Today, Chris and I drove to Kingston to have lunch with a dear couple we have come to know by virtue of my story and this blog. It was a lovely time.

We then continued on to Toronto, where we will spend a few days. It's our first time in downtown Toronto since 2011 when Mel and I came to an American Idol show at the Rogers Centre.

The traffic was something else. First, we didn't realize that Google Maps would direct us to the 407, a toll road. The last time we took the 407 was in 2019 when we went to a wedding in Brampton. On that occasion, our short trip on the 407 cost more than $50, though we didn't know that at the time. We discovered it later when the bill came in the mail.

Today, I learned that I had to select the "Avoid tolls" option in Google Maps or it would keep directing us to get off the 401 and take the 407, as it was looking for the fastest route. Granted it did take more time on the 401 than it would have on the 407, but we weren't in the mood to write a blank cheque to take the toll road.

So after a short detour and adjustment to Google Maps, we got back on the 401. It was slow, a problem exacerbated by the fact that we were driving directly into the afternoon sun. Chris remarked, "I've got a burn spot on my retina."

We finally arrived at our hotel, a nice place where they gave us free, warm cookies (oatmeal with chocolate chips and walnuts).

We went to a nearby restaurant, where the food was above average and the service, excellent. It's been a while since we've been out for dinner, largely because we usually prefer what we make at home. Waiter Joey asked whether we were celebrating anything in particular. "No," I said, but after a few minutes of reflection I thought that I should have said, "Yes, our honeymoon." Chris and I got married in August 2020, less than a week after I learned that I had ovarian cancer. Since then, we've been busy with COVID, my cancer treatments and my mastectomy. This is our first getaway, as a couple, since our wedding.

I'll have more to share on our mini-trip to Toronto in the coming days. For now, it's pyjama time.