It's a long drive to Sudbury from the Windsor area. About 460 miles, or about 740 kms. Most of that is on multi-lane freeways, but they are extremely busy freeways. We drove up last Thursday, making our usual stop in Coldwater for a long stretch, and again at a scenic waterfall near Wanup. We arrived about 6:30 pm.
Mom and Dad both looked great and seemed in good health. Stephen, Lynne, and Emma-Lee were also there, and we visited with everyone until Sunday morning. The grounds and house are in their usual tip top shape, though the pool was still closed. However, the gardens were blooming, and Dad was out every morning for several hours planting things.
On Friday Deb and I went to Old Rock Coffee Roasters for our mid-day caffeine fix, also bringing home a pound of freshly roasted Honduran Marcalas beans. Next came a stop at 46 North Brewing Company. There are too few micro breweries in Sudbury, but at least this was a pretty good one.
In other travel news, Caroline is currently in Switzerland, riding trains for fun and adventure on the first segment of her 3 month Eurail pass. Today she is riding as far as Italy, then back again. Lucky person!
Saturday we went to Beard's Cafe for our mid-day caffeine fix. Beard's is a vegan bakery and cafe, next door to a vegan ice cream place, and across the street from a vegan Mexican food restaurant. All are owned by the same person. A very smart person, as this is one of the busier streets in Sudbury, and all of his businesses are doing really well. Deb and I got takeaway Mexican food from his Tuco's Tacos Friday night, having enough left over for Saturday's dinner, too. A little area of happiness for vegans.
Sunday was our long drive home, with only four brief stops. We were home by 5 pm. I may attempt to fly home again in late autumn, depending on air fares and Covid. But for now, our travelling days are over.
A word about the weather--we have had no clouds now for six days, and humidity has hovered around 30% and even lower. I am finding it rather scary. I love New Mexico weather, but not a long amount of it in Windsor and Ontario. Things have dried up here quickly. With no rain in the forecast, things will turn grim very, very soon, especially for farmers. While our main air conditioner has not yet come on (we set it for 77 F), the upstairs window one is needed and is running. With temps due to hit 90F this week, the sun is burning its way into the ground.
In movie news, there are two to report. Deb's choice comes from 2015, called Cemetery of Splendour, a Thai film that moves slowly but deeply. Mostly set in a hospital that was once a school, a volunteer helps look after a group of soldiers who are afflicted with a sleeping disease. While virtually plotless, the film explores connections between dreams and waking, and between reality as we think we know it and other, less tangible realities. Many moments of the film are so quiet as to be almost lifeless. Some of the film relates to stream of consciousness. The real and the unreal and the surreal all meet up at times. Not for everyone's tastes, but certainly a unique path to walk along for cineastes.
My leaving choice comes from Mubi, an Swedish/Egyptian/German film from 2017 called The Nile Hilton Incident, directed by Tarik Saleh. It's a classic noir crime film, but by adding in the incredible amount of corruption in Cairo, where the film is set, the movie seems to leap into the absurd every five minutes. While the story itself--a female singer is murdered in a hotel room, and the crime implicates people high up in the government--is pretty much the usual crime thriller, the Cairo setting and the ways of the world there really add zest, humour, and considerable head shaking on the part of viewers. Quite watchable.
More news as it happens.
Mapman Mike
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