Blue Mountain

Georgian Bay, Sightseeing, , ,

I must first admit to a prejudice; I never think that I am going to like purpose built resorts.

Blue Mountain Ski Resort proved a pleasant surprise – I began to ‘get’ how and why places like this work and what they have to offer.  My sense was that there will be times when I want the personal touches of an idyllic B&B but others when a well-designed playground for all ages will be very appealing and a lot of fun!

Blue Mountain Blue Mountain Blue Mountain Blue Mountain

An Englishman working in the ski shop told us that Blue Mountain is actually the third busiest ski resort in Canada, though it is not one you are likely to find in UK brochures.  It was developed by the same company as the much better known Whistler in BC.

During the summer, the ski slopes give way to mountain biking and hiking trails, though there are many other activities on offer. These range from an Aqua Park to spa treatments and free yoga classes, from Hummer Adventures to fishing.  Most weekends there is live music in the square and the shops, restaurants and bars have been attractively designed and laid out.

From Osler Bluff . . .

Georgian Bay, Sightseeing

Green and cool, but stippled by the hot sun; boulders, moss and delicate foliage form a Zen garden with no human assistance, as the birch bark breaks the green with shafts of silver.

Osler Bluff, Georgian Bay Osler Bluff, Georgian Bay Osler Bluff, Georgian Bay Osler Bluff, Georgian Bay

A window opens into the blueness high above, where eagles (or, more probably, the much less glamorous sounding turkey vultures) ride the thermals with such grace. Below, the casually thrown patchwork of the Pretty River valley; a colony of dark motorcyclist ants passes by.

Georgian Bay – Creemore

Georgian Bay,

Georgian Bay forms an almost separate lake at the east of Lake Huron and is a relaxing 2 hour drive or so from Toronto. As such, it is an obvious year-round weekend playground and is often referred to as ‘cottage country’.

Creemore, Georgian Bay - the roads go on for ever . . .The city gives way to rolling countryside, cut through by almost straight roads in a gridded roller-coaster.  On a hot summer’s day, it is hard to realise that many of these ‘hills’ become ski slopes in winter.  Stranger still to a Brit used to the world grinding to a halt when it snows, there are plenty of people who commute daily from the area, even in winter.  As someone pointed out to us, it makes a huge difference not having to brake constantly for bends! I’m not sure I’m quite ready for this challenge just yet.

Creemore, Georgian Bay Creemore, Georgian Bay Creemore, Georgian Bay

An invitation to an exhibition opening at the Mad and Noisy Gallery (Silicamorphous   GLASS VARIATIONS – inspirational!) took us to Creemore, considered one of the prettiest small towns in Ontario.  Sitting between the Mad River and the Noisy River, Creemore lived up to its reputation and we spent a relaxing afternoon just mooching, before eating a mountain of meat in a very well established Hungarian restaurant – yummy cabbage rolls as a starter and Apple Strudel to die for! (The Sovereign Restaurant is the building you see at the foreground of the first picture above.)

The longest freshwater beach in the world

Georgian Bay,

Wasaga2 Wasaga1

Yesterday we walked on the shores of Lake Huron along Wasaga Beach, the longest freshwater  beach in the world!

The empty beach volleyball courts lie waiting for their potential champions, whilst further up the bay the kites paint their ever changing patterns against the clouds . . .

volleyball kites

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Georgian Bay, Museums & galleries, Sightseeing, Toronto

222px-Lawren_Harris_-_North_Shore,_Lake_Superior A stunning place! Gorgeous setting (which we will have to explore properly when we live here); fabulous collection of the work of Canadian artists; an exhibition of industrial images and portraits by Yousuf Karsh, one of the most important portrait photographers of the twentieth century; and ‘Challenging Traditions: contemporary first nations art of the northwest coast’, a temporary exhibition which opened yesterday.

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