| | Over the Easter Long Weekend, A convinced me to go on a mini-getaway to Kingston for a stab at writing. Kingston is a small city on the edge of Lake Ontario in the Thousand Island region. It is historically rich, a fort town with its own rightful sense of dignity and presence. I must say Kingston is quite the contrast to Quebec City. It is a city starkly loaded with the weight of reality as opposed to a romantic French fairytale town that glosses over its military upbringing with picturesque castles and quaint meandering promenades. When I walk down King Street, I can feel the oppressive weight of the history.
The buildings in all its limestone glory
We arrived around Friday at 5 pm, ate at the Cambodian Village aka hole-in-the-wall which was surprising good (so good we went there for a second night and considered taking out for supper on Sunday). The next 48 hours was divided between the Sleepless Goat, coffee and company, the Lake's end trading co and cafe, the pan chanco bakery cafe, and coffey's cafe, and so on and so forth Several jabs later, the writing project was set aside for general sight seeing. A was set on trying out the Wolfe Island ferry, which was free and gave a lakeview of the cityscape.
We serendipitously made our way off the boat and made the mistake of getting of a ferry that runs once every 1.5 hour What is there to do when you are stranded on a mysterious island? If good sense prevailed, you stay by the shore and wait for the next boat in. But good sense was not to be had that day, and we went exploring, and so for the next hour and a half we were stalked by a mexican toursit, discovered a haunted house, trampled through a graveyard, and chased by released hounds. On the plus side, we did manage to see some amazing looking windmills and churches. We didn't know but apparently Wolfe Island is known to be home to hundreds of snowy owls in the winter. Hoot!
One of the many fierce creatures on the Island
Back on mainland, there was some more general sightseeing, including a driveby glance at the lakefrong, the Kingston Penitentiary, and Queen's University. I've always wondered by anyone would consider the prison a site, but it needs to be seen to know why. The prison is similar to the Tower of London, an impressive castle-like edifice that boasts lavish doors and an expansive lake front property. Its the Caesar's palace of prisons. A and I debated who would end up in a residence like this. We figured you must be either really rich or really skilled, or maybe you have to had managed and strategically lead an international team of drug dealers to massively improved gross profit over past ten years to make your way to the King's Pen.
Lake front, baby!
We also visited Sir John A McDonald's residence, which is built as a Tuscan villa, a popular style at that time. It was full was mysterious stair cases, decorative alcoves and balconies, and antiquities of that era. We learned of the story of McDonald and his bed-ridden wife, whom McDonald read to whenever he can, because that's apparently all they could do in bed. Mrs. McD was quite stricken by illness that during her own brother's extensive stay, the excitement of her visitor caused her condition to deteriorate dramatically. Their baby also died of unknown caused at the age of one. It's a pretty sad life. A says the story is similar to George Washington. Perhaps this is a common affliction of most political leaders of that century, somehow the story always turns out to be about a devoted husband who stayed by their sick wife's deadbed. 
Me & The doorman of the house
On the way home, I decided to stop by Merrickville, which has been recommended to me by hoards of people, mostly the elderly. It is a quaint village with a high concentration of artists, potterists, and glass blowerists. It was a pleasant 30 minutes break at any rate, and I was enchanted by the glass works at the Kevin Robert Gray gallery where you can see the kilning process through a viewing glass in the back of the shop. I watched as Michael, Kevin's son, drew a mug handle out of molten candy-like glass, which looked absolutely yummy. The boy looked super delish too. :D Back to the glass, I found the tree of life series and the birth eggs series powerful. The glass sword was pretty wicked too. They were working despite its Easter Sunday, so I left some chocolate eggs for the hardworking atheists to hunt for. We took the scenic road beside the river all the way back to Ottawa, watching the remarkably clear blue sky with its cirrus clouds give way to rolling riparian farm land nestled in the river delta. As Prince of Wales road ended into an expansive budding crab apple forest, I was once again acutely aware of the astounding understated beauty of the Ottawa region.
All said and done, it was a fun weekend of adventuring. Although there were its disagreements as always when A and I travel together, overall we enjoyed each other's company and the spontaneity of not following the beaten track. Such is life with its little up and downs and arguments and getting over things.
Prize winning Kaffir Lilly a la Glenrill Place Ottawa
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| | Posted 4/19/2009 8:47 AM - 34 Views - 4 eProps - 4 comments
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