| From August 27 to September 6 I had four
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| | the carpet in our house. We all went on a
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| visitors from Europe in town: my brother
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| | fun outing to a par-3 golf course on the
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| Ewald, his wife Anneliese and their two
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| | outskirts of Toronto. It was their first
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| friends - my neighbours from my home town
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| | initiation to golf and they had a ball,
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| in Austria, Luis and Isabella. You may
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| | and decided to explore this activity
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| wonder why this is such a big deal that I
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| | further once they get back to Europe.With
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| need to write about it.For me this was a
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| | our bicycles we explored the Don River
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| huge deal since it was the first time
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| | Valley and many of the ravines that
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| that my brother came to visit me since I
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| | criss-cross the Toronto landscape and the
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| immigrated to Canada in 1986. Because of
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| | comments that came back from my European
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| our 9 year age difference we didn't have
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| | gang were time and time again about how
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| a chance to spend that much time together
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| | green Toronto is, and how it doesn't feel
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| when I was young, and my brother wasn't
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| | like a large urban metropolis, full of
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| big on flying in the first place. But we
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| | concrete and devoid of green spaces and
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| hatched the idea of a joint vacation last
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| | recreational areas. They talked about the
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| year, during my first visit back to my
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| | liveability of this city, that you don't
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| home town in 8 years.So to me this was a
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| | even need to leave Toronto to enjoy the
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| very big deal. For our four visitors it
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| | water and the green spaces, or even
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| was a pretty big affair as well since
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| | off-road mountain biking.My brother in
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| they had never travelled to North
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| | particular, was amazingly enthusiastic
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| America. After all these 9 days in
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| | about his time in Toronto. He loved the
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| Toronto were their first exposure to the
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| | ethnic neighbourhoods and said he could
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| New World. We managed to cram a lot of
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| | spend days just exploring Chinatown. He
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| things into these nine days: a visit to
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| | also mentioned that he never felt an
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| Niagara's Wine Country, a country driving
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| | uncomfortable feeling of racial tension
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| tour of the Kawartha Lakes, various
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| | in any of the neighbourhoods, the way he
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| bicycle tours of Toronto, checking out
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| | had experienced it in some areas in
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| Toronto's waterfront, Toronto Island, the
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| | various European cities. And they all
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| Eastern and Western Beaches, the Humber
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| | felt safe, even though we took the subway
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| River, downtown Toronto with the CN Tower
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| | and explored some of the less affluent
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| and many of Toronto's neighbourhoods,
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| | areas of the city.Our four visitors were
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| including Greektown, Chinatown (East and
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| | the most considerate guests you can ever
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| West), Kensington Market, Little India,
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| | imagine. They took over the kitchen, with
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| Rosedale, Forest Hill, Bloor West Village
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| | my brother, a consummate chef, whipping
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| and so many other special spots that
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| | up gourmet meals every day, using fresh
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| Toronto has to offer.They enjoyed the
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| | Ontario ingredients. Since I still had to
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| Toronto's architectural preservation
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| | work on different occasions during their
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| efforts visible in the historic
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| | stay, they cleaned the house, watered the
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| Distillery District or the renovated CN
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| | flowers, even mowed the lawn. You
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| roundhouse that now features the Steam
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| | couldn't imagine a better group of guests
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| Whistle Brewery. Along the way they
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| | that would be more considerate and
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| managed to photograph many vintage cars
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| | helpful. This 9-day sleepover was one of
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| and trucks, even a 1950s style hearse in
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| | the most positive intense experiences I
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| the town of Bobcaygeon. They also fell in
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| | have ever had.Yesterday, I rode down to
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| love with the Kawartha Lake Region, and
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| | the Beaches for the first time again
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| ideas of coming back to Canada to rent a
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| | since my four special visitors had left.
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| houseboat and explore the Trent-Severn
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| | I cycled around all the places that I had
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| Canal System started to percolate.Of
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| | taken them, where they had posed for
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| course our European visitors commented on
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| | photos and commented on their
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| the different dimensions of things, such
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| | experiences. And it was amazing how much
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| as the size of cars, of super-markets,
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| | I missed them, how empty the house felt
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| even of squirrels in the park, everything
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| | without them, how deep an impression
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| seemed just a little larger. Our visitors
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| | these 9 days left. I have already touched
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| commented on the sophisticated display
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| | base on the phone with them a couple of
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| rooms and restaurants at Ontario's
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| | times to make sure they arrived safely
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| wineries, the surprisingly excellent
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| | and to tell them how much I missed
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| quality of the wines (Ontario's wines are
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| | them.Now I am looking forward to planning
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| not very well known in Europe), as well
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| | another get-together, for some more joint
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| as the friendliness of service personnel
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| | activities, whether it be in Canada,
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| at the wineries, and in various other
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| | Austria, or somewhere in between.Susanne
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| stores and restaurants around town. We
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| | Pacher is the publisher of a website
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| even had a variety of friendly
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| | called Travel and Transitions( Travel and
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| interchanges with dog-walkers, people on
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| | Transitions deals with unconventional
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| the street and lawn bowlers. Toronto
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| | travel and is chock full of advice, tips,
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| definitely showed its best side during
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| | real life travel experiences, interviews
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| these 9 days, and the perfect weather
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| | with travellers and travel experts,
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| just added to the experience.Our European
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| | insights and reflections, cross-cultural
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| visitors are all active people who enjoy
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| | issues, contests and many other features.
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| exploring and Luis and Isabella in
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| | You will also find stories about life and
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| particular are athletes who enjoy biking,
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| | the transitions that we face as we go
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| hiking, tennis, skiing etc. I took them
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| | through our own personal life-long
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| around on mountain bikes and they loved
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| | journeys.Submit your own travel stories
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| exploring the city in this way. My
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| | in our first travel story contest( and
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| husband Nigel, an avid golfer, gave them
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| | have a chance to win an amazing adventure
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| some golfing lessons at the driving
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| | cruise on the Amazon River.
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| range, and added some putting lessons on
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