly) dress up the pizzas. While there were three entire pizzas for the three of us, my favourite this time around was a combination of tomato sauce, mozzarella, goat’s cheese, and cherry tomatoes, along with fresh arugula and a balsamic drizzle.
Now back to the Barbour jacket. I’ve wanted one of these bad boys since I was probably about 15, when I saw Alexa Chung wear one to Glastonbury. Unlike most of my fashion obsessions from my teenage years, this one stood the test of time. Brand new they are quite the investment, so I’d told myself a few years ago that if I ever found one on sale or gently used, it would become mine. I was so lucky to find this one at House of Vintage, which is one of my favourite neighbourhood vintage shops. Now to reproof it to give it back that gorgeous waxy layer — if anyone has ever done this to their Barbour please give me tips!
I’m going to be looking forward to our next weekend getaway until whenever we’re able to take one. The pandemic has made me slightly romantic about travel, so for the time being I will take what I can!
