Dinner, Peterborough, Drive, Concert, Walk

Another weekend has come to an end and we still only seem to be scratching the surface. Many are aware that Canada is a big country but maybe they aren't aware just how huge it is. Even our Province of Ontario is huge!

Size: Ontario is Canada's second largest province, covering more than one million square kilometres (415,000 square miles) - an area larger than France and Spain combined. Our Australian state, New South Wales is 800,642 square kilometres.

Land: 894,639 sq. km (344,092 sq. mi.)

Water: 177,398 sq. km (68,490 sq. mi.), which is home to 250,000 lakes, which make up about one-third of the world's fresh water.

North/South Distance: 1,730 kilometres (1,075 mi.)

East/West Distance: 1,680 km (1,050 mi.) 

And Ontario isn't even the largest Province in Canada!!! We have been doing the same as we did in 2007 and highlighting our journeys on the CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) maps and after travelling on most of the available weekends we still seemed to have covered very little of the Province. Time to take action, the clock is ticking!!!! 

Thursday night we had an entertaining early start to the weekend when my exercise instructor Kirsten & and her husband Per came for dinner. To say that Kirsten (a blond Dane) is different from my instructor at Narooma is a monumental understatement but they are both fun and both help keep me moving. The night was as much fun as the Monday and Thursday morning classes are.

An early arrival from school by Julie saw us on our way to Peterborough by 4pm. Peterborough was another place we'd been going to see for many months.... As we had a spare day on Saturday we headed off on a beautiful cloudless evening.

We arrived after a brief stop to purchase some health elixirs from the LCBO - Liquor Control Board of Ontario - http://www.lcbo.com/main/en.shtml?promo=09 we arrived at the Peterborough Inn and Suites http://www.peterboroughinn.com/ . To say this was a comfortable and suitable place is an understatement, walking distance from a great selection of really interesting restuarants and this hotel had the type of comfort that suits this discerning traveller.................

The trip had left us tired (evidence above!!!), thirsty and hungry. The comment of "suck it up princess solved the first problem, a quiet little drink the second and a visit to Hot Bell Mama's http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g155008-d785455-Reviews-Hot_Belly_Mama_s-Peterborough_Ontario.html the third and final problem. Great atmosphere and food. Good night was had by all!!!!!

After a relaxed start we made our way to breakfast and realised whatt someof the noise was last night. Peterborough is the home of Trent University asnd there was a Rugby competirion over the weekend. Good to hear that rugger buggers in Canada seem to know how to play the all important after match game!

 A generous breakfast dispensed with, it was off for a quick look at another delightful Canadian town. Peterborough is on the Otonabee River and in addition to the river the Trent Canal passes through the town. Again wherever we seem to be in Ontario we seem to be surrounded by water. This is something we'll certainly miss in Australia.

All that water meant that the First Nations people and the early explorers were able to travel vast distances by utilising one of Canada's greatest inventions. The Canoe!! 

So with that in mind we headed to the Canadian Canoe Museum. http://www.canoemuseum.ca/ 

So what did we see there -

Canoes!!!!!!!!

It's amazing how much of Canada's and indeed North America's history is based around the canoe and the voyages of the intrepid explorers, the voyageurs and most importantly the original inhabitants.

Canoes have been used by people of all types and one of the most fascinating exhibitions to me was the one detailing the love of the canoe by former Canadian Prime Minister Joseph Phileppe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau. This may have led to the quote "What sets a canoeing expedition apart is that it purifies you more rapidly and inescapably than any other. Travel a thousand miles by train and you are a brute; pedal five hundred on a bicycle and you remain basically a bourgeois; paddle a hundred in a canoe and you're already a child of nature." 

Another famous structure in Peterborough is the Peterborough Lift Lock which is on the Trent Severn Waterway http://www.trentsevern.com/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=160&Itemid=156 
This canal and lake system was originally used as a commercial transport link connecting Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. The Lift Lock is an amazing engineering feat in itself. These days the canal is very much for summertime boating of all descriptions.

After our all too brief stay we left Peterborough and headed north into the Kawartha's and toward home on a pretty drive via Buckhorn, Burleigh and fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon and Minden. Our time at home was also a blink as we ate had a drink and headed to Grace and Speed (the museum) for a concert of pleasant music by Rick and Judy and their son Jonathon http://www.relativeharmony.com/bios.htm 

Sunday morning saw the Pavlova Production team go into action to prepare a desert to take as a contribution for dinner we were attending after "Julie's Hike for Help". 
http://www.gravenhurstchamber.com/events-calendar/index.php?display=event&id=690&date=2011-Nov-06&returnto=month  

"Julies Hike' was a lovely walk around Hardy Lake. Well it was around for Julie and to for Bruce" but our thoughts were with those who have had to deal with the difficulty of mental illness.

Dinner was at Peter &  Shelley Yungblut's who took part in the well attended walk. Both Peter and Shelley are teachers with Peter being Julie's School Sponsor at Muskoka Beechgrove School. Interesting conversation and a fairly early night which was needed as it was back to Reports after we returned home.