Final Friday

Today has been an odd day.

I started with the usual breakfast and chat – this time a guy from Melbourne (must get his name next time) who had been over in the UK for a while before arriving here yesterday. He told me I had to visit Melbourne. It is good to hear someone recommend their home town for a visit.

After breakfast I wandered up for a smoke and found Masa sitting in the reception area finishing his breakfast. He was off today – heading to Thunder Bay by Greyhound, (he has a 60 day pass) and was getting ready to head for the bus depot. While we were sitting there Clement came down with his bags – apparently he was going to stay until Sunday, as he is going to start English School on Monday and a placement with a Canadian family for the duration of his school course, but the hostel is full and he has to move on. I told him I would burn his CD of photographs as soon as I got back to the dorm. He was coming back to the hostel on Saturday anyway as he was going to watch the local football game (the rugby for sissies version – not soccer, or real football). I told him I would leave the CD at the front desk if I wasn’t here. We saw Masa off with much handshaking, back slapping and wishes of safe journeys, good fortunes and fun. After that Clement asked if he could borrow my camera to take pictures of the hostel, church over the road and St. James’s Park, and would I put them on the CD? He also asked if I could fill the CD up with any pictures I had taken of Toronto. Of course I would be only too happy to.

When he returned he picked up his bags and waved farewell. I promptly returned to the dorm and created the CD for him, incorporating Masa’s, mine & his own photographs. I had not long finished and there was a knock on the door. It was Clement returned to collect his forgotten wash bag. I showed him what I had done with the CD – putting the different pictures in different folders – and he was very pleased with the result. He was going to buy a camera next week so he could send me some photos by email.

After this I didn’t feel like doing anything major, but just sat around reading & feeling gently melancholy. I didn’t get all maudlin about it because the whole nature of travelling is that everything is transitory, but I did miss them when they were gone.

I set about tidying my things up and getting some of the loose bits together in preparation for Sunday’s departure. My time in Toronto has been good, but it is now time to be moving on and I start my train experience on Monday. Sunday night I get to spend in a hotel!

Anyway, as I felt I needed cheering up (any excuse will do) I thought I would try out the Beer Bistro which Richard & Nicky had told me about. This is a bistro on Kings Street which does food and loads of beers from all over the place; Canada, UK, Belgium, Germany, USA, etc. I was rather familiar with the English, Scottish & Irish beers listed and also – thanks to my good mate Lizzie – rather familiar with the Belgian beers listed too! [They had Kwak Lizzie darling, but I bet it doesn’t get served in the right glass!] I settled for a Canadian dark beer which was recommended to accompany the Pan Seared Catfish I chose. It was all very nice.
After that lot I had a gentle stroll back to the hostel and decided to relax. I picked up a coffee to go on the way and returned to my dorm to play a bit of Civilization for a while. I greeted the two Aussie girls who came to occupy the beds vacated by Clement & Masa and returned to my game.
Having finished my coffee & grown very tired I turned in for the night.