(Perth, Ontario, Canada)

In “real time”, I’ve been back from Alberta for almost two months.  During that time, I was very busy with sports…lots of hockey and curling, with a couple of out-of-town bonspiels too.   However, on April 13, we decided to visit Perth for Record Store Day!

Perth is a community of about 6,000 people that seems to have resisted the commercial decline of many other small Ontario towns.  It has a lot of unique small businesses, including the quirky barber shop below that doubles as a “Husband Day Care” and lists Elvis as one of its offerings.   

Our main destination was a combination bookstore/record shop called “Backbeat”.  I have always received good service there and I stop by from time to time whenever I’m in the area.  They always have special events for Record Store Day and this year was no exception.

After picking up some interesting music, we wandered the streets of Perth and found some other treats to take home…including Italian nougat (with chocolate), a nice Grapefruit Radler (from the Perth Brewery), and some tasty Basque-style cheese (made from raw ewe’s milk by the nearby Back Forty Artisan Cheese company).  You don’t have to travel to a big city to enjoy these indulgences!

Speaking of big cities, stay tuned for my report on what used to be Canada’s largest city…and is still a fun place to visit at any time of year.