Location: Blind River (Camping on the bank of Lake Huron), Ontario, Canada Time of writing: 21:00
Ok so the white water rafting on the upper Ottawa river didn't quite go as planned - the only available time they could offer us was tomorrow (Sat). Rather than wait around for a day we decided that we would hit the road and maybe try rafting instead in Thundar Bay when we reach there.
Thus today became a driving day! Approx 600kms from Pembroke Ontario to Blind River here on the banks of Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes. Only 6 hours driving as we p**sed around most of the morning waiting on the rafting news...... Personally I love driving but Marco the German lothes it so I was behind the wheel for most of the day. Driving in Canada is pleasent to say the least, great road network and everything is well sign posted, however the real pleasure is in the abundance of sceneary to be enjoyed. Today was the first day I noticed the change in seasons as the now multy coloured trees are turning an already admirable countryside into a patchwork picture postcard.
Considering today's drive was but an ink drop on a very large map I am finally begining to develope an appriciation for the sheer vastness of this country! It's laughable to think that we have already travelled 5000kms on this trip (all be it - Montreal to Nova Scotia and back so some doubling up of kms) but the trip from where I am right now to Vancouver is still longer than driving from Perth to Sydney in Oz!
As not much happened today I am going to document visiting Quebec City last Monday instead, and more precisely the Titantic exhibition I went to see.
Having visited the graveyard of the Titanic victims while in Halifax last week I was very interested in the exhibition displaying the various artifacts that have been retrieved from the Titanic wreck. Fixtures, fittings, furniture, jewlery, coins, clothes, etc etc.... Pretty interesting stuff ESP the recovered peice of hull which is the only thing in the display that is available for the public to touch!
Anyway rather than preech a history lesson on my new found knowladge of the Titanic let me get to the crux of what struck me as the most poiniant info I took away from the exhibition. Most people who died due to it's sinking had never actually booked ticktes for or had even wanted to travel on the Titanic but as fate would have it ended up being transfered onto the it by White Star Line (the Cruise Line) due to a coal strike which caused most other transatlantic sailings at the time to be cancelled! The fragility of life indeed!
Also worth a mention is that I went swimming in Montreals Olympic pool (home of the 1976 Olympics) on Wed last. It was strictly lane swimming and I was taken aback by the human fish in the lane beside me who was completing 4 lenghts in the same time it took me to finish one! To add insult to injury it turned out to be a woman! Something my chauvanistic mind found it hard to cope with! When the mermaid finally took a break I couldn't help but inquire what the deal was........ Turns out she is a swimmer on the Canadian national team heading to the Commonwealth Games next week. Her name is Victoria Poome and she swims in the sprints...... Considering all the controversy about the infrastructer for the it will be interesting to see if Canada even travel to the games. If they do it will be interesting to see how she does!
On the iPod today: Got through the entire Rolling Stones collection I have and also some Wizo - a crazy Garman band Marco listens to!
Today's weather: Very nice while driving however as I write this there is a thunder storm brewing....
