Day 73: Grimsby, ON -> Toronto, ON

Date: Thursday, July 27, 2023
Start: Grimsby, ON (Staying with a friend)
End: Toronto, ON (Warm Showers host)
Distance: 87km

We woke up in Grimsby and got a breakfast of oatmeal and all the fixins going.  Jon fixed a fine cup of coffee using an aero press, as he'd done the previous day and for which I was very grateful!

After breakfast we packed and got ready to leave.  It was time for another goodbye.

I can't remember the first time I met Jon, but I think it was when I joined him and a few friends for a model parliament and we managed to almost bring down the (model) government.  That first meeting was in a room at the Carleton University campus and I remember Jon sitting across from me and staring with some intensity as I made my introductions and answered questions from the group.  I couldn't figure out if I was offending him or holding his interest (I remember being intimidated!).  At some point he interjected and said something that was likely either profoundly insightful or utterly hilarious (probably both).  I learned that this was Jon's modus operandi and have looked forward - every meeting - to the moment when Jon would pounce with a story, bon mot, or jibe that would have me laughing and/or nodding my head.  There are too many stories to relate from various drinking sessions, dinner parties, or hijinx.  Over the years we've managed to stay in touch and I am happy to still be able to call him a friend.  We never see one another enough, but each meeting is memorable.  He's also beyond generous.  At the end of the day, Jon is another of those people I trust to make the world a better place.

I've met his wife - and whole human being in her own right - Heather on multiple occasions but never for long enough to get to know her very well, so this visit was certainly special.  She had many questions for me, but seemed to be holding back so as not to overwhelm me.  I was only too happy to answer them, and they showed that she'd been reading the blog closely because all of the questions showed a lot of insight and understanding of what I'd written and were very specific to moments and portions of the trip.  All of this is to say that Heather is sharp and insightful and able to intuit things that I myself hadn't even realized about portions of the trip.  Over the course of the visit I was able to get to know Heather better and discovered a curious, funny, clever, keen, and generous person.  We shared a lot of laughs and I'm happy to now say I can count her among my friends.

Jon and Heather are both giving and big-hearted people.  They are wonderful individuals and the kind of couple that make me take long looks in the mirror and wonder if I've missing something in life.  I usually shy away from mentioning the children of friends in this blog, but Jon and Heather are also parents to six wonderful children.  And these kids are all incredible.  All under the age of nine, they were calm, patient, happy, and perspicacious.  I have no doubt this is due to their parents and I still marvel at how Heather and Jon have raised such a wonderful flock.

I've struggled with how to summarize and properly explain these two.  It's a challenge when they're as wonderful as these two, and I'm not sure I'm up to the task.  They hosted me, but also treated me like family and there's a lot of love in that house...I felt so privileged to be able to share in it.  I was sorry to leave, but happy to have had the time.

Thank you to Jon and Heather and the entire family for hosting me on my way through.  I hope I get back sometime soon.  My love to both of you!

Skipper and I set off.  This was the start of another leg of my journey...and what I'll now start calling "our" journey.  Off on another sojourn with my adventuring buddy!  I was also happy for the company at this moment because the partings with people as dear as Jon and Heather are usually difficult when I'm cycling alone.  If only for the first few hours, I was happy not to be alone.

We rode along the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail back along the way I'd come to Grimsby.

The day was going to be hot, and we couldn't see across Lake Ontario but we could see enough and the trail along the water was wonderful.  Skipper is eager to learn more about Canada and our first stop was a memorial to the soldiers of the Dieppe raid.  He was familiar with it, and we took a moment to appreciate the monument and the sacrifice of those who'd served.

Water gently lapping at the shore, we made the turn at Hamilton to head North and when we reached Burlington we stopped for lunch at an Italian cafe for soup and sandwiches.  We took some time to discuss the trip ahead, the trips we'd both done to reach this point, and to catch up on the years since we'd last seen one another.

We left in a bit of a rush as our Warm Showers host was going to be away in the evening and we needed to reach their house to get in and setup before that happened.  The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail was under construction going East from Burlington so we were pushed onto bigger roads inland.  Through Mississauga and Oakville we were on everything from pathways to residential streets to major boulevards (which we not comfortable for riding).

Eventually we got back to the pathways and entered Toronto proper and the city came into view in the distance.  We snapped some pictures to commemorate the moment!

We pushed into the city and were staying Northwest of High Park in a beautiful part of the city.  Once we reached our hosts house they gave us the code to enter and we quickly started drinking water and having a little snack.

We met one of our hosts and quickly showered.  There was another reunion coming up tonight.  We dressed and set off for the subway (first subway of the trip!) to head further into the city for dinner.

In my first year in university I was in a program of students from around the country who were all type-A and driven.  We all worked in the House of Commons as Pages, lived together in residence, and took the same courses together.  We were a cross-section of Canada with a certain number of us from each province and representing different groups from each province.  I was the "token" Anglophone from Quebec.  My room mate was one of the Francophones from Ontario.  Our room was dubbed "the minority report" by one of our friends.  His name is Joe, and we've kept in touch over the years and were about to connect for the first time in almost 10 years.

We went to an Italian restaurant and I forgot to take any pictures of the food, but it was probably the best Italian food I've ever had.  Their red sauce was supposed to be legendary and it delivered.  Everything was incredible.

Skipper, Joe, and I ate and spent time explaining the trip and catching one another up on the last 10 years.  It's always fun to see someone you haven't seen in forever and be reminded of their mannerisms and character.  The little things you forgot that you immediately recognize.  Joe and I lived together for a pretty formative time in our lives and spent a lot of time after first year together.  We would go to the LCBO and buy foreign beers as we tried to expand our horizons, never dreaming that one day we'd be surrounded by microbreweries and a panoply of beers.  We would debate the problems of the world and their solutions.  We challenged one another.  We shared movies, music, culture, and lots of laughs.  We were two sides of the same coin and talked a lot about our experiences growing up as linguistic minorities in our home provinces.  We were friends.

And so it was such a happy feeling to be reunited and see where we both were in life.  You can't go back in time, but you can be in the company of those you were once young with and remember what it felt like to be young.  We only got a dinner in, but I sincerely hope I get to see him and spend time with him again!

Thank you for taking time away from the family to come see us as we passed through town Joe!

We took the subway back to our hosts house and turned in for the night.