I love having a sense of purpose to my day. Having a job definitely helps add structure to my week (and cash to my bank account) but it does, unfortunately, limit the flexibility and freedom to enjoy the summer weather. That is why I live for the weekends and try to plan activities that both allow me to relax, enjoy family and friends, and quench my thirst for exploration and physical movement.
A weekend ago, B and I made the trip to Hamilton in order to meet up with some of my university friends. Some were visiting from as far as BC, others were Hamilton natives. It was also important for B and me as we wanted to see Hamilton as a potential residency location as McMaster has a pathology program that Bernard will be applying to. I was surprised at how much I liked the city, with its collection of urban villages, beautiful natural setting, and an industrial vibe that both I and B could identify with, being from Kitchener and Windsor respectively.
The weather was not ideal for urban exploration, as the cold drizzle did not let up all afternoon, but we managed to drive through beautiful Dundas, an amalgamated town that is an oasis of quaintness and oozes rural Ontario, small-town aesthetic, walk along the established Locke Street, with its cafes, boutiques, cheese shops, etc, and ended up on James Street North.
James Street North is Hamilton's art district, the home of the monthly "art-crawl" and the location of our lunch spot, Joe and Lois. Our group took up a great portion of this small restaurant, but the atmosphere was great and there was much happiness and many smiles between all of us. It was so nice to see the faces that we saw almost every day for the bulk of 5 years and to hear that they are doing well and become amazing professionals as well as continuing being incredible and interesting people. Our Hamiltonian friend could not have been more "on point" when showing off her City to us. Though we didn't get through nearly enough of it, we have a reason to return soon!
Canada Day was last Wednesday, and though it did not give us a long weekend, it was a great day regardless. We bought tickets for "She Stoops to Conquer" in Stratford and went to enjoy a little bit of theatre with our siblings and their dates. The town itself is very picturesque and the reknowned theatre festival and budding culinary scene gives it some additional flair. We all enjoyed the performance immensely and returned home hungry from laughing (is that a thing? I think it is). Luckily a feast awaited us and we all were filled with yummy grilled food eaten in great company on the patio. Our day came to an end at Columbia Lake where we watched the splendid fireworks show along with a good chunk of the KW Region population.
Last weekend was also filled with much fun with family. My sister, my brother-in-law, B and I all went to the Kitchener's Farmer's market in the morning to buy some fresh, local food for our breakfast and our picnic lunch. We explored some of KW via 2 wheels as we cycled through Uptown Waterloo and Downtown Kitchener on the Iron Horse Trail. I had never been on it before and I really appreciated the greenery in the middle of the city and the ease that it provided for cyclists that didn't have to brave the traffic on the roads. Our picnic spot in Victoria Pak was sublime: close to the water, in the shade of a big tree. Once we all stuffed ourselves and rested a bit on our blanket (and someone started panicking about phantom bug bites), we continued on home through the heritage district of Kitchener, pointing out interesting houses and features along the way.
On Sunday we got up bright and early (again) to have a nice, big, breakfast to fuel us through a day of hiking in Elora. Elora Gorge has to be one of the most beautiful places in Ontario and we are lucky to have it in such close proximity. We spent a few hours walking along the river gorge, went down to the Grand to see the tubers launch off, stumbled on a yard sale, jumped a fence, and enjoyed some sorbeto and gelato in the historic town of Elora. We came home tired and hungry, grateful for the leftovers in the fridge and that the beers and radlers had been chilled. The weather had been conducive for outdoor activity on both days and we took full advantage of it and of each other's company.
Mondays are hard, but then again, there are many more weekends and trips to plan before returning to Warsaw in September and what else are weekdays for?
Bisouxx,
B[ZU]
A weekend ago, B and I made the trip to Hamilton in order to meet up with some of my university friends. Some were visiting from as far as BC, others were Hamilton natives. It was also important for B and me as we wanted to see Hamilton as a potential residency location as McMaster has a pathology program that Bernard will be applying to. I was surprised at how much I liked the city, with its collection of urban villages, beautiful natural setting, and an industrial vibe that both I and B could identify with, being from Kitchener and Windsor respectively.
The weather was not ideal for urban exploration, as the cold drizzle did not let up all afternoon, but we managed to drive through beautiful Dundas, an amalgamated town that is an oasis of quaintness and oozes rural Ontario, small-town aesthetic, walk along the established Locke Street, with its cafes, boutiques, cheese shops, etc, and ended up on James Street North.
James Street North is Hamilton's art district, the home of the monthly "art-crawl" and the location of our lunch spot, Joe and Lois. Our group took up a great portion of this small restaurant, but the atmosphere was great and there was much happiness and many smiles between all of us. It was so nice to see the faces that we saw almost every day for the bulk of 5 years and to hear that they are doing well and become amazing professionals as well as continuing being incredible and interesting people. Our Hamiltonian friend could not have been more "on point" when showing off her City to us. Though we didn't get through nearly enough of it, we have a reason to return soon!
Canada Day was last Wednesday, and though it did not give us a long weekend, it was a great day regardless. We bought tickets for "She Stoops to Conquer" in Stratford and went to enjoy a little bit of theatre with our siblings and their dates. The town itself is very picturesque and the reknowned theatre festival and budding culinary scene gives it some additional flair. We all enjoyed the performance immensely and returned home hungry from laughing (is that a thing? I think it is). Luckily a feast awaited us and we all were filled with yummy grilled food eaten in great company on the patio. Our day came to an end at Columbia Lake where we watched the splendid fireworks show along with a good chunk of the KW Region population.
Last weekend was also filled with much fun with family. My sister, my brother-in-law, B and I all went to the Kitchener's Farmer's market in the morning to buy some fresh, local food for our breakfast and our picnic lunch. We explored some of KW via 2 wheels as we cycled through Uptown Waterloo and Downtown Kitchener on the Iron Horse Trail. I had never been on it before and I really appreciated the greenery in the middle of the city and the ease that it provided for cyclists that didn't have to brave the traffic on the roads. Our picnic spot in Victoria Pak was sublime: close to the water, in the shade of a big tree. Once we all stuffed ourselves and rested a bit on our blanket (and someone started panicking about phantom bug bites), we continued on home through the heritage district of Kitchener, pointing out interesting houses and features along the way.
On Sunday we got up bright and early (again) to have a nice, big, breakfast to fuel us through a day of hiking in Elora. Elora Gorge has to be one of the most beautiful places in Ontario and we are lucky to have it in such close proximity. We spent a few hours walking along the river gorge, went down to the Grand to see the tubers launch off, stumbled on a yard sale, jumped a fence, and enjoyed some sorbeto and gelato in the historic town of Elora. We came home tired and hungry, grateful for the leftovers in the fridge and that the beers and radlers had been chilled. The weather had been conducive for outdoor activity on both days and we took full advantage of it and of each other's company.
Mondays are hard, but then again, there are many more weekends and trips to plan before returning to Warsaw in September and what else are weekdays for?
Bisouxx,
B[ZU]