We already visited a fair bit of Canada last August but we loved it and were determined to return and got the opportunity this Easter when the only invitation we got to celebrate came from a British family 350 miles away! (So much for American hospitality!)
We travelled up to Canada on the train and it was a wonderful journey, relaxed and scenic (I saw deer in the woods!) Mo is my friend from the old days, she used to be Sian's childminder and we were staying with her and her husband Martin and their wonderful teenage girls Dominique and Katie. Katie and Sian are the same age and used to be best friends when they were 2! Mo lives in Oakville, Canada. We all fell totally in love with Oakville. There was a 'proper' high street with real life people shopping on it. Not driving from store to store but actually walking around! There was a 'beach' on the shore of Lake Ontario. There were 'British' shops where I was able to buy Lilt, Prawn Cocktail crisps and Vegemite. Thursday were drove 20 or so minutes into Toronto. Toronto is a fantastic city, loads of shops, bars, performance artists. Some really fantastic independent shops especially. I may have already mentioned this in previous posts...but I miss the city sooooo much! Friday night was a first as we went to a BASEBALL game! We found it highly ironic that we had to wait to be taken to our first baseball game by Brits to see a Canadian team! Well, most sport bores me but add in a warm roofed stadium and a bar and I'm happy! I would happily go to see another team play, it was easy to understand. Just like rounders! Saturday morning we set off for home but unfortunately Amtrak let me down. The train broke down in Rochester and we had to spend 2 hours stuck on a dead train followed by 2 hours in a dead end crudsville station and then 4 hours driving the rest of the way on a coach! The train was the only one of the day so I was just glad to get back at all! There is nothing like being stranded 4 hours from home with no one to call and no money to make you realise how totally alone we are in this big, lonely country! A fact that was driven even further home the next day as Ron, Sian and I celebrated Easter Day just the 3 of us in the flat (yet again)whilst my exchange partner and her parents (who are visiting her) spent the day with my family and a fantastic Easter meal! The trip to Maureen in Canada was a fantastic reprieve from the loneliness we feel over here. Still, 2 months today we fly home. Yipeeeeeeee. AND, there are still adventures to come. Next week I will be visiting Chicago and Portland, Maine.
