Weekend special: Elora

Yesterday afternoon Danny and I headed to Elora, a remarkably scenic village on the Grand River 15 minutes north of Guelph. In the 70s it was a mecca for artists and craftsman who unfortunately outgrew themselves. By the mid 1980s it had become a tourist trap, rents had skyrocketted and none of them could afford to keep their shops and studios downtown. They have been replaced by a long row of expensive boutiques and gift shops. The village still flourishes, Elora Mill Inn is one of the most notable hotels in the area, and the artists have all moved elsewhere. I imagine many of them still live in town. In 1990 when I lived in the village of Paisley, 90 minutes north on Elora Road, the Elora Soap Company and a Basque bakery had set up shop there. Elora soaps can still be found at upscale art and craft shows around Ontario. While no longer unique as it once was, Elora remains an interesting weekend jaunt.

The Elora Music Festival draws world class chamber and choral ensembles every year in early August. The feature performance always takes place on a raft in the middle of the small lake in Elora Quarry.

Elora Gorge is one of the most scenic spots in Ontario west of the Niagara Escarpment. And the village, despite having lost its grass-roots appeal, retains its old-fashioned charm.

The following scene has been widely painted, particularly by one Guelph artist. Picture Monet's paintings of canals in Venice and you'll get the general idea.





One of the most memorable features of the area is the falls below Elora Mill, which you can see in the distance of the previous photo. To see the rapids you'll have to pass behind the veil. In total, four more images await you.

( veil )

New frontiers

Photo: Danny in Elora yesterday.

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If I gave you a map of my skin you would know it better than I do, all its rivers and forests, valleys and peaks. Yes, especially the peaks. You could show me the darkest jungles and the wide hungry deserts, the places where I crave lovers to make winding trails, leave footprints where no one else has dared explore. This week it felt like a thin veil was pulled away and I lay naked under the sun, my skin sensitive to its light.

When Mom went through chemotherapy her skin became especially vulnerable. The sun would make her sick. She who loved gardening all her life. Not just gardening, the whole outdoors. Yes, it is from her more than anyone else that I acquired my love of nature. The mother who wasn't afraid of frogs, snakes, mice or spiders. The one who taught me the name of every bird and flower in the garden.

How must it be for those children who are so sick they have to be closed in special tents. They can't be exposed to any germs. Why is it? Because their immune systems are useless? Or severe asthma? How would it be if we had to avoid touch? I think I would go mad. Take my sight. Take my hearing. Take sex, yes, even that. Just promise me I will be free to lie in your arms again and feel the trail of your fingers, the press of your lips, the ecstasy of your closeness.

I dropped Danny off at the bus station at 4:45, and that will be the last time for a while, not because he won't be back for a visit, but because I'm losing the Sunfire at long last. Yes, this holiday of mobility must come to an end. Tuesday I'll drive the car down to my parents' house, and Wednesday morning they'll bring me back to Guelph en route to the cottage.

So the rhythm of my life, of going and coming, will change again. The hardest part of all will be that GroceryGateway.com has stopped delivering to the area. Without a car, grocery shopping becomes a chore again. Not a dreadful chore, mind you, just enough of a deterrent that I'm prone to neglect it. I have this wonderful Boxed Meat Revolution right across the street, where I can buy cheap meat. Frozen vegetables and dairy products are also looked after. Besides that, it's a 10 minute walk to Angelino's, the excellent Italian grocer. It's a little pricey, though, particularly produce, and there will always be those few necessary things I can't buy there, like sunflower seeds, certain spices and canned products I like, toilet paper and facial tissues, and the right kind of garbage bags for Guelph's compost and recycling program. This winter I will have to start braving the half-hour walk to Zehr's supermarket, then riding home by bus or cab. This will require planning. I used to avoid making that trip altogether, and ended up going without too many things. I need to look after my diet and household. A few simple things make everyday life less frustrating and more enjoyable.