Catch-up: Windsor

NOTE: Because of the terrible quality of the Internet in Cuba, this post and others with "Catch-up" in the title are from previous days.

One of the good things about travelling in North America is the chance to catch up with my good mate, Nick Baker, and his family and friends in the city of Windsor in the Ontario province of Canada. Nick and I first met in 1998 when we were both residents at Concannon College at USQ in Toowoomba. Since that time we’ve been through plenty of ups and downs in our lives that have seen us develop a strong friendship. It was Nick’s wedding in 2010 to the lovely Stephanie that brought me to Canada for the first time. This is now my third visit to Windsor in three years. For something different I caught the train down from Toronto after flying over from Vancouver. Normally I’d fly into Detroit and Nick would pick me up and we’d cross the US/Canada border by car. The train trip was pretty good – comfortable and with free Wi-fi.

Needless to say the six days in Windsor with Nick, Teffy and their 19-month-old son Tristan (who is very cute and very smart) involved a “few” drinks. There were the catch-up drinks when we got home from the train; a dinner party with The Dowells complete with an early-morning campfire (see previously posted picture on Facebook) on Thursday, drinks with some of Teffy’s friends on Saturday night, and a mid-afternoon BBQ with friends and family on Sunday. In a first for me (I’m not so sure about Nick) at midnight on Saturday night Nick and I did some gardening! With summer on its way in Windsor, Nick’s gardening is looking great, and the fish pond now even has fish, thanks to a Saturday afternoon trip to the pet store!

On Tuesday, as my Facebook friends would have seen, I was supposed to catch the 9.30am train to Toronto … or so I thought. In fact the train departed at 9.05am and I realised this at 9.10am! The nice man at the train station let me change my ticket for the 1.45pm service and the extra time gave Nick and I a chance to hang out and relax with coffee and then a nice lunch before departing.

Waiting for me at Union Station in Toronto was my Cuba travelling companion and friend from Brisbane, Kathryn Jennings, and her friends Billy and Alicia. Over dinner at a sports bar near the train station, Billy and Alicia shared some of their experiences from Cuba. I must admit their anecdotes had me a little worried, particularly about the quality of the food (being a man who enjoys his food!). Alas, Wednesday morning Kathryn and I met at Toronto International Airport at 8am ready to fly to Varadero for our long anticipated trip to Cuba!

Nick and Tristan

Steph by the campfire

me by the campfire