Ange and her family try out Hok skiing and play at being cheese makers

In January 2025, while abundant snow was still to come in the city (at least in Lévis), this was not the case in Parc Massif du Sud, where the flakes had already generously covered the slopes and trails.

We’ve been coming back to this favourite park every season for years, and this time it was the desire to try Hok skiing that piqued our curiosity! It’s an up-and-coming sport, somewhere between off-piste skiing and snowshoeing, designed to make it easier to climb the slopes while still being able to glide downhill, a bit like Telemark skiing. Hok skis are designed for powder, but also work very well on a harder surface, especially for an introduction to skiing with children (offered to those aged 8-9 and over).

In fact, they loved the experience! Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing never really appealed to them, so our expectations were moderate, but the agility of the Hok skis on the way up, and of course the pleasure of gliding afterwards, were right up their alley.

So we had a wonderful time with the family, out in nature, enchanted by the bright sunshine on a beautiful Sunday morning, the rays making their way through the branches to our cheeks, seeking light and warmth. A winter activity that’s both active and rejuvenating, yet very accessible. A must-do!

At Cassis et Mélisse, you always feel welcomed as if you were family. In the Jovial-Café, a warm, windowed space overlooking the countryside, we were offered coffee, herbal tea and hot chocolate while we waited for our meal, which we sipped quietly while leafing through a travel book, while the children got their hands on a large box of Legos.

Then we shared some tasty fromage frais sandwiches and Belgian crêpes with Galarneau cheese and a drizzle of maple syrup, the mouth-watering scent of butter in the pan having already made our mouths water.

Then we took part in a new workshop offered at the farm, the apprentice cheese maker. It’s a really cool and different way of discovering things as a family! We’re big fans of cheese, especially those of Cassis et Mélisse, which are distinguished by their delicate, subtle flavour (my son would add, “It doesn’t taste too much like goat’s cheese!It doesn’t taste too much like goat’s cheese”), so it went without saying that we wanted to play cheesemaker for an afternoon.

Aagje, the owner and artisan cheesemaker, offered us the chance to learn the ladle-moulding technique and make our own faisselles, a fresh cheese with a soft texture that you can enjoy as soon as it’s moulded.