Thanksgiving and Fall Colours

Hi all,

this is an update for the last two weekends. Two Fridays ago was a long weekend - Canadian Thanksgiving to be precise. For those who are thinking that it is a bit early, it is actually a month before Thanksgiving in USA. It also happened to be my birthday, but luck and money constraining us, I did not get to celebrate it on a luxury tour of some place in Canada as I would have liked. So we opted for a restaurant which got 5 dots in the local paper review and was reasonably priced. I have got to say that it was superb - the waiter was so OTT that you either loved him or you hated him. We chose the former, coz why not, nobody else would give that much energy to their job. Although he was laughing by the third 20 minute phone conversation I got on the night - all coming from NZ (thanks Mum, Barry, Tania and Dad and Michelle the next day). 5 spice creme brulee was yummy.

Initially we were supposed to go on a weekend trip up north, but there was no accommodation. A day trip car rental was too astronomical so we thought we would concentrate on Thanksgiving itelf.

So we went to Kensington Markets known locally as a quite colourful place for bargains and culture to find Craig a jacket on our way to St Lawrence Markets. Unfortunately, the jackets were nice but not what we would call in the Bargain department. We did however get this photo - If I remember correctly, I think it is OK to go out to the back of this place (the cafe) and smoke your own pot. Due to loopholes in the dope laws, I think it is OK to be in possession of it. (Don't worry Mum, we didn't actually test this theory).

(says "Smoking marijuana since....ah I forget" , heh!)

To buy food supplies, we went to St Lawrence Market - also quite famous in Toronto. This is an old style market which was too huge for us to go through the whole lot. It was the kind of place that you go to get your smoked sausages, cheese, vegetables, fish and other fresh yummies. We decided to splash out and get duck and pear sausages as well as honey garlic pork sausages. (This is not a weight watchers dish)..

Thanksgiving was on Monday the 11th - a day off, but a day to cook. I was on vegetables. As much as Craig scolded me for doing two different mashed potato dishes -I had to, just to try. The marshmallow sweet potatoes contained this interesting concoction of modern science...

but I have to admit, it turned out yummy. **Note on North american Vegetables below..

Our Ozzie friends Sol and Jen were in charge of the 10 pound turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. They couldn't help themselves and got a small ham as well! For four of us!! Needless to say there were plenty of leftovers for lunches and dinners the next day.

(Jen, Caren and Sol)

Last weekend, we finally got to go see some of the awesome fall colours that Ontario can boast. We drove about three hours north to Algonquin National Park. The place was soo pretty, that I almost cried. I vowed I would buy one of the rich peoples "cottages" (translation; "mansion") and become a park ranger.

Our lodge was pretty funky. It was a hostel, but had this awesome loft where we played Scrabble til the late hours of the night. The lodge, called the Wolfden Lodge and Cabins even came with its own wolf!! It had broken its leg being hit by a car, and the manager was feeding it, I guess until someone did something with it. The rangers I mean, for all those people thinking a wolf skin coat would be nifty. Unfortunately, the wolf was between me and the camera in the car, so you can just imagine it (a silver coloured dog). The next morning it actually snowed despite the predictions of a 17 degree day. It is just as well I bought some snow boots at a small township the day before. This snow, then rain meant though that nobody was really prepared to go out for a walk, so most of the park was seen by car. As the road barely cuts through any of the park, you could imagine just going out there and getting completely lost. The area is known for heaps of outdoor activities including kayaking, camping, tramping, dog-sledding, snowmobiling, snow-shoeing and the all important - drinking mulled wine by the lodge fire.

You can bet though, that Craig and I will be back in winter.

(Jen and Caren in the distance)

(Woodpecker landed beside us at exactly the right moment).

(high view of the park)

(nice colors)

**North American Vegetables

For all those that always wanted to know, but were too afraid to ask for fear of being ridiculed. A yam = a kumara; a sweet potato is a cross between a potato having more of a potato shape but more creamy/orangey in the middle. Goodness knows what we call a yam is here - haven't seen them, but if I do, I will let you know.