Canada

We noticed the sign ‘Drink Canada Dry’ and weren’t at first sure whether it was an advertisement or a challenge.  Whatever, after tearful goodbyes we took the short flight from Milwaukee to Toronto to be met by Annika, Ivy and Bill.  I’d better explain; Terry came to us in the UK when he was a young lad attending school close by to where we used to live.  I knew his mum Ivy from Hong Kong days when she made all the arrangements for the training courses I ran in those days.  To cut a long story short, Terry spent quite a bit of time with us over the years and sort of got incorporated into the family and became ‘another one of the kids’.  Bill?  He’s Ivy’s partner.

Terry and Annika were married about a year and a half ago.  Their first twelve months was difficult for them.  Terry lived and worked in Toronto,  Annika was in Hong Kong waiting for the necessary immigration approvals.  Happily they are together at last.  We wanted to see them and that was the main reason for the visit to Canada.  Whew!  Sorry about that but an explanation was probably necessary.

First day and Annika demonstrated just how much she had learned about her new home, guiding us through what are known as ‘the paths’ – a complex series of underground walkways linking tower blocks and shopping malls.  These provide the opportunity to move around the city avoiding what can be brutal winter weather above ground.  Fortunately Annika knew the way and we followed.  We did get above ground, visiting Yonge-Dundas Square and the nearby beautiful old town hall with its extraordinary carvings.

Of course a meeting is not complete without a meal and that night we dined royally, and although a little rusty with our chopsticks, enjoyed a terrific meal with a menu specially created by Ivy.

Toronto is probably not the first place one would think of to have a shoe museum, but it does have one, and it’s fascinating.  Including everything from the earliest foot coverings through modern day high fashion to the special needs of people living in the Arctic, it even includes shoes that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe, James Stewart and Winston Churchill.  But it was the intricate workmanship and practicality of the Inuit boots that fascinated above all else.

No visit to Toronto is complete without ascending the CN Tower and experiencing the Niagara Falls.  We did both.  The view from the top of the Tower is far reaching and spectacular.  The view straight down through the glass floor is just scary!

Niagara is simply captivating.  There’s something about moving water that is mesmerising and Niagara has more moving water than anywhere else.  There’s three waterfalls,  the largest being the Horseshoe Falls,  The American Falls abut the USA border while the Bridal Veil Falls are by comparison quite small.  We saw the falls at their most spectacular, winter thawing provided huge amounts of water, estimated at around six million cubic feet a minute.  I can’t really visualise that but it’s a heck of a lot of water that creates its own clouds.

A final dim sum meal and all too soon our visit came to an end.

The Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt was long and cramped, the food awful.  We arrived late with insufficient time to make the connection for the onward flight to Heathrow.  But we finally made it, picked up a hire car and endured the delights of the M25 to Essex.  It rained, sleeted and at times snowed.  Welcome to England we were informed.

Grandchildren and Projects

It’s lovely spending time with Leilani (3) and George (9 months) watching them play, develop and learn.  It’s also exhausting for grandparents who have been away from the full-on experience for a couple of decades.  However we survived.  Survived the whirlwind of being woken by a three year old projectile first thing in the morning.  Survived mealtimes feeding the littl’n in addition to ourselves.  Mike kept his ministrations to above the waist, Kim was involved in the more intimate areas.  A loud call of “Nye Nye, please wipe my bottom” caused an outbreak of instant deafness in Mike should Kim not be within hearing distance whilst the threat of a nappy (or diaper) change usually resulted in Mike being suddenly required to tighten a loose screw in a door.  At times it became necessary to even loosen a couple of screws in readiness.

Play times were of course fun.  A cardboard box kept them amused for three days.

A sudden late fall of snow provided a diversion from the television

A local production by the Florentine Opera Company of Jack and the Beanstalk enthralled everyone, including George who sat on Granddad’s lap throughout fascinated.

Of course, whenever Kim and Mike visit, there’s a project or two that need to be completed and this time was no exception.  Kim made and fitted five ‘Roman blinds’ (no Mike didn’t know what they were either)  which now grace the windows of the sitting room.

A Wendy house was requested but that proved a little ambitious give the limitations of time and tools so a compromise was reached to modify the existing climbing frame.  It seems to work and Leilani immediately moved in a selection of necessary accoutrements.

Now it’s over.  Grandchildren and family left behind, memories and photos brought with them.  During the month that they were in Milwaukee George grew five teeth, learned to crawl and to stand up unaided, and to develop the first three words of his vocabulary (Mum, Dad and car).  Leilani learned about elephants, practiced writing her name and helped to plant flowers.  A final dinner and it’s away to Toronto to catch up with some more family.

Elephants and Ponies

It’s not really clear why there are three African elephants in Indiana, nor why their names are Makia, Lovey and Lou.  That they spend part of the year in Florida, a thousand miles away, is also not clear.  But there they were, and Leilani got the job of applying oil to their toenails.  No, don’t ask why it’s necessary.  Possibly to keep their feet in good condition, possibly just cosmetic.  At least it wasn’t bright red.

So where are we?  Between the oddly-named towns of French Lick and Paoli there’s a place known as Wilstem Ranch and all six of us stayed there for four days in a timber cabin in the woods.  It was Leilani’s first experience of elephants and although a little cautious of their size, applied her nail polishing skills with gusto.  Everyone else had the opportunity to hose down or otherwise polish an elephant, after which a ‘selfie’ was, of course de rigour!

Next day the adventure continued.  This time Leilani, and mum and dad Anna and John, took to riding ponies.  John had ridden before but it was a first for Leilani and Anna, although it didn’t seem very long before they had the animals responded to their commands – or maybe the ponies just knew what to do!

Now Kim and Mike had done this horse riding business last year in outback Australia and knew that there was a price to be paid in the nether regions.  They boldly volunteered to look after the little ones while mum and dad took to the hills.  It provided and opportunity to see the bison, zebras and goats, as well as the other horses, ponies and donkeys, and of course for Granddad and Nye Nye had their grandchildren to themselves for an hour or so.

Day three found us visiting the French Lick resort, which has recently completed a $600 million refurbishment.  Originally opened in 1902 capitalising on the local mineral spas, it sported the then largest dome in the world, some 200 feet in diameter.   It’s remains impressive today.  We avoided the casino, instead taking a scenic tram ride and easing the legacy of yesterday’s horse riding in a variety of rocking chairs.  Leilani enjoyed joining in with a large group of older children playing dodgeball, a game that none of us understood but that didn’t stop Leilani who simply made up her own rules.  The older kids were quite superb in the way they managed to include her in the game while keeping the rough and tumble just clear.

Our last day came all to soon.  Crossing the state border to Kentucky we visited Churchill downs, home of the annual Kentucky State Derby and enjoyed a gigantic smokehouse meal of ribs and various other dishes unfamiliar to Kim and Mike.

The final night of our stay found us around a camp fire, a first for Leilani and George.  As the temperature dipped to not far off freezing we found the fire to be essential for our outside meal.  Not the Mike bagged a spot closest to the warmth.

Kim of course found time to take lots of photos of wild flowers.  Just for once these will not be included – perhaps in a future blog if readers demand it.  It took nearly the whole day to drive back north to Milwaukee.  Back to routine for John, Anna, Leilani and George.  Back to a pile of washing for Kim and back to a building project for Mike.

A great break and two more States added to the list of our travels.