It's hard to choose a 'Favourite Place' as there are so many! While we have travelled abroad in past years, though never at Christmas time, Canada and its many small villages are more our style.

On the Gaspe peninsula, I like the village of Metis-sur-mer. In the 'old days', it was called Metis Beach. There, in the 40's and 50's, stood 6 large summer hotels. These are now gone, destroyed by time and other travel options.

It is still an English community with 4 churches, 2 open in the summer only for those who have summer homes there.

For those willing to swim in the frigid waters, the beaches are bare. On a sunny day with an afternoon tide, the water seems warmer.

Sailors, a hardy crew, go out on a rising tide with a watchful on the rocks,wind's direction, and time. It would never do to be driven off-shore by a south wind then left there when it died.

The streets through the village, no-longer the 'highway' are quiet and peacefull. Any local traffic moves slowly along the beach-front. No one is in a hurry.

In the winter, with the cottage roads closed, cross-country skiing is a pleasure on good days while sitting by the fireplace, coffee in hand, will do on stormy days.

There is still an English school in Metis. The only one remaining between Riviere du Loup and Matapedia. The children, many of them French-speaking, travel from as far away as Rimouski, a 2-hour jouney each way by school bus.

This school, with only 40 students in 11 grades - is vibrant and outward-looking. Its students have taken trips to Ottawa, Quebec City and Montreal. They have a satelite connection for their computers and the Internet.

Merry Christmas to all!

Peter, Montreal