Alec Saunders SquawkBox

Ten days, over 4,200 kilometers traveled, and nearly 50 hours behind the wheel.  That was my experience from Friday the 17th of August to Sunday the 26th.  Janice had been talking about taking the family to the east coast of Canada for a vacation for several years. We finally did it, traveling from Ottawa to Quebec City, and from there through New Brunswick to the beach town of Shediac on the Northumberland Strait.

Along the way we visited the spectacular Montmorency Falls in Quebec City.  Taller than Niagara Falls, these were also the site of English General Wolfe's encampment from where his successful assault on Quebec City was launched in 1759.  The remains of the earthen works are still visible in a park beside the falls.

We ate dinner Friday night at Cafe Resto le Hobbit, with dessert at Tutto Gelato.  Both highly recommended.  Eighteen year old Chris, ever the adventurous eater, ordered sweetbreads in a grape sauce at the Hobbit, accompanied by a Blanche de Chambly belgian-style white beer and gave them a big thumbs up. 

While in Quebec City, we also visited the Notre Dame Cathedral, including the crypt below.  The history of Quebec (and thus the early history of Canada) is written in the names inscribed on the tombstones.  The kids were disappointed that it wasn't creepier down there, but it did have these lovely bronze doors commemorating the life of Monseigneur Laval, first Bishop of Quebec.

While in Quebec City we also toured the Citadel (home of Canada's Van Doos infantry), the old town, and the walls of the city.  Quebec City is the only North American walled city north of Mexico. The walls give it a very medieval feel.  Below is the St. John Gate, on the western edge of the old city.

Five hours north from Quebec City, over the border into New Brunswick, you come to the the town of Grand Sault on the mighty St. John River.  Famous for the Grand Sault cataract, and the St. John Gorge, it makes a spectacular short hike.

Escaping from the rain that poured down on us in Grand Sault, we drove three hours east to the coast of New Brunswick, and the tiny village of Shediac.  On the Northumberland Strait, Shediac has warm water for swimming, a beautiful sandy beach at Parlee Beach, and provides easy access to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Maine in the United States.

Dinner that night was at l'Auberge Gabriele restaurant.  Fabulous seafood, albeit a little pricey. 

We had rented a cottage on Parlee Beach, which claimed to be able to sleep 10.  Perhaps a family with 8 infants, but not our boisterous bunch.  The next morning Janice checked out the neighborhood, and we were lucky enough to be able to rent this pretty little place, and get a full refund on our other cottage. 

 

We spent an afternoon at Fundy National Park. The Bay of Fundy, which splits New Brunswick from Nova Scotia, has the worlds highest tides.  The afternoon when this photograph was taken, the tide was on the way out, beaching all of the fishing boats in the town of Alma. 

You can walk far far out into the Bay on the rocks and mud of the exposed sea floor.  This photograph was taken looking back at the village of Alma, at low tide. 

And if you're very lucky, you might spot a great blue heron in flight across the bay.

Further south in Fundy National Park is an area called Wolfe's Point, with a spectacular natural harbour.  In the photograph below, the gravelly spit extending into the center of the picture is the the site of a former pier.  At one time, boats would come in from the open sea, tie up at the pier, and take on cargoes of wood to be taken to market.

Further upstream the inlet narrows…

… and ultimately takes to you to a covered bridge, above wooden pilings which are all that remain of the saw mill that was once located at this site.

As amazing as Fundy National Park is, to the north you find Kouchibouguac — another park – with a completely different ecosystem.  Kouchibouguac is a place of small tidal variation, sand dunes, beautiful beaches, and all kinds of wildlife in and around the water. An enormous sand spit, it's the perfect place to build a castle…

 

… or laze in the sun on the beach among the dunes.

 

Travelling further east brings you over the Confederation Bridge, to Prince Edward Island.  In North Rustico, on the far side of the island, we chartered a fishing trip with Aiden's Deep Sea Fishing.  On the docks in North Rustico, you can find abundant evidence of the island's fishing industry.

 

We went fishing for cod and mackerel, and in a few hours brought back a small haul to eat at home.  I had no idea that fresh cod could be so tender and delicious.

Chartering one of these boats is a pretty easy way to go fishing.  The crew does just about everything except set the hooks for you, right down to baiting hooks, landing fish and cleaning and filleting the catch as you head back to land.  What do you think that flock of gulls trailing the boat is looking for?

And that, of course, leaves you all kinds of time to photograph lighthouses…

… other fishing boats leaving the harbour…

.. and other fishing boats tied up in the harbour.

Just six kilometers from North Rustico is the fabeled Anne of Green Gables cottage.  Over the protests of the boys, we went there… for their mothers sake.  This is a major tourist attraction, with an attractive period home and gardens. It takes about an hour to see everything, and perhaps 45 minutes more to walk some of the trails through the woods.

While in PEI it makes sense to take in any of the Lobster Suppers offered.  Originally started as fund raisers for churches, they've become massive feeding stations for starving tourists.  New Glasgow Lobster Suppers, where we ate, has been known to feed as many as 1200 people in an evening.  Fresh lobster plus unlimited pails of mussels and delicious desserts is certainly hard to take.

After dinner, we got a quick tour of the lobster "pound"… rooms full of storage tanks capable of storing up to 20,000 pounds of lobster in various shapes and sizes. 

At the south end of the Bay of Fundy, sandwiched between St. John and the Maine border there a series of small towns and villages doing double duty as resorts and fishing towns. On thursday, through pouring rain and fog, we made the three hour trip to St. Andrews-by-the-sea to catch a whale watching trip with Quoddy Link.  We chose them specifically because they had an enclosed catamaran and the weather reports were iffy.  In addition, with two naturalists aboard (Danielle has a blog here with some great photos), there were plenty of experts to question.

We set out in the fog to head further out into the Bay, where Quoddy's spotter boat had been tracking several finback whales all morning.

 

The fog cleared, and soon we came upon the whales.  The finback is the second largest whale in existence, after the blue whale, and averaging 73 tons in weight.  Close in to the boat, the finback whales were remarkable to see, surfacing and blowing every few minutes in their hunt for food.  This part of the Bay of Fundy attracts a large population of sea life because of the abundance of herring and other food, to support these incredible creatures.

In addition the finback, the Bay also supports a population of porpoises (we saw several), minke and humpback whales (we saw none on our trip).  We did however, visit a colony of seals resting on exposed rocks…

… spot four bald eagles…

… and more lighthouses.

On the way back we paid a visit to the Oven Head Smokehouse where we grabbed a couple of pounds of beautifully smoked atlantic salmon.  Cold smoked over maple, this is a real delicacy.

At the north end of the Bay of Fundy, where the tides are the highest, there are some spectacular rock formations called the Hopewell Rocks.  Accessible at low tide, you can walk on the exposed beaches and explore the "flower pots" and "arches" and other formations.  It's like walking in some kind of bizarre alien landscape.

 

 

Also at the north end of the Bay of Fundy, you can find the ruins of the historic Fort Beausejour / Fort Cumberland, where the French defended New Brunswick from the English, and after their defeat, where the English organized the infamous deportations of the Acadians, leading pockets of French speaking people throughout North America, including the Cajun culture in New Orleans.

Throughout the trip we were ably guided by the Escort c550 (made by Garmin) GPS, there and back. Having never been east of Montreal, I decided to buy a GPS before we left.  The c550 was easy to use, inexpensive, and mostly accurate.  Recommended… especially if you have to travel 4200 kilometers in just 10 days.  There's no time to be lost.

I've been off the air since August 2nd.  Why the radio silence?  We've had 13 house guests.  As hard as it is to imagine, we crammed 20 people into our house for the long weekend — wined, dined, entertained and did activities with the kids.

We went diving in the St. Lawrence on Saturday, visiting two of the more popular wrecks close by.  The first wreck, the Conestoga, is a shore dive from Cardinal, Ontario. The Conestoga is in 28 feet of water, and full of interesting mechanical stuff — boilers, engines, propellers, chains, and so on.  The second, the Robert Gaskin, is in 70 feet of water.  It's a well preserved wooden boat from the late 1800's.  It requires a boat trip from Brockville which we did with Ottawa's Diver's Wearhouse. Their facilities on the St. Lawrence River are terrific for divers.

Here's the bow end of upper deck of the Gaskin with divers below.  More photos in this Flickr set, if you enjoy diving.

Sunday we spent the day at Parc Omega, a short drive north of Montebello on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River.  Parc Omega is a game park full of mostly native North American game. You can drive around their roads, and view Bison, Wapiti, Moose, and other animals up close.  You can even feed some of them.  And no, the irony of all those cars driving through a wildlife preserve wasn't lost on us…

More Parc Omega photos in this Flickr set.

Last year at this time we packed our kids off to camp for a week, and took a quick trip to the newest wine growing region in Ontario, Prince Edward County.  It was so successful that this year we did a repeat, spending three fabulous days in the Niagara Region visiting a selection of the 70 or so wineries that can be found on the Beamsville Bench and in and around Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

We made the trip to wine country Tuesday morning.  Arriving around lunch time, we went in search of food first.  Our first stop was the Grand Dame of Niagara wineries, the Chateau des Charmes.  Impressive chateau, but unfortunately no restaurant. Tummies were rumbling. We decided to move on and return to Chateau des Charmes another time.

We settled on Hillebrand's newly renovated Trius winery, and their acclaimed restaurant.  It didn't disappoint. 

Trius Brut sparkling wine accompanied a starter of fennel and spinach soup.   The main course was the chef's sampler consisting of a prosciutto wrapped chicken dish, a small piece of grilled salmon, and a generous "Trius Red burger" — a miniature hamburger, drenched in caramelized onions.  A flight of Trius barrel-fermented Chardonnay, Dry Riesling, and the Trius Red accompanied it. 

And finally, desert — a granita of Trius Vidal Icewine, a strawberry tart, and strawberry rhubarb creme brulee, complimented by Trius' stunning Showcase Cabernet Franc Icewine.

 

Our picks: the Trius Brut, Showcase Icewine, and Trius Red.  The barrel-fermented Chardonnay was too heavily oaked for our tastes, and the Dry Riesling, while delicious, was not a standout.

From there we went to one of the oldest wineries in the region, Inniskillin.  Known primarily for their icewines, Inniskillin makes a variety of table wines as well. Because Inniskillin wines are so widely available, coupled with the fact that their tasters were so expensive ($25 for a flight of four icewines!), we did not stay for long. 

Our picks at Inniskillin: their well priced 2006 Late Autumn Riesling, and the 2005 Vidal icewine.  

Our next stop was Peller Estates.  Peller Estates is owned by Andres Wines, and is the sister winery to Hillebrand Trius, Thirty Bench, and a number of other personal favorites.  However, I cannot recommend it.  The place was overwhelmed by a bus tour, the staff overworked and their high end wines apparently absent from the tasting room.  The red wines we tasted were atrociously tannic.  Our picks: the Private Reserve 2006 Pinot Gris, and 2005 Dry Riesling.

Strewn was a striking contrast to Peller.  Not a big name, it occupies an unassuming site housing a tasting room, boutique, restaurant and cooking school.  Their three lines of wines are labelled Terroir, Strewn and Two Vines.  Terroir are their premium wines and Two Vines their introductory line. In the tasting room Terroir wines are 3 samples for $5, while the Strewn and Two Vines wines are 50 cents each per taste. No $25 flights here.

Our host at Strewn was superb.   We tasted a selection of reds and whites, including both a dry and an off-dry riesling, meritage, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc, their flagship Strewn Three, and more.  Our picks: the 2005 Strewn Terroir Cabernet Franc, 2004 Strewn Terroir Riesling, 2005 Strewn Terroir "Strewn Three" (a meritage), 2006 Strewn Terroir Sauvignon Blanc, and 2005 Strewn Off-Dry Riesling. 

Strewn is highly recommended, both for the quality of their products, and the experience that their knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic staff provide.

Our last stop of the day was Jackson-Triggs.  Starting with the concierge who greets you as you enter their "great hall", Jackson-Triggs ultra-modern winery and tasting room is a great visit.  Whether sitting on the leather sofa in the breezeway between the winery and the tasting room admiring the view of the vineyard, or chatting with the staff in the tasting room, it's a welcoming and friendly environment. 

Naturally, we tasted a wide selection of wines.  Ultimately we left with:

• a mixed case including the Delaine Vineyard 2005 Pinot Noir, Delaine Vineyard 2005 Syrah, Delaine Vineyward 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Proprietors Grand Reserve 2006 White  Meritage, and Proprietors Grand Reserve 2004 Riesling Icewine. 
• a membership in the Jackson-Triggs wine club.
• a fistful of recommendations about other wineries to visit.

That's salesmanship.

That evening we checked-in to our rooms at the SkyeHaven bed and breakast.  This circa 1787 home in the historic part of Niagara-on-the-Lake is a short walk from the downtown shops, restaurants, and theatres.  Proprietors David and Sandra McAslan are a generous, energetic and welcoming retired couple who host guests with great service and food at a very inexpensive $125 per night.  We rented the Blue Room, an expansive and comfortable period bedroom with an ensuite bath. 

Dinner that night was in the lounge at the Pillar and Post Inn, a block from SkyeHaven.  Forewarned by David about the size of the Pillar and Post's meals, we opted to order a salad and fish and chips to share.  It was ample. The bar staff was friendly, offering advice on where to find great Pinot Noir in Niagara, a nice martini menu, and a welcoming atmosphere. 

Wednesday

The next day we headed out to the wineries in the Beamsville Bench area, a 30 minute drive from Niagara-on-the-Lake.  The Beamsville Bench is a steeply sloped area, with limestone / clay soil perfect for Riesling. 

Henry of Pelham is a winery off the beaten track and best known for its wines made from the Baco Noir grape.  We didn't taste any of the Baco Noir wines, as they are commonly available at the liquor store near us.  We did try a variety of wines, including their 2005 Pinot Noir, Cuvee Catharine Rose Brut, and several others.  Our picks: the 2006 Off Dry Reserve Riesling, and the very fine 2005 Botrytis Affected Late Harvest Riesling. Both were great value at reasonable prices.

Cave Spring Vineyards tasting room and shop is conveniently located adjacent to the Inn on the Twenty restaurant, in Jordan, where we had lunch reservations.   Cave Spring's shop was a winery boutique as opposed to a simple tasting room.  With products ranging from wine, to glasses, to picnic sets, books, gourmet foods, and artisanal breads, it had something for everyone.

We tried a variety of Cave Spring wines. Our picks were the 2005 Pinot Noir, 2005 Select Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 Estate Bottled CSV Chardonnay,  and 2005 Estate Bottled CSV Riesling. 

Lunch at Inn on the Twenty next door was fabulous.  The accolades it receives are well deserved.  The dining room is gorgeous, overlooking gardens and ravines.  The service is excellent, and the ambience fabulous. 

I had the soup of the day, which was an asparagus soup with creme fraiche.  Janice had the simple salad.  For the main course we each had smoked Berkshire Pork Loin with spinach and chorizo polenta and rhubarb confit.  Our server suggested the Cave Springs 2006 Estate Bottled Gewurtztraminer to accompany the pork.  Not big fans of gewurtztraminer, we nevertheless gave it a try. The floral acidity of the gewurtz was a perfect accompaniment to the sweet / salt / spice of the pork and spicy polenta. It was a wonderful balance.  The pairing suggested by our server is the hallmark of both a talented chef and a superb wait staff.  At a great restaurant you want to have your ideas about food challenged and surpassed.  Inn on the Twenty did just that.

Following our meal, we headed back to the Cave Springs shop, and bought some of the 2006 Estate Bottled Gewurtztraminer. 

We tumbled out of Inn on the Twenty and spent a few minutes in the shops in Jordan (many many many… and lots of fun!) and then zipped off to the Beamsville Bench proper. 

Malivoire is a favorite Canadian winery.  For several years, we have stocked Malivoire Moira Vineyard Chardonnay in our own small cellar. This wine, a staple of the Rideau Hall wine cellar, is a fabulous and opulent chardonnay with exactly the right amount of oak.  Needless to say, Malivoire was one of the most anticipated tasting rooms of the trip for us.

The Malivoire tasting room is spare, with no restaurant or boutique. It's all about the wine.  Our host, Eric,  walked us through a suite of wines, along the way explaining owner Martin Malivoire's philosophy with respect to the vineyard and winemaking.

Our picks: the Courtney Gamay 2005 (a completely different take on Gamay, which is a grape I ordinarily don't like), Estate Bottled Pinot Noir 2004, and 2006 Pinot Gris. In addition, I can heartily recommend their Chardonnays, and wonderful Ladybug Rose, which we have drunk on numerous occasions. 

Thirty Bench, just down the road, was the other highly anticipated vineyard of the trip, and it didn't disappoint.  Alex, our host, gave us a short tour of the winery, including vats, barrels, and vines. Then it was off to the tasting room.

Of all the hosts we experienced in Niagara, Alex at Thirty Bench was easily the best.  Our tasting and tour was done with just one other couple. Alex walked us around the vineyard, briefly, and explained the characteristics of their three vineyards.  He also did an excellent job of explaining the advantages of the  small batch / oak fermenter approach they use versus the large steel vat.  And finally, at the small bar where Alex guided us through the tasting, he worked hard to educate us on the wine itself.  For example, when I commented that the Pinot Noir was tight, he poured three glasses: straight out of the bottle, aerated, and aerated and in a burgundy glass, to show how the wine opens up over time, and how the correct stemware can improve the experience of the wine.

Our picks: the 1995 merlot (wonderful!), the 2003 Pinot Noir, and the "Triangle Vineyard" 2006 Riesling. 

Further up Mountainview Road from Thirty Bench are the De Sousa and Fielding Estates wineries.  De Sousa is a Portuguese style winery.  While their table wines weren't notable, they do make a nice port. At Fielding we arrived late in the day, and perhaps it was simply that we were tired, but after trying several wines we left.  We've heard good things about the winery in the past, however, and will likely return.

Later that evening, we walked over to the Festival Theater from SkyeHaven and took in Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan.  It was a great production, and a breath of fresh air after some of the duds we've seen recently at the NAC in Ottawa.  

Thursday

After breakfast we did a small driving tour around Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Niagara-on-the-Lake is a pretty Victorian town, full of shops and inns, and of course home to the Shaw Festival. It's also home to Fort George, built at the mouth of the Niagara river to guard Canada from U.S. invaders after the British were forced to cede Fort Niagara to the Americans following Jay's Treaty.  The photograph below shows Fort Niagara in NY State, taken from Queen's Royal Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  

Later we stopped at Lailey Vineyards on the Niagara Parkway.  A small winery, Lailey was one of the pioneers of the Canadian wine industry, and owns some of the oldest vines in Niagara. We tasted their 2006 Unoaked Chardonnay, 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, and 2004 Canadian Oaked Chardonnay, as well as a their 2005 Zweigelt, 2005 Pinot Noir, and 2004 Cabernet Franc.  Lailey's use of Canadian oak, rather than the more common French and American oaks is intriguing.  It's a more subtle wood flavor than the American oak, but with some of the same spicy characteristics.

Our picks: 2006 Unoaked Chardonnay (deliciously fruity with crisp acidity), and the 2004 Cabernet Franc.  While the Canadian Oak Chardonnay was intriguing, and a well made wine, neither of us are big fans of oak fermented chardonnay.  For those who like a more buttery and oaky chardonnay, it might be just the ticket, however. 

Like Lailey, Marynissen Estates has been farming vinifera grapes in Niagara since the 1970's.  In fact, John Marynissen was the first grower to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in the Niagara region in 1978. Marynissen also gained some notoriety as suppliers of wine to the Rolling Stones on their tour last year, shipping a total of 10 cases to the band.  We tasted a 2002 Merlot, 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, and a 2002 Cabernet / Merlot.  The merlot had an unusual tomato flavor, which was quite suprising.  Our pick: the well priced 2002 Cabernet/Merlot.

Stratus is a complete contrast to Marynissen and Lailey.  An ultra-modern, environmentally friendly building houses a chic tasting room and boutique selling everything from wine, to books, oil and Baccarat stemware.

 

Unlike many wineries that focus on creating wines around specific varietal grapes, Stratus' philosophy is that the best wines are assemblages (a fancy french word for a blend).  We were unable to taste the 2004 Stratus White (sold out), but did taste their 2006 Riesling, which was delicious but pricey at $35/bottle.  We also tasted the 2003 Cabernet Franc, and the 2004 Stratus Red.  The Red is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah! Smooth, complex, and balanced with soft tannins, this wine blew me away. It was easily the best wine of the trip.  Our picks: the 2004 Stratus Red, and the 2003 Cabernet Franc. Other Stratus made wines are also available under the more moderately priced Wild Ass label.

Coyote's Run is known for its award winning Pinot Noir.  We tasted a variety of wines from their wine list, including their 2005 Pinot Noir, 2006 Pinot Gris, 2004 Riesling, 2005 Meritage and 2004 Bob Izumi Red.  The Pinot Noir didn't have the blousey fruit expressed in the wine that is characteristic of West Coast Pinot Noir.  It was more reserved, or perhaps burgundian.  It did, however,  have a wonderful nose and a smooth finish. Our picks: the Coyote's Run 2005 Pinot Noir, and 2004 Bob Izumi Red.

Perhaps it was just bad luck, but we hit Chateau des Charmes hungry again.  As it was our last chance to visit the winery we did, tasting a selection of their red and white wines, including their Gamay Noir "Droit".  This unique grape was discovered by des Charmes owner Paul Bosc.  It ripens later than typical for Gamay Noir, producing a richer and plummier wine.  Overall, though, Chateau des Charmes was disappointing.  The wines, while mostly well made, did not really stand out compared to other wineries we had been to.  Or… perhaps we were just hungry. Our pick: the 2006 St. David's Bench Viognier. 

After a quick lunch, we headed back to the Beamsville Bench area to visit the spectacularly situated Angels Gate winery.  High on the Bench it overlooks Lake Ontario, and on a clear day one can see all the way to Toronto, 35 miles away.  In the photograph below, you can see the sun shining on the tip of the CN Tower, and make out the white dome of the SkyDome Rogers Centre beside it.

 

At Angels Gate we tasted a variety of their wines, including the 2006 SussReserve Riesling, 2006 Riesling, 2004 Old Vines Chardonnay, 2004 Angels III Meritage, and 2004 Snow Angel Late Harvest Cabernet.  The SussReserve Riesling is a Riesling sweetened with a portion of unfermented juice.  It didn't appeal to us, however.  Our picks were the 2004 Old Vines Chardonnay, and the 2004 Snow Angel.  In particular, the Snow Angel had a wonderful strawberry character that would make it a good desert wine, or an accompaniment to pate, foie gras, or duck confit.

From Angels we intended to simply head out to the highway and up to Toronto.  As luck would have it, though, we passed the Peninsula Ridge winery on the way.  After stopping to take a photograph of this pretty property, it seemed impolite to not pay a visit…

The Peninsula Ridge tasting room offers both wine and artesanal cheese, which was a nice touch.  We tasted the 2006 Wismer Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, 2001 Equinox (chardonnay / sauvignon blanc), 2005 INOX Chardonnay, 2001 Arcanum ( a meritage with Syrah added) and 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.  Neither of the blends were impressive, however the 2006 Wismer Sauvignon Blanc was delicious and balanced with plenty of both fruit and acid.  And the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon turned out to be a very special wine — easily the best Cabernet we tasted the entire trip, with a great nose, and true expression of Cabernet's cassis flavour on the palate.  Our picks: the 2006 Wismer Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, and the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

And then it was off to Toronto to have dinner with a friend and stay the night.  We ate at Jamie Kennedy's wine bar, which offers wine and tapas.  While the food and wine were delicious, the portions (of both) were tiny and pricey.  After eating and drinking so well for the previous three days, Kennedy's was a bit of a sticker-shock. 

Friday

The next morning we set off for home, taking a side trip through Kleinburg to see the McMichael Gallery's collection of Group of Seven paintings.  The gallery is small, and most of the paintings exhibited are sketches rather than finished works, but it's still worth a visit if you have an interest in the Group of Seven. 

We lunched in Kleinburg at the Chartreuse Restaurant / Longchamps Pub.  Generous portions, good food and service, priced well.  Then we set out for home on the scenic route through Algonquin Park.  It's a little longer than riding the Trans Canada highway 401 home, but a whole lot prettier.  Besides, after having seen the paintings of the Group of Seven, what better way to finish the day than to experience the landscape they painted?  The drive through the park was beautiful.

On the eastern edge of Algonquin Park lies the village of Wilno, Canada's oldest polish settlement.  As you drive up the hill out of the village, the beautiful church of St. Mary's Wilno sits on the hillside overlooking the Ottawa Valley.  It was spectacularly illuminated by the late day sun, and framed by a backdrop of dark clouds as we passed it by. Click the photograph to see it full sized…

Winery Resources

Most of the wines we tasted are simply not available at your shop, not even here in Ontario.  Getting them can be problematic.  There are really only a few ways to buy them:

1. Direct from the Winery.  Many wineries will ship, and some will do so in lots smaller than one case. Some will even ship to US destinations. A word of caution – don't order case lots of wine that you haven't tasted.  Quality can vary dramatically.
2. WineryToHome.com.  This service ships Ontario wines to Ontario customers.  Over 400 wines from 30 wineries are represented.  Unfortunately, because of outdated laws, it cannot ship wines outside of Ontario. 
3. LCBO Vintages.  Vintages sometimes stocks a selection of Ontario wines as part of their releases.  This is the way I've been able to buy Malivoire Moira Chardonnay in the past.   

In flight communications is a hot topic today on TechMeme.  Two separate stories — the Wall Street Journal's WiFi in the Sky (related stories), and InfoWorld's FCC says no to mobile calls on airplanes (related stories) have kicked off a torrent of commentary. 

It's likely that in-cabin WiFi will be available from US carriers by early next year.  And while the FCC has ended hearings on cellular conversations while airborne for now, it appears inevitable in the future.  A spectrum license has alread been sold to AirCell Inc. to provide the service.  And in the meantime, AirCell is also the provider of in-cabin WiFi.

What makes the service particularly attractive to airlines is that they will share revenue with AirCell. The service will cost about the same as existing WiFi offerings. Mr. Blumenstein says it will charge no more than $10 a day to passengers. It will also offer discounted options for customers and tie into existing service programs like T-Mobile, iPass and Boingo.

The pricing seems fair, and an agreement between AirCell and the airport WiFi service providers would be killer for travellers. The icing on the cake, of course, would be power at every seat in the cabin. 

And what of VoIP? 

AirCell will block voice calls over the Internet with services like Skype — except for pilots, flight attendants and air marshals, who will be allowed to talk to people on the ground for scheduling, safety and security issues.

Right… until those savvy fliers recognize that all they need to do is encapsulate that VoIP conversation in a VPN tunnel.

Update: Russell Shaw notes that since flight attendants and pilots will be able to make VoIP calls, it's probably just a matter of time until the airlines have to give in to passengers doing it too.

I had quite a mountain of gear with me over the last couple of weeks.  Aside from the usual vacation stuff, I also dragged along:

1. A laptop for storing and editing photos and blog postings.  Both of the resorts we stayed at had a place somewhere that had a net connection, although it was inconveniently not in the room.  All editing was done with Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006, and all blog postings were composed offline (they charge by the minute for network access!) using Windows LiveWriter beta.
2. A Nikon D50 digital SLR, with a 70-300mm lens (that's how the flamingo shots were taken), and the stock 18 to 55mm lens that came with the camera body.  Tripod too.
3. A Sony HDR-SR1 high def camcorder.  I shot 18Gbytes of video.  It will take some time to sort through it, now that we're back.
4. A Nokia N80i cameraphone, equipped with WiFi.  Very handy for quick snapshots, and also for approving blog comments in hot spots.  I bought a Mexican SIM, as well, but made only a few phone calls with it.
5. A Nokia N93 cameraphone.  I shot quite a bit of video footage with the N93, in various situations where it was inconvenient to get the SR1 out, or where I didn't want to risk the SR1 (ie. moving at high speed in a boat on the Gulf of Mexico).  Along with the N93, I also brought the Nokia DT-22 tripod clampstand for the device, which makes a world of difference in holding the phone steady.
6. The Solio solar powered batter charger, seen here charging my son's iPOd. Need power on the go?  Got plenty of light?  Solio is the solution.