Tag Archives: Ontario

Posts from Base Camp

Travel Endpoints!

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

You either like travel planning, or you don’t. Very few people are neutral about this. Fortunately, I really enjoy structuring a trip. It may sound strange, but one of the best parts for me is figuring out my “endpoints”. For an overseas trip, this means the airports for my arrival and eventual departure.

I’m about to start that process now. I have an overseas trip planned for a couple of weeks in the spring, and I already know how I will be spending most of my time. But there is still some unaccounted time at the beginning and end of the trip. This makes the endpoints really important.

When I was in Europe earlier this year, my endpoints were Lyon (new to me) and Zürich  (not at all new to me). I was happy to explore Lyon, and I decided to end my trip in Winterthur (very close to the Zürich airport) as an alternative to Zürich.

Selecting those key endpoints for my spring trip is a complex challenge. As always, I am striving to keep my travel costs at a minimum. But it is a mistake to focus only on airfares. Taking direct flights, rather than dodgy itineraries with multiple connections, reduces the risk of lost luggage and/or missed flights. Ground transportation can also be very expensive, depending on the country.

I also have to consider the timing of my trip. For example, I love visiting Zweisimmen (Switzerland), but it is best in the summer or winter. At other times of the year, the weather can be dreary and many things are closed. So, I need to consider whether my proposed early- and late-trip locations are open or shut at that time of year.

But it is also possible for a location to be “too perfect” at a certain time of year. I need to check whether there is something special happening that could makes prices and crowds oppressive. I’m not planning on visiting the French Riviera in February, but it might not be a great idea in any event…that’s when the Fête du Citron (Lemon Festival) is held in Menton.

Despite all these caveats, the flip side is this: whatever I decide, I should have the opportunity to experience something truly different. Hopefully, I will get to some places I’ve never been before. And it’s really fun to dig up special experiences, even if I’ve been to one of my endpoints before. I had been to Chicago in the summer of 2013, so initially I wasn’t thrilled to be marooned there in the winter of 2014. But I managed to have a great winter stay there, despite the frigid temperatures.

I expect that the endpoints of my upcoming trip will be finalized by the time of my next blog post. I’m really looking forward to the thrill of the chase, especially as my home town is damp, cold, and dark right now.

The pictures from today’s blog are all from a December 2 walk at Lemoine’s Point in Kingston. And, other than the cover photo at the very top, they are all in chronological order!

Posts from the road

Highway 31 (and Murray Street) Revisited

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(Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

When I travel, I crave new adventures. However, sometimes it is fun to revisit previous experiences and even tie them together. That’s exactly what I did when I recently drove the length of Highway 31 from Morrisburg to Ottawa.

The St. Lawrence River shoreline in Morrisburg, Ontario

Morrisburg is a small Ontario town that remains very special to me. In December 2009, I was a torchbearer for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Torch Relay…and my assigned segment was in Morrisburg. It was such a unique and vivid experience: I’ll never forget the feeling of floating with the flame. You can read all about it by clicking here. However, when I retraced the route I ran on Ottawa Street 15 years ago, that supercharged feeling was gone. No snow, no festivities, no anticipation…and no cheering crowd! It is amazing how context can transform the routine into something truly extraordinary. I even had to go back to my old blog post about it and confirm that I was looking at the right street. But sure enough…it was indeed Ottawa Street where I did most of my Olympic run.

The main intersection in downtown Winchester, Ontario.

Heading north, I stopped in the similarly-sized town of Winchester. Although it is not that far from Kingston, I somehow had never made it to Winchester before. It has a strong agricultural history, and all the utility posts have a “cow” pattern on the bottom. I took a couple of pictures before returning to Highway 31. Before long, all the signs were referring to Bank Street, a major Ottawa thoroughfare, instead of Highway 31.

The Town Hall in Winchester, Ontario.

Bank Street was a mixed bag. The neighbourhood known as “The Glebe” was doing well…perhaps a little too well, as the new development at the south end seemed a little out of scale. But much sadder was the decay on Bank Street near Parliament Hill. So many vacant storefronts, and real human suffering. It was nothing like the vibrant street I remembered from 30-40 years ago.

Kerala (Red) Rice and Kodanadu Chicken at Kochin Kitchen (Ottawa, Ontario)

But on the plus side, I also had a chance to revisit Murray Street…which I visited just 3 months ago. In fact, I ate out twice on Murray Street: once at each of the restaurants that I wrote about this spring. The first evening, I went back to Kochin Kitchen for some Keralan food. I had the Kodanadu Chicken again, but this time I paired it with Kerala rice…which has a red tinge!

Dimly lit but brilliantly flavoured Gaeng Panang Curry at Khao Thai (Ottawa, Ontario)

The second night, I went to Khao Thai…which was full when I tried to go there in June. It was still fairly busy, but I was able to get a table. I had a spicy Gaeng Panang curry with some jasmine rice. It was excellent. It was a perfect blend of (most of) my favourite Thai elements: red curry, peanuts, coconut milk, and green and red peppers. And some peas! Yes, it was a little more expensive than the Thai restaurants in Kingston, but I’d have to say it was worth it.

Entering Gatineau, Quebec, after crossing the bridge from Ottawa

And finally, as has become my Ottawa tradition, I included a “walk through Quebec”. Using two of the bridges that connect Ottawa and Gatineau, I saw many of downtown Ottawa’s highlights (including the Chateau Laurier – see photo at the very top of this post) in a whirlwind tour. Even though I have advised against ultra-brief visits to places just to say I’ve been there, I must admit that I still do like the idea of crossing borders. That’s good: in about a month, I’ll be visiting another country. More details to come!

Posts from the road

Don’t forget to stop and look around!

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(Grafton, Ontario, Canada)

Every once in a while, I am reminded that “it’s the journey, not the destination.” Today’s brief post is about how that can apply to even routine travel.

The Grafton Village Inn, in Grafton, Ontario.

I play a lot of tournaments in Cobourg, Ontario. It’s less than 90 minutes away by the 401 “autobahn”, and exactly 2 hours away by the slower and more interesting Highway 2. But even when I take Highway 2, I tend to “press on” when I get close to Cobourg. Similarly, when I return from Cobourg, I want to get some distance out of town before stopping.

The Alnwick-Haldimand Municipal Building in Grafton, Ontario.

On a recent long trip home from a tournament in Woodstock, the timing was right for a stretch in Grafton. Grafton is only 12 km from Cobourg. As Cobourg is such a nice place to visit, we tend to overlook the much smaller community of Grafton. Over many years of travel on this route, I don’t think we’ve ever stopped the car there.

The Lass & Ladle Bakery in Grafton, Ontario.

And yet, all four pictures in today’s post were taken within one minute at one intersection in Grafton. The antique store (see photo at the very top of this post) used to be a barbershop, where the same barber carried on business for more than 50 years! I have also learned that Grafton was where Bob Homme (“The Friendly Giant”) retired. He is buried in the Fairview Cemetery there.

When you’re on the road, don’t forget to stop and look around!

Posts from the road

More non-traditional Ontario destinations

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(Pickering, Dresden, Campbellford, and other places in Ontario, Canada)

While my last post focused on Cambridge, Ontario, this one covers a whole bunch of non-traditional Ontario destinations. Once again, the unifying theme is “places I went for lawn bowling competitions”! And, of course, food plays a role.

Pollo con mole, at Cielito Lindo (Pickering, Ontario)

In late June, I had a qualifying tournament in Pickering, Ontario. We had a strong first day of competition, so our team decided to celebrate at dinner that evening. We settled on Cielito Lindo, which looked like a family-run Mexican restaurant. And it was! I went for the pollo con mole (pictured above), and the sauce was excellent. Just the right amount of chocolate and heat.

Yeck’s Smokehouse Grill, in Ridgetown, Ontario

Suburban communities like Pickering are sometimes overrun by chain restaurants, serving a very corporate kind of “McFood”. While there are exceptions (The Owl of Minerva – a Korean restaurant – being one of those exceptions), I really try to seek out independent alternatives whenever possible. Often, restaurants are the only truly “local” experience we have when I play in particularly intense tournaments. Such was the case in Pickering – there was no time to explore hidden nooks and crannies during that visit.

Solid diner food at Yeck’s in Ridgetown, Ontario

As the qualifying event in Pickering went well, two weeks later we headed much farther west for the Provincial event in…Dresden, Ontario. Dresden is a very small community (less than 3000 people), but it happens to have a good bowling facility. Before my first practice session, we stopped in the nearby town of Ridgetown for lunch. Ridgetown is only slightly larger than Dresden, and is clearly an important agricultural centre.

My grilled Reuben sandwich, and sides, at Yeck’s Smokehouse Grill in Ridgetown

I figured that Yeck’s Smokehouse Grill would be a solid choice. We did indeed enjoy our “homestyle” lunches – my grilled Reuben sandwich was particularly well done and the fries met our exacting standards. The restaurant was very popular with Ridgetown residents…we had to wait a little while for a table.

Cashew chicken, at the Thai Kitchen & Bar in Chatham, Ontario

After the competition in Dresden was over, I had an intense craving for Thai food. Alas, Dresden had little to offer in that regard. We returned instead to the nearby city of Chatham and the sensibly named “Thai Kitchen & Bar”. The menu was extensive, with a lot of unfamiliar options, so it was very difficult to decide on what to have. I settled on the not-at-all-unknown cashew chicken, but would have loved to try some other dishes too.

Exterior of the Thai Kitchen & Bar in Chatham, Ontario

I have the feeling that the Thai Kitchen & Bar’s facility used to be a very different type of restaurant…probably something Mediterranean. No matter – we were happy with the food and will undoubtedly return there someday. Chatham is a very long way from home, but we have been on the road again several times since. There was another trip to Pickering, and of course the “Preston” trip from my previous blog entry.

A small piece of regular Gouda (top), and a small piece of lavender Gouda (bottom)

On the way back from Preston, we took a break in Whitby to stock up on Dutch delicacies at the Village Bakeshop. Regular blog readers know that I am a big fan of Gouda cheese. So I decided to buy a couple of less common varieties. First up was goat milk Gouda – almost pure white in colour. And I also picked up a piece of lavender Gouda! Yes, it is very purple (see picture). To complement the lavender, the cheese also contains rosemary and thyme.

Municipal office for the Township of Stone Mills – Centreville, Ontario

Lastly, we went to Campbellford for another provincial qualifier. On the way back home, we stopped in Stirling for ice cream at a candy store and a brief walk along the main street (see photo at the top of this post). We returned to Kingston along a lot of back roads, passing through many small villages such as Moira, Roslin, Croydon, Centreville (pictured) and Camden East. It was a nice way to unwind after a day of competition.

Stay tuned for more non-traditional Ontario destinations…and an intriguing international tournament!

Posts from the road

A day in the hidden town of Preston

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(Preston, Ontario, Canada)

I’ve been spending some time in Southwestern Ontario lately for a series of lawn bowling competitions. Today’s post is about the “hidden” Ontario town of Preston.

The Black Badger Pub in Galt (Cambridge), Ontario

Our home base for 4 nights was the Conestoga College residence in Kitchener. More and more, we are using college residences as an alternative to the high cost of hotels during the summer months. If you can get a promo code, the cost is even less. And the rooms are even bigger! It’s not luxurious, but I don’t need luxury when I’m spending most of the day in competition.

Downtown Galt (Cambridge), Ontario

My first day of competition was at the Preston Lawn Bowling Club. Officially, it is located in the city of Cambridge. But the city of Cambridge is a relatively recent creation, as it consists of the former village of Hespeler, the former city of Galt, and the former town of Preston. Each community still has a distinct and recognizable downtown area, even though the former gaps between them have become urbanized.

Wesley United Church, in the downtown core of Galt (Cambridge), Ontario

The club is a throwback to a simpler age, and very much resembles other century-old clubs throughout Ontario. After a hot day on the green, I was ready for (1) rehydration, and (2) some adventurous food. Fortunately, I had done my research in advance, and found a promising Nepalese restaurant within walking distance of the club.

MoMo House Restaurant in Preston (Cambridge), Ontario – it’s very orange!

MoMo House has perhaps the most extensive menu I’ve ever seen at a restaurant. Not only did it offer a full range of momos (Nepalese dumplings) and other Nepalese specialties, it also had many Indian dishes and a lot of Hakka (“Indo-Chinese”) specialties. It took me about 15 minutes to review the menu and decide on what I was going to have. (Sadly, they didn’t have salted yak butter tea, which I’ve enjoyed at some Tibetan restaurants over the years.)

Interior of the MoMo House restaurant in Preston (Cambridge), Ontario

I settled on the Chilli Chicken Momos, which were impressively spicy and very, very colourful. Given the hot weather, it went very well with a salty Yogurt Lassi drink. And if a restaurant is called the MoMo House, you need to go with their namesake dish.

Chilli Chicken Momos!

Nonetheless, I couldn’t help wondering about the many other interesting dishes I saw on the menu. So, when my 3-day tournament in Kitchener ended, we decided to return to the MoMo House and try some different dishes! I went for a Hakka dish: “Schezwan Chicken Gravy” (more like a curry than a gravy), with some Lachhi Paratha bread and more Yogurt Lassi (the sweet version this time).

Left to right: Lachhi Paratha bread, Strawberry Lemonade, Vegetarian Tandoori Reshmi Momos, Schezwan Chicken Gravy, and Yogurt Lassi

I referred some of my fellow competitors (and friends) to this restaurant, and they enjoyed it as well. I think we’ve got a go-to place for our next visit to the Kitchener region!

City Hall in Galt (Cambridge), Ontario

After the meal, we made the very short drive to the downtown core of Galt. While I preferred the aesthetics and vibe of downtown Galt to downtown Preston, that has to be weighed against the food offerings. Other options in Preston included a Caribbean restaurant and an about-to-open Nigerian restaurant!

Remnants of an old mill on the Grand River in Galt (Cambridge), Ontario.

I don’t think I’ve seen all that these under-the-radar destinations have to offer. I look forward to spending some more time in Galt and Preston in the future.

A very old advertisement on the side of a building in downtown Galt (Cambridge), Ontario

Stay tuned for more on non-traditional Ontario destinations!

Posts from Base Camp

My local haunts in downtown Kingston

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

In response to popular demand (and Keith), I’m finally including some pictures from my historic hometown of Kingston. This post focuses on some of my “haunts” in the downtown core.

Amadeus Cafe Restaurant in Kingston, Ontario

Amadeus Cafe has been serving Austrian and German food on Princess Street for at least 30 years now. Whenever I need a fix of schnitzel or smoked farmer sausage, this is a no-brainer. Even the side dishes are excellent, and they have a great selection of beverages on tap. I recommend it without hesitation. But ensure you make a reservation: it can get busy!

Mango Restaurant in Kingston, Ontario

The official name is “Mango Thai & Pan-Asian Cuisine.” I’m usually skeptical of places that “specialize” in more than one type of cuisine, but Mango is actually a good choice for diners who don’t all share the same tastes. It’s conveniently located right across the street from Amadeus, if one of them is fully booked.

Something Else Records (left) in Kingston, Ontario

The team at Something Else Records knows me by name, so I guess I’m at this Wellington Street store quite a bit. It’s more comfortable than your typical record shop, and they’ve made a lot of special orders for me over the years. And there’s a pub, a Caribbean roti place, and a tea room on the same side of the street!

Pan Chancho Bakery in Kingston, Ontario

Pan Chancho Bakery is a Kingston institution. It grew out of the even older Chez Piggy restaurant, about a block away on Princess Street, and even serves food of its own now, too. My favourite treat here is a batch of balsamic mushrooms from the deli counter.

Mio Gelato (centre) and Woodenhead’s Pizza (right) in Kingston, Ontario

After a good meal, or even before, there’s nothing wrong with having some gelato. It’s the right thing to do. And while it’s located on touristy Ontario Street, Mio Gelato has been serving up high quality gelato for a long time now. I’m partial to the intense fruit gelatos, but dark chocolate gelato is really good too (dark chocolate and raspberry is my favourite combination).

The Prince George Hotel, City Hall, and (at back) the old Firehall on Ontario Street in Kingston, Ontario. And the black car clearly just ran a red light.

While I haven’t been there much lately, I also used to really enjoy the oven-fired pizza at Woodenhead’s. Arbre Amore was my favourite kind. Woodenhead’s is right beside Mio Gelato and just a block from City Hall (see above photo, as well as the photo at the very top of this post). This place can be noisy, so be prepared!

While Kingston has a beautiful downtown, I have lots of favourite places outside the downtown core too. I’ll cover some of those in an upcoming post!

Posts from the road

Ottawa’s Murray Street

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(Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

I recently had to spend a couple of days in Ottawa for work. Once the work day was over, I went looking for an interesting dining option in the Byward Market area.

Khao Thai Restaurant on Murray Street, Ottawa

I had a craving for Thai food, so I set out for Khao Thai…a nice place on Murray Street that I have visited in the past. Alas, when I arrived, a crowd of people was outside the front door. They were waiting for tables to open up. Clearly, I would have a long wait before having a chance to eat.

Kochin Kitchen in Ottawa

I then recalled a humble-looking restaurant on the corner of Murray and Dalhousie. It was called Kochin Kitchen, and it specialized in food from the southern Indian state of Kerala. I’ve had Kerala cuisine before, and it had been spicy even by the standards of the subcontinent. I decided I was up for the challenge. And I had the nagging feeling that I had tried to eat at this restaurant before…but had to make a last-minute change.

Kodanadu Chicken, on top of a parotta

I took a quick look at the menu before going in, and was pleased to see very little overlap with typical Indian restaurant menus in Canada. And then I saw a dish featuring “roasted coconut paste”. That did it – I now had to give Kochin Kitchen a try.

Murray Street, Ottawa

I knew the karma here was good, because I heard somebody call my name shortly after I ordered. One of my work friends, from the neighbouring Quebec city of Gatineau, was in the very same Ottawa restaurant! He confirmed that I had made a wise choice: he and his friends came here almost weekly.

Nameplate on the (now) Alexandra Bridge between Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec

I went with my gut – the Kodanadu Chicken, with the advertised roasted coconut paste. It was really flavourful: even though it wasn’t described as spicy, it still had quite a Kerala kick on top of the sweet coconut. And I opted for parotta instead of rice: this turned out to be an inspired choice. Described as a layered flatbread, parotta is kind of like a buttery cross between a crepe and flaky pastry. I’ve never had it before, but I thought it worked very well with the spicy coconut paste.

Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier Hotel, as seen from Gatineau, Quebec

This was a rather rich meal, so I decided to take a long walk afterward. I headed down Murray Street, and just kept going…to Quebec! As it turns out, Murray Street is the extension of the Alexandra Bridge, which connects Ottawa to Gatineau. So I visited the grounds of the Canadian Museum of History (formerly Canadian Museum of Civilization) in Gatineau, took a few photos, and eventually found my way back to my hotel as the sun set over Ottawa.

Canadian Museum of History, in Gatineau, Quebec

Once again – going with the flow yielded some nice surprises. I didn’t have any Thai food that evening, but I’m sure I will have some again soon.

Posts from the road

Gatineau Getaway

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(Wakefield, Quebec, Canada)

We decided to take a road trip to the Gatineau region of Québec last weekend. There were multiple reasons, with more reasons appearing as the trip progressed!

The Nepean Lawn Bowls clubhouse on Woodroffe Avenue in Ottawa, Ontario.

Our first stop was the Nepean Lawn Bowls Club in suburban Ottawa, where I could do some early-season practicing on their artificial surface. And I could also finally try out my new bowls for the first time, as they had been patiently waiting since arriving from Australia three months ago. (I borrowed some bowls when I played in Switzerland in February). My club in Kingston has a natural grass surface and it won’t be available for at least another week.

King’s Day Celebrations outside the Dutch Groceries store on Clyde Avenue in Ottawa, Ontario.

I was excited to play outdoors again, so I stayed for a long time and worked up quite an appetite. Accordingly, our next stop was the nearby Dutch Groceries deli/shop. And what a coincidence: it was King’s Day (Koningsdag) in the Netherlands, so the shop was selling fresh treats such as bitterballen and poffertjes on the sidewalk outside the shop! Of course, we had to have some. With lots of Dutch-Canadians wearing orange, and some special promotions inside the shop, it was a very festive occasion. Among other things, I picked up some Cantenaar and Parrano cheeses, two specialized kinds of sambal (sambal manis and surinaamse sambal), and a whole lot of dropjes.

The Meule & Caquelon restaurant on Boul. Gréber in Gatineau, Québec,

By dinnertime, we had crossed the Ottawa River into Québec and decided to try something that you can’t find in Kingston: a Swiss restaurant (although we have Amadeus, which is an excellent Austrian/Bavarian restaurant). Meule & Caquelon has an unassuming location in a Gatineau strip mall but it is a cozy place specializing in fondue and raclette. We had a modified raclette; we grilled our own food and then melted raclette cheese over it.

The Auberge de Mon Petit Chum B&B in Wakefield, Québec. We stayed here for a night.

That night, we stayed in the rustic Québec village of Wakefield (see the covered bridge at the very top of this post). Wakefield is in the Gatineau River valley about 35 km north of Ottawa and, unlike other places near the nation’s capital, it has seen relatively little development. With almost no lighting on the side streets, it almost seemed like the village was in a previous century. While we chose this village because it was fairly close to Ottawa, Wakefield has some other special significance for me.

View of the lower part of the very first ski lift I ever took: the beginner area at Vorlage (Wakefield, Québec), with the base lodge on the right

The Vorlage ski area was just a block away from our B&B. While Vorlage is quite small, with a vertical drop of just 140 metres (about 460 feet), it will always hold a special place in my heart. It was here, in early 1983, that I went downhill skiing for the very first time. My Grade 10 friends convinced me to go on a school-organized ski trip. They also convinced me to just follow them rather than take lessons. While it wasn’t elegant (I was skiing like a hockey player), the trial by fire gave me the skiing bug. Regular readers of this blog know how much skiing has meant to me and my travel plans ever since.

View of the Gatineau River, taken from the middle of Wakefield’s covered bridge.

Anyway, Wakefield seems to be very quiet in the spring. This is probably because its outdoor activities attract more visitors in the summer and winter months. (In addition to Vorlage, the slightly larger Edelweiss ski area is also in Wakefield.) There was absolutely nobody else on the village’s picturesque covered bridge when I used it to cross the Gatineau River. On the way back, a couple of local children rode their bikes across but otherwise…silence.

The Northfolk Cafe in Perth, Ontario. The gelato was very good.

I spent a few more hours practicing bowls in Nepean the next day, and then continued home to Kingston via the “scenic route”. To break up the drive a bit, we stopped in the historic town of Perth for a beverage and some gelato. The skies were very gray by this point, with some intermittent rain, so the gray stone buildings in the downtown area made everything feel very gray indeed. But a tart lemon gelato can help overcome that.

A very gray day in Perth, Ontario.

This was the first, but certainly not the last, road trip of 2024. Watch this space for all the details!

Posts from the road

Various Ontario Adventures

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(Various Ontario Locations)

As with last summer, my summer travel (so far) has been following the competitive lawn bowling circuit in Ontario. This blog post brings things up to date, in advance of a bigger adventure later this month!

My dinner special at Baan Thai in Nepean
My dinner special at Baan Thai in Nepean, Ontario

My early season focus was on the Ottawa suburb of Nepean. Nepean’s lawn bowling club has an artificial surface, which means that it is in playing condition much earlier than clubs with a natural grass surface. We took the opportunity to revisit an old favourite: the Baan Thai restaurant. We first ate here about 10 years ago when we saw Johnny Clegg in concert at the nearby Centrepointe Theatre.

Delivering the jack at the Provincial Men’s Fours championship in Windsor, Ontario

Distances in Ontario are vast. From Ottawa, my next major destination was Windsor…750 km to the southwest. I was playing in the Provincial Men’s Fours playdowns there, and I posted about Windsor’s special Ukrainian restaurant (and an Ethiopian restaurant too) in my previous blog entry.

Delivering a bowl in the rain at the Provincial Men’s Fours championship in Windsor, Ontario

As my team managed to claim the silver medal in rainy Windsor, we will be attending the National championships later this month…in Victoria, British Columbia! There’s more to come in this blog on that prestigious event.

My delicious platter (foreground) at Lalibela Restaurant in East York, Ontario

I spent a couple of weekends in Kitchener too, but unfortunately I don’t have any photographs to share from those adventures. But I also played at a few tournaments in East York, at the Cosburn Park club. And one of the great things about this club is its proximity to “the Danforth”.

Another view of our food at Lalibela Restaurant – love the plates!

The Danforth, or more recently “the Danny”, is a portion of Danforth Avenue historically associated with Toronto’s large Greek community. Part of it is still known as Greektown, and Greek restaurants abound. However, much of more recent immigration to this part of Toronto has been from Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. In fact, a portion of it is now known as “Little Ethiopia”. There are about a dozen Ethiopian restaurants within walking distance of each other. So, of course, I had to try one…

Lalibela Restaurant on Danforth Avenue in East York, Ontario

We ended up at a restaurant called Lalibela, and I was very happy with my platter. The spicy chicken and the salad (or rather the salad dressing) were particular highlights. I don’t know why, but eating Ethiopian style just feels so right after a long day of physical activity in the sun.

The beach in downtown Cobourg, Ontario

A little closer to home, I often find myself in the lakeside town of Cobourg. Their lawn bowling club has a great location near the beach, and it is just close enough to Kingston to be feasible for one-day tournaments without a hotel stay. And it also makes a good stopover on the way back from events in Toronto and points west.

A narrow alley leads to the Oasis in Cobourg, Ontario

I’ve been travelling to Cobourg for sports since I was 10 years old. But somehow I had never noticed a place called the Oasis on Cobourg’s main street. You get to it by following an alley (the end of it is shown above) from the street. I was very impressed by the fact that they carry Blanche de Chambly – a very refreshing summer beverage from Quebec.

Another view of Cobourg’s beach

I don’t think I had ever fully appreciated Cobourg’s beach. It is right downtown, and seems to retain a small-Ontario-town feel despite the new development (condos, etc.) just a couple of blocks away. It isn’t as vast as the beach in ‘s-Gravenzande, for example, but there is nothing like it in the other nearby towns.

A more modern development in downtown Cobourg, Ontario

East York isn’t the only part of Toronto that I’ve gotten to know through sports. On a couple of occasions this summer, I’ve been in the suburban neighbourhood of Agincourt (itself part of Scarborough). This area is known for its East Asian restaurants, and we found a very interesting one on our last visit.

Graceful Vegetarian Restaurant – a surprising find in Scarborough, Ontario

I haven’t had dim sum very often, but it is something I am going to try again in the future. It lets you sample many different dishes without committing to a lot of something unfamiliar. And the “Graceful Vegetarian Restaurant” obviously takes the dim sum concept one step beyond: everything is vegetarian or vegan!

Like nowhere else I have eaten!

I don’t know if I would have tried “real” barbecued eel. But I certainly didn’t mind trying the vegetarian version, with the (presumably soy-based) mock eel being very similar in texture to what I think eel would be like. It ended up being my favourite part of the meal.

Stay tuned for my upcoming British Columbia adventure!

Posts from the road

Windsor and its “Ukrainian Restaurant”

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(Windsor, Ontario, Canada)

I was recently in Windsor, Ontario, for the Open Fours Provincial Lawn Bowling Championships. I’ve written about Windsor before (click here for details). But for today’s post, I’d like to talk about some unique dining experiences that we had on this trip.

Interior of “Ukrainian Restaurant” in Windsor, Ontario

Windsor’s oldest Ukrainian restaurant opened on a quiet residential street in 1929. It was called simply “Ukrainian Restaurant“. The first owner was Pearl Hawrylak. She ran it until 1967. In 1968, it was purchased by Anna Momcilovic…who continues to run it today!  

Our meals at the “Ukrainian Restaurant” in Windsor, Ontario

Anna is now 88 years old, and is still the chef, server, manager, dishwasher, and sole employee. And it is still called “Ukrainian Restaurant”. To save time, you need to place your order through the window to the kitchen and grab your own drink from the fridge.

“Ukrainian Restaurant” on Marion Avenue in Windsor

It is incredible to have 94 years of service under one name, in one off-the-beaten-path location, and under just two owners. It’s not fancy, but it is definitely authentic and a most welcome throwback to another time. We opted for combination plates of perogies, cabbage rolls and sauerkraut. And I had to have borscht as my soup selection. It came with cream, which Anna told me was the proper Ukrainian way to eat it.

Detroit, Michigan, as seen from Windsor, Ontario

“Ukrainian Restaurant” was unique. But my team and I had also a very enjoyable meal in an Ethiopian restaurant called “World Marathon Ethiopian Restaurant“. I’ve written about Ethiopian restaurants in the past: see here, here and here. Eating with one’s hands is something most people have gotten away from in “sit-down” restaurants, but I still find it a lot of fun. According to Ethiopian folklore, people who share meals in this way will never betray each other.

Caesar’s Casino in Windsor, Ontario

World Marathon offers alternatives for those who aren’t quite ready for the “hands-on” authentic experience, but I dove right in. Almost all of my teammates ate that way too. They watched me briefly demonstrate the proper technique (scooping assorted sauces and specialties with pieces of my injera “crepe”), and then followed suit.

Our lunches at Sushi Cove in Woodstock, Ontario

Sadly, I was so enthusiastic that I forgot to take pictures before digging in. But I did remember to take some pictures when we stopped in Woodstock, Ontario, on the way home after the tournament. We went to Sushi Cove, where I ate Korean food in 2021 and had a good experience. I went for the bulgogi this time, while my wife went for the bibimbap (in foreground).

Sushi Cove restaurant in Woodstock, Ontario

I also picked up a couple of special vinyl records in Woodstock, before making the long drive back to Kingston. I’ve lost track of the number of records in my collection, but I can remember where I picked up each one. For me, it’s another way to commemorate some of the special travel experiences I’ve had. Just like this blog.

You are now entering Dorking, Ontario

And then there are the random places you stumble upon. Dorking (pictured above) wasn’t much more than a crossroads. It is in a very traditional part of the province. It’s so traditional that several horses (with buggies) were “parked” outside the general store.

Stay tuned for more on my local summer travels…and an upcoming trip requiring a couple of flights each way!