Ontario Summer is here!
After what felt like THE longest winter ever (even in fake Spring!), the temperatures have finally cranked up a notch, everything has exploded with colour and the smell of sunscreen and early bird song is everywhere! Of course, with all this heat comes the delightful array of bugs I had forgotten existed (writing this outside as three separate winged things buzz around me and I warily try to size them up for danger!). Cue the insect repellent, and ‘check for ticks’ routine after being outside for any length of time. I can definitely say at this stage that we've earned the Canadian summer – and feel a little more prepared for it this time around. It’s crazy to think that we arrived in Canada last summer, at the height of the humidity, like a family of deer in headlights!
So, something called a ‘derecho storm’ ripped through Ontario and Quebec last weekend and had us feeling a bit jittery. We went from sunny, blue skies to darkness and tornado-like winds within minutes. We were safe thankfully, but watching the clean up from it has been mind blowing – huge trees down everywhere, debris, and unfortunately some houses and cars crushed in the mix. 10 months on from living here, and the weather still throws out some surprises…
The Irish visitors arrive
March and April were filled with visitors galore from back home. First off were my parents – who arrived on St Patrick’s Day no less! Off I went to Toronto on a solo car trip (bliss!) to pick them up at the airport, not knowing that right before I left Paul had emblazoned the back of the car with lots of magnetic St Patrick’s Day stickers! Nothing quite says “I’m Irish” like that…
Never was there a sweeter reunion than kids with their grandparents after so long. Oh, and they also brought a suitcase of goodies from back home, which we rationed out for weeks afterward!
Later in April, we had Paul’s brother and family with us, which was especially fun for the kids as they hadn’t seen their cousins in so long, but picked up where they left off, and 10 days of craziness ensued! And lastly, Paul’s eldest brother and wife came to visit whilst on a separate trip to Toronto.
Here's some of what we got up to. Sit down with a cuppa, because this one might take a while…
Part 1. Niagara Falls and Toronto
Surely no trip to Ontario is complete without heading to the typical tourist spots?! We’d held off on visiting these ourselves in the hope that when anyone arrived from back home we would head off then. Niagara Falls was first on our list so when Mum and Dad arrived we decided to book an Airbnb and make a weekend out of it. We didn’t however, anticipate the foot of snow we woke up to on the morning we were due to make the two-hour drive there! No one was as shocked as my parents, but it added to the excitement – and I was actually quite happy that I could give them just a taste of what winter had been like here! Irish winters pale in comparison really.
The drive down was uneventful – Paul and my Dad in one car, whilst Mum and I got the party car (below) with the kids! On the journey, as we were crossing the bridge over Hamilton we got to see all the runners doing the Around the Bay race – the oldest long distance road race in North America. That one’s now on my list to come back and complete!
Once we wrapped back up for the -14 degree windchill outside, we headed off for a better looks at Niagara Falls. IT.DID.NOT.DISAPPOINT! The cold weather had transformed the falls into a semi frozen beauty, with the river below partially frozen, and part swirling with huge chunks of ice floating around. We spent tons of time at the start of the walkway just looking at the smaller falls, totally transfixed on the sheer amount of ice! When we got along to the main horseshoe falls, it was spectacular. I actually think winter did it a favour! After a cold couple of hours outdoors, we retreated back for some coffee and hot chocolate.
The next morning Paul and I took advantage of babysitters on tap to take off early to the falls, and with no one else around we were able to get right up close to where the river meets the mouth of the falls – with gulls circling and huge chunks of ice flowing rapidly down the vertical chute.
We ran on up the Niagara Parkway, a gradual incline winding past the Niagara river, the U.S. customs border, and up to the whirlpool, which was - you guessed it - FROZEN! And not at all whirling.
The Butterfly Conservatory
Strangely, Niagara Falls isn't just about the falls; there's quite a few other things to see/do in the area. After loads of recommendations, we booked a visit to the Butterfly Conservatory, which was one of the coolest, most underrated experiences we’ve all had. It started off with us all standing in front of a green screen with outstretched hands to have our picture taken as a souvenir; complete with superimposed digital butterflies – I think it turned out pretty good!
We were warned before going into the actual conservatory to ‘de-robe’. All the winter coats, scarves, hats, etc were flung into a cloakroom before we entered the balmy room, which immediately felt like a tropical oasis! Butterflies were EVERYWHERE. At first I found it a bit unnerving, because they were literally fluttering around, brushing past your face, and some of them were HUGE. But once you got used to it, it was a really magical place to be in, for both adults and kids! Grace was fixated on having one land on her and stood still for what felt like an eternity, just waiting for her moment. Luckily enough I managed to capture all of the one second that one landed on her shoulder before heading off to eat an orange (yes, butterflies feast on oranges!).
Trying to cram everything in, partly because we were on ‘our holidays’, and partly because it was sort of en route back to London, we headed into Toronto to take Mum and Dad up the CN Tower. My Mum is seriously afraid of heights so this was no mean feat for her! Once we got past the initial shock of how much they charge per person (I know, it’s a tourist attraction in a big city, but still!), we headed up to the elevator. This is where you’re told it’ll take around 58 seconds to go from the ground floor to the main observation deck (at over 340 metres high), and it definitely does feel fast! If you’re not good with small spaces and heights, this maybe isn’t the trip for you…But once you get to the top, and you look out the window, oh the views! Stretching across the city, and with a 360-degree view, we stood for what felt like a very long time taking it all in. The skyscrapers in Toronto are huge, but even more so when you’re standing above them! We were lucky enough to get a clear day so it was really easy to see everything. We even saw a small plane landing on Toronto Island. Whilst Mum and Dad entertained the girls, me and Paul spent an extra $30 to go up to the 447 metres high Skypod, for a more immersive experience. Not sure this was totally worth it, as you’re sort of locked in a bit more, with tiny window panes to look out of. But at least we can now say we've been there!
Part 2. Closer to home/London tourism
Fanshawe Conservation Area
We also spent a morning walking around Fanshawe Conservation Area, where me and Dad felt like photographers for the National Geographic, out spotting the eagles and beavers…which actually turned out to be turkey vultures and groundhogs! So much for being able to recognize local wildlife. The Pioneer Village at Fanshawe is a living history museum that shows life in the London and Middlesex area during the 19th century. The heritage houses were very cool to walk around, with little pieces of history or story attached to each one. And they were fun for Aoife to run through, knocking on the doors to check if anyone was home! We visited here before the official tours start in May, so we had the place to ourselves, which was a little spooky at times with the gloomy skies above!
St. Thomas
I’ve blogged and raved about St. Thomas so many times since we’ve arrived in Ontario – so I won’t bore everyone again with it all (although I think you can feel the love in the pictures below!). But if you’d like to read all the details on the place, you can go to this blog post for more of the nitty gritty!
Needless to say, it was on the list to take my parents to, and didn’t disappoint! This was one of the few days we lucked out on the weather and we were able to spend hours walking around, heading up to the Elevated Park high above the road, visiting the Jumbo the Elephant memorial, and having a coffee picnic at Pinnacle Park. I think this one goes in the memory books for Mum and Dad!
Stratford
Stratford is well known throughout the south-west of Ontario for its annual festival that hosts thousands of theatre goers, ready to muse over Shakespearean and other plays. I’d wanted to go here for a while so when Mum and I managed to wrangle a child free day, with Paul and Papa looking after the kids, this was the first place I suggested! Around a 40 minute drive from London, we arrived to a pretty quiet town with not a lot going on! We found the main Market square, which I’m told is usually bustling during the summer months. Moral of the story: we visited Stratford about six weeks too early! We made the most of it anyway and grabbed a nice coffee spot at The Livery Yard, before heading off in search of some sights. We managed to find the Shakespearean Gardens which were, of course, not yet in bloom! But I can imagine these will look pretty spectacular by summer. Stratford is also home to some really quaint, and also quirky independent shops that are worth a visit. I plan to make it back there before our time is up in Ontario. One last challenge to navigate: no mobile data on my phone meant driving long, flat, far as the eye can see roads in search of a sign to direct us back to London (there were none), before admitting defeat and heading into a local store to ask for directions!
Generally, the weather was really awful when Mum and Dad were here, so there were definitely days when we just couldn’t be bothered going out in it. You know those dull and cold, and maybe rainy, maybe a bit icy days? And just nothing is tempting to you to brave the outdoors?! And let’s be honest, A LOT of where we live is exploring the outdoors, or going for hikes! I did relish in the chance to bring them to Kains Woods – one of our local trails – in the snow though! It made for a beautiful, crisp walk, with everything so bright and white.
When the time came to say goodbye to Mum and Dad, it was really hard! The anticipation of them finally coming to Canada had been so intense, and the 17 days they spent here flew in. Truly grateful that they actually had the chance to experience some of life here with us, and that the girls got some much needed time with their Nana and Papa.
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Pinery Provincial Park
When our next group of visitors arrived, it would set in motion a few sleepless nights! Paul’s brother Michael and family arrived on Easter week, and the girls could not have been more excited to see their cousins. On their first night here, wakening up at 2am to hear whispered giggles shouldn’t have been a shock to any of us really!
For me (and hopefully them too!), the absolute highlight of their time here was a trip to Pinery Provincial Park. Yes, there was the beautiful trail walk to the beach. And yes, lots of fun throwing stones and sticks into the water. But the memory of the kids sitting in the boot (or trunk!) of the car eating triangle-cut ham sandwiches and drinking hot chocolate is one that will stay with me forever. When you’re five or six years old, it’s the simplest things in life that are the best. Or maybe that’s the way it should be for us all, no matter our age.
More April and May updates to come on the blog! For now, we're getting ready to head off on an epic eight day road trip across Ontario...with three kids...in a rickety car. Are we mad?!
Keep a lookout on Instagram @muminthemaple for some photo and video updates! And thanks for virtually joining us on our journey :-)
1 Comments
Some really wonderful memories from that trip.Can't wait to hear all about your upcoming travels.
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