This summer we have been doing a "motorcycling staycation" around southern Ontario. Mary Ann takes her Burgman 400, and I take my Kawasaki Vulcan 900. The weather has been unusual, with hardly any hot weather, and frequent rain showers. We have often been caught in sudden downpours even though I watch for the weather reports on this websiteThis morning we were meeting some friends at the Tim Horton's in Paris (Ontario) and sat in the coffee shop through what seemed to be a cross between a tornado and a thunderstorm. But we started the trip in sunshine, ended in sunshine and never hit a raindrop all day.
I have discovered that Southern Ontario can feel like any exotic location in the entire world. The city of Waterloo, within walking distance of our house, now has an open square in the city centre where there used to be a parking lot. We were sitting there the other night at a free outdoor cafe. You can bring your own coffee if you like. While we were sitting there, we watched a dance class doing the salsa from a nearby dance studio. I may be off base here, but can you find anything like this anywhere else in the world? And in our city you can probably find people from just about any country in the world walking around, acting like it was normal. At the health clinic last week I saw an elderly couple that seemed to be dressed in some Nepalese native costume. Two weeks ago, we had a meal with some friends at an East African restaurant. I had to ask for a fork, I couldn't figure out how to eat the food. I see that as a sign that the restaurant was authentic - they neither offered a fork, or instructions on how to eat, probably just what would happen if you went to a restaurant in Eritrea. Some people may be horrified by this development, but then we have so many different kinds of restaurants, and people who love McDonald's have decided by now where to go. It's called McDonald's. And people from all over the world go there too.
A few days ago, we went for a trip to Port Dover. We of course stopped at the Apple Fritter Place, situated right along the main dock overlooking the channel. It looks a bit Dutch, judging from the colourful plastic streamers in the doorway. Then we went a block down the street to get a couple of quesadillas at a Mexican outdoor restaurant. It seemed authentic to me - it was run my a Mexican family, played Mexican music (I think), and the food was what I remembered from my road trips down the Baja peninsula. Then a stroll along the beach under the palm trees. They have to dig them up and replant them for the winter, but that's their problem. Meanwhile I don't have to go to Florida to see replanted palm trees any more. Saves on gas and tires and medical insurance.
Staying at home is a great option to have because travelling through the USA has become hazardous for my health. I just can't afford to got to Hospital there, with their shortage of affordable health care, which they like to call the best health care in the world. Trouble is you have to be a millionaire to afford it, and so far I have only made $0 dollars writing this blog. (That's Canadian dollars, so it's even less than $0 US)
Instead of me going to see the world, it seems like the world is coming to us. Only a few years ago Canada was pretty boring. Now I feel like I have travelled the world without having to think up funny jokes for the border guards to distract them from inspecting my motorcycle luggage, only to find that they don't don't have a sense of humour and pull me aside anyway.
P.S. Apparently staycations irk some people (See Jason Cochran's opinion, plus over a hundred comments on it)
I love a controversy, so here is my take. Jason, if you really want to take a flight to some exotic resort, and be sent through metal detectors, and crammed like cattle on a plane, just for the fun of sitting with a bunch of American tourists at a McDonald's in Cancun, then do it. I'm pretty sure the fuel used by your airplane will not tip the balance in global warming this time. But when it does, you are going to be flying to Inuvik instead of Mexico for your suntans. And by then, when tickets are a million dollars each way, staycations are going to start looking mighty good. Maybe you should start practicing now.
Here's another vote for 'staycations'
ReplyDeleteIn fact, what my sweetie and I are doing is just the good old long-standing Ontario tradition of 'summer at the cottage.' As you point out, there's no shortage of interesting things within a day's drive of just about anywhere in Ontario.
However, you're remiss ... I assume that's your own photo in the illustration with your blog entry and you haven't identified the ship (it's a brigantine, right?). Some sailor you are ;-)
This might be the Playfair, (Actually I'm not sure) one of two sister ships that do a sailing program on the great lakes. I have pictures that I took last year of the other one in Port Dover, the Pathfinder, which has a white hull colour scheme, and is the other tall ship in their program. Both are brigantines.
ReplyDeleteIt was great fun watching the Pathfinder come in to Port Dover, under sail alone, with a tail wind. The kids jump off the boat and slow it down by throwing ropes around things, while the captain yells orders.