Incommunicado in Canada

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So you are probably wondering why I have not written my blog for a few days - well I have been with a best mate and to be honest it was like being at home and would you write a blog from home NO. However, I will now round up the events over the last few days.



So Sylvia picks us up from Toronto airport which seemed bizarre as we had only dropped her off a couple of days ago at Las Vegas airport and in the car we pop. I am quite a frequent flyer to Toronto and always arrive in daylight and to be honest feel quite at home - this time we arrive in the dark and I have no idea where I am going and have no landmarks so it is quite disconcerting. We arrive at Syl’s and nearly the whole family are there apart from Natalie (Syl’s daughter) who was working. We had tea and it was like the Walton’s (if you do not know this TV program it is one of my favorite programs and look at Wikipedia for details, ha ha) as there were 10 of us around the table. As I mentioned before normally I arrive during the day to Canada and Syl and Guy have to keep me up so I do not get too much jet lag so this was not a problem as it was already dark. I must admit that now I am adjusting to time differences by just going with the flow i.e. forget the time when I left, if they turn the lights out on the plane - just go to sleep do not watch movies, chill out!



So day 2 of our visit we go to Elora which is a pretty little town next to where we are staying (Fergus), I have been here before but to be honest near Syl and Guy where have I not been as I mentioned frequent flyer to see Syl and the family. So getting back to the story Mike has not so we took him around the Gorge which is a nice little walk and then down past the really nice independent shops i.e. no NEXT. M&S, Topshop here, ha ha



Syl takes us to a little art gallery where a friend of a friend of hers has some exhibits of sculptures. One of the sculptures was of a person looking up to the sky with the clothes hanging off. The sculpture was immediately started following the news of 9-11 - it was very poignant and for a while you kept on seeing it in your mind.



After another meal Walton style we went to see the new Bond film “Skyfall”. Now to be honest I am not a Bond film addict but Mike is and I thought okay everyone says it is one of the best so along I go. Well it was really good and I was so shocked at the ending - yes so shocked I wrote about it on facebook and nearly got half inched (lynched - for all you who cannot understand Cockney rhyming slang out there).



Day 3 we go off shopping to get groceries and notice a Gingerbread House kit and after a bit of discussion we decide we can make one a lot cheaper than that. So after a bit of googling we find a recipe on the BBC Good Food website that gives a recipe that says it is moderately easy. So that is it home made gingerbread house it is. So we send Lydia (one of Syl and Guy’s daughters) to get the ingredients we are missing for the house.



We also go to St Jacobs market which when I first went to Canada to see Syl was a Mennonite market. Mennonites appear to always live by themselves shunning the material world and its negative influence. They are completely self sufficient in their own world and that includes using no electricity. You notice them by there clothing and their mode of transport. If you would like to know more about them watch the film Witness it will give you more info on them and their way of life.



We decide that we will buy the decorations for the house as this gingerbread house is not going to be an ordinary gingerbread house Oh No this is going to be one hell of a gingerbread house.



So we make up the gingerbread and then notice we cannot print off the template for the house so we decide we will make up our own measurements - big mistake where Syl and I are concerned as we have always gone over the top. So we get our architect hats on and start working out the dimensions - so we now have templates for our house.



When we make up the ingredients into the gingerbread mixture and start cutting our templates out it should have hit us then that this is not a gingerbread house but a gingerbread mansion - as we did not have enough ingredients for the roof and as the roof takes over a 1/4 of the mixture and we may have a problem later on in the building process - but light switch does not come on at this stage. So more mixture is made up for the roof panels and what we have left over we make gingerbread cookies with.



Karissa who is Syl’s grand daughter and I start icing the cookies and we have a whale of a time - mind you Karissa is only 6 so that is ok but when I am enjoying myself as much I think I need to go home.



Day 4 So off we go to an ice hockey game between Guelph Storm and Owen Sound Attack. Guelph Storm are the home team and win by 4 to 1. At one stage there were 4 of Owen Sound Attack in the sin bin so you can imagine the amount of fights on the ice. Mike really loves ice hockey so it was great that he could see one in Canada.



Day 5 the whole family are up early and off to cut down a Christmas tree we go. We eventually find the place and all park up. It is great as they make it a real adventure as you all jump on a hay ride to get to the trees and you are given a hack saw to cut your own tree down. I must admit doing this with Syl, Guy and the tribe really made me feel homesick but it was brilliant and I am sure this is going to be an annual event.



So we now have to make up our gingerbread house/mansion and realise that OMG we have to now cement it together with icing. So I make up the icing and we start to put it together - this time we read the instructions carefully and it says you need to put the sides, back and front together then leave to set overnight. So we start putting it together and what does it do as it is not a house but a mansion start falling apart - so both Syl and I put our heads together and decide that we need scaffolding to keep it together for enough time for the icing to set. Well when we went to bed it was still standing (with a bit of scaffolding help I might add!).



Day 6 so up early and yes the mansion is still standing. Syl has to go early to take a friend of hers somewhere and also to pick her friend up some stuff from IKEA. Yes, IKEA is everywhere. So it is left to Guy and me to put the roof on our mansion. Well this is where I leave the brains of the operation to Guy using the old card of you are a man and you work with wood so can you work out how we are going to achieve it (do you like the we!!!!). Anyway Guy worked it out and you would never believe it but we did not even need scaffolding for the roof it stayed on. Now I know you all want to know the secret but Guy and I said we would never reveal the secret - but I am sure if you want to cross our palm with gold and silver we might reveal our secret. So Guy takes us to the airport after Mike has made his last mine sweep. Mike makes a mine sweep just before we have left every place (I think he still reverts to his Risk Director status, ha ha + he also knows how dis-organised I am). So we are now at Toronto Airport waiting for our flight to Heathrow.

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Photos

Karrissa and Lydia
Face Painting at its best

Mathieu and tribe
Going for the christmas tree on the hay ride - brill or what

Mike and I
Going for the Xmas tree on the hay ride (the good looking girls are Nat and Lydia)

Our Gingerbread Mansion
Please note could not be achieved without Guy - even though me and Syl think we could do it on our own, ha ha. All orders will be accepted now, ha ha

Our gingerbread men
Orders can be placed for next Christmas, ha ha

Comments

[Jason]

Final sweep
P and M although I have missed you both loads your blogs have made me feel a little in the moment and happy to know you are both safe and sound! You've done it kids, a round the world trip with little hassle hurrah! When we are away Steve always does a final sweep which made me giggle as it would seem mike playa that role too! Enjoy the flight back and see you week Friday x x

[PJandMike]

Heathrow now
OMG we are back in good old Blighty

[syl]

gonna miss you guys. It was an awesome visit and thanks for my little usb lesbian. hahahaha

[PJandMike]

Photos - hope they are ok
Miss you all too