Scenic – DemocraCycle.ca

Aug 27 2022 Toronto, Ontario. My Daughter Gets Married!

mswartz — Sat, 27 Aug 2022 22:33:34 +0000

MY DAUGHTER’S WEDDING, AUG 27

My beautiful daughter, Stacia, got married on Saturday, August 27 in Thornhill. She wed her wonderful fiance, Jacques, in a lovely ceremony. I served as the officiant: their legal marriage was looked after in Quebec (they live in Montreal).

Congratulations (felicitations!) to the super-loving bride and groom!

Aug 12 2022 Oshawa Ontario to Toronto, Ont. Home After Six Weeks!!!

mswartz — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 23:12:12 +0000

Next morning was a Friday, my final day of the trip. I fueled myself with a couple travel-sized boxes of sugar bomb cereal, Fruit Loops and HoneyComb with milk: breakfast of champions.

My route was fairly straightforward back to North York. First I rode from central Oshawa to Tauton Road, which is the eastern extension of Steeles Avenue. It was uphill all the way from the Airbnb for several kilometers. Good thing I’d crammed all that sugar into me. Tauton Road was very busy at first but once I’d left Oshawa it got much calmer. It was another beautiful day. I even had a bit of tailwind from time to time.

Then, at the point where Tauton Rd turned into Steeles (in Pickering), I had a bit of a scare. The road, which had been well maintained and two lanes both sides, suddenly narrowed into a single lane on both sides, there was a steep bit of downhill and uphill, cars and trucks were bottlenecked beside me on a small bridge, and there were massive cracks and holes in the pavement. Who the hell designed this quagmire? I got squeezed when the shoulder disappeared and I was half an arm’s length from impatient vehicles.

As I biked onward, savouring the breeze and the sun’s warmth washing over me, road signs reminded me of my journey’s nearing end. Welcome to Whitby. Welcome to Pickering. Welcome to Scarborough. where the Pacific Mall was a hive of activity. Then, as I ascended the hill running south on Bayview from Steeles toward Finch, Welcome to North York.

Until that point, I had felt like an adventurer. Far from home. Scouting new realms. Speaking French where needed. Passing by the occasional fellow long distance cyclists with mutual waves and smiles. Now, as I wended my way westward toward Bathurst and Finch, on the paved Hydro corridor, I was just one more citizen of the city out for pleasant ride, albeit with more baggage.

Arriving home after 61 km of riding that day, I was flooded with conflicting feelings. Relieved that I had made it back without injury or major mishap (except for contracting Covid along the way). Happy that I could sleep in the next day and not have to pack up and strain myself riding to another destination. Yet wistful that the grand adventure was over, seemingly all too soon.

I’ll reflect, in my next instalment, on my thoughts about what the trip meant to me, and whether I achieved the goals I’d set for myself. For now I can say that on the Sunday two days after I returned, I hosted a little birthday brunch for my son who’s visiting from Vancouver, and it was great to be back and grounded again!

Aug 10-11 2022 Norwood Ontario to Cavan and Oshawa Ont

mswartz — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 22:58:56 +0000

Cavan, Ontario Aug 10 2022

Next day, on the way to Cavan Monaghan, was a delight. This farming township, says Wikipedia, was known as Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan until 2007. It’s in Peterborough County in central-eastern Ontario, 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of the city of Peterborough.

About 10km west of Norwood I came upon a trestle bridge. Underneath flowed Indian River. Beside it was about a half acre of land, with a beach. An extended family was picnicing and swimming there. I pulled in, and asked if the land was public. It wasn’t, and wasn’t theirs. Soon the farmer who owned the land pulled up and gave us permission to stay. I had a great swim. That family sweetly offered me a sandwich and cold water. I wanted to go home with them.

On the way to my destination I met two women who were about to mountain bike the trails. You go, ladies!

That night I stayed in another farm bunkhouse, this one very small and basic, but atop gorgeous acres of farmland. It was situated up a series of hills, with the well-worn path running directly through the crops.

Google Maps sent me right past the property and up a big hill intially. Once I’d crested the ascent, I noticed I’d gone too far, except Google urged me onward. Instead I rode into a driveway where an older couple was doing some repairs. The wife, so nice, energetically jumped into her car, drove down the hill, and confirmed I’d gone too far. Then she asked for my Democracycle.ca website and made a big donation. How about that for country hospitality!

Oshawa, Ontario Aug 11 2022

Mixed emotions as my adventure wound down.

The ride from the farm bunke outside of Cavan to central Oshawa was about 62 km. Much of it was through rolling countryside. Most of the roads were paved and quieter. I won’t miss the dirt roads strewn with stones. On the way I passed a bunch of small towns like Tapley, Dranoen, Millbrook, Manvers, Glamorgan, Tyrone and the Enniskillen Conservation Area. Bethany and Pontypool too.

There was one enormous downhill in Ida, not far from Cavan, that had me holding on to my helmet. It went on for a full kilometer and I hit a top speed of 58.3 km/hr. Only thing marring the excitement was that my eyes started tearing from the wind. Although it made it kind of hard to see – adding to the sense of defyng gravity and reminding me of my motorcycling days – I clung to the handlebars to go straight as possible and feel the exhilaration. Immediately afterward my daughter called from Montreal. My heart was racing and she giggled as I related my tale of derring-do.

Seeing the sign for Durham made me accutely aware of how close to home I was getting.

By the time I hit Oshawa I was amazed by how much it had grown. Shopping plazas and big box stores everywhere. Tons of traffic on the main streets.

My Airbnb that night was a big two bedroom basement apartment complete with living room and kitchen, plus use of the deck outside. Total cost? $77. That is 25% less than I paid on average for a single room in an Airbnb in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. What with all the add-on fees Airbnb can have, there were few bargains to be found in peak summer travel season.

Aug 8-9 2022 Kaladar Ontario, to Madoc then Norwood Ont

mswartz — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 22:47:07 +0000

Madoc, Ontario Aug 6 2022

My ride the next day to Madoc was on the very thin shoulder of Highway 7 in cottage country. Didn’t see a fellow cyclist the entire ride.! (They were clearly smarter than me.) Had my rear light flashing on full, hence most traffic coming from behind gave me plenty of leeway. A few cars whizzed by me at less than arm’s length though. I did as I’ve done the whole nearly 2,000km of this trip: listen to a mixture of music and an Audible novel, tune out some of the rushing wind and motor vehicle sounds with my noise cancelling Bose earbuds, and hang on for dear life.

My host at the Airbnb in Madoc let me in via keycode a few hours before she came home. She has a really sweet, active dog, a Boxer mix. Five minutes after growling at me as I entered, that doggie was licking my face like I was ice cream. Aww. Must have been all the salt left over on my cheeks from sweating all day!

Later, the host and I sat and gabbed for a few hours. Nice to be meeting people from different backgrounds.

Tomorrow I’m set for a an overnight farm-stay in Norwood. Getting close to Peterborough, where I used to take my kids in our old pop-up camper. Fond memories!

Only four more days of riding to go!

Norwood, Ontario Aug 7 2022

The Madoc to Norwood jaunt was close to 60 km west and north. Nice day, not as much headwind. Most of the ride was on that thin shoulder of Highway 7.

Oddly there were few gas stations or food joints, despite considerable traffic. Stopped at a gas station, bought liquids galore, asked if they had sandwiches or muffins, was told no. Turns out the building had a chip truck out back, with burgers, fries, and other gloriously greasy digestibles. Stumbled on it by dumb luck. Anyway the final 10km or so was on mostly paved, quiet country road. Hilly in some parts. Passed a tractor or two. Oh so fragrant, that manure!

My Airbnb that eve was on a huge farm. It had wooly Alpacas, some boarded horses, a few piggies.

I stayed in a bunkhouse so far from the farmhouse that the owner kindly drove me and my bike there. What a spread. The bunkhouse was big for one person, with a bbq, gazebo, lots of yard (and a firepit), a compostable outhouse toilet, and trails out back.

The host picked me up with his truck again in the morning, and drove me to where his achingly long driveway met the street. Great stay.

Aug 6-7 2022 Carleton Place Ontario, to Perth then Kaladar Ont

mswartz — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 22:31:00 +0000

Perth, Ontario Aug 6 2022

I’ve been pretty fortunate overall with the folks who’ve been hosting me along the way. Have been using mostly Airbnb for the past few weeks (finding a motel or Airbnb within 5-10km of how far I’ve wanted ride each day has been hair-rippingly tough due to peak travel season, and has eaten big chunks of time before and during the trip).

My Perth host, Marcel, is a good example of how nice people have been.

This was when a heat wave hit. I told him I’d booked a cab for the next morning, to shave about 30km of riding off an 85km ride. Dehydration was a real concern: I’d be biking the TransCanada Trail, where it sometimes strays pretty far from populated areas. When I woke up, he informed me that he’d found a local family that was traveling in my direction that morning, they had a van, and would drop me off at Sharbot Lake. Perfect! Saved me money and preserved my health.

Kaladar, Ontario Aug 7 2022

My destination was in Kaladar. There I’d booked a kind of low scale “glamping” tent (glamorous camping), a few km in the woods. No wifi or electricity. I was bushed there in the bush. Loved the privacy. Practiced a bit of ‘clothing optional’ prancing about the remote campsite before the bugs got hungry.

To get to Kaladar, I’d taken the TransCanada Trail from Sharbot Lake. Ugh! Mostly loosely packed dirt and stones, rocks and tire-swallowing ruts.

About 45km of tense riding. Had to keep alert the entire time, else risk being tossed and torn. Due to the heat, I began running out of water (I carry about 3.5 litres at the start each morning). So I stopped at a farm around 2:30 pm. asked for a tap, and was kindly shown to one. Doused myself with the refreshing liquid and thanked the man profusely. Began daydreaming of the mini-rapids in Perth.It rained fairly heavily that night. Ever heard the noise hard rain makes on a taut tent? Even with earplugs it sounded like I was sleeping under Niagara Falls!

Aug 5 2022 Ottawa Ontario to Carleton Place Ont

mswartz — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 22:12:02 +0000

Would have like to stay longer in Ottawa and interview more people. However I had to book the rest of my stays, while in Ottawa, that’d get me back to Toronto. I decided to take a route that would put me flush into Central Ontario, with its small towns and farming communities, rather than go to Belleville and Kingston etc. Figured it’d be a better way to get a feel for what people out here were thinking re: democracy, anti-hate and anti-racism.

First stop was Carleton Place. It was a town about 53 km south west of Ottawa.

When I arrived I had some trouble finding the Airbnb home. So I stopped at a home where some people were in the driveway. They were very kind. They filled up my bottles with cold water. We chatted for a bit. Then the husband got on his bike and drove a few km with me to the right path.

My Airbnb that eve was the home of a lovely woman, a widow. I ate my dinner in her backyard gazebo which was overrun with foliage. That night we sat and talked. Very pleasant.

July 30 – Aug 4 2022 Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que, then Hawkesbury, Rockland, Ottawa Ontario

mswartz — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 21:37:46 +0000

Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, July 30 2022

My cycling from Montreal to Vaudreuil-Dorion took longer than planned. Google Maps pulled one of it’s worst tricks on me. I was in a small town on the way to motel I’d booked for the night. They had a great fish and chips place there, and bought a dinner to go, wrapped in a box I tied to the top of my bike bags.

Google kept telling me to turn right – right into the canal! So I rode another six km before Google said “Make a U Turn.” Like, NOW? After going 6km out of my way (past a lovely science facility set in a field, mind you). Well. I had to turn back. Rode through that town again. The restauranteur saw me and eyed me quizically. Then I found the bridge I had to take, to a basic motel for the night.

Into Ontario! Hawkesbury, July 31 2022

I’d heard of Hawkesbury before, but had never been. It was a typical small town in many ways. Only it’s very close to the Quebec border. And most of the population still speaks French there. I was able to find some Middle Eastern food not far from the inexpensive (though serviceable, and a block from downtown) Airbnb. Nearly walked into the wrong unit at first, and got screamed at. Poorly marked doors, was the excuse I made.

Rockland Ontario, Aug 1 2022

As a teen I recall seeing a friend wear a T-shirt saying Rockland on it. He said a relative from Ottawa had given it to him. I pulled into Rockland’s suburban realms after managing to avoid rain clouds. Stayed at a townhouse Airbnb. The host let me make breakfast the next morning with his ingredients, which was nice of him. Then again, he’d forgotten to leave the key for my arrival, made me wait outside, and so he kind of owed me, I guess.

Ottawa Was Really Nice: Aug 2 – 5 2022

Spent three days in the seat of our federal government .Lucked out in Ottawa with my Airbnb rental. It was right downtown (Centertown), a few moments’ walk to restaurants and groceries. Not too costly. There was even a bike store around the corner, which quickly tuned up my gears for free, as I bought my third back-light of the trip (yep, first two bounced off my bike over extended rough terrain, too few zip ties).

Last time I was in Ottawa was maybe 15 years ago. I was there as a speaker at a conference of career advisors. What’s different now? The downtown core seemed more like Toronto. Loud traffic all over. People don’t look at each other or nod when passing one another on the street. Granted my area was a little sketchy. Lots of colourful street people, and this morning one raging screamer-man howling profanity.

My rental unit had its own little outdoor courtyard, right next to a busy intersection but partly occluded by shrubbery. I ate most of my meals out there at the table. Also it’s where I sat with my laptop, scheduling the rest of my trip back to Toronto. Can’t believe I’ll be back in a week and a few days!

Plus I can’t believe how hard it was to find lodging that didn’t want to gouge you for $200 or more for the night. Peak season really has put the squeeze on available places. Hours of hunting convinced me to ride along the Highway 7 route in the province’s interior, versus going to Brockville, then Kingston, etc.

Something unexpected happened when I went down to Wellington Street, in front of the Parliamnent buildings, to interview people about their views on democracy. If you’ve seen any of the short interview clips I’ve posted here, the folks I’ve filmed have been quite willing to have me post their opinions to YouTube.

But yesterday evening, quite a few people refused to be videoed. Even some fellow cyclists, who I thought would be more sympathic, as well as a guy who claimed to do this sort of thing himself on social medai. Oddly, the did want to talk politics. Only not while being recorded. That was frustrating. Also my iphone 8 – now battered, bruised and dusty from the ride – for some reason cut out, without me realizing it, during two really good interviews. They are lost causes.

I refused to leave Ottawa without at least one probing DemocraCycle interview in the can. So I approached the owner of the Airbnb. At first she said she didn’t have much to say. Yet once we got going she actually had some powerful views; on how the #convoy of earlier this year had really upset many locals, how Covid misinformation has taken hold. Now I have to splice two segments together before posting it. Damn you, camera!

Tomorrow…on to lovely Perth, Ontario.

Canadian Anti-Hate Network

The Mosaic Institute

July 27-29 2022 In Montreal With My Daughter and Visiting Son

mswartz — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 20:22:03 +0000

Had a Wonderful Time In Montreal

After that crazy night in Repentigny with the car fires, how sweet it was to arrive in Montreal, home to my daughter and her fiance. Also there for a visit was my son, who lives in Vancouver.

Arrived at my daughter’s place early afternoon on July 27. After some hugs and a bit of lunch, my son wanted to go for a skateboard around the area. My daughter lives not too far from Olympic Park, which has many pathways through acres of land. It was a hot afternoon and my son and I ended up going to a free public swimming pool for a dip. Actually we were diving and flipping and it was great.

That evening, my future son-in-law (will be official on August 27!), who’s a great cook, made us three types of artisinal pizza. We ate in the backyard of their home in Hochelaga. They recently adopted a cute little grey cat, which kept us company.

That was July 27. On the 28 my son led us on an expedition to find his favourite Jewish restaurant in the city. 45 minutes to get there by subway and trekking through neigbourhoods, then a 45 minute wait to get in. Good thing there was a cafe across the street that sold banana choclate chip cake slices as an appetizer.

Also there was a funky clothing store perfect for my son. They sold really nice skater-branded stuff. He bought a t-shirt that’s certain to be a conversation starter: it has about 30 toilets depicted, each one reflecting a different mood. That evening my son left us for a bachelor party which he and a dozen friends had planned. It lasted three days. Much good natured debauchery, I’m sure.

My third day in Montreal my daughter and I went for a bike ride into the city. We stopped for lunch at a favourite place of hers. I love eating outdoors in summer. We had a great talk.

All in all there was lots of love and unrushed time together. A terrific stopover on my cycling ride back to Toronto from Halifax.

July 24-26 2022 Trois Rivieres, Berthierville and Repentigny

mswartz — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 20:05:01 +0000

In Repentigny tonite; tomorrow Montreal

On Sunday I arrived in Trois-Rivieres, so called because three substantial rivers flow through it. One of the bridges, instead of being paved, had criss-crossed metal as its base. Made it a bit dicey to traverse by bike because my front wheel kept wanting to follow the grooves, while cars passed fairly close to me.

The Airbnb I stayed at was much plainer than the one with a pool in Portneuf. It did, however, have two cute guinea pigs. And a cool walled-in courtyard backyard, complete with big comfy outdoor couches under a pergola, which came in handy when the rain started rushing down about 30 minutes after I arrived

I stayed out there for several hours, using my laptop. I was joined eventually by a young woman who was visiting from Paris. She’s an English teacher there, and is visiting her sisters in Quebec. We chatted about how Quebec culture and language differed from that in France. It was nice because she wanted a chance to practice her English, and she encouraged me to use my French. Then we politely corrected each other when needed.

Monday I made my way to Berthierville, a 73km bike ride westward, though I took a cab for the first 23km. My Covild is more or less cleared up. But for some reason I’m now waking up around 6:00 to 6:30 a.m., unable to fall back asleep. It’s leaving me kind of bushed during the day and I don’t want to push things too much.

Anyway at lunch – another casse-croute, roadside diner – there was a cyclist munching fresh berries, dressed like a Tour De France racer. I said hi and it turns out he spoke English and is from Edmonton. He was probably mid-50’s and had started his voyage in Kelowna, B.C.! Made my own little jaunt seem insignificant by comparison. He offered me some berries, I proferred the macaroni I’d bought. We chatted away at lunch.

Before parting he said how glad he was he’d had a huge tailwind propelling him along the entirety of Quebec. That day alone he was on pace to do 120km! I winced. We were going in opposite directions, so his strong tailwind was my face-battering, bike-slowing headwind. It’s been a problem since I began following the St. Lawrence River west from Riviere-Du-Loup. Some days, even if it’s sunny and the roads are fairly flat, I’m lucky to average 15km/hr. Plus I have to work to pedal. Good for my thigh muscles and building endurance. Bad for getting anywhere quickly.

July 23 2022 Levis, Quebec to Portneuf, Que

mswartz — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 19:46:21 +0000

On July 23 I partly cabbed then rode the rest of the way to Portneuf, about 79 km west. I stuck to the highway with one lane on either side, that has a pretty good space for biking to the side. Some cool scenery along the way.

The Airbnb I stayed at was a real delight. First, there was no rude host yelling “Tabernack” at me! (See earlier instalment). Instead a really sweet, interesting woman in a very nice home that had a swimming pool. Finally I got a chance to use the bathing suit I’d been schlepping since Halifax. Felt so great to take a cooling dip, eat a bran muffin (Tim’s, of course) in a hammock, then chat with the host about her views on reincarnation and other such topics, in a combination of Franglais for both of us.