[2022-09-16] Upper Canada Village
Chris and I traveled to Upper Canada Village today in what has become an almost annual pilgrimage for us.
There's something magical in this place, with its old buildings, docile animals and pastoral setting of trees, water, gardens and fields. Perhaps it reminds me of growing up on a farm (hello little piggies), or it connects me to my ancestors (my grandmother had a "huche" [dough box] in which she mixed, kneaded and proofed her bread dough), or it delights me by showing me something new (such as a fully functioning miniature toy stove). Whatever it is, Upper Canada Village feels peaceful and familiar.
While we often take a picnic lunch with us when we visit Upper Canada Village, today was a day to let someone else take care of us. We lunched at Willard's Hotel, enjoying a tomato-vegetable soup with slices of bread from the village bakery, a green salad with a refreshing apple cider vinaigrette, and a classic British pudding. I don't normally take pictures of my food, but the pudding was so sinfully good that I couldn't resist; it's the kind of dish you obsess over—dreaming about it, wondering when you're going to have it again, trying to recreate it at home. As we sat on the veranda of the hotel, we took in the serene view of fences, fields and flowing water. The sun was warm, and we were comfortably bundled up to stave off the coolness of the late summer day.
After lunch, we continued our meanderings, not feeling pressured to get to every building or to absorb every bit of information. Our visit was more experiential than educational, and that suited us just fine. When we happened upon the tow scow, a flat-hulled barge drawn by a horse walking along the village canal, we embarked just before it departed for its slow trip up the waterway. Perhaps it was the gentle swaying of the boat or the sunny views of the village on the one side and the St. Lawrence River on the other, or the effects of my sweet indulgence at lunch, but I felt wonderfully calm and tranquil. (After we disembarked, Chris said they should call the tow scow Uber Canada Village.)
Today's excursion reminded me of my post Peace as a priority. That post was inspired by this quote: "I am at a place in life where peace is a priority. I deliberately avoid certain people and situations to protect my mental, emotional, and spiritual state." While the first sentence—"I am at a place in life where peace is a priority"—is fitting for today, I would modify the second sentence to read: "I deliberately seek certain people and situations to enhance my mental, emotional, and spiritual state." Upper Canada Village feeds my need for peace. I look forward to returning, perhaps for Pumpkinferno in the fall or Alight at Night in winter.
