I spent the afternoon yesterday along Lake Winnipeg. After finding an ongezellig (sorry, no English word exists for that one) but cheap campsite, I got Betty down from her resting place in the extra bed above my driving head and we went for a cycle along the lake.
Lake Winnipeg is enormous. It's like an inland ocean. Its the 5th largest lake in Canada (I read that somewhere, its right up there with the Great Lakes). When I stood on the shore, I couldn't see across to the other side.
I grabbed a take-out “Pickerel” sandwich and a Corona and sat along the beach to eat my dinner. Pickerel is the locally caught white fish from the lake, and it was a pretty tasty dinner. The picture here is me waving at you before indulging.
Today I passed through several landmarks in southern Manitoba. After a short drive along the lake heading south, I found myself whizzing past Fort Garry, the very well kept up stone buildings built in the 1800s by the fur traders. Not wanting to pay the entrance fee, I quickly pulled into the parking lot and took a photo.
I then carried on into Winnipeg, and the next landmark I found myself at was at a stoplight at Portage and Main. This is, reputedly, the coldest street corner in all of Canada. Neil Young even wrote a song about it. Luckily for me, when I passed through it today, it was summery and warm.
On my way out of Winnipeg, I passed the Royal Canadian Mint. Actually, as I was driving out of town I knew it was along the highway somewhere, so I was keeping my eyes open for the sign to point me in the right direction. I wasn't sure that I needed to go in and take a guided tour explaining how they mint each and every Canadian coin weighing down our pockets and change purses. But I did want to at least see the place responsible for loonies and twoonies.
So as I was searching for the sign, another caught my attention. It was advertising fresh sweet corn and BC peaches, and my tastebuds took over as I drove the Jamboree up to the roadside stall. It turned out to be a good move on all counts – I got the corn and peaches and some Manitoba raspberries, and a great view of the Mint building across the street, which I had just passed - and nearly missed entirely - because I was so distracted by the corn and peaches.
The next landmark was just a few minutes further down the road. It was a sign that marked the longitudinal centre of Canada, which is an important marker for me in my little coast to coast journey. I've made it over the halfway mark! And two months less a day away from my birthday.
My plan was to pull over, jump out and take a picture of myself in front of that sign. Unfortunately one of Canada's two seasons dictated (we like to joke in Canada that there are two seasons in the year: Winter and Construction); the road works in progress forced me to another part of the road and blocked off any access to the sign. But I saw it and crossed it!
And instead of the picture at the longitudinal centre of Canada sign, I got one of me entering my last significant landmark of the day instead: the border to Ontario.
The prairies definitely end around this border, as the Jamboree and I were suddenly plunged into hills and curves around lakes that were really quite pretty. Ontario is h u g e, though, so I am camped just outside of Kenora with the intention of resting up for a few long days of counting down hundreds of kilometres.
And this campground made my night by informing me that I could sign up for a private time at the hot tub overlooking the lake. I'm booked at 9.
PS: Happy Birthday Grandma! I will call you soon. xo
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