Tag Archives: Canada

Posts from the road

Quick Visit to Toronto

Leave a comment

(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

We are on the way back from a quick trip to Toronto: before I go any further, I apologize for not meeting up with more of you while there. However, we have quite a “social backlog” with our Toronto friends and we didn’t have time to see everybody this time around!

Atrium of the CBC Broadcast Centre (Toronto, Ontario)
Atrium of the CBC Broadcast Centre (Toronto, Ontario)

Of course, there is always time to eat…and so I brought my wife to the legendary Jumbo Empanadas restaurant on Augusta Avenue in the Kensington Market district.  It doesn’t look like much from the outside (it is on the left side of the picture at the top of this blog) and it is very spartan inside.  However, their empanadas are  very good and very large, while their corn pie is magnificent.

In Chile, corn pie is served in a pie plate and consists of a top layer of shredded and cooked sweet corn over a bottom layer of ground meat, olives, raisins, onions and even a hard-boiled egg.  Words can’t do it justice…and I don’t have a picture either because I ate mine so quickly!  All I can say is that I eat a corn pie at Jumbo Empanadas every time I am in the Kensington Market area.   When I think about how much I enjoyed the Argentinean empanadas in Costa Rica last year, a trip to Chile and Argentina may well be in the cards someday!

Priceless Artifact from the CBC Museum (Toronto, Ontario)
Priceless Artifact from the CBC Museum (Toronto, Ontario)

In between meet-ups with friends, we managed to squeeze in a visit to the CBC Museum on Front Street.  While it is by no means comprehensive, it is also free and you can visit between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.  Check out the incredible 1970s windbreaker in the photo above…I can still remember the orange suits (!) that also featured this “exploding C” logo.

Sound Effects Central at the CBC Museum (Toronto, Ontario)
The old way of generating sound effects (complete with cigarette burns on the console) at the CBC Museum (Toronto, Ontario)

We also enjoyed looking at their sounds effects displays, although it was also sobering to realize that Scully and Cartridge machines are now considered museum pieces.  We both used to work on those machines during our days at CFRC-FM and I guess they now qualify as ancient technology.

The Straight Eights live at Castro's Lounge (Toronto, Ontario)
The Straight Eights live at Castro’s Lounge (Toronto, Ontario)

That evening, we went to see a 1950s-style rockabilly band called “The Straight Eights” at a bar in the Beaches district of Toronto.  I’m not a huge rockabilly fan but I recognized almost all of these songs as ones that were played by the Beatles (“Twenty Flight Rock”, “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, etc.) during their formative years.  If you’re familiar with the Toronto music scene, you will recognize their lead singer as “Big Rude Jake”  of Toronto blues fame.

The Flatiron Building, at the corner of Front and Wellington Streets in downtown Toronto
The Flatiron Building, at the corner of Front and Wellington Streets in downtown Toronto

We also took advantage of the trip to see a very special movie.  “Red Army” has only a limited engagement in Toronto and I doubt that it will appear in any of Kingston’s theatres.   It is an excellent film about the hugely successful national ice hockey teams of the former Soviet Union…told by the players from those teams.  I won’t give away too much, as this documentary contains an awful lot of surprises that I don’t want to ruin.   However, you don’t need to be a hockey expert to appreciate it:  it is just as fascinating from the Cold War and human interest perspectives.   See it if you can.

Coming up in the next few weeks:  more travel flashbacks and then a week-long trip to a completely new destination for me.  Stay tuned!

Posts from Base Camp

Walking through history on the K&P Trail (and another “Big Reveal”)

Leave a comment

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

The K&P Trail follows the railbed of the old Kingston & Pembroke Railway.  Informally known as the “Kick & Push” Railway, this rail route from Kingston to Renfrew (it never reached Pembroke) played an important role in opening up the hinterland north of Kingston in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  It then declined until the tracks were removed in the 1980s, with passenger service ending some time before that.

IMG_4627
Part of a bridge (from 1927) on the K&P Trail, just north of Kingston

Extensive local efforts have now resulted in the redevelopment of parts of the railbed for recreational purposes: walking and biking in the warmer months, skiing and snowmobiling in the winter months.  While I never had the chance to ride the actual railway, I have always been interested in this relic from a bygone age.  One reason is that we often rented a cottage on Eagle Lake in the 1970s and the drive to the cottage closely mirrored the K&P route.  However, I’m generally intrigued by small local railways:  I’ve always enjoyed riding the tiny but still-in-service rail line from Spiez to Zweisimmen in the valley of my Swiss ancestors.

View from the K&P Trail
View from the K&P Trail

With the K&P Trail now open for walking from Kingston to just north of Verona, it is possible to get a feel for what riding the actual K&P might have been like.  My wife and I are gradually walking the line:  we have already walked from Kingston to Hartington (and back).  It can get a little warm during the summer months but it’s much more enjoyable now that the weather has cooled off a little bit.  As a bonus, the trail is never very challenging because railway lines were built as level as possible.

A rare lengthy incline on the K&P Trail
A rare lengthy incline on the K&P Trail

For our most recent hike on the K&P Trail, we revisited a (relatively) steeper section just north of the urban portion of Kingston.   All of the photos in today’s post are from the portion just east of the intersection of Bur Brook Road and Cordukes Road.

When we start walking north from Hartington to Verona, we will see the transition from a primarily farming environment to the rocks and lakes of the Canadian Shield.  It must have been extraordinarily difficult to build the railway through the rocky sections using the technology of the 1800s; in fact, many workers died in the process.

View of a nearby farm from the K&P Trail
View of a nearby farm from the K&P Trail

Once we’ve finished the K&P Trail, we will probably try to see some of the Cataraqui Trail too.  It also follows a former rail line:  it is currently developed for walking between Strathcona (near Napanee) and Smiths Falls.  Because most of the Cataraqui Trail is relatively far from our home in Kingston, we might travel it by bike or (in winter) on cross-country skis.

Another view from the K&P Trail
Another view from the K&P Trail

And the “Big Reveal”?  Although I wrote this blog entry in Kingston, I will probably have already arrived in Costa Rica (via Panama) by the time you read this.  Upon arrival in San Jose, I will be joining a group tour focusing on the natural highlights of Costa Rica.  As always with group tours, it is unclear whether I will have the opportunity to blog in “real time”.  If I don’t have that opportunity, I will definitely report on the Costa Rican adventure once I’m back in Canada!

Posts from the road

Taking Care of Business in Montréal

Leave a comment

(Montréal, Québec, Canada)

One of the attractions of living in Kingston is that it is relatively close to three major Canadian cities:  Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal.  Any of these can be reached by car or train in less than 3 hours…a short commute by Canadian standards.  My wife and I often spend a weekend in one of them:  sometimes the “anchor” is a music or sports event, but sometimes we just feel like visiting a bigger city and don’t have any scheduled events lined up.

Every one of my trips so far this year has been through Toronto, so I jumped at the opportunity to spend some time in Montréal.  This was a weekday trip, as I needed to renew my Swiss passport and the consulate’s hours are somewhat limited.  In fact, it was an overnight trip because I had an early morning appointment at the consulate.  I’m not complaining:  Montréal is a great place to visit! 

One of the big attractions in Montréal is the food.  Kingston has quite a good variety of dining options for a city of its size, but it cannot compare to what’s available in Montréal.  Upon arrival on Tuesday, I had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant called Lola Rosa in the McGill University district.  I’m not strictly vegetarian but I like to visit good vegetarian restaurants.  This one was above average – the presentation of the food was especially good.  I had a vegetarian chili; apparently, the beans were soaked in red wine before cooking.

A bad photo- the top half of my hotel (with foliage) on rue Stanley in Montreal
A bad photo:  an out-of-focus and slanted shot of the top part of my hotel (with bonus foliage and sun glare) on rue Stanley in Montreal

Montréal also has an excellent vinyl record store.  It’s called Aux 33 Tours and I visit it whenever I can.  As I’ve mentioned before in this blog, visiting independent record stores helps me to see urban neighbourhoods that are off the usual tourist trail.  After a couple of hours (!) in the record store and a long walk to and from the Plateau Mont-Royal district, I was ready for a substantial dinner.

Dinner certainly was substantial.  I met a friend for dinner and we went to Le Nil Bleu for Ethiopian cuisine.  Whenever I can introduce friends to Ethiopian food, I do.  What can be more fun than eating spicy and colourful food with your hands?  We ordered the “tasting menu” in order to sample a wide variety of dishes. This particular restaurant was located on rue St.-Denis and was a cut above the usual in terms of comfort and variety.  While it didn’t quite match the awesomeness and good value of Winnipeg’s Massawa restaurant (still my favourite Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant), it was a very satisfying and tasty meal.

The main course of our "Tasting Menu" at Le Nil Bleu
The main course of our “Tasting Menu” at Le Nil Bleu

After “taking care of business” at the Swiss consulate (see picture at top of this post), I did some more shopping and decided to let fate decide where I would eat.  A couple of years ago, my wife and I enjoyed a great brunch at La Petite Ardoise restaurant in the Mile End district.  Alas, it was closed for renovations this time.  The next place to catch my eye was a humble Venezuelan place called Bocadillo at the corner of boulevard St.-Laurent and avenue du Mont-Royal.  I had Venezuelan-style pulled pork (made with passion fruit) and it was very good.

Pulled Pork - Venezuelan style!
Pulled Pork – Venezuelan style!

While this trip was mostly about music and food, there really is a lot to see in Montréal.  Unfortunately, you aren’t going to see much of it in this posting because I forgot my camera.  I packed “without a list” this time because it was such a short trip…and somehow I overlooked the camera.  I had an iPod with me, but it is designed for “selfies” rather than traditional photography.  I did my best with it but the picture quality isn’t quite up to this blog’s usual standards.  I think I’ll need to visit Montréal again soon in order to properly chronicle the city!

Posts from Base Camp

Perceptions of Canada

Leave a comment

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

On most of my trips to Europe, I try to disappear into the crowd and am probably not easily identifiable as coming from Canada (or perhaps anywhere in particular).  Generally, the only people who know I’m Canadian are hotel proprietors…for whom Canadians are not too much of a novelty.  As a result, I don’t hear too much about Canada from the perspective of Europeans outside the tourist industry.

My hockey tour of Eastern Europe* was different.  Not only was I travelling with a lot of other Canadians, we were unequivocally members of “Team Canada” and made no attempt to hide it.  The fact that we were Canadian hockey players was, in fact, a big part of this tour.

Looking intense against our very strong Czech opponents in Prague
Looking intense against our very strong Czech opponents in Prague

As Canadians, we tend to fret about our performance at international hockey events.  We greatly enjoyed our Olympic successes at both Vancouver and Sochi but have also had a number of recent disappointments.  If this tour was any indication, however, other hockey nations still have an immense amount of respect for Canadian hockey.  Some of them found it hard to believe that not all Canadian hockey players were world-class!  As I mentioned in my “Hockey Night in Budapest” post, the minor hockey program in Budapest was even named after Canada and had a maple leaf logo. The local kids watching our game gave us high-fives as we left the ice.

On the shore of the Danube in Budapest, Hungary
On the shore of the Danube in Budapest, Hungary

While the hockey perceptions were not completely unexpected, the non-hockey perceptions of Canada came as more of a surprise.  After all, these countries were on the other side of the Cold War (at the political leadership level, at least).

We constantly heard positive references to our country from the people we met.  But there were also reminders that this part of the world has had a long-standing respect for Canada.  In the otherwise miserable environment of Auschwitz, we learned that the concentration camp area used to sort the belongings of prisoners had been named “Canada”.  This was because Canada was seen, even then, as a land of wealth and prosperity.

View of the Buda Castle (Budapest, Hungary)
View of the Buda Castle (Budapest, Hungary)

At the Wawel castle in Krakow, we saw a commemorative plaque with respect to the castle treasures.  The plaque acknowledged Canada’s storage of the treasures during the Second World War:  this saved them from being looted by the Nazis during the occupation.  The plaque also acknowledged that Canada returned the treasures to the castle too!

Many people originally from this part of Europe escaped oppressive totalitarian regimes for a new life in Canada.  These ranged from the famous (the hockey-playing Stastny brothers, for example) to the not-so-famous…but Canada’s acceptance of them has never been forgotten by the immigrants or their family members who stayed behind.

Off the tourist trail in Budapest, Hungary
Off the tourist trail in Budapest, Hungary

This ties in with one of the most obvious benefits of travel:  no matter how wonderful your trip is, you also appreciate what a good life you have back home.  Of course, there are aspects of life in Canada that can be frustrating at times and there are certainly things we could learn from other countries.  On the balance, however, Canada is a pretty good place to call home…and the rest of the world recognizes it too.

At the top of the Buda Castle complex (Budapest, Hungary)
At the top of the Buda Castle complex (Budapest, Hungary)

*-I learned on this trip that Czechs, Slovaks, Poles and Hungarians often think of themselves as Central Europeans rather than Eastern Europeans.

Posts from Base Camp

Local trip to Glenora and Odessa

Leave a comment

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’ve been home from Peru for a couple of weeks now.  Last week, my wife and I decided to take advantage of some great weather to go on a local road trip.

The ultimate goal was to end up in Belleville so that I could spend the remainder of a gift certificate.  However, we thought it would be a great day to enjoy the shores of Lake Ontario, so we took the very long route:  driving to Adolphustown, taking the Glenora Ferry to Prince Edward County, and then finally heading to Belleville via Picton.

Glenora Ferry
Glenora Ferry

Perhaps my perspective has changed after all of the travelling I’ve done this year, but it took hardly any time at all to arrive at the dock for the Glenora Ferry.  Best of all, there was very little craziness on the scenic lakefront highway.  In fact, it felt like we were back in the 1970s, when I used to go apple-picking around here with my family.  Driving in Ontario really does seem to be more sedate than just about anywhere else in the world.

Upon arrival in Glenora, we went to visit The Inn at Lake on the Mountain.  One of my long-time soccer teammates runs the restaurant here, so it was fun to catch up on things with him and to enjoy a nice al fresco lunch.  The lake itself is one of those eternal mysteries:  it’s not really clear how the water gets to the lake, but it is definitely there on the top of the “mountain”.  There is also a great view over the ferry route from the mountain.

Enjoying an outdoor lunch - The Inn at Lake on the Mountain
Enjoying an outdoor lunch – The Inn at Lake on the Mountain

From Glenora, it is only a few kilometres to Picton.  Picton has only a few thousand residents but it still is the largest town in Prince Edward County.  Like most of “The County” (everybody knows what county you are talking about), it has transformed from a largely rural/agricultural centre to a more tourist-oriented place.  There are new wineries everywhere and it seems to be attracting a lot of Torontonians.   However, its roots have not been forgotten:  it is easy to find plenty of remnants from before the tourist boom.

I last visited Belleville in April and, well, it hasn’t changed much in the past three months.  After decimating the gift certificate, we enjoyed dinner at the Thai House restaurant and headed back to Kingston along the pastoral Highway 2 rather than the multi-lane Highway 401.

Babcock Mill (rear view) - Odessa, Ontario
Babcock Mill (rear view) – Odessa, Ontario

Even though it is only about 10 miles west of where we live, we had never really explored the back streets of the village of Odessa.  The persistent daylight allowed us to finally do that and to see the historic Babcock Mill (also shown in the photo at the top of this posting) for ourselves.  I don’t think the interior is open for visits anymore, but we were still able to wander around the site and ruminate about Odessa’s long-ago golden age.  We hope to visit some more local attractions before heading overseas again on August 6.

Having the past few weeks at home has enabled me to do a lot of planning for the remainder of the year.  Stay tuned for my next blog entry, where I will be revealing my next destination!

Posts from the road

Another Unexpected Detour

Leave a comment

(Belleville, Ontario, Canada)

Today was another example of how you just have to roll with it when you are travelling.

As I had been itching to get out on the road again, we drove to the nearby city of Belleville.   Our “excuse” was that today was Record Store Day and the last remaining Sam The Record Man store is located in Belleville.  Record Store Day now receives a lot of mainstream press, so I don’t think I need to describe it in detail.  In brief:  it is a celebration of independent record stores and more specifically the vinyl record format.  Lots of unique and rare records are released on Record Store Day…and only to independent record stores.  You won’t find these records at big box stores.

Alas, none of Sam’s Record Store Day offerings appealed to me.  We headed downtown to grab some lunch (Thai House – very good) and to see if there was any music of interest at the nearby used CD/record store.  While their vinyl offerings were uninspiring, we stumbled upon a DVD entitled “Radio Revolution:  The Rise and Fall of the Big 8”.   This DVD chronicles the fascinating history of Windsor’s CKLW radio station…a history that I knew nothing about, as that station essentially died in 1984 and I didn’t get involved in radio for another couple of years.  If you have any interest whatsoever in the history of Canadian radio, you’ll enjoy this documentary.

I met my wife at CFRC (Queen’s University Radio) in the late 1980s.  My band first got airplay there and I was actually interviewed as a musician there before becoming a programmer.  Once I passed my broadcast test, CFRC became the place to hang out between classes…and pretty much any other time.  It had interesting people and a hundred thousand records – what more could you ask for?  While I didn’t spend quite as much time at the station after (finally) finishing my studies at Queen’s, I ended up broadcasting at CFRC for 17 years.  Many of our closest friends today first came into our lives at CFRC (including the guy who helped me set up this blog!).

This documentary vividly brought back the characters, the fun and even the technology of our radio days.  What a special opportunity we had – all this music, with almost complete freedom to play whatever we wanted and to do so with as much creativity as we could muster.  We met some famous musicians as well as many more not-so-famous musicians.  All of them had a soft spot for grassroots radio; in fact, many of them had worked at stations just like ours.   Whevener I meet a musician today, my radio station experience is invariably the common ground.

City Hall (Belleville, Ontario)
City Hall (Belleville, Ontario)

I had hoped to take some spring photos on the way back to Kingston but fate intervened again.  The “CHECK ENGINE” light appeared in our car and we thought it would be best to get back to Kingston without stopping.  Of course, I have no regrets – our earlier-than-expected arrival in Kingston allowed us to watch the radio documentary almost right away.

Physically, then, it was a trip to Belleville.  In reality, however, it turned out be a trip through my broadcasting past (via Windsor!)…and a reminder of just how important radio has been in my life.

Stay tuned for what will undoubtedly be some very exciting adventures as I fly on Tuesday (with a stopover in Vienna, Austria) to my next destination!

Posts from Base Camp

Staying in Shape for Travel

Leave a comment

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I do a lot of walking (and eating) when I travel, so I try to stay in peak travelling condition by being very physically active when I am in Kingston.  Hockey lasts all year, while soccer has just started and curling will end this week.  I supplement these sports with brisk walks in and around the city. 

Today’s post contains some photos from my local wanderings.  A favourite local destination is Lemoine Point, which is also home to an increasing number of wild animals.  

IMG_1210
Lemoine Point, Kingston (March 2014)

We used to see deer from time to time but they are now almost an everyday occurrence.  All of the deer in this post were spotted on the same trail, at approximately the same time of day. 

Lemoine Point, Kingston(February 2014)
Lemoine Point, Kingston (February 2014)

When Lemoine Point is too wet or muddy, there  is a (mostly paved) waterfront trail between Lake Ontario Park and Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.  It is a good place to cool off, as the wind really keeps the temperature down.

Lake Ontario Park - Kingston, Ontario (April 2014)
Near Lake Ontario Park – Kingston, Ontario (April 2014)

Running north from the built-up part of the city is the K&P Trail.  The most interesting part of this former railway is the long climb between Jackson Mills Road and Cordukes Road.  We walked the entire trail between Kingston and Harrowsmith last fall and are walking north of Harrowsmith this spring.   

Next Tuesday, I’ll be leaving on a lengthy (almost three weeks) overseas trip .   As always, I won’t specifically identify my destinations in advance on this blog.  One interesting aspect will be the use of two different alphabets, as well as at least four different languages (in name, if not necessarily in substance).  While there, I hope to see some professional soccer, as two of the countries I’ll be visiting will be participating in this year’s World Cup and two others narrowly missed qualifying.  However, the most important thing will be experiencing a beautiful region with a tragic recent past.

Posts from Base Camp

The Travel Checklist

4 Comments

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

OK, I admit it.  I am a travel geek and have recorded every trip I have ever taken.  I know how many countries I have visited and how many times I’ve been to each of those countries.  In fact, because of the vastness (and proximity) of Canada and the United States, I have recorded the same information for all of the provinces, territories and states of those two countries.  Alas, if this becomes the basis of your travel planning, it becomes a “checklist” approach to travel…and I am trying to avoid falling into that trap.

Having said that, I’m not going to throw out my travel records.  Tallying up the number of countries visited is an interesting, though easily manipulated, way to measure how much one has traveled.   Although my travel decisions will (hopefully) not be guided by these statistics, I will continue updating my lifetime travel stats as the year progresses.  And yes, when the 12 months are over, I will probably calculate how many countries I visited during this special year.

I will also admit that one of the destinations under consideration for my travel year is Saskatchewan:  the only Canadian province/territory that I have never visited.  But I won’t go just to check it off the list…there must still be something special for me to see or do that justifies a visit.  Will it make the cut?  Stay tuned and see!