Around the World

I was thrilled to be invited to their second wedding at the summer camp they both attended for many years on Georgian Bay. Their first wedding, about a year ago, was during the toughest part of the COVID epidemic and only their closest families could attend. This one was open to all their fully vaccinated family and friends. And was it ever fun! I was impressed by their vows at the ceremony outdoors by the lake. And I was also impressed by all their friends and the camp staff. Oh yes we all stayed at the camp overnight the day of the wedding. And I , along with a number of campers went for a swim!

Before the wedding I stayed with Chris’s parents, Doug and Linda, in Toronto and after the wedding with them, the wedding couple, his brothers Geoff and Cam, their partners and sister Carolyn at their cottage on Three Mile Lake in Muskoka which is near the camp.

So I was thrilled to be with them all…..it was fun, easy going, and the weather cooperated.

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I went to Toronto for my grandson Geoff’s wedding to Brittany. It was very special and held at a yacht club on Lake Ontario at the Exhibition Grounds. The ceremony was held on the lakefront on a very warm and lovely day and a great reception and dinner followed. My son Doug had arranged to pick my very good friend Susan up at the airport along with me and had booked a very comfortable apartment for us close to his home. So we were pleased and the weather cooperated. Actually Brit and Geoff are a very special and lovely couple and both families wish them every happiness. I will add wedding pictures when they are available. Nov 1,2019. Here is a lovely wedding picture Brit sent me today.

The weather was perfect the entire holiday. And recovering from an operation I was very happy to be in France in a very comfortable apartment. I studied French as usual and generally just enjoyed myself. Then Susan joined me for my last week and the fun began. We went to St.Paul de Vence for a lovely lunch and a visit to the Fondation Maeght. Then we took the train to Italy to visit the town of Bussana Vecchia which was destroyed in an earthquake more than a century ago and reclaimed by Hippies in the 1960’s. You will see it in the pictures which follow.

My daughter Melinda and son-in-law Wayne recently moved from Quesnel in the Cariboo region of British Columbia to Creston in the Kootenays. So as soon as they were reasonably settled I paid them a visit. This small town of about 5,000 people is in a valley surrounded by magnificent mountain ranges. It is only a few miles from Idaho on the border with the USA and has a temperate climate. Melinda and Wayne's very comfortable new home is a ten minute walk from the downtown.

Flying over the mountains into Cranbrook, BC

Arrival in Cranbrook on Bombardier propeller driven plane

Santa Claus parade on the Main Street of Creston

Melinda and Wayne at the parade

Melinda and me

We drove to the neighbouring town of Bonners Ferry in Idaho for lunch.....about 50 kilometres/ 30 miles....on Monday. The mountains and clear blue sky were spectacular as were the blue and black hamburgers with blue cheese.

And here is the elementary school across the street from Melinda and Wayne's. When the weather is clear you can also see the mountains and river.

I decided to add a few more highway shots from my visit and a summer picture of Melinda and Wayne's home.

I think I'll let the pictures tell the story for this post. But to summarize I went to Toronto for my Granddaughter Shannon's wedding to Ryan Talarico. What an event it was! The ceremony and feast took place at their house and was lovely. Then I went to Muskoka with my son Doug and daughter-in-law Linda. Apart from drinking and eating on my Ontario trips I get the opportunity to visit with grandchildren and great-grandkids too. And this year my cousin June had me over for a lovely lunch and gab-fest. Then I went on a cruise on the Rhine and Moselle rivers with my friend Susan. So it was a busy and wonderful trip.

So here is the beautiful bride with her husband, father and grandfather. Also a shot of her son and daughter Spencer and Riley. Then a picture of three of my grandkids, one great-grandson and their significant others.

Oh, Muskoka....what a great time!

And there was time to spend a little quality time in Toronto with Grandson Geoff and his fiancée Brittany who are getting married next September. Doug and I went to a fancy Japanese restaurant with my youngest granddaughter Caroline and her boyfriend.

The cruise on the Emerald Dawn was very interesting.....the ship is beautiful and with only 175 guests on board the atmosphere is very relaxing. All the meals and excursions were first rate. Hopefully my pictures do the scenery justice. We spent two days in Amsterdam and sailed on both the Moselle and Rhine to Frankfurt. Then we stayed overnight in Frankfurt and Heidelberg. Everywhere was interesting but I especially enjoyed Cochem with its storybook castle and Heidelberg.