pilgrimage 2022

I took a poll early this morning and 1 out of 1 cats said they don’t support Daylight Saving Time.

In October, I took my first trip out of the Canadian Maritimes in three years.  It was time.  Like in 2019, I attended a meditation retreat in upstate New York and visited family in Ontario en route.  Call-outs:

• Stayed at the same hotel in Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec as previous two trips.  I like the rooms and the hotel restaurant (with a view of sunset over the St. Lawrence River) always has a delicious (and unusual) veggie dish on the menu.  To remember for next year: take a swimsuit for the pool.
• THOROUGHLY embraced all my hotel stays.  I didn’t plan it this way, but all four nights were Football in America (NFL) nights.  After a meal and a shower, I spread out on the massive comfy bed to watch the game on a big screen.
• SavoUred lunch again at Rose Café in Drummondville, QC.  It is a popular all veggie café with excellent food, espresso, and treats that is right off the Trans-Canada Highway and part of a garden center.  Since I was last there, the order-counter and kitchen has been greatly expanded and improved. 
• Visited family in Ottawa and Mississauga, including celebrating with my Aunt M on her 90^th birthday!  When I said goodbye to folks three years ago, of course I just assumed I’d be back the following year. It was oh so good to see everyone again.
• Returned for another four-day meditation retreat at the beautiful Zen center in upstate NY.  I had met many of the other participants three years ago and have been practicing with this Sangha online since March 2020. 
• Carpooled from Mississauga to the retreat (and return) with a friend.  We crossed the US border at Niagara Falls and I was surprised by how excited I was to go back into the US.  Returning to Canada was easier than expected—the ArriveCAN phone app (for uploading COVID-19 docs) was no longer a requirement as of October 1^st. 
• Turned 58-years old during the trip.
• Enjoyed many moments that gave me pause, including seeing a flock of Snow Geese in QC migrating south for winter. 
• Noted some touchless changes that must be due to progress rather than the pandemic. Last time, I paid cash to take Hwy 30, a toll road south of Montreal.  Now it is all touchless (transponder or pay by card).  I also paid cash for a toll road in NY last time and since then they’ve removed the toll booth (transponder or pay by mail only now). 
• Ooh and aah’ed at the brilliant fall foliage, particularly beautiful from NY through ON. 
• Appreciated my 17-year old Toyota Echo Hatchback.  I had the garage give it a checkup in August before MAC arrived for her visit and it got an oil change and tire rotation just before leaving on this road trip.  Yes, filling the tank was much more expensive than usual but the subcompact is still a relative gas-sipper.  
• Looked forward to the trip, but felt much more rejuvenated with the entire experience (except for some of the driving near Toronto) than I anticipated. Now to hang on to some of that feeling as I get mentally prepared for a Nova Scotia winter.

Note: I didn’t have my trip photographer (MAC) with me so don’t have any photos of the fall foliage! She took the beautiful pic of the sunflower (at the top of the post) while visiting Nova Scotia in September.

References and related links:

• MAC: mon amie Caroline.
• Sangha: a Buddhist community.
• vacation bundle (post #126)
• just a four-province drive (post #104)