Years ago, my husband and I used to visit a small village in the Niagara Region of Ontario.  Jordan Village is a gem of a place and has all the features we really enjoy:  winery, hotel, restaurants, antique stores, and the like.  We were there in all weathers, including a very snowy New Year’s Eve when, in order to get to the ‘On the Twenty’ restaurant for dinner, we had to walk through the underground tunnel from the Inn.  Earlier in the day, we had wandered along the main street where homes and stores were clothed in a pristine white blanket, the only sound the squeak of snow under our boots.

Nine years somehow slipped past before we ventured back there to celebrate significant birthdays for both of us.  As we drove into the village, we wondered whether this was a mistake; wouldn’t it be better to remember the place as it once was?  Happily, the Inn is still the comfortable, well-run place we knew.  The food and service in the restaurant were still excellent, and the view across the escarpment was as magical as ever.  Wine tasting in the Cave Springs Winery was a good way to start the celebration!

Here we both are in our comfortable Alcove room before dinner.

Most surprising of all were the new stores in the village.  I was particularly delighted to discover a quilters’ and knitters’ paradise.  ‘Stitch,’ is housed in a beautiful old building at 3799 Main Street.  I was so entranced by the store that I paid two visits in one afternoon!  (www.stitchonline.ca)

On a previous visit to Jordan Village, we purchased a beautiful crystal chandelier in an antique store (now departed).  Lo and behold, we found another chandelier at Chic by Jansen, 3836 Main Street.  (www.chicbyjansen.com)

Here’s Joe outside the store.

With chandelier somehow crammed into the car, it was time to head back to the city!