Where on earth do we start?! I started this update back in July, and here it is early Sept.! The summer has been so rich and rushed; we've been far too busy doing it to write about it! So below is what I started way back then and I'll just pick up from there:
Hi All !
Well we made it ! We're here and settled in Canada after as good a trip as one can hope for, given the distance. We had an overnight stop in a hotel we've visited before in Dubai, just to shower, sleep in a real bed and walk around a bit. Meant we arrived here feeling quite human!
We found all well at our place here, with minimal 'creature feature'; and didn't take too long to get the place opened up and back into the rhythm of our lives here. The weather during June was cool and soggy, but July has brought lovely warm weather -a heat wave according to most here. 
We've had a myriad of wild-life encounters. The Blue Heron pictured caught that large fish just in front of our place; he couldn't even swallow it. There've been any number of Canada Geese (a mixed blessing) and Loons with chicks. The Snapping turtle pictured was about 12-1
4 in across, quite fearless and had no notion of accepting our help across the road toward the water. Sadly, we missed the ultimate; a bear walked out near some trailers within view of our place and calmly walked across the edge of the camp to the wetlands. Anne was devastated to have missed it !
We've had a myriad of wild-life encounters. The Blue Heron pictured caught that large fish just in front of our place; he couldn't even swallow it. There've been any number of Canada Geese (a mixed blessing) and Loons with chicks. The Snapping turtle pictured was about 12-1
4 in across, quite fearless and had no notion of accepting our help across the road toward the water. Sadly, we missed the ultimate; a bear walked out near some trailers within view of our place and calmly walked across the edge of the camp to the wetlands. Anne was devastated to have missed it !
Our first 
adventure was a 5-day boat trip up the Rideau Canal system to Ottawa in time for Canada Day. We camped on the boat at the various lock-stations, and in an actual marina right in Ottawa. The weather was poor on the trip there, but the intermittent rains cleared often enough that we could enj
oy it nevertheless! The atmosphere there for the day was so exuberant ; it was a treat just to be there in the crowds. I hope the queen enjoyed it as much as we did !? She was kind enough to 'let' Anne take a picture of me with her. Then my sister Holly and family did the return trip and got all the great weather, while we brought their 
car home.
adventure was a 5-day boat trip up the Rideau Canal system to Ottawa in time for Canada Day. We camped on the boat at the various lock-stations, and in an actual marina right in Ottawa. The weather was poor on the trip there, but the intermittent rains cleared often enough that we could enj
oy it nevertheless! The atmosphere there for the day was so exuberant ; it was a treat just to be there in the crowds. I hope the queen enjoyed it as much as we did !? She was kind enough to 'let' Anne take a picture of me with her. Then my sister Holly and family did the return trip and got all the great weather, while we brought their 
car home.The summer since then has had and continues to have a full quota of family and friends events, too many to describe in detail. There have been birthdays (and a birth, more later), luncheons, a wedding, a memorial, Sunday family 
BBQs, and a reunion in Toronto of Annes cousins here in Canada and USA. Mum stays out here as much as possible;- about 4 days a week when we're here. It's great that she can spend the time, not only visiting us, but out in the country by the lake; she has always been an outdoors person.
BBQs, and a reunion in Toronto of Annes cousins here in Canada and USA. Mum stays out here as much as possible;- about 4 days a week when we're here. It's great that she can spend the time, not only visiting us, but out in the country by the lake; she has always been an outdoors person. 
Our next adventure, or holiday from our holiday, was to take the RV and point it south and east, with no fixed notion of how far we'd get. We just knew we had to be back for Erin and Andrew's wedding; and that we love travelling and living in the van. Maybe we were gypsies in a former life? We especially enjoy 'dry camping',- just finding a lovely spot, say by a beaver pond, and stopping for the night, rather than staying in established camps. We spent several nights in the Adirondack mountains in northern New York state. Absolutely loved that area the most; so 
rugged and beautiful. Up mountains in gondolas, down river canyons floating in tubes;- we saw the different perspectives! The only thing lacking there was the abundance of wildlife we're used to here. We wandered through the White Mtns and Green Mtns, crossing Vermont and New Hampshire to southern Maine and the coast. Although those areas were lovely, they weren't large RV friendly in terms of space or parking. Besides, we're spoiled for choice with beaches at home, and were besotted with the mountains, so we looped around quickly and spent some extra nights in the Adirondacks. 
Our friends and neighbours from home, Wanda and John, visited us at the lake for a great week out of their marathon 6-month trip. We didn't get to show them even half the sights we'd planned, but instead spent most of the time on the water, touring various lakes and villages. Fortunately they're boating people, and as John said " you could take me out in the
lake just here and go round in circles and I'd be happy".
rugged and beautiful. Up mountains in gondolas, down river canyons floating in tubes;- we saw the different perspectives! The only thing lacking there was the abundance of wildlife we're used to here. We wandered through the White Mtns and Green Mtns, crossing Vermont and New Hampshire to southern Maine and the coast. Although those areas were lovely, they weren't large RV friendly in terms of space or parking. Besides, we're spoiled for choice with beaches at home, and were besotted with the mountains, so we looped around quickly and spent some extra nights in the Adirondacks. 
Our friends and neighbours from home, Wanda and John, visited us at the lake for a great week out of their marathon 6-month trip. We didn't get to show them even half the sights we'd planned, but instead spent most of the time on the water, touring various lakes and villages. Fortunately they're boating people, and as John said " you could take me out in the
lake just here and go round in circles and I'd be happy". The big news mentioned above was that grandchild number 9, 
the first on my side, arrived on the 18th Aug., a week earlier than expected. My elder daughter, Tanya and Cristina are now the proud parents of young James Radu. He is of course, in their words- but we must agree, handsome, muscular and intelligent. He is coming here this weekend to meet his great-grandmother and the extended family! Also Auntie Kris who came over from Aus. for the birth, will be here, so we'll have a full house!! Then we'll go to their home in Kitchener for one last baby-fix before we head home. Thank heavens for Skype.
Most recently, we took off to Ottawa for 3 nights, for our anniversary. We often go to Ottawa to meet or drop people at the airport, but we've rarely actually played tourists. We found a B&B within walking distance of the parliament buildings, took an on and off bus over 2 days, stopping to explore. We also took a boat tour on the Ottawa River, looking up for a whole different perspective! It really is a fascinating city (and this from us who don't normally like cities) ; clean and very people friendly; and with a huge array of resources (thanks presumably to the federal government). The Canadian Museum of Civilization gets our top rave; we went back there again after our tour, and could probably have spent a week or so!!
the first on my side, arrived on the 18th Aug., a week earlier than expected. My elder daughter, Tanya and Cristina are now the proud parents of young James Radu. He is of course, in their words- but we must agree, handsome, muscular and intelligent. He is coming here this weekend to meet his great-grandmother and the extended family! Also Auntie Kris who came over from Aus. for the birth, will be here, so we'll have a full house!! Then we'll go to their home in Kitchener for one last baby-fix before we head home. Thank heavens for Skype.
Most recently, we took off to Ottawa for 3 nights, for our anniversary. We often go to Ottawa to meet or drop people at the airport, but we've rarely actually played tourists. We found a B&B within walking distance of the parliament buildings, took an on and off bus over 2 days, stopping to explore. We also took a boat tour on the Ottawa River, looking up for a whole different perspective! It really is a fascinating city (and this from us who don't normally like cities) ; clean and very people friendly; and with a huge array of resources (thanks presumably to the federal government). The Canadian Museum of Civilization gets our top rave; we went back there again after our tour, and could probably have spent a week or so!! That's about us caught up. We leave here at the end of the month, so are starting to prepare to say Cheerio to all our Canada family and friends; and looking forward to catching up with all those we miss in Australia. Our next blog update won't be until (at least) after we get home and sorted/caught up, so in the meantime, stay well and happy.
Cheers to All
The Happy Wanderers
Annie and Kath
No comments:
Post a Comment