The morning I left Saskatoon, the rain was torrential and has continued much of the time since then. In Yorkton there have been a number of severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings.
The afternoon after I left Stonewall, Manitoba, there was supposedly a tornado touchdown outside of town.
And it goes on and on.
The most I can complain about right now is the heat and you know I will. It's so hot! There, that's it. I'm sitting at the public library in the Hespeler part of Cambridge so am content in this cool and am grateful to have such a place close by to wile away a few hours on my laptop.
This blog will mostly be photos again as too many days have gone by without me writing anything down of my impressions of the road so the emotion of the moment is again missed.
This I took in Webbwood, Ontario. I'm amazed that there are still folks who live almost unaffected by the craziness of the modern world, especially young folks. As they passed, the driver beamed a big smile.
Ok, so there's one "L" missing off the end of the name but when I saw the next name was Mary (my mother's name) I thought that was a sign to turn around and go buy a Lotto Max ticket. I was wrong!
I knew I couldn't come to Ontario and not head toward Ottawa. I was there last twenty-two years ago on a cross Canada (east to west) trip with JYO. He took sick and spent three days recouping in Hull, just over the bridge from Ottawa. I rose every morning early and took a bus into Ottawa and spent those three days walking the city. Just days before Canada Day, the place was crowded with people, roads were detoured as prep. work for the big day was well under way. I was still glad I came just to eye the architecture once again and visit the Notre Dame Cathedral as well as the National Art Gallery.
I love architecture especially these old stone structures. These buildings will outlast anything built in the last 75 years. When I look at buildings such as this, I recall a show from years ago named, "If These Walls Could Talk" and wonder what stories they could tell.
The tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I stood there for a few moments thinking about the futility of our modern wars, certainly in comparison to WWI ("The War to End All Wars") and WWII and wondered if mankind is capable of peace.
A side profile of the monument directly behind the tomb of the unknown soldier. The detail is absolutely mind blowing. It's a spectacular piece of work like so much of the buildings and statuary of Ottawa.
The entrance to the Connaught building on MacKenzie Ave.
The Notre Dame Cathedral.
When I walked into this building all those years ago, a young 'priest in training' walked up to me, chest heaved out in pride and asked "what do you think of our church?" to which I answered, "I think it could feel a lot of people" meaning the cost that went into building it.
This time my perspective is a little different. I don't see it so much as a momument to God as I do the desire of someone's imagination coupled with the artisan's ability to translate that vision to reality. It is truly a spectacular structure and I'm glad it exists so I can look upon it and be overwhelmed by humankind's creativity. I wondered though how many died to see this vision realized.
Then I thought about a documentary I saw about the building of the Great Wall of China, a structure known and admired the world over. Supposedly, tens of thousands of people were ensalved and many died so that one man's vision could be made real.
So much of what we admire from the ancient world was purchased through human suffering and death, yet there's something that captivates us about it.
The central alter of Notre Dame.
So ornate. Every square inch, from floor to ceiling, was adorned somehow.
The second of many pictures I took inside the church.
This is the walk up to the entrance of the National Art Gallery just across the street from the Cathedral.
I paid $15 so I could see the latest exhibit of 'pop' art fromt he Andy Warhol area. It was interesting and I'm not sorry I spent the money. The debate about what constitutes art intrigues me. There was certainly things there that I would not consider art, like the full on pornographic pictures of an artist and his adult film start girlfriend, later to be wife. Of course, I take no more objection to that being called art than I do those paintings you see where squares are painted all in different shades of the same colour. I don't get that. Then there's Pollack's work that looks like paint slapped from a brush onto a canvas. Perhaps art is simply that thing that evokes conversation and/or controversy. I'm a realist but I've seen some abstracts in the past to which I had a physical reaction. So who's to say. I just know I saw Van Gogh's "Iris" and was made happy as a result. I left after 2.5 hours because I was feeling overwelmed by too much visual stimuli. When I visited in '88, I was permitted to take all the pictures I wanted. I'm glad I did because camera's are no longer allowed.
I was permitted to take a picture in the room where visitors could use coloured chalk to make a statement. I chose to write my name sdrawkcab!
The Rideau Canal.
One of the biggest changes was Sparks Street. Now it's a rib pit. A dozen vendors, at least, all claiming to have the best ribs in Ontario. I especially liked the next one.
What more is there to say!
I spent the afternoon in Ottawa then headed south to Kingston. I thought Ottawa was busy because, well because it's Ottawa. Kingston was busier. The place was crowded. There were vendors set up in a square selling everything from books to antiques. I was glad I didn't have a place. I could so easily have purchased a number of objects.
When I arrived in town, I decided to take a run into Kingston before calling it a night. As I approached the city, I heard what sounded like a swarm of killer bees close by. Turned out to be the noise of vehicles driving over the bridge.
This was the first picture I took in Kingston and knew immediately it was a place worth investigating.
Like Ottawa, Kingston is a historical city with splendid architecture. The thing I love about digital photography is the number of pictures you can take and heaven knows, I took a lot, that day and every day I was on the road but I won't bore you with too many of the same thing.
This fellow, the one under the red tent, is an author living in Toronto but born and raised in Nfld. He's writing a viking saga. Of course I supported him by buying one of his books and gave him my card so he could one day return the favour.
This is Eric, a young fellow down on his luck. He was looking for travelling money.
I passed him by at first but returned because I was curious. I asked him to tell me about himself. What I really said was, "so what's your story?" He told me he had been employed in Calgary, Alberta but lost his job. A girl he knew here (Kingston) was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. He came here and moved in to try and help her. He introduced her to a guy, they hooked up and he moved out with nowhere to go.
I have to say I didn't give him any change. I just looked at him and probably thought, there's no reason this young man, who appears healthy and strong, can't find something to do.
He beamed when I told him I was travelling too. He said he had a few signs made up but the rain from earlier ruined them. After the last line Spare Change, it reads or girlfriend. So he's not only broke but he's also lonely!
Down the block, I came across this fellow (Tom) who also had worked out west. His performance reminded me of a cross between John Denver, Willie Nelson and Valdy. Here, I thought, was a guy who was actually doing something that warranted a few coins.
After he had finished his song we began to chat. I told him about the young fellow up the street to whom I gave nothing. Tom looked straight at me and said "he has as much right to do this as I do" and right there I was confronted with my own shortcomings and was reminded, yet again, "judge not least ye be judged'. Tom's statement, unlike mine, was without judgment. It was filled with empathy and compassion and I was reminded how quick we are to judge.
Before I left Kingston I took a walk along the harbour and came across this large vessel which, as you can see from the boat next to it, is quite large. It's called Her Way and I wondered about the her that could make that possible. I watched as they both approached the harbour exit and there was no doubt which one would leave first.
I left Kingston and headed further south to Cambridge and after missing all the bad weather from Calgary to Kingston, I was finally caught in some bad weather about forty minutes from Cambridge.
The rain was coming down pretty hard and I had my wiper blades swishing back and forth at top speed but thankfully, everyone was driving for the conditions and I made it there without incident. So here I am, planted for a few weeks in hot, sunny Cambridge, Ontario getting to spend time with family, soak up some sun and hopefully get out and see some more sights. I was hoping to go to the Riverbank Restaraunt, my favourite eating place in Cambridge but learned, sadly, it is no longer in business, another casualty of the recession, no doubt. Guess I'll have to find a new favourite.
Dang! I keep forgetting the time on my laptop is off by a two hours. Make no wonder I'm hungry. See ya, gotta go eat somethin'!
