|
|
|
Hello From Toronto Part 5 Novice Golf Driving Through The Kawarthas A Little Off Road Mountain Biking and Preparing To Say Goodbye
t is unbelievable how nine course in the East end of
days can just fly by. Today Toronto. None of my Austrian
my brother, sister-in-law guests had ever golfed before, so
and our two Austrian friends are a couple of days earlier we
scheduled to fly back to Graz, started with a few buckets of
Austria, via Vienna. There has balls at the driving range,
been an increasingly palpable followed up by an indoor putting
sense of sentimentality in the practice session on the carpet.
air, in light of the fact that Saturday we would get to try the
this wonderful time is coming to real thing. The attempts at the
an end alarmingly quickly. driving range didn't look all
that great, with balls spraying
It's also amazing how many all over the place, to the left
activities one is able to cram and to the right. But on Saturday
into a short amount of time. I afternoon, another gorgeous day,
wanted to give them a really good our four Austrian guests
taste of everything that I love performed quite admirably and
about the city of Toronto and my only lost 2 balls in the water
new country. So occasionally I hazard.
put a few too many things on our
plates and we ended up racing They really enjoyed golf, a sport
through a few of the activities. they had never even dreamed of
On the whole though, I think our playing, but the Toronto area
European guests had a fabulous with its several hundred golf
time and they fell in love with courses, many of them reasonably
Toronto, just like I did, many priced, made it easy to give this
years ago. sport a try. All preconceived
notions about golf only being a
Saturday all six of us went sport for old people went out the
golfing to a little par-3 golf window, and they enjoyed the
challenge of trying to sink the of the sluices and the water
round little ball in the hole. level equilibrating itself with
the level of the lower portion of
Sunday came our second big the river. The Parks Canada lock
excursion: a driving tour through supervisor explained the whole
the Kawartha Lakes. I had only process to us and it only took
planned two major driving tours: about 10 minutes for the boats to
a wine-tasting tour through the reach the lower level.
Niagara Peninsula, and a second
one to the lake district of the From Buckhorn we drove through
Kawarthas. We started by driving rocky and marshy countryside to
east on Toronto's 401, a 12 to 16 the quaint village of Bobcaygeon
lane highway whose size duly where we took an extended stroll.
impressed my European visitors. We had a nice waterfront lunch,
Then we headed north-east through looking across to the marina,
rolling farm country to seeing the the boats come in an
Peterborough, a rural university out of the canal. Particularly
town with a population of about our Austrian friends Luis and
70,000. From there we drove north Isabella love boating and seeing
into the Kawarthas, a gorgeous the many houseboats on the
lake region set in the rocky Trent-Severn Canal gave them a
landscape of the Canadian Shield. few ideas for future vacations in
Canada.
Our first stop was Buckhorn,
where we watched the mechanics of The lunch was delicious and we
lift locks of the Trent-Severn took a little stroll around this
Canal that links Lake Ontario charming town, admiring the
with Georgian Bay. We saw how waterfront parks and picnic
several boats assembled inside facilities that allow great
the lock following by an opening access to the water. From
Bobcaygeon we drove on to another to the city. We only took back
little picturesque country town: roads and my brother lost count
Fenelon Falls, whose name comes of the numerous golf courses that
from a waterfall in the middle of dotted the landscape. It was a
town that has been used for nice relaxing drive through
electricity generation since the rolling countryside and we made
1870s. it back to Toronto in less than 2
hours. All four of my Austrian
After a sizeable line-up we guests had fallen in love with
picked up a few delicious cones the Lake District and the
of Kawartha Dairy ice cream and prospect of another vacation in
strolled over to the bridge over Canada to explore the waters
the falls and then down to the north of Toronto seems ever more
little peninsula that sticks out likely.
into the river. From there you
can look into a rocky gorge where Yesterday was their last full day
both sides of the river are in Toronto, and we took our bikes
surrounded by high rocks. out for a spin one more time.
Since we all love water we rode
Again, we watched boats being down to the Eastern Beaches
lifted and lowered, this time in again, and leisurely explored the
lock 33 of the Trent-Severn Canal waterfront. We watched some lawn
System. This is another town with bowling, and one of the
a beautiful little park right by participants kept coming over to
the locks with lots of us to explain the rules of the
opportunity for barbeques or game to us since none of us was
simply for a relaxing snooze in familiar with this sport. My
the sun . Time was flying by and guests commented several times on
by this time it was already 3:30 the friendliness of people in the
pm so we had to start our return stores, restaurants, in line-ups
and even I myself was surprised the sun for a while before we
at the approachability of started our return back along the
Torontonians, often known as a waterfront. My European visitors
more reserved breed of people. commented several times how
But we truly kept having very incredible it is to have all this
positive experiences, equally publicly accessible land right
with people employed in the along the waterfront and how in
service sector, as well as with some secluded spots you don't
regular citizens, taking a even realize that you are in a
stroll, playing a game of lawn major metropolitan area.
bowling or going for a walk with
their dog. To get back up to our house we
had to climb back up from the
Of course we admired the waterfront and this time we chose
inukshuks by the beach, a public the Glen Stewart Ravine, where a
play area for adults with rocks little brook has carved a valley
of various shapes and sizes that into the slopes leading down to
are used by passers-by to create the waterfront. It is a densely
interesting stone sculptures. We forested area and when you are in
watched a few tense points at the there it feels like you are in a
Kew Gardens Tennis Club, and remote forest somewhere, not
checked out the picturesque Kew right in the middle of Toronto.
Gardens park itself. From there
we headed west past the beach Once back at our house,
volleyball facilities to the preparation got started for our
little peninsula west of final goodbye barbeque and we had
Ashbridges Bay which always invited a few extra friends to
offers a fabulous view of join us to give our Austrian
Toronto's skyline. We took in the guests a proper sendoff back
tranquil atmosphere and soaked in home. We enjoyed some excellent
food and they sampled a few more Bloor Street. We crossed the
varieties of Canadian wines and Bloor Street Viaduct and arrived
beers, all of which they had on the Danforth, Toronto's Greek
commented quite favourably on. We area. As always, Greektown was
didn't sample much restaurant quite busy and people were
cuisine since my brother is a milling about. We sat down on the
talented chef, but the fresh patio of one of our favourite
ingredients that he purchased in restaurants and enjoyed some
Toronto's various markets made Greek snacks before we headed
for some truly delicious dinners. home after another long day, all
of us a little sad, commenting
In the evening we took one more how nine days can pass so
spin in the car, first to revisit quickly.
the Distillery District at night.
Luis had wanted to buy some beer Today we'll have to take their
glasses at the Mill Street four rented bicycles back and
Brewery as a souvenir, but around 2:30 we'll have to start
unfortunately the brewery and the trek to the airport. It's
restaurant were closed. The whole been a fabulous 9 days, an
Distillery area was a little extended sleepover with four
quiet, not surprisingly, since it great people and we won't forget
was Labour Day, the last official this holiday for a long, long
day of summer, and the final day time. We are already hoping for
of respite before school would another reunion, either in
begin again. We continued our Austria, or back here in Canada,
driving tour with a little spin to deepen this fabulous
through downtown and up Yonge connection.
Street before we turned east on
About the Author:
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com), a popular web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our brand new section featuring FREE ebooks about travel.
Read more articles by: Susanne Pacher
Article Source: www.iSnare.com |
|
