Arranged for a wakeup call at 7:30 so really only got about 5 hours
sleep. Had my bagel and got showered and called Lorraine to arrange for
a drive to Kingston for Tracey and I since Mary Sue wasn't at this point
planning to go to Kingston. Arranged a time to meet and went
down to wait for Shirli. Tracey got in on time but Shirli was delayed because
Canada 3000 lost Philip's bag AGAIN! Tracey and i went back to the hotel
because we didn't' have to check out until noon and Tracey arrived pretty
early. I didn't think it was possible but it's even hotter today. Nearly
unbearable. Tracey and i were planning to meet Shirli and Phil for that
boat cruise at 11 but they didn't show because Shirli was still battling
with Canada 3000 who, as it turns out, sent his bag back to Toronto! He
did get it later Friday finally. We didn't go on the boat thing ourselves
because it was delayed leaving while waiting for a tour bus of students.
We could keep our tickets and use them when we got back to Ottawa Sunday
night.
We dragged ourselves back up from the river and over to Sparks Street
mall taking advantage of the various air conditioned tourist shops and
had lunch in a bakery/cafe. We met up with Ken and Lorraine at the appointed
time but they decided to have a cold beer at the hotel bar first. Sounds
good! We had a quick one and then i checked out of the hotel and we were
on the road. It's about a 2 hour drive to Kingston, Ontario, Canada's first
capitol city on Lake Ontario.
There is an old fort, Fort Henry there that looks to be very interesting.
I must have a look there if i get to come back again. The hotel we booked
was the Queen's Inn on Brock street. The hotel is in a heritage building,
dating to 1839 and has 17 rooms, some doubles, some singles. There is a
sports bar in the building and a restaurant / bar as well. There is no
elevator however so isn't wheelchair accessible. The room we had was on
the corner of the first floor (the one above the ground floor, "second
floor" in North Americanese!) and had two double beds and blessed air conditioning.
All rooms have en suite facilities. The rooms on the second floor
(third) have sloped ceilings and the windows are smaller, and go from the
floor to about knee high under the eaves.
This "sail ping" weekend has reached it's fourth anniversary and
has grown each year. A few people got together to go sailing and had a
ping at the pub owned by the organizer's (Sue) brother Mark. Sue owns a
boat and a few of her friends hospitably offered a few people seats for
a sail amid the tall ships in Kingston Harbour. Each year, more and more
people have traveled to Kingston for this event and this year there were
nearly 60 people signed up to go, although the final number was about 45.
This year, instead of individual sailboats, a "tall ship", the St. Lawrence
II was booked for 30 people. A sailboat also took out two families that
brought their kids as well. Friday night, the early arrivals were to meet
at the Irish pub, Tir N'an Og which is just beside Kingston's city hall
near the waterfront in the (Prince ?) George Hotel. There were probably
25 of us by the end of the evening. Food again was great and company even
better. An Irish band played later on though the general consensus was
that they weren't very good overall. Still we had a laugh and lots of fun
singing ourselves hoarse.
June 16 - Kingston
Slept ok. Nice to have the air conditioning! I got up first and showered
and went downstairs to the restaurant which wasn't open but they did have
coffee on and they made me tea and toast. A few others all came down as
well, followed by Tracey. Ken and Lorraine went for a proper breakfast
with Phil and Shirli around the corner and the rest of us chatted until
it was time to go to the harbour where the ship and pub were. The pub is
the Portsmouth, or "Port" and there were a few of our group already there.
We got drinks and more people arrived including some just newly arrived
for the weekend or just the day. We did order food but it took forever
to come even though they were warned there would be a large group coming.
Seems most of their staff was scheduled for a golf tournament or something
so it was just the owner and his son pitching in to help.
We walked around the little cove to the Tall Ship, St. Lawrence II,
a brigantine which is also a teaching vessel. We had a group photo in front
of her and a quick safety talk from Captain Bob (who won the hearts of
more than a few of the female passengers! LOL!) There was no gangplank
or ramp, just a row if tires on a pole to step on between the dock and
boat but the crew were there to help. We scattered and found places to
perch or stand and away we went!
The weather is overcast and a bit foggy. It would have been nice
if it had been bright and sunny but then it would have been quite warm
so perhaps this is better. As long as it doesn't rain! We were out
nearly three hours and came back once the clouds started to look threatening.
Another private sailboat, the Owera, brought out two families with kids
and we saw them a couple of times and our hostess Sue was hijacked and
taken out in a motorboat for a break. We sailed up and down the Kingston
waterfront with a good view of Fort Henry on Wolfe Island. That looks to
be an interesting place to go explore some time. We were served tea and
cookies as a snack later in the voyage too. Somehow strong tea out of plastic
cups and cookies tasted wonderful out on the water!
We had been told that we would be able to climb the mast if we wanted
but the only one brave enough to give it a go was Tracey. She got strapped
up and up she went, accompanied by a crew member. She was hooked onto the
rigging at all times, shifting it as she went higher. Everyone watched
in amazement at her bravery and asked me if this was out of the ordinary
for her to do something so adventurous. I just laughed and said, no, not
Tracey! She loves to do things
like that and she later said it was a bit scary going up but a real charge
once up on the cross-spar. What a view! She took photos up there too down
at the boat at us looking up at her and waving! Well done!
We came back the last 45 minutes under engine power as the wind had
died down some and as i said, the clouds were threatening and the captain
wanted to get back before a storm. Back to the Queen's Inn to get cleaned
up and changed. We thought we would probably walk to the yacht club as
it wasn't too far but when it came time to leave the sun was coming out
and we decided to book a couple of taxis and ride.
Sue had got the upstairs function room for free and her brother Mark
and his wife did all the food. We ended up chipping in a bit more as there
were fewer people, about 45, than the 60 that were expected. What a spread!
Lasagna, hot pot (sort of a beef/lamb stew), cold meats, salads, cheese,
fruit and a trifle. There was a large watermelon sliced and carved into
a little brigantine for the occasion and the fruit in that was stewed in
vodka but there was a large plate of "non toxic" fruit as well. It was
a non-smoking venue with a balcony for those who wanted to indulge. A few
more people arrived, our lovely Jacqueline and her husband Rick, Mary Sue
who had driven down this afternoon, feeling much better, Christine and
then there was Betty who flew all the way from Edmonton just for the party!
She flew back the next day!
The evening was great. We had background music but mostly we visited
and talked and laughed a lot. We had a Bingo like game with Corrie related
things in the squares and a quiz which Phil wrote at the last minute, having
left his original quiz at home in Liverpool Connie won the quiz but i did
get a Boddington's scarf and dear Jacqueline gave me a box of her famous
home made chocolates! Phil presented Sue with a large posterboard and a
thank you message with a hubcap attached. Hubcaps and the somewhat illegal
disappearance thereof are his claim to fame on the chat line ;) We all
signed the back of it for her with all our thanks for all her hard work
and one or two others gave her little presents. I had painted a ceramic
tile in a corrie theme for her.
I came back to the hotel with Betty and Christine, oh must have been
after midnight i guess. They hadn't checked in and weren't entirely sure
of how to get there so i directed. Once they were sorted with the desk
we decided to have a nightcap on the patio bar and were shortly joined
by most of the others who were staying at the hotel so the party must have
been breaking up by then. I went to bed about 1: 30 and Tracey continued
to party on a bit later with Alex and Gerry and one or two others.
June 17 - Kingston, to Ottawa
There is a group breakfast and Corrie-watching this morning and we got
up in time and met up in the Sports bar in the Inn which was opened specially
for our group. They laid on a hot buffet breakfast and we settled in at
the tables, everyone sitting on one side only, to watch Coronation Street
on the projection tv. It was fun as always to watch with a group of fans
all shouting out comments. Another deja vu moment when the character Mike
Baldwin was referred to as the Voice of Reason. That happened back in Manchester
at the group corrie watch as well, with the character Martin, neither of
whom deserve that particular moniker, the one i am known for!
One last arrival, Lori Anne and her brand new husband showed up just
near the end of the show. They got married the day before!! That's dedication
to the cause , i say! Jacqueline and Rick never made it either, seems they
got locked in the bedroom of their camper van when the dog dislodged the
sliding door!!!! That could only happen to Rjaq! Rick had to break down
the door!
We checked out of the hotel and stashed our luggage in Ken and Lorraine's
car and then had to say good bye to everyone. I was ok until i got to Phil!
After that i just cried on everyone's shoulder! We weren't leaving for
a couple of hours so Tracey and i wanted to walk around and see a little
of Kingston so we set off.
In front of the city hall not far away there was an antiques market
set up so we spent an hour or so poking through that. We checked out the
tourist bureau for postcards and fridge magnets and then walked along the
waterfront a ways, stopping for home made ice cream. Kingston is very pretty
and an old city and has lots of old stone houses and buildings. On the
waterfront too, is an old coast guard ship, the .. Alexander McKenzie?
And it rents out rooms as a Bed and breakfast! One of our group stayed
there and several have before.
We met back at the Inn and Ken and Lorraine drove us back to Ottawa.
The drive went quickly and we got checked in to the Capitol Inn Hotel on
O'Connor street in downtown Ottawa quickly. We sat around for a bit just
chilling out and eating Jacqueline's chocolates. We are going to use our
boat cruise tickets tonight for the 7:30 trip and will get a bite to eat
first.
We walked into the Byward Market where there was a good choice of
restaurants and we decided on a wine bar on the lower level of a seafood
restaurant. It's called Vineyard and we had a really good steak. They have
an extensive wine and beer menu. I tried a German lager, Grolsh which i
enjoyed. The boat tour was an Ottawa river cruise. The dock is down on
the river beneath Parliament Hill. It was nice and cool on the river and
quite scenic. We sailed up past Parliament then back down to the Rideau
Falls coming quite close to them and then across and along the Quebec side
near Gatineau. It was a nice cap on the weekend. We didn't stay out late
tonight, being tired from the weekend.
June 18.
I got an airport shuttle which got me there barely in time because the
traffic was bad. Tracey doesn't fly out until 6 p.m. so she's going to
do some sightseeing in Ottawa today as she's never been there before.
They had me seated in the bulkhead where the armrests don't raise up and
i wouldn't' fit there. Luckily someone else boarding offered to change
seats, bless her. Bonus, her seat was in an exit row so there was extra
room there too!
What a great week! I hope i'll be able to go back for another Kingston
Sail soon!
Ontario.
There is an old fort, Fort Henry there that looks to be very interesting.
I must have a look there if i get to come back again. The hotel we booked
was the Queen's Inn on Brock street. The hotel is in a heritage building,
dating to 1839 and has 17 rooms, some doubles, some singles. There is a
sports bar in the building and a restaurant / bar as well. There is no
elevator however so isn't wheelchair accessible. The room we had was on
the corner of the first floor (the one above the ground floor, "second
floor" in North Americanese!) and had two double beds and blessed air conditioning.
All rooms have en suite facilities. The rooms on the second floor
(third) have sloped ceilings and the windows are smaller, and go from the
floor to about knee high under the eaves.
things
like that and she later said it was a bit scary going up but a real charge
once up on the cross-spar. What a view! She took photos up there too down
at the boat at us looking up at her and waving! Well done!
