Winnipeg!

Well, I am finally out of Ontario, thank the Maker! As I left my hotel room this morning I stopped at a grocery store to pick up some fruit. The town of Ignace is very small, population is about fourteen hundred people. Most everyone I spoke with was complaining about the heat wave this region is experiencing. I smiled at the fact they think temps in the nineties is a heat wave! As I was driving out of Ontario, I stopped and took some more pictures of their solid granite hills and more stone sculptures. I could not resist stacking a few small stones of my own. I too wanted to leave behind a "Sunita sculpture"!

As soon as I crossed over to Manitoba, the terrain changed almost immediately. Instead of granite hills I was in flat land and could see for miles. I wonder how that happens, crossing from one state or province to another and all of a sudden the topography is different. I have noticed that in the United States also, it's almost as if who ever drew the lines for the boundaries did it deliberately.

Tomorrow, I will visit Lake Winnipeg, it is the eleventh largest fresh water lake on the planet and it's about an hour's drive from Winnipeg. Even though right now I am tired of driving, I think I must go and see this lake and dip my toe in it, especially since I didn't get to dip my toe in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland! But, first, I am sleeping in tomorrow.

Still in Ontario!

I have no idea how long it will take to get out of Ontario, it's like California, it goes on forever! I will be in Manitoba tomorrow for sure. I am looking forward to being in Winnipeg, just the name makes me smile.

Today most of the day was spent driving through Ontario, at times I was by Lake Superior, it's an immense lake, the only problem was that there were very few turn offs to get closer to the lake. That is one thing which is so different than in the USA. In America lots of points of interest are available right off the road, with plenty of signs showing you when a turn off is coming. Not so in Canada. That was disappointing. On the way the road is dotted with numerous lakes, three in particular caught my attention; one was Mom lake, next came Baby lake and then Dad lake! I would have liked to have been able to stop and take photographs of the three lakes, but there was no room on the side of the hi-way. Since the road is just a two lane hi-way and the shoulder is very narrow it was not possible to pull over to take pictures. I guess I will have to depend on my memory to remember. I was able to take a photograph of stone sculptures that I am assuming young people make and leave atop of giant rocks by the side of the road. I began to notice them as I began to get into rural Ontario. Through the entire area of Ontario beginning with Sudbury and continuing to Thunder Bay people have defaced rocks with names, which makes me sad, it takes away from the natural majestic beauty of the immense rocks. However, seeing the small rock sculptures made me smile each time. They are usually made with small rocks on either side to make the legs and then a large horizontal rock to make the body and arms, then a small rock to make the head. They stand as if to bid you welcome. While driving the wonder of nature keeps me occupied and I truly enjoy this spiritual connection with the earth.

Tonight I am staying in Ignace Ontario, my hotel room is a throwback to the seventies, except for the internet. The furnishings and keys remind me of the times I took my little children on a cross country trip and stayed in some shady locations!

I have not been able to find too many vegetarian choices for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I am looking forward to being in Vancouver and eating some fresh veggies. I have been stopping at local grocery stores and picking up some fruit, that seems to make the lack of good veggie choices a bit easier to tolerate.

Wawa Ontario.

I do believe that I am getting tired of driving! I didn't think I would ever say those words! I have been on the road now for eighteen days and really do wish the trip had already ended. I have slowed my pace somewhat, for some reason my right shoulder is sore and it has been difficult to drive for long periods of time without a break.

I left Sudbury this morning in a leisurely manner, the hotel I had stayed in offered me a complimentary brunch since the night before rowdy teenagers had kept me awake until 4 a.m. I was grateful for an understanding hotel manager.

As I was driving through on the Trans Canada Hi-way I noticed a sign for spicy Indian food-- of course I had to stop and see this place! Inside I was met by two friends who were having Sunday brunch with each other. They invited me to sit and join them, while the proprietor made "channa biriyani" for me. the owner is from Pakistan and the two gentlemen who were enjoying their brunch were from Canada.

Farewell Toronto.

I woke up this morning with a heavy heart, knowing I will be leaving and I have no idea when I will see Farzana, Shablee and their family again. Farzana had invited both her children and their spouses and her grandchildren to lunch today. All I have done is eat splendid food the entire time I have been here. I feel like I have stayed at a five star hotel!

The vegetarian feast before us was splendid and the conversation jovial. I got to meet Sabrina, Adil's wife. Both Adil and Sabrina work in their respective careers and are raising two adorable sons. Shayaan their incredibly smart son sat next to me, he is fascinated by my journey and Spitfire (my car). He wanted to have his picture taken in the car, so of course I obliged. Their younger son Rayaan is also very curious, though I didn't get a chance to get to know him. It was really wonderful to see Adil and Nadia again, the last time I saw them they were both teenagers and still living at home. Nadia has grown into a lovely young woman and Adil is a very handsome young man. Both of them have married people that match their personalities. Nadia has always been a quiet and observant person. Chad her husband is an easy person to converse with and he is a good listener. Adil is married to Sabrina who in the short time that I was with her, seems to be a lively conversationist and is beautiful.

After our lunch it was time to start packing and heading out. It's never easy to say goodbye to loved ones, staying another day seems so appealing, though at some point a person has to leave. It's best to leave while your hosts are still enjoying your company and not waiting for you to leave!

We took our photos hugged and cried, hugged some more and made promises to see each other sooner than another twenty years. I got in the car and drove off. Toronto traffic was heavy even though it was a Saturday afternoon, though soon enough I was out of the city and onto the open road. Misty eyed I drove on and stopped for the night in Sudbury Ontario.

Catching up...

I slept really well, Farzana had made a wonderful vegetarian dinner, we sat around the dinner table catching up on the last twenty years! We talk on a regular basis but face to face contact has been very limited. This morning Shablee had made breakfast for all of us. He is a good cook, though, no one can top the way Farzana cooks!

In the afternoon, we looked at old photographs of the times I have not been able to share with my friend. We sat on the floor reminiscing about the time when we were both young mothers and now our children are grown and leading their own lives. Farzana's daughter Nadia came to visit with her husband Chad, it was good to see her. She and her husband are both teachers and seem to enjoy working in the Canadian school system.

Nadia wanted to know what was my favorite portion of the trip so far, of course spending time in Toronto has been a wonderful respite, I told her my choice picks would have to be Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. They have been thinking about taking a trip to the east and my journey may just prompt them to go there in the near future.

Tomorrow I will be leaving and continuing my journey, a part of me does not want to leave, I wish Farzana and I lived closer so that we could see each other more often; the way we used to when we lived in London.

In Toronto!

I left Quebec, in fact I was eager to leave that Province, I felt like I was in a foreign country! I was able to get to Toronto by dinner time. My dear friend Farzana and her husband Shablee had made a wonderful dinner! So good to eat homemade Indian food after having been on the road for so long! Farzana has two adorable grandsons, I got a chance to visit with them before their father took them home. To me her grandsons reminded me of her son Adil when both of us were young mothers. Our friendship is now decades old, I am grateful that we have continued to stay in touch with each other. This trip across Canada had a two fold purpose; one was to drive across Canada to Vancouver to see my siblings and the other was to see Farzana! We met each other in London while we were both teenagers. When I moved away from London, the only way we could stay in touch was by writing letters to each other-- in other words snail mail! When she moved to Toronto, it was so much easier because then we were able to talk on the phone. I will stay with Farzana until Saturday and I hope to spend some time with both her children and their spouses, after that I will begin my journey again.

Quebec.

Quebec is my least favorite Province. All of Canada is bi-lingual in their hi-way markings except Quebec-- the only writing here is in French, don't they realize they are in Canada and not France? I stopped at a gas station to fill up and buy something to eat, none of the attendants would speak to me in English they just kept barking at me in French. I can understand a little bit of French, I used to be able to get by when I was in high school, but that was a long time ago! I am anxious to get out of Quebec as quickly as possible. The last time I was here was for the '76 summer Olympics in Montreal and I remember how frustrating it was to get anywhere, well, it has not changed a whit!

If I could have avoided Quebec altogether I would have, but that was not possible. I am looking forward to seeing my friend Farzana tomorrow, today leaving PEI was a little tough, I got in a couple last shots of another church and then it was onto the Confederation Bridge with a toll of $43.00 I guess they have to pay for that one billion price tag!