Year: 2011

Day 10: Ottawa and environs

Stats:

Odometer start: 14009

Meals:

  • Breakfast: Free at the hotel. Muffin and coffee.
  • Lunch: La Patate Dorée, Gatineau. Hamburger, poutine, orange drink. $17.48 for two.
  • Dinner: Uncle Louis Restaurant. Baked spaghetti, water. $11.25

Sleep: WelcomINNS, Ottawa.

Notes:

Ventured out about 10AM after an uninspiring hotel breakfast. Picked up Robin at 10:45. We’d never met in person but knew each other because he’d been one of the first people ever to interview me about this website back in 1996. It was good to meet in person after fifteen years. We drove around Ottawa and Gatineau, stopping for a long walk downtown in the vicinity of the Byward Market, the Mint, and the National Gallery of Canada. Had lunch at a poutine place in Gatineau. I’ve done poutine now and I’m glad, although I have no significant need to do it again anytime soon. The curds were sort of off-putting, especially when it all got cold.

We also walked around the Canadian War Museum, primarily its roof–which is planted to resemble a battlefield and offers great views–and on Victoria Island, which is a pretty wonderful photo opportunity too. Later in the afternoon, we stumbled into the possibility of a tour of Rideau Hall, residence of the governor general, which was really quite interesting. I dropped Robin off, headed back to the hotel, and took another drive downtown and out Carling Avenue in the evening before landing at Uncle Louis Restaurant right by my hotel for a late dinner.

Photos (flickr link):

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Day 9: Toronto to Ottawa

Stats:

Odometer start: 13682

Gas:

Meals:

Sleep: WelcomINNS, Ottawa.

Notes:

Checked out of hotel about 9:15. Drove out via Queen Street East and Kingston Road. Stopped for breakfast in Leslieville. Took Kingston Road as far as Pickering, looking at the closest thing Toronto has to an American 1950s roadside strip. Got on the 401 for the rest of the trip but made detours through Oshawa, Belleville, and Kingston. On recommendation of my friend in Ottawa, I had lunch at the 10 Acre Truck Stop in Belleville, but there was a limited menu due to kitchen construction. Still good but horribly pricey.

Southern Ontario in general is pretty monotonous but Kingston was really nice–if a bit cold and damp. I walked around a bit downtown and hit a couple of bookstores. There was wind and rain most of the way to Ottawa. And really good radio. The wind was especially intense after I moved from the 401 to the 416. the radio got better too; I hit this 1980s alt-rock show that actually included stuff I didn’t recognize. On a  commercial station, yet. Once inside Ottawa, I found this station too, and was hooked.

My room in Ottawa is really nice: 7th floor with a couch and a desk and a really good shower. Its odd that they have Detroit stations rather than Buffalo on cable TV here. Ventured out for a quick drive and takeout dinner from a Lebanese place on St. Laurent Blvd. Called Robin, my Ottawa friend, and also called Mom and Dad

Photos (flickr link):

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Day 8: Toronto

Stats:

Odometer start: 13643

Meals:

  • Breakfast: McDonald’s at Spadina and Queen. Sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit combo with hash browns and Diet Coke. About $5.00.
  • Lunch: Wendy’s. Number 1 Single Cheeseburger combo with fries and Fresca. $7.22.
  • Dinner: PizzaIolo. Pepperoni slices. About $8.00.

Sleep: Grange Hotel, Toronto.

Notes:

My day for eating crappy food because it’s quick and cheap and easy, and for generally being geeky. Quick breakfast at the McDonald’s near my hotel–which is pretty much the only breakfast in the immediate vicinity. Drove downtown to the CBC Broadcast Centre and museum and picked up some stuff in the gift shop. The drove north on Spadina, west on Dupont, north on Weston to Jane, and east on Shepperd. Shot several stores for Groceteria.

Visited the library in North York for several hours to do Groceteria research. Quick lunch across the street at Wendy’s. Back at the library, had to use microfilm, which was really frustrating and gave me inconsistent results. I was only able to research 1950-1980 and even that was a bit spotty. The parking was unexpectedly expensive and it never really rained today as predicted. I kind of wish I’d done walking and transit and skipped the library.

Drove home via Yonge and College. Did some laundry and walked to a pizza place on Queen Street for takeout slices that I ate with my Loblaw’s diet grapefruit soda back at the hotel. Packed a bit. Off to Ottawa tomorrow.

Photos (flickr link):

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Day 7: Toronto

Stats:

Odometer start: 13628

TTC Day Pass ($10.00).

Gas:

  • Esso, Lakeshore. ($1.244/litre, 39.2 litres)

Meals:

  • Breakfast: Gladstone Cafe. Ham, egg, and cheese bagel and maple donut. About $6.00.
  • Lunch: Ethiopiques. Vegetarian platter, water. $9.04.
  • Dinner: Studio Restaurant. Banquet burger, fries, salad, Sprite. $13.40.

Sleep: Grange Hotel, Toronto.

Notes:

Rain threatened but never really arrived. Drove to breakfast at the Gladstone Café and then did a little Lakeshore drive and came back to the hotel via Bathurst. Decided to risk the dampness and left the car at the hotel, opting for foot and transit the rest of the day. Walked downtown, took the King Street streetcar to Broadview and the Dundas back to Church. Had lunch at a  great Ethiopian place at Church and Dundas. Walked back downtown, bought a memory card at Henry’s and took the King Street streetcar all the way to Jameson. Came back to hotel on the Queen Street car and shot video all the way.

Later on, took the Dundas streetcar to Yonge and then the subway to Wellesley. Had dinner at the Studio Restaurant on Church (which I’d seen on Tuesday). It was a strangely surreal 1960s sort of place. The patrons were me, what I presumed to be a very old gay male couple, and two sweet little old ladies in hats, one of whom was apparently a man dressed as a sweet little old lady in a hat. I loved the place.

Wandered down into the homohood and even briefly into a bar, which reminded me why I no longer go to queer bars. The rain started again on my way home.

Photos (flickr link):

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