Around Niagara on the Lake

After dropping our luggage at the Days Inn, we drove out to meet our friends Monty and Helen. They live in a beautiful restored farmhouse, full of antiques and family treasures. The gardens were a delight of perennial color, cleomes, sweet peas, trumpet vines, hibiscus and the strangely named four-o’clocks. Roger was most envious of the barn – full of boys toys such as a snow blower, John Deere sit on mower (which Roger later got to test-drive!), a real horse-pulled sledge, and some ATV’s (Quads). Canadians know how to have fun. They all seem to ski, play tennis, cycle, swim, fish, hunt, snowboard, play ice hockey, skate, ski, go snow-mobiling, ride ATV’s, go kayaking, hiking etc. The opportunities are there to enjoy for most families and made us quite envious!

We went along to a United Church service, which was followed by a “pulled pork lunch” – hot roast pork on bread rolls with masses of salads and desserts. This was the first time I had ever said “Grace” as part of the service, to avoid delays in getting to the real matter in hand – Food! Roger thought this was a great improvement on the usual wine and wafer!

Later we toured the local vineyards, meeting the vintners who Monty knew, viewing a wine-making plant, seeing the grapes hanging in huge bunches on the trained vines, and learning about the whole wine business. There were rose bushes at the end of each row of grapes, and these were like the canary in the coal mine. They warned of poor growing conditions or insect invasion on the vines. The best bit was of course wine tasting. We tasted the sweet ice wine for the first time – made from grapes picked from the vine after several nights below freezing, and crushed while still frozen. It was pretty expensive stuff at $75 for ½ a bottle. Even ordinary wine in Canada is over $12 a bottle due to taxes. Bicycle wine tours around the vineyards are popular here, which we thought was a fateful combination, as the cyclists sampled and got wobblier and slower! Apparently there was a back-up truck for the incapacitated, and to carry the necessary purchases of wine home.

Niagara-on-the-Lake was so pretty, with lovely old buildings which are now classy shops, hotels and B&B’s. The beds of flowers and hanging baskets were magnificent at every turn. We saw all the apple, pear and peach tree orchards, which were a major industry in the area. We walked along the pier at Lake Ontario and saw fishermen catching perch. As the sun set we rode on a restored carousel of glossy horses. It had been donated to the town with the proviso that rides remained at 5 cents so everyone could enjoy it – so we did. We rose and fell to the music of the barrel organ; it was so nostalgic and such fun.

Another day we visited the Botanical gardens and admired the floral clock. We walked along the Glen, which entailed descending 8 flights of open metal stairs down the cliff, then scrambling along stony paths alongside the Gorge beside the rushing Niagara River. We saw the jet boats full of riders all strapped in and riding the white water rapids. They got drenched as the waves hit the boat and splashed right over the top. Another first for us was going to an ice-hockey match, which Monty was playing in. It was very fast and exciting, with team members tagging each other to take a rest from playing.

It really was a beautiful and interesting area with a lovely autumn climate, and there seemed to be so much going on in each community. There is so much space here compared with England. I envy the lovely gardens that flourish here, and the antiques that abound everywhere.