USA (Wisconsin)/Canada (Ontario) - Week of October 26, 2025

Hello my friends. Welcome back! Always a blessing to have you join in with me in my transformation to a tourist in my own part of the world! I do hope your past week has exceeded your expectations and the week ahead brings great promise!

Yes, it's country transition week once again. I returned to Canada on Wednesday afternoon. It's with a heavy heart that I leave my friends in Wisconsin. I'm so grateful for the kindness, thoughtfulness and warm hospitality I've been immersed over the past four weeks! Once again, I feel like I'm leaving home. 

I was blessed with an uneventful journey home. I did have a lively convo with the United Airlines business lounge staff as I recounted my last trip to Canada from Minneapolis. Air Canada cancelled my flight, rebooking me on a Delta flight for later that afternoon. The lounge staff were amazing in helping me get sorted with what I needed to do. First, they confirmed on I was on the flight providing the booking reference number. They also contacted the United Airlines baggage staff to have my three bags available for me as I needed to check into my Delta flight. Yikes, I was unaware I had to get my bags and recheck in. Naively, I thought Air Canada handled that. Finally, they invited me to return to the lounge and wait in comfort until my Delta flight departed. What a godsend!! 

Knafeh and bread

Oh yeah! One last irritant regarding my baggage. I was required to pay $240 USD for the three bags I was flying to Canada with (free on Air Canada). I was moving back to Ontario. All's well that ends well though. I made a claim to Air Canada which the company paid. Actually, I got two emails from Air Canada; a nice contrite email from one person confirming reimbursement and a system generated email denying my claim. 

A return trip highlight was meeting a fellow traveller who was also renting a car from SIXT. He had just arrived from Brazil. He was a former Sao Paolo resident having moved in the past few years to a new home south of the city. We talked about the horrendous traffic situation in Sao Paolo. The city has the most helicopters licensed in the world for people to avoid the congestion. He also mentioned you can rent a helicopter to transit between Sao Paolo's two airports. It's affordable if you can find three other passengers to share the cost!

May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄  to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏

Travel Administration

I've also started using SIXT directly for my car rentals. They offered a small discount, resulting in the best price overall, that has enticed me to rent. A big plus has been the free upgrade to a more luxurious vehicle. The Pearson Airport location has two inconveniences including the off airport premises location and the lack of 24 hour onsite service. They close at 11 pm reopening at 6 am. They have a shuttle service from Viscount station to their rental location - a ten minute ride.

Travel Maps

The last three nights in Wisconsin before returning to Port Credit, Ontario on Wednesday afternoon. 

United States of America: October 26 to October 29, 2025

Inter Country Travel: Canada to USA - October 29, 2025

Canada (Ontario):  October 29 to November 1, 2025

United States of America

I had a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a final yoga class with most of my favourite instructors, Stasha, Denise, Carmen and Beth. I also played a final round of golf, nine holes, to wind up my one month golfing extravaganza. I handed off about 40 golf balls that I had found in my previous golf games. 

Sunrise - Altoona

Wisconsin has the most amazing morning sky.  I took these photos from the hotel parking lot! The colours are breathtaking!

Eau Claire #112 - Masonic Lodge Meeting 

My lodge meeting was an incredibly memorable meeting. We had four candidates completing the Entered Apprentice degree. Part of the degree requires the use of the holy book from your respective religious beliefs. This was my first experience where three different sacred books were used in any degree I had witnessed. 

In the social time after the lodge meeting, I had the gift of being with my brothers as they enjoyed the bottle of Scotch I had donated to the lodge last year. I had purchased the bottle in support of a lodge fundraiser. I also had the blessing of having a brother make a toast to me in thanks for the Scotch and wishing me safe travels in the months ahead! 

How blessed and grateful I am!

Altar with Holy Books from left to right
Tripitaka (Buddhism); Koran (Muslim); Bible (Christian)

Canada

I had a low pro schedule planned for the balance of the week in Canada, mainly prepping for my upcoming travels to Quebec (week of November 10), flight to Barbados on November 19 and organizing visits with friends. High priority items - replacing my French press and coffee grinder for my time in Barbados. I also needed to buy coffee beans to take with me!

Baklawa King

Baklawa King is my all time favourite Middle Eastern pastry shop. The most amazing sweets and the very best Turkish coffee! I decided to visit the location where the business started which ended up being underwhelming. The shop was minimalist in an inconveniently located strip mall. The highlight, which helped me surmount the dour surroundings, was a serving of Knafeh (with a sprinkling of crushed pistachio), bread and syrup plus an excellent demi-tasse of Turkish coffee! All is good in the universe when you can feast on this sweet delight. Next visit in January will be the second location that I'm much more familiar with!

Knafeh and bread

Sunrise over Lake Ontario

Every day you can witness the dark disappear as the new day dawns is going to be the best day ever! 

Day arrives without a picturesque start

Earlier in the year you can capture the sun through
the pagoda on the left. 

Next Week

I'm looking forward to my coffee with my most excellent friend, mentor, editor and former client. I believe Janet is the very smartest and wisest person I know. I'm also returning to Carnarvon to secure photos for the two articles that The Highlander has agreed to publish around Christmas. I have lunch planned with Jes at the FSG Temple in Mississauga. Another highlight is visiting a few of the Halton Region Conservation Areas I used to frequent when I lived in Oakville.