One more in the Point Pelee tally

On this trip, we got into one of those pointless couples discussions about how often we visit the Lake Erie / Kingsville / Point Pelee area: Annually? Periodically?

There is an objective answer to this, of course, and thanks to my blogging habit, I am now able to share. We were last in this area in November 2021. And before that, we visited in August 2013, July 2017, and August 2018. Note that I did dub this 2018 expedition “annual”, but that turned out only to be true that year.

At any rate, this year we again headed to those parts for a few days, rather than to Niagara, our more recent “annual” destination.

Monday, May 4

This spring has been reluctant to get and stay warm, and this was largely true on this vacation as well, even though we were visiting the southernmost part of the province. The very first day, however, was glorious: fully sunny, with a high of 21 C. We were not able to check into our Inn until 4:00—it was one of those self check-in places, and we didn’t get the entry codes until shortly before 4:00—so we spent the time ambling around Kingsville, even though many of its stores are closed on Mondays. We were able to get excellent lattes from a local cafe, though.

Jean was pretty tuckered from a bike trip the previous day, but I coaxed him into a walk to the waterfront. It was lovely!

Park with flowering trees, a gazebo, and water in the background, on a beautiful sunny day.
Jean was too tired to take photos on Monday, so you’ll have to make do with mine

We then recuperated on the patio of a little pub. I had a nonalcoholic cocktail based on ginger beer, and Jean had an alcoholic one based on prosecco. We also had fries and fried Brussels sprouts.

Despite the mild inconvenience of the late checkin, our Inn, the Heart and Soul Inn, was really great. It was conveniently located near downtown, and had beautiful rooms in what seemed to be an old house. Very good coffee and some nice snacks were supplied. Each room had a theme. Ours was musical.

Lamp and window with 45s affixed the wall, and a staff to the right of it. Also shown are snacks and a Keurig coffee maker, along with an Elvis book.
Also there but not shown in this photo: a tiny piano, a gramophone, more music-themed books, and more LPs on the wall

We couldn’t lounge too long, though, because we had a dinner reservation at North 42 Estates Winery, and we wanted to get there a little earlier to do some wine tasting. North 42 have a beautiful building on a nice property, and some pretty spectacular wines. We were especially impressed by the 2019 Cabernet Franc (not even their “estate” wine), which was so smooth and fruity. And by the “estate” Pinot Noir, somewhat bigger than Ontario Pinots can be, and very complex. But we also enjoyed their Gewurtz and Sauvignon Blanc.

It was a quiet day at the winery, and we were able to segue seamlessly from the tasting to the dinner, while sitting out on the patio again. We enjoyed our meal of shared mussels with sparkling Riesling (also shared). I then had the beet linguini, which was very creative and fresh and served with Sauvignon Blanc, while Jean had the nicely prepared pork with delicious potato puree, served with the afore-mentioned Pinot.

The pub snacks had left us too full for dessert, alas.

Tuesday, May 5

One thing I’d learned during my pre-trip research is that it was a bit difficult to find a place that served breakfast before 9 AM in Kingsville. There was one, though: Jim’s Sub Shop. This is what we tried. It offered pretty serviceable egg-based breakfast items. Jim was quite personable and fun to chat with.

Unlike our sunny first day, Tuesday was cool and rainy. We headed to Amherstburg, and stopped in at the Freedom Museum, which focuses on African-Canadian history. It consists of two buildings: a former homestead that displays items from that time, and to which a larger exhibit space has been attached, and a Black church. We got a personal tour of both buildings. I had heard of Canada’s role in the underground railroad for escaped African-American slaves, and it was interesting to learn that Amherstburg was a major point of entry on that network.

I heard not previously heard the shameful fact that in 1850, Ontario passed a Segregation Law that prevented Black children from attending the same schools as children of other races—to which the Black community responded by building their own schools. (Methinks perhaps the education I received on racial matters in my country was a bit sanitized.) I had to look up when and how that ended:

In response to the activism of Black parents, racially segregated schools in Ontario were gradually phased out. The last racially segregated school in Ontario, School Section No.11 in Colchester, closed in 1965. This was done after newly elected MPP Leonard Braithwaite pushed for the Separate Schools clause on segregated schools for Blacks to be officially removed from provincial education policy. The last racially segregated school in Nova Scotia closed in 1983 in Guysborough County.

The Canadian Encyclopedia

After that interesting but sobering visit, we had lunch at an unremarkable but adequate Italian restaurant, then went to visit Vivace Estate Winery. We’d never been to this one before. It’s small, and we were the only patrons. We did a tasting of the “Local Favourites” and the “Premium Select” wines. I found that their Vidal-based wines had a bit an off-putting barnyard scent. But I quite liked their Pinot Grigio, which was more lemony and complex than this wine typically is. Jean wasn’t sure about it at first, but was ultimately won over. We also enjoyed their Baco, Marechel Foch, and we decided to buy their port-style Cavatina without tasting it, figuring we’d enjoy it.

Small tabby cat on a stair.
Big fluffy black cat on a bed.
Mostly white cat on a cat house roof.
We have no pictures from this day, but our cats seemed to be having a nice time with the sitter

Our dinner that night, back in Kingsville, was at Mettawas Station, an old favourite. However, we didn’t really love it this time. The food wasn’t the issue: we shared escargot to start, and enjoyed how they served them in portebello mushroom. I had a pasta special with lovely fresh peas and asparagus—the serving was too large, but the taste was good. Jean enjoyed his smoked mozzarella ravioli. We each had a different flavor of tartuffo for dessert, and both were great.

No, the issue was mainly the accoustics: it was just quite loud in here. Though not at capacity, there were definitely enough people that it was too many conversations to overhear. The waitress did a masterful job at managing all the tables by herself, must say, but we’re still not too inclined to go back, unless we could sit outdoors.

Wednesday

We didn’t want diner breakfast again, so we decided to wait until 9 AM to have more options. We first tried a whole-food brunch place, only to find they weren’t open on Wednesdays. We then stopped in at a little cafe called La Dolce Vita, but it seemed the only breakfast they had were smoothies and pastries. So then we tried the cafe we’d been to on the first day, but they only had pastries. Figuring it would be better to have a smoothie with our pastry, we went back to La Dolce Vita, only to learn that they actually had a bunch of fancy breakfast sandwiches and sides (like fruit) as well. Yay!

It was a very nice breakfast. In a very quiet room!

Weather was also enjoyable: not as warm as Monday, but sunny. So we decided to make this our Point Pelee Park day. But before that, because it made more sense geographically, we stopped at a winery near Leamington: Aleksander. We’ve been here a number of times, and always enjoyed it; this day was no exception. We were the only patrons, and had a leisurely tasting of a few different options, along with a charcuterie board. We purchased a full complement of types: white, rose, red, dessert (late harvest)—not all of which we tried this day; some we just knew from past visits we liked. The favourite we tried was the Amarouge, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chambourcin.

We then went into Leamington to visit the Arts Centre. They had a few different exhibits on: a student show, Far Out show, Things That Go Bump in the Night! So, an interesting, eclectic collection.

Clock with orange flowers around it, a gingerbread man below, and possibly sand and shells in the corner. Art piece!
One of the exhibits at the Leamington Arts Centre

We then made it to Point Pelee National Park. It was a pretty popular place, because this was prime bird watching season, and this is a prime bird watching area. But it was fine sharing the trails with the birders (though Jean remarked they made his camera looked puny). We don’t know our birds, beyond the obvious ones, but there’s no doubt we saw many ourselves during the hike. The big wild turkeys were pretty cool. But also the Grosbeaks, and the little yellow birds, and the brown birds, and the gray birds, and the black… (sorry; as noted, don’t really know birds!).

Large eagle in a sparse tree against a blue sky.
I do know this one, though! Hello, eagle. This is a Jean photo.
Black bird with red, yellow, and white on its wing: a Grosbeak.
And this is a grosbeak. And also a Jean photo. (Taken with his puny camera. Haha.)

Dinner was back in Kingsville, this time at Wineology, a restaurant whose Kitchener location had closed some time ago, but whose Kingsville location remained a going concern, albeit at a new location in Kingsville. It was a nice room: quiet (!), with cool furniture. We were almost the only patrons; the other tables seemed to be friends of the wait staff, which was a little different, but fine. It felt like a very casual night out, but with better food.

For whatever reason, Wineology still have American wines on their menu here (for those not in the know, American wines have been banned from sale in Ontario since the trade troubles). Jean tried to avoid them, but didn’t quite manage, as he selected two different flights per course. I went, eh, and embraced having a California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (even though I hadn’t really been missing them). The Chardonnay was part of the wine flight I had with my first course; the Pinot Noir I had on its own with my main.

The food was good and nicely plated. We shared a feta plate to start. I then had the truffle pasta (realizing only retrospectively that I selected pasta for every single dinner on this meal, although the first one was veggie and not carb-based), and it was quite lovely. Jean enjoyed his pistachio-encrusted lamb and mashed potatoes. For dessert, I think we ended up with tiramisu? I do recall that not all desserts were available, but that the one we got in the end was very nice.

Thursday

Was another beauty day, but also our last day of vacation. We had another breakfast at La Dolce Vita, then headed out.

What have I been up to

I haven’t posted here for a while, due to a little distraction:

Small tabby cat sitting at a scratching post.
Meet Shawnee

That people who volunteer at cat shelters sometimes end up with new pets isn’t much of a surprise. But I was resisting the lure pretty well, until Jean started to waver—even though he only knew of Shawnee based on my descriptions (and a few cell phone photos).

Same small tabby cat on a scratching post near a bed.
Shawnee at the shelter

Shawnee had been at the shelter from the first day I volunteered, but I only really noticed her some months later, after she got some extensive dental work done. This left her with no teeth whatsoever, but also, with an altered personality. Whereas previously she’d been at best aloof, at worst cranky, she became very friendly and affectionate. From my perspective, all of a sudden this little tabby cat was coming up to me for pets and face rubs.

By summer (I started volunteering in January), she was added to the shelter adoption list. (Not all the cats under this shelter’s care are considered adoptable.) Shawnee was about six years old, and had been at shelter for about two years. Previous to that, she’d been a colony cat. She was part of a TNR (trap/neuter/release) program, only they decided to not release her (despite clipping her ear). She was at the Humane Society for a while, then brought over to Pet Patrol.

I didn’t particularly need another cat, so I fairly relieved to hear, a couple months later, that she had a prospective adopter. This person took their time deciding, but finally did bring Shawnee home. It was funny to not see her at the shelter, but I was happy for her…

…until my next volunteer shift, when she was back at the shelter. Turns out she’d spent all her time at her new home hiding in a closet. After four days, she was returned.

Jean and I hemmed and hawed about it through the fall, but finally in January, we went out to see her. And brought her back home.

Though the standard advice is to let the new cat be completely on their own in a dedicated room after adoption, given Shawnee’s history of always living with lots of cats, they suggested she could meet ours after a day or two. And indeed, the meetings generally went well. Mac was a little dubious at first, and she had to make some moves to win him over. But she generally did.

White cat on a round scratcher looking at a small tabby cat in front of him.
Mac and Shawnee in her room

Gus seemed pretty enamored of her. She wasn’t quite as sure about him, but seemed OK as long as he kept a little distance.

Small tabby cat in a cat head bed a little distance from a big, fluffy black cat on the floor.
Shawnee and Gus, keeping some space

Shawnee was getting comfortable with us (she already knew me, which helped), seemed OK with the cats, and was starting to explore the rest of the house. It seemed as though we’d have this whole adoption thing settled in a couple of weeks.

Or not.

Continue reading “What have I been up to” →

Dancing in lines

I’ve moved up to Beginner Level 2 in line dance classes this winter. The dances are still reasonably simple, but they come at you much faster.

I’m no longer one of the best in the class, since other people are repeating this level. On the other hand, that means it’s sometimes possible to follow other people in the class, something that was almost never true in Beginner Level 1.

I’m managing, though. I’m sometimes surprised by my ability to pick up and remember the steps reasonably quickly. I think my brain is getting trained on what it needs to do. Paradoxically, I also think the slightly more complex steps are sometimes helpful also, as it feels like a more logical sequence of dance steps than when just doing a bunch of basic steps.

Last night, I went out to my first social line dance event. It was not associated with my classes at all. They do hold events, but I’ve heard that they’re not especially beginner friendly. This event was.

I have to give kudos to my two friends and my one husband for agreeing to come along with me. The two friends had never really line danced before (though they had done ballroom and Latin dancing), something I only learned when we arrived. My husband had only line danced enough previously to know that he didn’t really like line dancing. Furthermore…

  • While inclusive, this was a queer line dance club. (Meaning, they wouldn’t kick you out for being straight, but it was an event aimed at the LGBTQIA2S+ community.)
  • The participants tended to skew younger than we are.
  • It was mask mandatory.

Even I was kind of daunted by those facts, but we were all attracted by the theme, which was Frozen in Time: 70s party. Disco classics and Dad rock! So we agreed to give it a whirl.

Bolo Tie Line Presents Frozen In Time 70's line dancing party

I didn’t know how these events went—and maybe it varies—but at this one, it started with a demo of a fairly advanced line dance by the two organizers. This was then followed by a series of “learn the line dance” / “do the line dance” sessions, with breaks at appropriate intervals. Their assessment of the crowd at this particular session led them to back away from the original plan of teaching anything too advanced, though there was still one slightly more complicated dance included. It was a two-hour duration.

The music really was terrific. “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” by The Ramones, “Cherry Bomb” by The Runaways, “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer, “The Hustle”, and so on.

None of the dances were ones I had learned in class, unsurprisingly, but the brain training from the classes was definitely helpful. One of my friends, in particular, seemed to be a bit of a natural at this. The other did OK, with a bit more effort. While Jean found it a struggle, for sure. He can dance, but he definitely prefers dance improvisation! Though he got pretty good at faking the steps.

I wish I had taken a picture of my outfit. I dug out my royal blue, slightly sparkly, flared leg pantsuit, and did some fine smokey eye makeup above my bedazzled (mask chain) black mask. And wore it with my new black dance sneakers (I just recently learned that dance sneakers are a thing). I was pretty pleased with the effect. But I can’t prove any of it!

(There was a photographer there. Let’s see if something shows up on Instagram. In the meantime, here’s a link to one of the dances we learned, filmed a couple weeks prior to the event: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTnzxrEgHQm/).

Masked people line dancing.
And here’s a photo from a previous Bolo Tie Line event

As for the original concerns, well, it didn’t seem that weird being the straights among the queers, since everyone was dancing on their own anyway, in the end. And, it didn’t skew quite as young as I thought it would. And, it’s just not awkward to be in a mask when everyone is in a mask. (I also practice weekly as the lone masker in my line dance class, so this was a breeze.)

I had fun. A lot of fun. My friends also had enough fun that they texted me right after that they would go again, as long as it’s another “good music” theme night. Jean is… less sold on the whole thing. But he did enjoy watching me in my outfit!

Christmas in time

YouTube has these videos about the weirdness of the week between Christmas and New Year’s—that time when it gets particularly hard to remember what day of the week it is and you find yourself subsisting mostly on decadent leftovers. For example:

Hmm, I guess YouTube Shorts display really big in WordPress…?

Being retired also brings with a certain amount of having to work to remember what day of the week it is anyway, and I can confirm that this is only gets worse the week between Christmas and New Year’s, when whatever usual weekly activities you have set up are often cancelled or moved. So that the week did feel a bit “off” wasn’t too surprising.

What I hadn’t expected was the way that Christmas Day itself really snuck up on me. In my working times, I’d typically have the week between Christmas and New Year’s off, and usually a few days before Christmas, too. And I would plan ahead for that. What am I going to cook when. What events will I attend. What back burner projects will I move onto that front burner.

But now… Well… That’s closer to what my life is generally like so I didn’t need all these “special” plans. But, I did still want to do a Christmas dinner and maybe a few other event? And I didn’t want to be grocery shopping on Christmas Eve, and events weren’t going to plan themselves. I had to get on it.

Continue reading “Christmas in time” →

Some Good Fortune

I’d heard on a podcast that it was good for couples to do “novel activities” together.

On another podcast came the comment that Landmark Theatres were far superior to the more dominant Cineplex ones. We have a Landmark Theatre close by.

In the newspaper, I’d read how Aziz Ansari had fought to have his new movie get a theatrical release. And that he’d cast a bunch of Canadian actors in it, albeit not because they were Canadian.

On the shared calendar, I saw that we had an opening Monday afternoon.

Hence Jean and I found ourselves at Landmark Cinemas for a matinee showing of Good Fortune.

Now, by this point the movie had been out for about four weeks and it was, you know, Monday afternoon. So this wasn’t a true “watching with a crowd” experience, given that there were only about two other people in attendance. But—notwithstanding our having gone to see a physics documentary at the Princess Cinema last month—it had been so long since we’d gone to a chain theatre, this seemed to qualify as a “novel” experience.

Plus, you know, Monday afternoon! On a non-holiday! Novel!

The Landmark was nice. We sprung for a few extra bucks to sit in the premium seats with recliners, heaters, a coat hook, and such. The screen was big. The movie was high definition. The sound was surround.

And the story was entertaining. The trailer is a pretty accurate synopsis: Arj, played by Ansari, is trying to stay afloat with part-time and “gig economy” jobs—and not entirely succeeding. He captures the attention of Gabriel, an angel played by Keanu Reeves, who longs to make bigger gestures than saving people from texting and driving. Though advised against it by his supervisor, Gabriel tries to show Arj that money wouldn’t solve all his problems by having him trade places with Jeff, played by Seth Rogen, a wealthy “tech bro” that Arj has been doing errands for. Only Arj very much enjoys living Jeff’s life and doesn’t particularly want to go back, setting off a chain of cosmic chaos.

It’s quite funny, it moves at a good clip (it’s about 90 minutes long), and it has a strong cast. It is pretty delightful seeing Keanu Reeves as a “budget angel”.

But, it’s kind of excruciating sitting through the struggles of Arj, and then Jeff, and also romantic foil Elena (played by Keke Palmer), working so hard for so little while Jeff, and then Arj, live in such leisure, comfort, and luxury. Because it is so true. And because I know which side of that spectrum I’m closer to (sitting in my premium seat, on a Monday afternoon).

Warning that I’m about to be a little spoilery about the ending…

Continue reading “Some Good Fortune” →

Trip to PEC

Black and white beach in Prince Edward County.

We selected Prince Edward County as the destination for our first post-retirement vacation together. Although we waited until late enough in October that we missed out on all the unseasonably warm Fall weather, we were still able to get some hikes in. And despite having visited this area a number of times previously, we still had some new experiences.

Highlights were:

  • The quite fascinating tour of the S.S. Keewatin, a decommissioned luxury cruise ship, at the Great Lakes Museum in Kingston.
  • Staying at the Jackson’s Falls Inn in Milford, where we enjoyed a king suite with Nespresso machine, excellent breakfasts, and an included Netflix account (hello, The Diplomat Season 3).
  • The informative and basically private wine tasting stop at Sugarbush Vineyards in Hillier, makers of excellent Viognier and Cab Franc and experimenters with adding a bit of maple syrup to wine (not bad!).
  • Dinner at the cozy Hartley’s Tavern in Picton, whose casual name belies the excellent food and service provided.
  • A rather stunning beach walk at the Prince Edward County Bird Observatory.
  • Finally making it to Three Dog Winery in Picton, where we enjoyed their excellent charcuterie board along with tastes of a good portfolio of red, white, and sparkling wines.
Front view of a narrow and tall cruise ship, flying a British flag.
The S.S. Keewatin. We went aboard!
A black and white view of a lakefront beach, with a cloudy sky and some trees.
The beach at Prince Edward County Bird Sanctuary.

For more details (and photos), see Trip to PEC, October 2025.

Welcome to the new routine

It’s not exactly Ovaltine
But welcome to the new routine
Whatja have to do to get a drink here?

—Bob Geldof, “The New Routine”

I’d sometimes feel a little prickly when people would ask what I planned to do when I retired. For one thing, how do I know, really, until I actually have that extra 37.5 hours per week? For another thing, I figured some of the things I expected I’d be doing wouldn’t sound interesting to other people.

Some things I’ve done:

  • Made a tiny apple pie (just as much work as a full-size pie, fyi)
  • Tried out Jean’s ebike to see whether I like certain features for myself
  • Finally switched out my Windows 10 PC for a Windows 11 one
  • Researched a suitable cat food substitute for a flavor that’s been discontinued

Are you not entertained?

I have a habit of overthinking regardless, but I hadn’t quite realized that so many things could be re-thought. Like, what time should I set the alarm? Does doing groceries once a week still make sense? How long should my workouts be? Do I have French press coffee every day now? (Answers so far: I’ll try adjusting it every three weeks or so to roughly match sunrise; no, every six days works better; slightly longer than before, unless I’m too busy or tired that day; and no, on busier mornings I’ll go with filtered coffee.)

We aren’t planning a big trip yet; just some small trips.

But, I have done a few local things that are more interesting to describe.

Fun with physics

Waterloo is home to the Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics, which Jean likes to take pictures of. They periodically have free public lectures. I hadn’t been in years, but decided to sign up for one called “How the Universe Ends”, by Dr. Katie Mack, both because that sounded interesting, and because I follow Dr. Mack on Bluesky (where she’s astrokatie), and I think she’s cool.

The Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics in winter
Not a recent shot of the Perimeter Institute; it’s been quite nice and warm here lately!

The talks are now held at the nearby Centre for International Governance rather than at PI, which allows for more attendants. They also livestream them. Nevertheless, the event was still sold out.

It’s always mind-blowing (for me, anyway) to be reminded that our planet is just one of several big rocks rotating around one star among billions of stars in one galaxy among billions of galaxies that comprise an ever-expanding universe—and we’re not sure whether there’s only one of those.

The talk wasn’t about when and how the Earth will end (as that isn’t too much of a mystery), but the universe. There are several theories about that. Dr. Mack outlined four of them, all in a very entertaining fashion. (And for public health fans wondering, yes, she gave her talk while wearing an N95 mask.)

About a week after that, Jean and I went to the Princess Cinema to see a free movie sponsored by PI that Dr. Mack had mentioned in her talk: Particle Fever. This documentary was about the development of the Hadron Collider, which led to the discovery of the Bose Hickson particle. That might sound dry, but in fact, it was so fascinating! Even the woman introducing it (who was from PI, I assume?) commented that she was so surprised how good this movie was.

We knew that two people were going to be available to take questions afterward, but I hadn’t realized that the two people would be the film director and one of the physicists featured in the documentary. (I had thought it would just be generic physicists from PI.) Getting their insights into the making of this film was really cool as well. It took four years and, going in, they had no idea if the Collider would even work and, if it did, what it might uncover. The Hickson particle was discovered three years into filming, requiring a complete re-edit of the whole thing and another year of footage.

Feeding the world

Or, feeding a few beings in my little corner of the world, anyway.

I’m still doing cat shelter volunteering, at slightly increased frequency, though I haven’t picked a regular day per week, preferring to select based on what else is going on that week crossed with when they seem to need people most. Going there more often makes it easier to keep up with the kitty population and any changes in the care routine. I’m also getting to know a few of the other volunteers.

In the foreground is Shawnie, my little buddy. She used to be considered un-adoptable as she was so grouchy. Turns out she just had really sore teeth. Now she’s toothless and an absolute sweetheart.

Continue for more cat pictures…

Continue reading “Welcome to the new routine” →

Summer’s almost gone

Oysters on ice with rose in the background.

And how did it go? Well, my plans were minimal—see family, see friends, do some outdoor dining while the dining is good… But even so, results were mixed.

Seeing family

Thanks to Jean arranging it (also with a number of his friends), I did get together with one of my sisters and brother-in-law for a canoe trip down the Grand River. The trip started just upstream of a small waterfall. We then had to stop ourselves before going down said waterfall, and maneuver the boats (and people) down it from the side, while walking on rocks and sloshing in water.

Various people in canoes and paddle boards in front of a waterfall.
Post waterfall. I’m not related to any of these people, but they were on this canoe trip with us!

This was a rather stressful start to the trip, particularly for my sister and brother-in-law, who, at that point, were still working on just getting the canoe to go in the direction they wanted. But we did all get through it.

And after that, it was a lovely trip down the river on a nice sunny day! (Or what Jean called “the boring part”.)

The long weekend of August, we travelled to Timmins—and so did both of my sisters! We stayed with Dad, and my brother hosted all of us for dinner one night, along with a few other local relatives. The occasion, we declared, was Dad’s pending 90th birthday.

Duck in the water.
This is a Timmins resident, but again, not someone I’m related to.

That dinner, and the other dinners and gatherings we had that weekend, were great despite the wildfire smoke in the air. One of my sisters traveled with us, and we broke up the return trip by we stopping over in Orillia. The highlight there was a patio dinner at Picnic, a tapas and wine bar. It was a nice day, with better air quality, and really good food!

So, I’d say that was pretty successful, especially if you also consider the Quebec City family gathering we had earlier in the season, and that another sisters gathering is pending, in September.

Seeing friends

We did see some friends in Timmins, and we managed the Blackshop outing in July, and Jean sees his friends all the time. But due to certainly valid reasons such as trying to sell a house, or getting sick, or traveling, I haven’t been able to arrange too much else.

So in August, I stopped trying to wait on doing certain things until friends were available, and Jean and I just headedout à deux.

Outdoor dining and such like

So here’s the run-down of, I just realized, all new (to us) places we tried this month.

Bodega Rose

It’s been open for about three years, but it was our first time there.

Getting there: It’s in uptown Waterloo, so we biked there. They didn’t have a bike rack, but we found a spot to park the bikes in front of the (at the time) closed ice cream shop window.

Reserving: Uses Open Table, and allows you to select outdoor seating, which is nice.

Service: Not wonderfully outstanding, but not bad, either.

Ambiance: They do what they can to block off the street from the patio, but it is a street-side patio.

Jean on patio with beef skillet.

Drinks: Some of the best iced lattes we’ve ever had. And a pretty decent wine menu.

Food: We went for brunch, so it was that kind of thing. My French toast was nice, and Jean’s braised beef skillet was very good.

French toast.

The Boathouse

A historic building recently reopened at Victoria Park, now with patio. Our first time trying it since that happened.

Getting there: It is in downtown Kitchener, and we biked there. There was a nearby bike rack.

Reserving: Was not going to bother, as it was a weekday, but at the last minute I did request a reservation. They use Touch Bistro as the reservation service.

Service: Strange. Upon arrival, we asked to sit outside, but they said there was no room—though it looked as though there was? We said we’d wait a bit to see if room opened up, and went outside to spy on the patio tables. After maybe 10 minutes, we did see two people leave, so went back in to ask for their table. Which they agreed to seat us at. While waiting for that to be cleared, a few more people arrived, and they asked to sit outside, and were immediately told that wasn’t a problem. (?) I remain perplexed.

Ambiance: Beautiful patio, because Victoria Park is beautiful, and you get a great view of it from here.

Drinks: We both ordered off the very interesting mocktail list, and were both pleased with what we got.

Food: Very good fries / poutine. Jean said his burger was fine. I had the burrata grilled cheese, which was just way too much bread for the amount of cheese, the taste of which was further overwhelmed by the zucchini relish. When they saw I only ate half of the sandwich, they did discount its cost by 50%.

The French

Believe this is a relatively new restaurant, with a partner one in Hamilton. This was our first visit.

Getting there: It’s in the Gaslight district of Cambridge, so we drove. Was a bit of a challenge finding parking.

Reserving: Recommended, so we did make them, on Touch Bistro. We were aiming for their seafood raw bar on the patio, and mentioned that in the reservation comments. We knew that option would get canceled in case of rain.

Service: The day was cloudy with risk of rain, so we weren’t sure what the restaurant would have decided to do about their seafood raw bar. On arrival, they told us that, despite what the Gaslight District tourist site said, they weren’t actually offering that menu at that time! Only brunch. However, they said they would still accommodate us and let us sit outside and order off raw seafood menu (and/or off the brunch).

I thought all that was excellent. Table service throughout the meal remained so.

Ambiance: Quite a nice patio, actually, because it’s in a quiet historic square in Cambridge. Restaurant indoors looked nice as well.

Drinks: They had a rose flight feature, whereupon you could pick three 2 oz servings among a choice of seven roses, one of which had apparently been dubbed the world’s best rosé. We were both intrigued by that, so we selected it and five others: two Ontario (one sparkling, one Pinot Noir), three French (“the best” and its cheaper cousin, along with another), and a Spanish. It was interesting comparing and contrasting those. “The best” was definitely the most complex, but the Spanish and the Ontario Pinot Noir were probably our favourites.

Close up of rose wine with others in the background.

Food: From the raw bar menu, we had oysters (shared), tuna crudo (me), and crab (Jean). Everything was delicious, though the crab was messy to eat. From the brunch menu, I added smoked trout salad (no, I wasn’t sick of seafood) and Jean had a foie gras danish—which might not be the best way to serve foie gras, but was still a quality dish.

Raw oysters with rose in the background.

Cox Creek Winery

This is a winery near Guelph that serves wood-fired oven pizzas and charcuterie. It was our first visit.

Getting there: We drove. They have a parking lot.

Reserving: Suggested but not required, but we did make them, using Tock.

Service: We went on a Wednesday, a quiet day overall, but with mainly one person to handle visitors. A couple was finishing up their tasting when we arrived, meaning we had to wait a bit for our turn to select wine tastings and get our charcuterie delivered. That was all fine. The server was very knowledgeable.

Ambiance: The winery is on a bit of country road, on a property with walking trails, so it was nice to sit outside there—except that there were quite a few wasps this time of year!

Drinks: Jean expressed some dubiousness about a Guelph winery, but they actually make some pretty nice wines—including a non-alcoholic sparkling. They also do some ciders and fruit wines. And they let us try the reserve Meritage, even though it wasn’t on the tasting list.

Food: No pizza on Wednesdays (we knew that), but the charcuterie board was excellent. They made their own relishes and honeys and stuff and Jean wanted to buy them all, but at this point, they aren’t for sale other than as part of the charcuterie board.

Worth the drive to Cambridge: Blackshop Restaurant

In the summer, we like to do patios when the weather cooperates, but the pickings have become slimmer. In uptown Waterloo, our beloved Babylon Sisters Wine Bar closed over the winter, following the early closures of S&V Uptown and Redhouse. Loloan remains an option, but it’s a bit of pricey one. Solé is booming, possibly in part aided by their appearance on OpenTable’s top 100 outdoor dining spots. But this brings on another problem, in that it can be difficult to get a reservation for one of the coveted outdoor spots.

CBC ran a recent article on some of the best patio spots in Waterloo region, which reminded me of another option: Blackshop Restaurant and Wine Bar. The thing about Blackshop is that it’s in Cambridge, about a half-hour highway drive from Waterloo. It’s not inconceivably far, but is far enough that we don’t tend to think of it when pondering where to eat out. Hence, we haven’t been there in about 20 years.

It was in a different location then, and under different ownership—the same as Solé’s, at the time, but both have been sold since to different entities. I had no idea if it was any good anymore, but the menu looked promising enough, and it did have outdoor seating reservations available, even on a Friday night, and the weather forecast for that day was perfect. So off we went, with some friends.

The restaurant is on a busy street in Cambridge, but the restaurant building is set back from the street, with the patio at the back, nicely decorated with plants and red umbrellas, so it makes for a reasonably serene atmosphere. Part of the patio is covered, so usable even in case of rain, but this day we were able to sit in the open part.

The menu is manageable in size and fairly traditional, with appetizers such as soup, salad, and seared scallops; and main courses such as salmon, duck, and steak. Gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options are available as part of the standard menu.

The wine list is long and impressive, and even by the glass, there are some appealing and unusual options, such as Moscato, Appassimento, and Vacqueyras. There is also a nice cocktail list, including several no-alcohol options, one of which I tried—the hibiscus spritz, with pomegranate, ginger honey, and lime. It was very nice, quite refreshing, not too sweet.

We had semi-settled on menu choices when they told us about the daily specials, which did change some minds. Jean and I ended up starting by sharing the special of PEI oysters, while our friends decided to share the Brussels sprouts side dish as an appetizer (including letting us have a taste). Both items were very good, the oysters very fresh, the sprouts really tasty. I had a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with that, while Jean had a prosecco.

Jean stuck with duck as his main course, while I decided to try the fish special of the day, halibut with asparagus and risotto. The duck main was fantastic, the meat perfectly prepared. The halibut was also properly cooked and juicy, with tasty risotto and crisp Ontario asparagus. It was a pretty large serving, so I also had some for lunch the next day. Jean had the Vacqueyras with that, and it was amazing, while I had an Ontario Tawse Riesling named after the restaurant! It was also quite good.

Come dessert, we were told they made everything in-house, including the gelato, so Jean and I shared that, in three flavors. Our friends went with a different dessert that also came with gelato. Nobody seemed to regret their choices. Several of us had decaf coffees or lattes as well.

Sorry, no photos of the place or its food, but if you’re in the neighbourhood—or don’t mind the drive to it—you might want to check it out.

Buying Canadian

Of course we didn’t like the tariffs, but it was really the 51st state / Governor Trudeau / not a real country / artificial line / not needing anything we have / US is subsidizing us talk that really pissed everyone off. It produced that very rare occurrence: an actually effective consumer boycott. Travel to the US really is down. So are California wine sales. And businesses relying on cross-border shoppers.

It’s a bit sad, as it’s not actually the hotels and restaurants, the vintners, and the duty-free shop owners that we have a beef with.

But what’s a foreigner to do? We don’t have a vote to grant or withhold. We’re not allowed to make political donations. It’s not exactly safe to go over there and protest. And I’m not feeling this is an administration that would be moved by a sternly worded letter.

So, we got our wallets. It’s economic warfare, and many are choosing to direct our meagre funds to products made elsewhere than the United States. Ideally in Canada.

I’m hardly perfect at it, but you do what you can. Since I’m not in this by myself, it’s not only up to me! And it turns out more is accomplished when we come together as a group to work together toward the same goal. Seems there could be some kind of lesson there…

In the meantime, I have discovered some great Canadian products. And I will share! In my favourite categories: food and entertainment.

Foodstuffs and sundry

Black River pure tart cherry juice bottle.

Black River pure tart cherry juice

Cherry juice is very delicious and apparently also a good anti-inflammatory. Black River brand is made with 100% Ontario cherries. It is a little expensive and somewhat caloric. But both problems are solved by serving it diluted with water, which is still delicious, but makes it cheaper and lower cal per serving.

Also worth mentioning (though I discovered it a while ago): Heartwood sour cherry sparkle, another delicious beverage made with Ontario cherries, this one already diluted with sparkling water. 50 calories a can.

Yoggu Coconut Yogurt

I wrote earlier about not yet having found a good non-dairy yogurt, but this is it—as long as you don’t mind a mild taste of coconut. It’s made in British Columbia and has only four ingredient, one of which is gut-friendly probiotics.

Lee Valley Tool jar opener

Some jars are just a nightmare to open, and Jean’s not always around to help. So he bought me this metal gizmo, which hooks and releases the seal. He also got me a rubber gripper thingie (made in England). With that combo, I can open jars with ease.

Jar opener gizmo.
Blue gripper thing for jars.

Good Leaf Greens

The first week of not buying American was tough in the lettuce aisle, because there seemed to be nothing but California lettuce. Over the next few weeks, though, more and more GoodLeaf Greens became available. These are grown in greenhouses in Southern Ontario. The stay-fresh packaging is really fantastic, and this stuff is good!

Arts and entertainment

I have most definitely have not given up all American TV shows and movies and books (and streaming services). But, I have recently consumed some good Canadian media as well…

TV series

Empathie (Emphathy)

This Québec series, available on Crave, is just a stunner. It’s one of my favourite shows right now. (Jean loves it also.)

Suzanne, a former criminologist turned psychiatrist, starts a new job at the Mont-Royal Psychiatric Institute, where she meets Mortimer, an intriguing intervention officer with whom she strikes up a friendship, and fascinating patients.

Right in the first episode, as we segue from Suzanne’s private to professional life, expectations and assumptions are upended. It only gets more fascinating as more of her past is revealed, and learn more and more about her troubled patients and dedicated but flawed coworkers.

Wholly original. You gotta see it.

North of North

The scenery is the main stunner in this CBC Gem / Netflix series, which was filmed in Inuktitut. But it’s also fun watching Siaja try to make more of her life than being a wife and mother. You can’t help but cheer her on. It is a comedy, but there are some heavy moments as well. Nothing you shouldn’t be able to handle.

Small, Achievable Goals

This CBC Gem series might not be for everyone. It’s a comedy in which two women of very different characters and slightly different stages of life are forced to work together to make a podcast. It’s particularly notable for its very open depiction of perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. It’s funny and very feminist and I wish it had been available when I was first navigating the mysteries of perimenopause.

Book

Fall on Your Knees

Yes, that Fall on Your Knees, the Anne-Marie McDonald novel, set mostly in Cape Breton, first published way back in 1996. I have just finished reading that now.

I had avoided it partly because it’s quite long, but more because I thought it would be super depressing. Turns out, it’s not particularly depressing. Admittedly, a lot of pretty terrible things happen. It takes place in the past (late 19th and early 20th centuries), when things weren’t so great for women (unlike now, haha).

But for the characters, things just are as they are, and they have to cope, without falling into despair (although that happens on occasion). More often, though, they find original and often terribly misguided ways of dealing. It’s so interesting! I just found myself pulled along and wanting to continue reading, so the length wasn’t much of a problem, either.

The novel starts with the meeting of James, the piano tuner, and Materia, the daughter of one of the piano owners. Their ill-advised marriage sets all subsequent events in motion, and the novel continues through the lives of their daughters and grandchildren.

Movie

Drive Back Home

This is a road movie, based on a true story. It takes place in 1970, when things weren’t so great for LBGTQ+ people (unlike now, haha). Following his father’s funeral, a plumber from a small town in New Brunswick has to drive to the big city of Toronto to get his brother out of jail, after he’s been arrested for public indecency. Their mother insists that he bring his brother back home.

Some funny and some rather harrowing moments ensue. The movie stars the wonderful (despite not being Canadian) Alan Cumming and the also very good (and probably Canadian) Charlie Creed-Miles. It’s available to stream on Crave.