Sunday, May 24, 2015

ONTARIO ADVENTURES



Hello
Our Canadian adventure continues...
We are enjoying the little grandsons, their cute sayings and sweet ways.
Sometimes we even think it would be nice to live here, and be part of the local scene.

This week we drove to another picturesque regional township, Westport on the Rideau Lakes.


A place of stylish Victorian houses, it has become a small tourist village, with fun shops - Like Rosie Yumski's, where I bought a few quality kitchen items as gifts.


Near the Marina, where yachts floated prettily..


a little spring bubbled up out of the grass, running into a pond.
Perhaps the fresh spring attracted the first settlers to this place.


We had fish and chips at this lovely old hotel, overlooking the lake...


and watching the geese..


Do you think I would eat Moose Tracks icecream?


Of course I did....
(only on holidays)

There was more shopping -
unexpectedly, on looking into a fashion shop, I found a perfect outfit for a summer wedding we will attend later in the year.
Taupe silk, made in Italy, and very reasonable price.
And it fitted perfectly.  
Then there was the decoy duck - a reminder of The Lake, destined to swim in our pool at home..




I love these old-fashioned fences in the farming countryside..
an historic design, but still popular, and attractive.


The lilac season is gorgeous.  Out in the country, we saw long hedges, heavy under a bounty of sweet-scented blossoms..


The little grandsons continue to amuse us.
We are enjoying school and day care pick-ups, putting Big Boy onto the yellow school bus, going to the barber, playing in the park, blowing bubbles, story times, and going to Tim Hortons for coffee and donuts.
The Little Boy is learning new words every day, and is also picking up a bit of French.  This is very cute, as he has begun to put the adjective after the noun in English too!  

We have spent time with the other grandparents, Grandpapa and Grandmama, who took us to a historic village, Upper Canada, which depicts a 19th century village in Ontario.





The village consists of many historic buildings, brought here during construction of the St Lawrence Seaway in 1958, when numerous communities were permanently flooded. The park was opened to the public in 1961. 


We have been to many heritage parks, in Australia and overseas, and this was one of the best.  The principal reason for this is the way they have made it a living museum, with costumed 'residents' in every building, telling us about their lives and trades.
There are three mills, still operational during the summer season:
a woollen mill, a flour mill and a sawmill.


The bakery bakes bread for the community, the cheese shop really does make and sell cheese, from the milk produced at the on-site farm.


The houses were beautifully furnished..

from the simple farmhouse, to the elegant doctor's residence.



Some of the wallpapers were absolutely gorgeous..


Of course, there was a dressmaker's house..




lots of quilts..




beautiful old stoves in every building..


and a big old oak tree.

Our drive home was along the riverside road on the Canadian side of the St Lawrence River...


looking across to the United States on the opposite bank.
We drove along there for about an hour, and my cell phone started receiving text messages, welcoming me to the US and offering mobile roaming rates!
Sorry guys, not this time..


Our daughter bought this sign at Westport...
memories of the sweet hummingbirds at the lake.

Soon we will be packing up, leaving our cosy bedroom under the steep roof of our daughter's century-old house, and saying sad goodbyes.
Then it is time for the long trek home, back to Australia.

Have a great week

xxxx






23 comments:

  1. What a lot of wonderful outings you have had - all so interesting. And the time with your soon to be bi-lingual grandson. As you say, the time is passing quickly, so make the most of what time you have left with your family.

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    1. Yes, lots of interesting things to see Sarah Liz, but of course we are enjoying the family life very much as well. Simple outings such as going to the egg farm for fresh eggs are so enjoyable with a two-year-old singing in the car! It will be hard to leave..

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  2. This is such an interesting insight into rural life in Canada Patricia.
    There are so many things I enjoyed seeing in this post - love that staircase carpet, the rustic fences, and the blossom against blue skies.
    It will be hard to leave the two little grandsons but Skype will help ease the distance for you on your return to the other side of the world.
    Safe travels - see you back in Australia.

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    1. I am glad you enjoyed the post, Rosemary. While Canada has much in common, culturally, with Australia, it is the differences which fascinate. It is a very fertile and beautiful place in Spring. We are not going in to the inner city this time because of the children, but we are enjoying the countryside very much indeed. Thank you for your good wishes - I do dread the long journey over the Pacific.

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  3. It looks like a lovely place. There's something so pleasant about Canada. I have never visited it at this time of year. I suppose the downside of living there is the winter. Don't think I have ever been so cold.

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    1. The Springtime here is gorgeous, Jenny, but your are right about the winter. We only did it once, and like you, have never been so cold. It was around -20c and we had to cover our faces when out in the falling snow - brrrr!

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  4. Sorry, published before I had finished the post. I was going to say that one big attraction has to be the grandkids, though. Maybe you can split your time... rent out the house at home for a few months each year...

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    1. That would be a lovely idea, Jenny, but I fear we would have to win the lottery to be able to do it :)

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  5. It looks like a wonderful place to visit - the historic village - and as though you had a great time! So glad you have been enjoying your travels and spending time with your family and grandchildren! I hope that your return journey will be a good and safe one. xx

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    1. Hello Amy, As you know, I love a good heritage museum, of any kind! The grandchildren are so sweet, and entertaining. We can continue the fun on Skype. Thank you for your good wishes. xx

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  6. It must be hard to think about saying goodbye to those small grandsons. I agree with Jenny's comment above. Is it possible to split your time between the two countries? I'm really looking forward to seeing you in Vancouver!

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    1. Yes Kristie, it will be a difficult goodbye, but it is great to have something excellent to look forward to on the way home! Talk soon...

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  7. My eyes were drawn to that lovely staircase carpet, wonderful, the quilts too.
    Thank you for showing us something of beautiful Canada, I enjoyed the tour so much.

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    1. That staircase carpet was stunning! Glad you enjoyed the tour, Janneke.

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  8. Oh Patricia....you have had a wonderful visit here!
    You have seen things I have never seen! Hahaha!
    That cottage you all rented was fabulous! Much fancier than mine!
    You will cherish this time with your sweet grandchildren....great memories!
    Safe journey home....will it be winter when you get home?
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)
    ps....you must show us your outfit!

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    1. Hi Linda, We did enjoy some new and interesting sights on our visit. As some friends said, the cottage was Glamping (not camping)...
      Yes we go home into winter, which I enjoy most of the time. Sometimes we even light a fire. Yes, will show the outfit when I get unpacked, along with a few other purchases. cheers.

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  9. Ontario is really a beautiful place especially without the snow. I learn italian over skype at http://preply.com/en/italian-by-skype and my teacher told me to definitely visit Canada.

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    1. Ontario in Springtime certainly is beautiful. Worth a visit for anyone!

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  10. Enjoyed tagging along with you as you visited parts of Canada. That historic village looks like a very interesting place to visit. I'm glad you are getting out and about but expect your best hours are spend with those grandsons.

    Darla

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    1. Glad you enjoyed, Darla. You are right, most of the time is spent joining in with the everyday life of the boys, and even babysitting for short periods. However, we enjoy the planned outings to new and different places. The village was very good, and an enjoyable day which included a traditional lunch onsite.

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  11. Oh my, what a terrific time you have had in Canada. Your post has so many things I could comment on, but then I´d have to write a short story. The weather was great all the time? At least everything looks so fresh green. What a shame that Canada and Australia are so far apart. What a shame that Australia is so far from Europe too..

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    1. Hello Mette, yes, I crammed it all in, as won't get another chance to blog for a while. The weather was good, but extremely variable. One day in the high 30s, the next nearly freezing. This is where judicious packing pays off, and I was able to accommodate the elements. Yes, too bad we live on the other side of the world. Blame the British! They started the colony :) (Our grandparents are European and British).

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  12. You certainly packed a huge amount into your Canadian visit, Patricia. Lots of lovely family time and these splendid excursions. I too really enjoy visiting heritage sites such as this village and always come away thinking how much I've learned.
    However I don't envy you the parting from your daughter and gorgeous grandsons. That mustybe very hard for both sides.

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