Out & About #177 | Menchies + Downtown Brampton

I probably exhibit my most un-Canadian ways when subzero temperatures hit; thick scarves, knit beanies, earmuffs, and touchscreen gloves gradually begin to emerge from my closet with each drop in mercury.

However, there does happen to be one thing that the frigid winds can't shake from my system: having brain freeze-inducing frozen yogurt as an afternoon snack.

From what I am able to recall, the last time I stepped into a Menchies was probably prior to even starting this blog.

Not that this mattered, of course, as Menchies hadn't evolved one bit. The classic vanilla and chocolate flavours still remained available, as did the original Tart flavour and at least one non-dairy alternative. Neither of us opted for a waffle bowl - bowl? shield? - and instead simply filled our cups with swirls of Pineapple Sorbet atop other flavours before decking them out with candy bits and fresh fruit slices.

Perhaps extrinsic weather conditions played a part in this, but I found that the frozen yogurt melted at a much less rapid rate than in the summer. I had devoured my creations inside the store each time, but always thought that it melted much too quickly on previous occasions. (It's possible that the naturally watery formula of some of the flavours may have contributed to this though.)

A brother-and-sister duo entered the shop as we chatted away; the younger carried an epic-looking concoction of chocolatey gooeyness as he strolled by our table. As the sister slowly pulled out her phone to snap a quick shot, I couldn't help but also ask if I could capture the moment. "Do you even know how many calories is in that thing?" I heard the sister exclaim as I retreated back to our cozy corner.

The remainder of the day flew by rather quickly.
​Within an hour of leaving the frozen yogurt franchise, the sky had quickly darkened. My next destination was downtown Brampton, which required a longer amount of time on the highway than anticipated; my unfamiliarity with the area did not assist me in this journey either.

Significantly chillier than in the afternoon, the walk around Gage Park and City Hall was cut as short as I could possibly withstand.

As opposed to the breathtaking long exposure image I had viewed not even two weeks ago of the park, the bulk of my photographic visions were abruptly shattered upon entering the reality of the dimly-lit, depressing-looking space. It appeared as if only 20% of the lights were actually in operation, leaving the remainder of the area gloomy and, arguably, a tad eerie.

Marching over to the other side of the road was a much more rewarding experience, as the leafless trees and shrubs had all been decked out in colourful Christmas bulbs. The most stunning part of the display was undoubtedly the gazeebo-like structure adjacent to the road: it was illuminated by coils of multi-coloured lights whose luminescence bounced off the white paint to produce an even more appealing exhibit.

The desire to channel one's inner Cinderella was also made possible in white horse-pulled carriages. Priced at $20 and with seating up to four people, I observed that quite a lengthy line had formed solely for the winter-exclusive experience.

To rid the numbness from our cheeks and fingertips, a stop at T by Daniel was made. Two cups of Lion Chai, with cheeky versions of our names scrawled onto the bottom rim of the cups, were delivered to our shivering hands. It was silky smooth and comforting - identical to my experience approximately one month ago.
​
We retreated to the back of the shop to soak in its warmth before heading off yet again.

I had initially wanted to visit The Works nearby, however was taken back when a notice had been tacked onto the front window notifying customers of an unforeseen water break. A down coat-clad girl emerged between stacked inverted tables and apologetically explained that they would be closed temporarily due to this incident, and handed us a coupon to use on a later visit.

Dinner eventually took place at Shawarma Queen, purely out of convenience.

Two Chicken Shawarma Wraps were ordered and promptly rolled up in insulating foil paper. The pita was, regrettably, on the soggy side, while the wrap itself lacked in both freshness and flavour. A few components within it were outstandingly cold even from after being placed in a sandwich press.
It was none too remarkable for a $5.99 meal (or $6.99 for a large), but provided enough energy for the hour of cardio exercise that was to follow.

---