A good sleep. I was tired yesterday. Yes, and grumpy…:)
Despite being only about 1k away from the railway line, I didn’t hear a peep.
There is a recurring process going on here, with the weather. This morning it has dawned a beautiful clear sky but I am sure cumulus clouds will have grown from the east, and we will get rain and thunder again this evening. The forecast for today is 27deg c.
A little bit of additional comment about the Museum of Human Rights. An impressive building from an aesthetic point, but I felt it was let down inside, by the poor directional signage and a large amount of walking, to unknown displays on upper floors. While there was much made of the Holocaust against Jews, little against gypsies, anti Nazi and and homosexuals, in Nazi Germany. There was no mention, that I saw, of a similar holocaust against the Armenians, by the Turks, in the early 1900’s.
We refuelled with diesel in Steinbach, close to the Mennonite Village, wth diesel costing $1.16/L. I should have stopped in Winnipeg, where I saw it advertised at $1.06. Never mind. Bill informs me that we should fill up at Falcon Lake, just before the Ontario border, as the price will rise 20c/L. We have taken his advise to call in, but to have lunch beside the lake. A lovely setting it is too but there is goose shite everywhere!!! Cheese and tomato sandwiches for lunch and a big mug of tea to wash them down. I love cheese and tomato sandwich’s, with double pepper..:).
Jen stopped in at a roadside fruit stall and bought a bag of cherries. Eat your hearts out..:) They are scrumptious. I’d better stop typing or they will be all gone!!.
We have been travelling now for about 7 months, all up, and I think we now have the vehicle and living systems finely tuned, and working beautifully. A little trimming here, adjusting there, and it makes all the difference. Yesterday, Frank, who Jen talked about, put his head inside and said, “you have certainly given this a lot of thought”. Yes we have. It wont suit everyone but it suits us just fine. We love it. Brother Kelvin, he’s a scallywag, isn’t he, audaciously daring to suggest that an Isuzu would be better… In your dreams Bro. We are proudly British to the core, even if it was built by the Germans…:).
Your Jen will appreciate these two pics.
In the morning, Frank sauntered over with a cup of coffee and we had a great old chat, while Jen was taking a shower. We are both a bit to the left, you might, say and Frank, he sells beans, was saying that when in North Dakota, not far south, at a business meeting recently, someone asked him about Canada. Into his explanation of their health system, he’s a big, softly spoken, kindly, gentle man Frank, without a trace of Canadian accent. One of the guys present said “ what are you? “Some kind of socialist or Communist”?!…Frank said he zipped it and quietly retreated, as he felt if he had said much more, he would have been lynched. McCarthy might be long gone but his legacy remains.
Our next stop was Kenora, and The Lake of the Woods, (thanks for the recommendation Bruce & Jan), just across the Manitoba border, in Ontario. A lovely part of the country. Endless lakes and forests. Kenora is a little like Taupo. Sorry for those that haven’t been to either, but a large lakeside town and quite touristy.
There is a different feel about Ontario, the little we have seen of it so far but could I suggest, a little bit of a nanny state? Slower speed limits, more signs and signs of police. I think we saw more police cars in Kanora than the whole journey so far!! Ontario is the most populous Province with approximately 30% of Canada’s population.
A Chinese group were photographing themselves against the side of the Land Rover while we were in at the Information centre. One of them asked me how old I was. I told them 100, and they said Ohhhh!..:)
Walmart kindly permitted us to do some work on emails but then Jen couldn’t make a connection on her phone, so we moved across the car park to Canadian Tire and they wouldn’t let us load pics for the blog. So we gave up and hit the road again, east.
At around 5pm decided to call it a day after doing 200miles. Called into a ‘down-at-the-heel’ looking campsite, almost deserted, and the Dutch owner asked for $42 for the night. We have decided that it’s $25 or less, or we move on. We moved on. Found a small side road disappearing into the trees saw a chap walking between his house and garage, so pulled into the drive and asked him if we could camp in the far corner of his nicely mown and large lawn. “Sure” said Ryan. “Where are you from”? We promised to leave no mess or sign of our presence. So, we are now camped in a corner of Ryan’s farm. The sun is shining, trees on three sides and we are having our second last beer, and crackers, before starting dinner. Loving life…:)
A thought for our other brother, Ash the 71year old baby of us three boys. Ashleigh has a travel bug problem. He’s flying to the UK, with his mountain bike and going to cycle through Scotland, the Shetlands and Hebrides. I don’t even know where they are!!!..:). Bon Voyage Ash. Keep us informed.
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