We left for the north last Wednesday, poking along for a day in southern Ontario and staying overnight in Collingwood. We made stops in Alvinston (Munroe Meadery) and Thedford (Twin Pines Orchard). The latter was a first time visit, as they make hard cider from their own apples. I came home with a jug of their original cider, as they were out of apple/pear cider. We arrived in Collingwood just before 5 pm, checked into our hotel, and then undertook the short walk to Endswell Beer. We had fine ales here and pizza, then took a sunset stroll on the adjacent trails. Collingwood is a major ski resort in winter, but it sits right on Georgian Bay, so it is also a boater's paradise in summer. There is hiking in the nearby mountains (we could see the ski runs from our hotel window), but my foot is still not up to the challenge. However, on this 6 day journey I did manage 4 walks, two of them for forty minutes. I had intended to take a lot of photos on this journey, but alas I forgot my camera at home. So these few photos were taken with the android phone.
Next day we drove to Coldwater, a small and pretty village that is a favourite stop of ours when northbound. They have a nut roastery there that always gets our business, and a small street of very interesting shops. Deb was able to buy an old suitcase that she needs for an upcoming film shoot. We stayed for about half an hour before pushing on north.
Shortly after leaving Coldwater and heading north drivers cross a large bridge over an inland bay (Matchedash Bay). Almost immediately afterwards comes another bridge with very fine views of Georgian Bay. Immediately after this bridge one suddenly finds oneself in Northern Ontario, amidst the Canadian Shield. It is a sudden and shocking change of scenery, and from here on north as far as one wishes to go are the thousands of lakes, rocks, and mountains of the Shield.
We stopped again in Parry Sound for ales from Trestle Brewing, and this time finally made our first stop at Norse Brewery, several miles north of the the Sound. Then it was a straight run into Sudbury, which is about 440 miles from our house in Amherstburg when the quickest route is chosen. Usually heading home we take the fast route, which takes about 8 hours if traffic isn't too bad. For European readers, this 8 hour and some 440 mile drive only covers a small portion of Ontario. To drive to Kenora, near the border with Manitoba, from Sudbury would be another 900 miles. Ontario is absolutely enormous, and would fit many countries into its borders. It is also filled with parks, so that many of the best natural areas are accessible to the public.
We got to visit with my mother (96!), my younger brother Steve, his wife Lynne, and my two nieces. Alicia is the oldest, a soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces. Emma Lee is the youngest, currently in Grade 11 at a high school for girls.
We also visited Lake Penage, Deb's first visit in many decades. We were actually given a tour of the inside by Tony, the current owner. He has done a beautiful job with the camp, which is now accessible for most of the year. My cousin still owns the adjacent lot with two camps, but he wasn't there today.
It was unseasonably warm on our visit north. Though the leaves were changing to fall colours and the smell of autumn was in the air, it was in the 80s so it didn't feel quite right.
We got to watch some TV while visiting family. We don't subscribe to either Netflix or Disney, but they do. We managed to finish up season 15 of Dr. Who, and are now all caught up with the series. We also watched an 8 part series on Netflix called House of Guinness, detailing the history of the great Irish brewery from the death of Benjamin (1868) onward. The series has good actors, some very fine writing (though it includes more F bombs than any other show I've ever watched), and some of the best night photography I've ever seen. While I can highly recommend the series, beware that the final episode ends in a really stupid cliff-hanger. While there will probably be a season two, it's still a terrible way to end a series that people have watched for nearly 8 hours.
Turning to Doctor Who, we managed to finish up the 2nd series with Ncuti Gatwa, watching episodes 3-8. They were all pretty good, with Disney's budget allowing the show to at least equal the effects of Star Trek and its ilk. These stories were usually much better than Star Trek, too. The final two episodes were linked, and made a fine conclusion to Gatwa's era. He is among my favourite doctors now, with an energy and outlook that really boosts the show. And Varada Sethu as Belinda, his companion for several episodes, is now one of my favourite companions. The 5th episode, "The Story and the Engine" is set in a barbershop in Lagos and features an all-coloured cast. It uses mythology heavily in its storyline and to great advantage. "The Interstellar Song Contest" could have used more alien songs, though it was a fun episode.
It was exciting to see Susan helping the Doctor to control his temper. We have heard nothing of his granddaughter since she left the show back in the days of the first doctor. She is way overdue for a reappearance. I can't say I got too excited when I saw Billy Piper at the end of the series. A third season with Disney is likely, though I would guess that the show is far too "woke" for the present state of American entertainment. I suppose the return of a blonde white female might be just what Disney needs to convince it to undertake another season.
Mapman Mike
