Vacation wrap-up

I’m back in Vancouver now, but having failed to do so while travelling, I will briefly summarise the rest of the trip.

I managed to walk many kilometres in and around Quebec City which, having discovered in Montreal that my walking-specific shoes are not suitable for walking, resulted in rather sore arches. On the final two days I managed to spend some time in the parts of the city where the ‘real people’ live, but I also took a very long walk from the Plains of Abraham to the city limits, and back, which is largely pathways through the forest on the edge of the cliff.

In keeping with my tradition of photographing less obvious “attractions”, here is a concrete block of indeterminate purpose that I found oddly reminiscent of Arthur Erickson:

On the 28th of August I took the long train ride to Toronto, where I relaxed at the Leslieville home of Ben and Carol, and their three-month old son, Sam. Sam and I got along just fine, as he doesn’t cry much, drooled on me only once, and is committed to never calling me “Uncle Ed” – a title that conjures in my mind a beefy, hairy-knuckled lout with a plumbers crack (conveniently overlooking my own hairy knuckles). Here is a picture of Sam restraining me by the ear at Ontario Place:

One day I borrowed Ben’s bike and went downtown and was once again reminded that, despite the narrow streets and the presence of streetcar tracks, cycling is less harried than in Vancouver. There is a lot of traffic, but drivers are typically less aggressive.

I also managed to squeeze in a visit with Darren and Brian, who took time out from their packing (in preparation for their pending move to New Brunswick) to have dinner with me at their favourite pub, “The Feathers”, in the company of a few regulars that I also met last summer, inlcuding Annie, who is one of the exclusive eight readers of this blog. I was once again distracted from my vegetarian intentions by the fab Feathers “Steak Pie”. I try not to think about the fact that I have known Darren for 31 years (with a few interruptions), as it interferes with my self-image as a carefree young college student, though the grey hair in the photo above betrays that delusion. See you guys in Frederickton!

Ben and Carol then took me out to Ben’s family’s cottage, which is well situated on a quiet island in Georgian Bay. Unfortunately, the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto (which I have naturally been referring to as “Hurricane Che” ever since it blew across Cuba) meant it was rainy and cool, so I didn’t spend a lot of time swimming, but I did get one dip into this offshoot of Lake Huron, which I also swam in last summer.

Here’s the view from my room:

The rain was no bother to me really, as I quite enjoyed the Vancouver-like drizzle. Carol and I finished about seven crossword puzzles, and we played some ping-pong and ate large quantities of food. The members of Ben’s family were very friendly and welcoming without exception and I enjoyed their company. The meals were very social and full of lively discussion. I seldom respond well to spending much time in large groups, as I usually suffer from over-stimulation, but even in the company of five enthusiastic small children I was quite comfortable. It may be that I am mellowing with age, but I’m more inclined to credit them than myself.

But, vacation is over and now it’s time to go back to school. I’m actually quite looking forward to it.