Out from the storm

A lot of the TCT west of Thunderpants follows Pigeon River and the American border...and oddly enough I find myself without a kayak...so I worked my way through the small towns of Upsala, English River, Ignace, Dryden, Vermilion Bay and into the gorgeous city of Kenora - Ontario...all is forgiven and all memories of stormy Thunderwho(?) have vanished.

Kenora (previously named Rat Portage... good move with the name change there) is really pretty and even offered some river-side fine dining (one can't slum it everyday darling) - why didn't I do two nights here! Refund!? Can I get a two day refund?

No time to relax though; there were deadlines to be met. Nearly two months ago whilst talking to my wonderful Haligonian friends, we discussed public holidays and where and when I'd need a little planning to avoid being booked out of campsites and any fun to be had in the coming months...and so I was introduced to..."Canada Day". See exhaustive history via Wikipedia, but essentially I needed to be somewhere big on 1st July to find out just how the Canadians partied. Hence a speedy westward journey and a two-day WS stay booked way in advance with "Ron" in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Yes, you heard me right....Goodbye to the chunky monkey that is Ontario and Hello to my lovely 5th province Manitoba!

Just a short trip from Ontario's westerly border stands Winnipeg, its neighbour's capital and inspiring home to the eponymous Pooh (I was never going to get away with just one bear encounter on this trip). It's a beautiful city, boasting, amongst other draws, Canada's Human Rights Museum - which at first didn't appeal (I expected to be smothered in United Colours of Benetton children singing Deep Forest Sweet Lullaby) but the building alone is the most stunning piece of modern architecture I've ever seen. Seriously. It's worth going just for the building: more the interior's stone-cold hard angles and glowing alabaster, than the exterior's cloaked scarab beetle; and to say nothing of the simple but very moving content. Go.

...

Canada Day on Cordoyn's streets saw the whole community dancing on Friday night with Ron, his girlfriend Moira, and myself twirled into the madness.

I found myself playing bingo in Club200 on Saturday with a very feisty drag queen, some guy called Tom and his BFF "Wandering Hands Geoff" (not quite as 'First Nations' as he sounds).

Tequila and Firebird shots chased by 70mile next day cycling - blurghhhhWeiterlesen