Skiing Mt. Benker (actually Mt. Garceau)!

Since there is sooooo much snow, might as well take advantage of it! We woke up today to a perfect day for skiing...sun, snow and mild temperature. The photos are taken on the top of Mt. Garceau in St. Donat that Karl has renamed...Mt. Benker :)
Soon, you will see a different climate...that of sun, surf and sand! We are planning for the last week of March. We know...it is longer than anticipated, but we decided to enjoy the moments that were offered here in Quebec.
You never know, these "plans" may change...and that is totally OK! That is what we are here for....going with the flow and appreciating life as it presents itself. We are thankful and we hope that everyone would do the same for themselves. We chose this path and it really feels great!
Thanks for visiting and keeping in touch! We will continue to post new things.
Hasta luego amigos!

MORE SNOW!

Ok, so we are almost at the end of February...and there is more snow. We have about 6'(feet) here at the chalet and we are watching a program about the money spent and business of snow removal.
Snow...Snow...Neige...Neige...Enough Already!
We have really enjoyed our time here at the chalet. It truly is a beautiful place and it really is time for us to begin our next step of our project. We are thinking a time frame of the middle of March and we are thinking of Nicaragua. We are working on information about Nicaragua as we think that many of you will have questions like: Where is Nicaragua?, Why Nicaragua? Isn't that a dangerous place?
We hope that we can provide the answers to your questions and please feel free to contact us with any that you have.
In the meantime, here are a few tidbits until next time:
1. Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America
2. It is also, the safest! This is a shock for most as safety is not what most people think about Nicaragua.
3. Canada imports - gold, clothes, cacao and some fruits and veges

harmoniacasa, Grecia, Costa Rica

Eric & Johanne (Karl's brother and partner) have been in Costa Rica for over a year now with their son Cedric (not in photo :)). Their primary business is a B&B located in Grecia, Costa Rica where they provide rooms as well as all kinds of organized activities from surfing to a tour of a coffee plantation.
They have recently become involved in volunteer opportunities and have added a volunteer section to their website www.quanalyse.com. They have a variety of positions available from construction, ESL teaching to firemen. With the volunteer positions they arrange a homestay family for the volunteer or anyone who wants to travel and experience the true culture.
Eric is an engineer by trade and he can also assist those who are interested in wanting to invest or build a business with his network of contacts, skill of languages (French, English, Spanish & German) and helpful suggestions and advice. Please feel free to visit their webiste www.quanalyse.com or our site at www.harmoniacasa.com for more information.

Thanks!

WOW! The first month of 2006 complete. We hope that everyone had a great holiday and that you are enjoying the beginning of 2006! It is also the Year of the Dog in Chinese astrology. This is my sign so I am looking forward to an interesting year.

Karl and I are content and enjoying our time here at the lake. It is quite something to be able to be here. We take walks visiting the neighbor dogs (which I really enjoy) as well as cross country ski on the lake which keeps us both in pretty good shape. There is about 5' of snow and it is really natures canvas to see the art of the snow on the trees! Absolutely amazing.

We want to thank you all for visiting our site and your continued support and encouragement. We have really been given a gift to be able to take this time to reflect on where and what we have done and to be able to create our new path of where and what we will be doing. Please keep coming back as our goal is to keep the site as "fresh" as we can.

We are thinking to continue our stay in Quebec for a little while and to do some travelling around the province before we head off. We would love to be able to travel the world...as a start we will begin in Central America :) We are also keeping our options open to see what doors open!

Enjoy the moment and do not hesitate to contact us with any questions/comments!
Karl and Monika

Dogsledding in L'Esterel, QC

WOW! What a great adventure. Today Karl and I went dogsledding for the first time ever! What an experience. We were able to take the sled ourselves and ride around the lake. They (the dogs) loved it!
The driver, called a MUSHER was Karl and he did a great job encouraging the dogs to go! It is called MUSHER, because the word actually changed in translation from French to English. The French would call to the dogs to MARCHER (which means to walk) and the English heard the word as MUSHER.

harmoniacasa, Grecia, Costa Rica

Volunteers needed in Grecia, Costa Rica! They are looking for the following:
ESL teachers
Construction
Firemen/women
If you are interested in learning more information, please send us an email and we will get you the details.
In the photo, is a homestay family that will gladly receive you and share their culture and daily routines. There is also the opportunity for language learning. If you are interested in this option send us an email at info@harmoniacasa.com or visit www.quanalyse.com for more information.

harmoniacasa

harmoniacasa, Lac Dufresne, Quebec

Enjoy cross country skiing, hiking, kayaking and peaceful living. Please visit www.harmoniacasa.com for more details.

Offical harmoniacasa headquarters

Karl and I setting up the harmoniacasa.com headquarters at the chalet in Lanthier, QC.

The idea of harmoniaproject is to travel and find gentle living homes/environments all around the world. The first destination being Central America.

Karl and I would like to travel and experience cultures through homestay/farmstay that we would like to call harmoniacasa. The main vision is to promote other harmoniacasas to find our own. If someone has one or knows of someone that would like to have a harmoniacasa, please feel free to contact us to share!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Bonne Année! Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Wishing Everyone a wonderful, peaceful and harmonious 2006!

Skiing on the Lake

What a beautiful day! I am experiencing a lot of firsts in Quebec! Today Karl and I went cross country skiing on the lake at the chalet and it was awesome! Mild temperature, beautiful scenery and wonderful companionship!

We are preparing for the upcoming New Year with Gilles & Charlotte at the chalet. We will be posting more photos and updating information so keep coming back!

Thank You

Karl and I have returned back to the chalet and are enjoying the snow (which is over 4 feet!!). It has been a while since I have been in snow like this!!

We had a wonderful adventure this past week. We were in the Sagueny & Quebec City and both are beautiful places. We spent some time with Karl`s best friends Eric & Christine and we had a wonderful time there! We would like to thank them very much for a beautiful few days! The Sagueny is a beautiful part of Quebec with Fjords and lots of nature and outdoor adventure! We saw people skiing in a field with sails...like wind surfing on the snow!

We spent Christmas in Quebec City and I have to say it is a very magical, wonderful breathtaking city! I am very happy to have been able to experience a Christmas in this magical city! Before I go on to tell you my feelings about Quebec City, there are a few people that we have to extend a special thank you to. Thank you to Andre & Isabelle for hosting a fun Christmas Eve for all the family. A warm thank you to Gilles and Charlotte for the wonderful gift of staying right in the heart of Quebec City on Christmas Eve! And last but not least, a big thank you to Tante Suzanne for my first fondue supper and for being a super hostess to us and letting us stay over the snow storm!!

Now to talk about Quebec City...it is a beautiful place to see and I believe that everyone should make the effort to see it and feel it! Yes, I said feel it! There is something about the city that is magical. Can you imagine, seeing and walking on the spot that Jacques Cartier declared that this spot is New France 400 years ago!! It was amazing!! I believe that I now have a small glimpse and better understanding of why Quebec wants to be its own country!

One other amazing feature about Quebec (or at least the parts that I have been priveleged to experience) is that this province is truly a bilingual province. Everyone that I have spoken with can quickly and smoothly transfer back and forth between French and English which has made my stay here very easy. I am sometimes embarrased that I cannot accomplish the same feat but I have definately improved my French listening skills!

Thanks again to all of our hosts and we want to extend a Happy New Year to everyone!

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel & Feliz Navidad

Taking this time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

We are in beautiful Chicoutimi and we just came back from a magnificent hike with Christine and Eric beside the Fjord of the Saguenay. We will have photos up to show you shortly!

We are headed to Quebec City tomorrow for a family Christmas and spending some time in old Quebec! We are very excited!

Talk to you soon!

Time Flies

Hard to believe that 2 weeks have passed. It is definately a wonderful place to be...a bit cold, but beautiful. Karl and I are embarking on Project Zen...a time for us to enjoy the moments and plan and organize where and how we will begin Harmonia Project for 2006.

We have had quite a bit of snow...over 2 feet!! We have been able to go skiing twice at Mt. Garceau in St. Donat. It is a great hill!!

We are headed to Montreal and Quebec City for the next few days for the holidays and we look forward to sharing photos with you real soon as we plan on purchasing a digital camera! I am very excited!!

For now we wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad and Frohe Weinachten!!

Karl and Monika

In the Laurentians

Tranquility, stillnes, quiet & peace is the description of living on Lac Defresne in St. Agathe, Quebec. Karl and I have passed a wonderful weekend with Gille & Charlotte (Karl`s mom & partner). We owe them alot...the least of which is a warm & grateful thank you for letting us use their beautiful chalet and also for their big hearts & warm personalities.

Time is passing quickly...it is hard to believe that I have now been in Quebec for 1 week! I am very appreciative of these moment I/we have been experiencing.

It has snowed a bit every day making for an accumulation of about 12". It is vert picturesque with the powdery snow covered pine trees and the frozen lake right outside our door.

Until next time...a Belle Journee!

Montreal Bound

One more day until I am on my way Montreal. I am very excited and looking forward to connecting with Karl and learning more about the city.

Everything is complete here in Victoria. I have spent my last week organizing the final stage of moving and everything has worked out well. It was a bit stressful but I really learned alot about myself which is always a good thing. No regrets and I am looking forward to the next chapter of the journey!!

Home at the Chalet

This is where Karl is spending his time in Quebec. A beautiful chalet by a lake in the Laurentians! I am really looking forward to being able to spend some time there. As of today, there is a bit of snow (5cm) but I am sure in the next few weeks there will be additional snow and I will get to ski in Quebec!

Visit to Goldstream Park

Today I went with our students to this is an amazing part of Victoria...Goldstream Provincial Park. This is where the Pacific Salmon come for their annual spawning. It is quite the site to see the lifecycle of the salmon and the view and park are breathtaking. I am including some photos from our adventures and the beautiful nature...
Hope you enjoy :)

The Red Bullet Made it!

Well, it has been 2 weeks since Karl left Victoria...and the RED BULLET has made it! The 1988 Nisan Micra has crossed Canada in one piece and is still working! Now in St. Agathe, Quebec, Karl is enjoying the peace of nature as he spends his time at the chalet. We will try to get some photos for you soon.

I am wrapping things up here in Victoria and using an awesome website called usedvictoria.com (check it out in our sidebar). It has been a great help in selling the "stuff" that I have here! It is incredible how much lighter I also feel with being able to go through my wardrobe and getting rid of alot of old clothes as well as just "letting go" of some items in the house that I was holding onto for emotional reasons. I found that by letting things go, I still had the memories, but I actually phyiscally felt lighter not holding onto a physical object...just an observation :)

Three more weeks of living in Victoria...after 3 years here and I looking forward to having a white (hopefully) holiday in Quebec and Ontario and then heading south in the new year!

We will be in touch!

Happy Halloween!

I am a bit late with this one but Happy Halloween! We had a great costume party at FCLI yesterday and the students had a great time!! Some of the students have never experienced Halloween so can you imagine what they would be thinking watching all these people dress up in strange and crazy costumes?? What a culture shock! Hope everyone had a great day!

Studying

Karl has recently completed his DIVEMASTER program here in Victoria, BC! I am really proud of him for sticking to his dreams and achieving his goals. He is really looking forward to being able to do some diving in the Caribbean!!

I am currently studying in a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course which I will be completing before I make my way to Montreal. It is an awesome course and my teacher is fabulous! This is a great way to learn a new skill and to be able to use it in different parts of the world where people want to learn English. I am also studying and practising Spanish and French...I am going to get alot of practise with French real soon in Quebec.