L'esprit de Noël à Montréal

Santa came to town today, a little early in my opinion, but I wandered downtown to take in the parade festivities nonetheless.

 

Beautiful day for a parade, so Sainte-Cathérine Street was packed with stroller-pushing parents and hoards of children, all jockeying for a glimpse of Santa (or "the fat man in a red suit", as he is referred to here). 

The crowds didn't bother me too much, but I had a minor panic attack when I realized that an entire marching band and parade of creepy Christmas balloons separated me from my mid-day Starbucks coffee! 

Thanks to google maps, I was able to quickly navigate my way to the next closest Starbucks, and treated myself to my first peppermint mocha (grandé, non-fat, no-whip, extra shot = caffeinated Christmas perfection) of the year.  

Christmas carol jingles and Santa Claus aside, it isn't until I enjoy the first sip of my peppermint mocha that I really start to appreciate the spirit of Christmas. I'm not quite ready to put up a Christmas tree and send out greeting cards, but maybe after I try the caramel creme brulée mocha next weekend...

Merry Starbucks Mochas to one & all!