It was almost like “the before times”, but with added masks and vaccine passports.

A planned family reunion in Picton, Ontario was cancelled but, as we have friends there, we kept our hotel reservation and went to “the county” for a few days.

Observations:

1. Clearly, a large number of Ontarians had decided to do the same thing. The hotel was full. The restaurants were turning people away if they didn’t have reservations. The winery parking lots were busy.
2. The staff were uniformly pleasant, cheerful, diligent in checking the vaccine QR codes and ID, and occasionally a little overwhelmed by the rush of customers eager to get back to the business of enjoying themselves.
3. October is the best time to drive the backroads in Ontario. It was seriously lovely.
4. After the initial shock (wait, there are people! There’s noise! There’s music! There are no masks!), it was as if COVID had never happened. Mostly.
5. Things I’d be happy if they stayed this way but recognize they won’t. It was very nice NOT to be seated at a two-top table a foot from another couple. It’s been quite nice going to movie theatre’s with only 8 other people. Contactless check-in at hotels is perfectly fine with me.
6. We can’t afford to live down there, as all the rich people from Toronto have already moved there and driven up the real estate prices.

If you happen to be in the area, we can recommend The Picton Harbour Inn, Bocado for seriously scrumptious Spanish food, Hartley’s for excellent, creative food, Bermuda in Bloomfield for yummy lunch and enthusiastic staff, and Sandbanks Provincial Park for great trails.

The second part of the trip involved a family gathering in Peterborough for the other side of the family. It was wonderful to see everyone and to discover that the Comfort Inn has a room with a heart-shaped jacuzzi. Not that it was working. Not that we would have used it if it was. But still ….