After two years away I'm visiting Canada for 3 weeks: Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and now Vancouver. It's been a great trip visting with family and friends all over this wonderful country. Coming back reminds me of how different a place I now live.

 

It was really good to see everyone. In Toronto Jet and Jules put up with me for more than a week and were even nice enough to share their 1st year anniversary dinner with me! On our first night Jethro and I enjoyed a hot tub with Rob and I was able to hangout with the family on a couple more occasions. Alexandra and Jaeger - my apologies for blabbing about financial stuff through the whole dinner! I guess Rob's and my excuse is we see each other so seldom these days that when we do connect we jump right into our own stuff... I got to visit Mari-Claire and her growing family in Guelph. We had a couple of great meals with Sarah and her new husband  and I was able to see Rob Gomes and Susi too. Unfortunately I couldn't see as much of Liam as I wanted with his work and the fact that I was spemding all my time in (now his) basement wrapping boxes to be eventually shipped to BKK. I also missed Vena but maybe will get lucky and he'll show up in Thailand one of these years. Great to see you too Caroline...always a meangingful connection!

 

In Montreal I stayed at Casa Nantel's - truly a home away from home! We had lots of bicycle rides with Tedd and Nantel and enjoyed some great Canadian winter conditions in July!!!! Dad and Jeannie put on a wonderful dinner party and everyone had plenty to drink! I even got a few sets of tennis in; Chris... we'll practice in Bangkok for the inevitable Saunders Generational Doubles Rematch where, with luck and the right drugs, we may just prevail! I had lunch with Nicolas and even got to connect with Bruno and Elyse during their brief return to Montreal from their sailing adventures.... Thank you Susan and Volker for the great dinner Sunday night - Volker I hope we can see each other more - I miss all our arguments!!!

 

Thanks to Dad I drove to Ottawa in style and had a wonderful family night at the Wickhams: I truly don't think I know of a more functional, friendly and loving family - you guys are amazing!!!! The following day was a whirlwind of seeing John Cowan, Matt Stepchuk, Heather Garrod (after 27 years if our math is correct?), and then a super Pizza dinner with about a dozen of us! So nice to see Rose and Donna again! And Daniel - what a long way we've each travelled from when we met at Glebe in that Spring of grade 9 about 33 years ago!

 

Bernard - you are a life saver! SO great to see you again and thanks for the painting - Da will thank you too when she sees it!

 

Now in Vancouver I've had two short but super days with Steve and Diane... Tonight I leave for home....

 

It's been an amazing trip. Thank you everyone for the hospitality and love... My closing comment is just how comfortable it has been seeing everyone again, as Nantel said - it's like we just saw each other last week. I can truly say it felt like that with everyone. As my wonderful friend Diane told me when I first went to Asia nearly 4 years ago:

 

"When you travel you don't lose old friends, you make new ones."