Day two started with the Picton Sunday Market where I was was able to score some homemade black currant jam. Life is good when you have it on toasted ciabatta bread. Black currant jam (and cinnamon creamed honey) is just that magical.
Our little group split up in Bloomfield - half went to pick up rental bikes at the Bloomfield Bicycle Company while the other half proceeded via car. I was of the latter group.
One thing of note about the Bloomfield Bicycle Company is the very laidback atmosphere as demonstrated by the various signs (see an example below). And it would seem that their washroom is not for the faint of heart, but is, assured by one employee, "completely up to code".
The Reynolds House
One of the oldest stone houses in Ontario.
Not too shabby for a 215 year old.
We roundezvous-ed with the bike riders here. None of us were up for a tasting so we just did a short stroll on the grounds. This winery boasts the largest dry stone bridge in North America.
The bridge was actually quite modest in size, which made running up and down it much easier. It's charming, in its Hobbit-y way.
Lunch was had at the Tall Poppy Cafe. Their sicilian meatball sandwich and spanakopita were most excellent.
After lunch, I stepped in for one of the cyclists for the ~10 km return trip to Bloomfield. We took the Millennium Trail, which was really enjoyable (gravelly, but traffic-free). Hopefully, I'll be able to return with my own bike at some point and explore the rest of the trail, which actually extends across almost the entire length of the county. Wildlife sighting of note: one eagle (or so I would like to believe).
The remainder of the afternoon was supposed to be spent at the renown Sandbanks Provincial Park. Once again, the plan was not to be. The park was closed due to overcrowding, which, I should note, was ridiculous because the weather was downcast and rainy. Only insane people (such as myself) would go to a beach on such a day. Apparently, there were a lot (too many, in fact) of people not in their right minds that afternoon.
The police officer suggested we either wait a couple of hours (umm... heck no) or try North Beach Provincial Park, which he promised was really nice as well.
So North Beach we went.
And as promised, it was nice. Quieter than Sandbanks, I'd imagine, the water was clear and shallow for a good outward stretch. I felt somewhat silly holding an umbrella while getting my feet wet, but the water bickoned.
On a lurk, we stopped by two wineries on the way to dinner - Hillier Creek Estates and Sandbanks Estates. Nothing much to say except after trying a good number of wines throughout the trip, I still haven't developed a taste for it.
Pomodoro for dinner. My risotto was bland and undercooked. Blah. But the servers were really nice.
Overall, we have had better luck with lunch venues on this trip.
Wellington Beach - our last stop for the day. It's really an extension of the Sandbanks Beach across the canal. We came across a film crew using the beach for a low-budget commercial starring a blonde bombshell. A nice way to end the day.
Our little group split up in Bloomfield - half went to pick up rental bikes at the Bloomfield Bicycle Company while the other half proceeded via car. I was of the latter group. One thing of note about the Bloomfield Bicycle Company is the very laidback atmosphere as demonstrated by the various signs (see an example below). And it would seem that their washroom is not for the faint of heart, but is, assured by one employee, "completely up to code".
Awesome.
The Reynolds HouseNot too shabby for a 215 year old.
Karlo Estates Winery
We roundezvous-ed with the bike riders here. None of us were up for a tasting so we just did a short stroll on the grounds. This winery boasts the largest dry stone bridge in North America.The bridge was actually quite modest in size, which made running up and down it much easier. It's charming, in its Hobbit-y way.
I couldn't help myself.
After lunch, I stepped in for one of the cyclists for the ~10 km return trip to Bloomfield. We took the Millennium Trail, which was really enjoyable (gravelly, but traffic-free). Hopefully, I'll be able to return with my own bike at some point and explore the rest of the trail, which actually extends across almost the entire length of the county. Wildlife sighting of note: one eagle (or so I would like to believe).
The remainder of the afternoon was supposed to be spent at the renown Sandbanks Provincial Park. Once again, the plan was not to be. The park was closed due to overcrowding, which, I should note, was ridiculous because the weather was downcast and rainy. Only insane people (such as myself) would go to a beach on such a day. Apparently, there were a lot (too many, in fact) of people not in their right minds that afternoon.
The police officer suggested we either wait a couple of hours (umm... heck no) or try North Beach Provincial Park, which he promised was really nice as well.
So North Beach we went.And as promised, it was nice. Quieter than Sandbanks, I'd imagine, the water was clear and shallow for a good outward stretch. I felt somewhat silly holding an umbrella while getting my feet wet, but the water bickoned.
On a lurk, we stopped by two wineries on the way to dinner - Hillier Creek Estates and Sandbanks Estates. Nothing much to say except after trying a good number of wines throughout the trip, I still haven't developed a taste for it.
Pomodoro for dinner. My risotto was bland and undercooked. Blah. But the servers were really nice.
Overall, we have had better luck with lunch venues on this trip.
This sounds like a really nice country trip. The houses and bridges and all the scenery make it feel quite English, which you know is something I rather enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised you were part of Team Car. Did you mom demand the company?
Next time can you be asian/a hipster and take photos of the food. I need to see them!!
Thanks for sharing this journey with us. So, what's the next trip going to be? :)