The Agawa Canyon Tour Train

September 4, 2012September 4, 2012 | Mairead

04 9a

(Grahame says this is why we don’t have snakes in Ireland)

Following on from yesterday we travelled north of Barrie and came to French River where there was an interpretative centre with canoes, fur pelts and animal skeletons. French River was a transport corridor used by the Algonquian tribes and later by the French and English explorers and missionaries. Outside we crossed the snowmobile bridge. In winter the snowmobile club comes up here to navigate the park and in 2008 they built a bridge to cross the deep gorge.

04 9b

(The snowmobile bridge)

We stopped for lunch in the city of Sudbury where there’s a nickel mining plant and a huge shiny nickel on top of a hill. At that point we were half-way to our destination. Four hours later we arrived at our hotel (a very nice Travelodge) in Sault Saint Marie. I was suffering a little from insect bites so Denis and I went across the road to the mall and got antihistamine, heavy-duty bug spray and tea tree oil for the itching and of course we went to visit Tim Hortons. That night we all had a lovely meal at Docks restaurant on the boardwalk looking out on to the International Bridge that joins Canada to the United States.

04 9c

(Our train)

Next morning we were taking the Agawa Canyon Tour Train at 7.30am and we wanted to get a good seat (right hand side, middle of a window.) Grahame, Doris and Denis made a preparatory trip to Timmys and then we boarded the train with our provisions. Way back in the early 1900’s the railway was built to transport iron ore. We were taking a four-hour section (114 miles from Sault Saint Marie) to a beautiful scenic spot called Agawa Canyon, on the tour train – not any old commuter train.

04 9d

(Speeding along)

The seats were plush, there was a screen with the drivers view of the track and we had guides (both on the screen and in person) who popped in from time to time to tell us some interesting facts and answer our questions. (There was also a lady whose sole jobs seemed to be checking the toilets – they were very clean.) Then there was a dining car with cooked breakfast – yummy, the boxed lunch and the souvenir shop.

04 9f

(Forests)

But the most amazing thing about this trip was the view – huge forests and pretty lakes, and each time a particularly good view was coming up the guide on the screen would sound a whistle so we would have time to get our cameras ready.

04 9g

(Lakes)

When we arrived at the canyon we had ninety minutes to explore. There were walking trails, another souvenir shop (in an old boxcar) and more beautiful scenery.

04 9i

(Made it to step 300)

We choose the Lookout trail – three hundred steps up to another amazing view.

04 9k

(View from the top)

We had considered doing another trail after that but a rest was much more attractive… So we rested while the others explored for us.

Fresh air and wilderness – but no hens, Mairead.

Happy Labour Day and Happy Birthday Bro!

September 3, 2012September 3, 2012 | Mairead

03 9b

(The famous Timmys)

Today is Labour Day – a holiday here in Canada, almost everyone’s off work and all the shops are closed. We will be resting mainly because we’ve already had a packed weekend. On Friday we left Barrie about 8.30am to drive to Sault St. Marie (pronounced Sue-Saint-Maree) for the weekend. It was billed to be an eight-hour drive and it fulfilled its billing. You may remember Doris and our trip to Toronto? Well, Doris’ husband Grahame was the driver this time. Only the just arrived Irish thought driving for eight hours was very odd, to everyone else this is what you do. Afraid we might miss something we tagged along anyway. We were glad we did.

03 9d

(Pit stop coming up)

The weekend will probably span a few posts because quite a lot happened, not least of which was the preparation for travel. Coolers with water for hydration and chocolate for energy, electronic devices for boredom and connection and first stop Timmy’s for breakfast, ensured smooth running of a finely tuned vehicle – Grahame. Well… to be honest we all benefitted.

03 9f

(That’s just selfish… Grahame)

This is probably a good time to tell you about Timmy’s, a nickname for Canada’s favourite coffee shop – Tim Hortons. Tim was a successful hockey player who started the business in the 1960’s selling coffee and doughnuts (also spelled donut here in Canada) and when he died his young wife sold up and the new owners grew it to what it is today – a love affair, an addiction, possibly a religion, and definitely a way of life. Unlike Starbucks, there are no comfy sofas, the main attraction is the price (low – you can get a coffee for little over a dollar) and it’s Canadian.

03 9c

(Spotted at the servers station of an Italian restaurant)

Since we arrived here I’ve spotted traces of Timmy everywhere. Not just the shops – there are 3,326 of them. I’ve seen the empty takeaway cups on shelves in Wal-Mart (the supermarket), Michael’s (art and craft supplies), in the library, on the bus (in someone’s hand.)

03 9e

(On the train)

It’s my little brother’s big birthday today, he fell under the spell of Tim Hortons when he visited in July so I hope the pictures bring back happy memories. By the way, Timmys trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange… just saying….

Have a great Labour Day wherever you are and have a great birthday Lar, Mairead.

Friday Quote – Suspect good things….

August 31, 2012August 31, 2012 | Mairead

(Standing on the glass floor in the CN Tower – 1,136 feet up)

We are always paid for our suspicion by finding what we suspect. – Henry David Thoreau

We’re off to Agawa Canyon for the weekend, Mairead.

Taking the tour bus to Toronto

August 30, 2012August 30, 2012 | Mairead

30 8e

(Are you sure it’s ok to park here?)

We went to Toronto yesterday. We decided not to rent a car until next week so we had to take the bus…. not really… Very short bus, only takes six and unusually we knew the driver. It turns out Doris loves Toronto so… she became our bus driver for the day. Ok, it was a car but it had the same privileges as a bus. It could stop anywhere and the passengers could all get out to take photos… so we did. We made a quick stop at Casa Loma, a castle built by a rich Canadian in 1911.

30 8aa

(Castle Casa Loma)

We stopped at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) – both entrances.

30 8bb

(ROM new part called the crystal)

30 8c

(Rom original entrance)

We stopped at the house of the governor…. I think.

30 8d

(I think this is the governor of Ontario’s house)

Then we went downtown, where the buildings are modern and tall.

30 8f

(One of these was the tallest building for a while)

Then we went to St. Lawrence’s Market for lunch…

30 8g

(This is a sandwich!)

The downtown buildings pale in comparison to the height of the CN Tower. It’s 1,815 feet tall; we parked the car and went up there. The lift up to the observation deck travels at 15 miles an hour and it’s on the outside and it has glass doors. We had the best spot right beside the door…. but no pictures – using my hands instead to pry my eyes open.

30 8h

(CN Tower from Front Street West)

30 8i

(It wouldn’t fit in my view finder)

Afterwards we walked around the outside of the tower tied to ropes…..

30 8j

(Ok it wasn’t us…. )

It is possible to walk around the outside of the tower with only a rope protecting you from gravity… but we had to go to dinner… at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

30 8k

(It’s all included – for the price of your main course (around $12) you also get salad starter, yummy ice cream called Spidona and tea or coffee)

And then off home to bed…

30 8l

(Driving home in Toronto at 8pm last night)

Today we will rest, Mairead.

Canada – home of the free… stuff

August 29, 2012August 29, 2012 | Mairead

29 8a

(Our bus stop – a little off-center but working perfectly)

Yesterday Caoimhe and I went to the Mall (pronounced maul.) Although there’s public transport here in Barrie – a bus service and a train to Toronto – most people take cars. So Caoimhe had never been on the bus (neither had my sister or brother-in-law) but as bus travel is an integral part of every holiday for me, we gave it a go. Barrie is considered a town, but it’s a big town, with a population size similar to Cork city. We would need a map, timetables, directions – we didn’t have any of these…. but we had something else – Doris!

29 8d

(Our map – that’s the lake in blue and the circles with the arrows are the bus number and bus direction – we took number 10 and number 20)

If you’re keeping up with our story you will remember Doris and Bobba? Well, on Monday they had to go for a doctor’s appointment and among the out of date magazines and health promos in the waiting room they discovered a bus map and timetable. We had the tools. (Interesting by the way…. doctors visits are free – yes free! I was beginning to notice a few aches and pains that I could get investigated before we get back to Non-free-land when I was told it was only for residents. Sure I’m fine really.)

29 8b

(A newspaper stand on a suburban street)

Anyway, on Monday night we poured over the map and discovered where we could pick up the bus, how much it would cost (one fixed price $2.85 and that includes transfer to any other bus), what number it would be and which direction it would be going in. By Tuesday at 11am we were ready. We found the stop easily (after a bit of confusion – mine – about which side of the road the traffic drives…. it’s the right!) and settled down to wait.

29 8c

(A fire hydrant – doesn’t it look a bit like the little bear in Yogi Bear?)

Caoimhe had a book and I had my camera. When the bus came we were ready with our exact change. I had put mine into the little slot and was encouraging Caoimhe to do the same when the nice lady driver said, Tell me she’s in 8th grade. Never one to disobey a person in uniform (and Caoimhe is in 8th grade) I nodded, Yes, she’s in 8th grade. Then she’s free when she’s with you. Yahoo!

Free doctors and free travel, how much better can this get? Mairead.

We’ve arrived with family in Toronto!

August 28, 2012August 28, 2012 | Mairead

28 8a

(Caoimhe, all set for her day at CNE)

Yes, here we are, we arrived in Toronto on Saturday. My sister. Moira and my niece/godchild Caoimhe were at the airport, waving banners and cheering as we exited the arrivals gate (well they may have been earlier…) We may have left a rainy and chilly Ireland seven hours ago but the sun was shining on our arrival. Moira and her husband John live about an hour away from Toronto in a town called Barrie, so as we beetled along the highway Caoimhe gave me a running commentary of the sights.

28 8b

(Doesn’t it look a bit like the RDS?)

We had just enough time to get a tour of their house and change out of our cold weather clothes when it was time for dinner. Although we had eaten breakfast in Greystones, pasta lunch and teatime pizza on the plane, for some reason we were ready for dinner in Barrie as well. My sister and her family moved here about a year ago and stayed with friends until they bought a house. Tonight these friends were coming for dinner. Although I have never lived way from Ireland I have noticed the experience of others. It seems to me when people leave their native soil and their extended family they meet friends who become family. Grahame, Doris and Bobba (I’m spelling phonetic – it’s Ukrainian for grandmother) are family.

28 8d

(CN Tower in the distance)

So, bright and early on Saturday morning we headed off with our new family (in their car) to the CNE. In case you haven’t heard of it the CNE is like all the shows that happen in the RDS in Dublin, but all happening at the same time and using all the buildings. So it’s Funderland (rides and carnival games), it’s a Dog Show, it’s a Cat Show, it’s a Flower Show, it’s a Farm Show, there’s horses, there’s music, there’s a little train, there’s a sky lift, there’s booths selling products from countries around the world and there’s food… lots of food. But mainly it’s nostalgia. Parents who were brought here as children are back with their own children.

28 8f

(Food…)

Every day in the CNE at 6pm there’s a parade of floats. With music and stilt walkers and clowns and animal characters. And the best thing about the parade? The beads. Mardi Grais plastic necklaces are thrown from the floats to the crowds lining the route. I’m not sure what it is about the beads but they seem to bring out the inner child in adults and we were in a unique place to spot this phenomenon – we were throwing the beads!

28 8g

(More food…)

On our way to the CNE we stopped by Maryann and JoJo’s house (more family.) JoJo had prepared a map with instructions on how to get the best from our day while Maryann gave us tickets (free!). I think it was Maryann’s niece who got us places on a float. Initially Denis and I were a bit sceptical about the whole parade thing… how could we politely refuse when everyone had been so kind? Well… by the time the parade started you couldn’t have dragged us from that float. We were dancing to the reggie beat and hurling beads with abandon. The looks of delight on the faces of grown men and women as they caught a necklace was addictive.

28 8h

(Our float before we took off – we were too busy to take pictures on route!! That’s me and John at the back)

It’s the little things, Mairead.

Japanese Gardens Co. Kildare

August 23, 2012August 23, 2012 | Mairead

23 8a

(The Bridge of Life)

Yesterday we went to the Japanese Gardens. Our admission included a tour of the National Stud (horses) but we just went for the garden and the food. We arrived around midday and it was busy, tour buses and families. Ok everyone with the tour stand by the wall. As luck would have it there was a torrential rain shower as we got our tickets so we had an early lunch. Back in the garden it as a bit too busy for photographs, each time I lifted the camera to point at something picturesque a little one ran up to it. Look Gran-Mam, look at the stone! But I got a few.

23 8c

(Couple of swans preening at the lakeside)

The garden symbolises the Life of Man. At the entrance you have the choice between the Easy Path and the Rugged Path. Of course we took the rugged path and before long were slipping and sliding on slick wet stones. Maybe the easy path would have been just fine….. We struggled on through the Cave of Birth – tight fit, the Tunnel of Ignorance – dark and wet, the Hill of Learning – more slipping and arrived at the Engagement Bridge. There’s a gap in the bridge and you have to leap (very small leap) across. On the Honeymoon Path there’s a Difference of Opinion and the path separates… We bravely climbed the Hill of Ambition and arrived at the Chair of Old age.

23 8b

(Entrance to Fiachra’s Garden)

As the sun was still shining we decide to have a look at the Stud or at least the paddocks with the mares and foals, but it was not to be… another shower had us sheltering in the Beehive Monastic Cells. These are modelled on a monastic site found at Skellig Mhichil, off the west coast. A bit dark but very dry we sheltered with a few of the families. This was Fiachra’s Garden. Fiachra was a 6th century Irish monk who left Ireland and founded a hermitage in France. He encouraged manual labour, gardening and giving to the poor and is the French patron saint of gardeners. His garden here was designed to make us think of this man (and many more like him) who followed a path of adventure inspired by their passion.

Paths can be slippery – be aware! Mairead.

Visiting Lord and Lady Londonderry…. well… their house.

August 14, 2012August 14, 2012 | Mairead

14 8bb

(Mount Stewart house and a little of the Italian garden)

Mount Stewart was the home of Lord and Lady Londonderry. It is beside Strangford Lough on the peninsula side and like the fishing village it is also owned by the National Trust. We walked around the gardens – very beautiful – and then went into the house for a tour.

14 8dd

(The lake – not the lough)

As we waiting until the appointed time we had an opportunity to speak with the steward of the house, a very young woman who explained the power of light. I had my camera and she very gently told me I could not use the flash and explained that of all the difficulties of stewarding an old house light damage was probably the most challenging. Fading caused by the sun (or continuous flash photography) can not be un-faded. For this reason, the blinds are mostly closed around the house and artificial light guides our way.

14 8ee

(The former main entrance, now the music room – dark to protect from the light)

The official tour began at noon and we heard lots of interesting information (most of which I’ve forgotten, I’ll be taking notes next time…) Here’s what I do remember…. Women were very important in the fortunes of Mount Stewart. A family called the Stewarts (possibly describing an ancestral occupation of house stewards) moved from Scotland to lands on Lough Swilly near Londonderry (Derry). Later one of the sons moved to this location on Strangford Lough and built the first house here – called Mount Pleasant. He had two sons Alexander and Robert. Alexander was a bit of a ladies man and also a soldier. Anyway, he found a rich wife and then had the money to build on and make his home even more impressive.

14 8cc

(Steps up to the family burial grounds – called Tir na nOg. In Irish myth residents of Tir na nOg, never age)

Alexander’s brother Robert was a politician and was a good friend of the Duke of Wellington but although he seemed to have had great success in his political career (he was once rewarded with a painting from the pope….) he was not a happy man. Years later another of the Stewarts married a rich wife and the fortunes of the family were secured again. For a time the house was left empty as the sons and grandsons married and moved elsewhere (including one of my favourite coffee places, Powerscourt House, in Co.Wicklow.)

14 8aa

(Tourist map of Mount Stewart)

Eventually, sometime in the 1900’s another descendant moved to Mount Stewart to take up a job as a politician in Northern Ireland. His wife re-decorated the house and created the beautiful gardens. Her daughter, Mairi, lived in the house until her death in 2009. The house is still occupied by a descendant of Mairi’s.

Mount Stewart, testament to the power of women, Mairead.