Back From Sudbury

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.

Three photos from our walk in Collingwood.  that's me in the 2nd photo, and that is part of Georgian Bay in the last one. 

 

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.

 

A decorated shop in Coldwater.

 

The old mill has been kept up and is now a bar and restaurant that also sells deli items.

 

The Coldwater River flows beside the 1833 mill in the downtown area of Coldwater. 

 

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.

 

Found near Norse Brewery, Nobel ON.

 

A walking trail in Sudbury that we take to reach Beard's Cafe and Bakery, and all-vegan establishment.

 

View from the deck at camp, Lake Penage.  Now owned by Tony and his wife, this is where I grew up during summers since the age of ten.  The lake is still clear and clean and very very inviting. 

 

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.

 

Now showing on Netflix.  It's an 8 part series. 

 

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 

 

 

 

 

 

Back From Sudbury (Again)

The purpose of the trip was to see my Dad's ashes buried in the local cemetery.  Only 19 people were invited, plus a priest.  Afterwards there was to be a buffet luncheon nearby.  It was an extremely windy morning, and much female hair was blown about.  The service was short, and went well.  The only problem was that my brother did not want to bury the ashes.  Go figure.  So we went through this entire ceremony, two days of driving, inviting people over, and then taking the ashes back home.  My mother was not impressed, though at least my brother had asked her about it beforehand. 

Instead of driving all the way up in one day (it takes 8-9 hours depending on traffic), we took back roads much of the way, and drove only as far as Parry Sound, south of Sudbury.  Deb lived in this small tourist town for two years when she was a child.  We have not spent any time here in many years.  If you like lakes, trees, hiking, waterfalls, etc., then Parry Sound is a nearly ideal place to visit, especially in autumn.  Before reaching the Sound, we stopped at a meadery not too far from Amherstburg, to stock up on supplies.  The back road drive was so much nicer than taking the express highways.  Once we arrived in Parry Sound, we checked into our downtown motel and walked a trail to nearby Trestle Brewing Company for dinner and some refreshment.  Parry Sound has a famous, long, and very high train trestle.  Next morning we climbed a very high fire lookout tower, with views into Georgian Bay and the small town.  It was the beginning of the wind which would last for two days, including the cemetery visit.

 

Our first fun stop on the way.

 

An abandoned schoolhouse, deep in southern Ontario farming country.

 

The impressive train trestle in Parry Sound.

 

The Still River empties into Georgian Bay at Parry Sound.

 

View of the outdoor deck at Trestle Brewing, where we sat for our visit.

I bought a tee-shirt and 6 cans of ale.  We had dinner here, too.

View from the outdoor deck at Trestle Brewing Co.

 

Two views from the top of the fire tower in Parry Sound.

Great Lakes ships are able to enter the harbour from Georgian Bay.

The tower we climbed (and climbed) is in the upper background.

 

Abandoned home with lilacs.

 

Falls of the Wanup River, on our way to Sudbury next morning.

 

Part of the cemetery gathering.

Deb stands beside my two nieces, all three in black.

 

We drove back all in one go.  Being a Sunday, there was less traffic than a weekday, and far fewer trucks.  This week is medical appointment week.  Deb has one and I have three, mostly for physio for right elbow tendinitis, from some early April wood chopping.  More news as it happens.  Film report next time, including some Doctor Who episodes we saw in Sudbury. 

Mapman Mike