| It is unbelievable how nine days can just
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| | in love with the Lake District and the
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| fly by. Today my brother, sister-in-law
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| | prospect of another vacation in Canada to
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| and our two Austrian friends are
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| | explore the waters north of Toronto seems
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| scheduled to fly back to Graz, Austria,
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| | ever more likely.Yesterday was their last
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| via Vienna. There has been an
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| | full day in Toronto, and we took our
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| increasingly palpable sense of
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| | bikes out for a spin one more time. Since
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| sentimentality in the air, in light of
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| | we all love water we rode down to the
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| the fact that this wonderful time is
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| | Eastern Beaches again, and leisurely
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| coming to an end alarmingly quickly.It's
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| | explored the waterfront. We watched some
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| also amazing how many activities one is
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| | lawn bowling, and one of the participants
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| able to cram into a short amount of time.
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| | kept coming over to us to explain the
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| I wanted to give them a really good taste
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| | rules of the game to us since none of us
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| of everything that I love about the city
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| | was familiar with this sport. My guests
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| of Toronto and my new country. So
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| | commented several times on the
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| occasionally I put a few too many things
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| | friendliness of people in the stores,
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| on our plates and we ended up racing
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| | restaurants, in line-ups and even I
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| through a few of the activities. On the
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| | myself was surprised at the
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| whole though, I think our European guests
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| | approachability of Torontonians, often
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| had a fabulous time and they fell in love
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| | known as a more reserved breed of people.
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| with Toronto, just like I did, many years
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| | But we truly kept having very positive
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| ago.Saturday all six of us went golfing
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| | experiences, equally with people employed
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| to a little par-3 golf course in the East
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| | in the service sector, as well as with
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| end of Toronto. None of my Austrian
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| | regular citizens, taking a stroll,
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| guests had ever golfed before, so a
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| | playing a game of lawn bowling or going
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| couple of days earlier we started with a
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| | for a walk with their dog.Of course we
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| few buckets of balls at the driving
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| | admired the inukshuks by the beach, a
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| range, followed up by an indoor putting
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| | public play area for adults with rocks of
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| practice session on the carpet. Saturday
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| | various shapes and sizes that are used by
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| we would get to try the real thing. The
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| | passers-by to create interesting stone
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| attempts at the driving range didn't look
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| | sculptures. We watched a few tense points
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| all that great, with balls spraying all
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| | at the Kew Gardens Tennis Club, and
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| over the place, to the left and to the
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| | checked out the picturesque Kew Gardens
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| right. But on Saturday afternoon, another
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| | park itself. From there we headed west
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| gorgeous day, our four Austrian guests
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| | past the beach volleyball facilities to
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| performed quite admirably and only lost 2
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| | the little peninsula west of Ashbridges
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| balls in the water hazard.They really
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| | Bay which always offers a fabulous view
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| enjoyed golf, a sport they had never even
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| | of Toronto's skyline. We took in the
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| dreamed of playing, but the Toronto area
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| | tranquil atmosphere and soaked in the sun
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| with its several hundred golf courses,
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| | for a while before we started our return
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| many of them reasonably priced, made it
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| | back along the waterfront. My European
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| easy to give this sport a try. All
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| | visitors commented several times how
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| preconceived notions about golf only
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| | incredible it is to have all this
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| being a sport for old people went out the
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| | publicly accessible land right along the
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| window, and they enjoyed the challenge of
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| | waterfront and how in some secluded spots
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| trying to sink the round little ball in
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| | you don't even realize that you are in a
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| the hole.Sunday came our second big
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| | major metropolitan area.To get back up to
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| excursion: a driving tour through the
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| | our house we had to climb back up from
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| Kawartha Lakes. I had only planned two
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| | the waterfront and this time we chose the
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| major driving tours: a wine-tasting tour
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| | Glen Stewart Ravine, where a little brook
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| through the Niagara Peninsula, and a
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| | has carved a valley into the slopes
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| second one to the lake district of the
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| | leading down to the waterfront. It is a
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| Kawarthas. We started by driving east on
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| | densely forested area and when you are in
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| Toronto's 401, a 12 to 16 lane highway
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| | there it feels like you are in a remote
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| whose size duly impressed my European
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| | forest somewhere, not right in the middle
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| visitors. Then we headed north-east
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| | of Toronto.Once back at our house,
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| through rolling farm country to
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| | preparation got started for our final
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| Peterborough, a rural university town
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| | goodbye barbeque and we had invited a few
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| with a population of about 70,000. From
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| | extra friends to join us to give our
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| there we drove north into the Kawarthas,
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| | Austrian guests a proper sendoff back
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| a gorgeous lake region set in the rocky
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| | home. We enjoyed some excellent food and
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| landscape of the Canadian Shield.Our
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| | they sampled a few more varieties of
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| first stop was Buckhorn, where we watched
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| | Canadian wines and beers, all of which
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| the mechanics of lift locks of the
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| | they had commented quite favourably on.
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| Trent-Severn Canal that links Lake
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| | We didn't sample much restaurant cuisine
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| Ontario with Georgian Bay. We saw how
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| | since my brother is a talented chef, but
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| several boats assembled inside the lock
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| | the fresh ingredients that he purchased
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| following by an opening of the sluices
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| | in Toronto's various markets made for
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| and the water level equilibrating itself
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| | some truly delicious dinners.In the
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| with the level of the lower portion of
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| | evening we took one more spin in the car,
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| the river. The Parks Canada lock
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| | first to revisit the Distillery District
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| supervisor explained the whole process to
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| | at night. Luis had wanted to buy some
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| us and it only took about 10 minutes for
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| | beer glasses at the Mill Street Brewery
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| the boats to reach the lower level.From
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| | as a souvenir, but unfortunately the
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| Buckhorn we drove through rocky and
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| | brewery and restaurant were closed. The
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| marshy countryside to the quaint village
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| | whole Distillery area was a little quiet,
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| of Bobcaygeon where we took an extended
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| | not surprisingly, since it was Labour
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| stroll. We had a nice waterfront lunch,
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| | Day, the last official day of summer, and
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| looking across to the marina, seeing the
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| | the final day of respite before school
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| the boats come in an out of the canal.
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| | would begin again. We continued our
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| Particularly our Austrian friends Luis
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| | driving tour with a little spin through
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| and Isabella love boating and seeing the
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| | downtown and up Yonge Street before we
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| many houseboats on the Trent-Severn Canal
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| | turned east on Bloor Street. We crossed
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| gave them a few ideas for future
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| | the Bloor Street Viaduct and arrived on
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| vacations in Canada.The lunch was
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| | the Danforth, Toronto's Greek area. As
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| delicious and we took a little stroll
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| | always, Greektown was quite busy and
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| around this charming town, admiring the
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| | people were milling about. We sat down on
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| waterfront parks and picnic facilities
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| | the patio of one of our favourite
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| that allow great access to the water.
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| | restaurants and enjoyed some Greek snacks
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| From Bobcaygeon we drove on to another
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| | before we headed home after another long
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| little picturesque country town: Fenelon
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| | day, all of us a little sad, commenting
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| Falls, whose name comes from a waterfall
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| | how nine days can pass so quickly.Today
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| in the middle of town that has been used
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| | we'll have to take their four rented
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| for electricity generation since the
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| | bicycles back and around 2:30 we'll have
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| 1870s.After a sizeable line-up we picked
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| | to start the trek to the airport. It's
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| up a few delicious cones of Kawartha
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| | been a fabulous 9 days, an extended
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| Dairy ice cream and strolled over to the
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| | sleepover with four great people and we
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| bridge over the falls and then down to
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| | won't forget this holiday for a long,
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| the little peninsula that sticks out into
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| | long time. We are already hoping for
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| the river. From there you can look into a
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| | another reunion, either in Austria, or
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| rocky gorge where both sides of the river
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| | back here in Canada, to deepen this
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| are surrounded by high rocks.Again, we
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| | fabulous connection.Susanne Pacher is
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| watched boats being lifted and lowered,
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| | the publisher of a website called Travel
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| this time in lock 33 of the Trent-Severn
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| | and Transitions( Travel and Transitions
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| Canal System. This is another town with a
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| | deals with unconventional travel and is
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| beautiful little park right by the locks
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| | chock full of advice, tips, real life
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| with lots of opportunity for barbeques or
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| | travel experiences, interviews with
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| simply for a relaxing snooze in the sun .
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| | travellers and travel experts, insights
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| Time was flying by and by this time it
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| | and reflections, cross-cultural issues,
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| was already 3:30 pm so we had to start
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| | contests and many other features. You
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| our return to the city. We only took back
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| | will also find stories about life and the
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| roads and my brother lost count of the
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| | transitions that we face as we go through
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| numerous golf courses that dotted the
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| | our own personal life-long
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| landscape. It was a nice relaxing drive
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| | journeys.Submit your own travel stories
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| through rolling countryside and we made
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| | in our first travel story contest( and
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| it back to Toronto in less than 2 hours.
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| | have a chance to win an amazing adventure
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| All four of my Austrian guests had fallen
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| | cruise on the Amazon River.
|
