April in Paris . . . . Ontario.

Spring in Paris: daffodils, snowdrops, pussy willows, violets in the grass. No leaves on the trees, that comes in late May, but the snow melts, the grass turns from dead yellow to green, and red breasted robins hop on the lawns.

On the first mild day of April, my daughter Gwen and I spent some time in small town Ontario. Paris boasts the largest number of cobblestone buildings in Ontario with large Victorian homes set back on huge lawns and the typical two story brick main street.

The highlight of our brief visit was the discovery of a large garter snake on the bridge. At first we thought the creature had died in the winter, it lay so stiff and cold. Gwen nudged it with her foot and it moved. The snake must have slithered out of hibernation in a crack to sun itself and ended up caught in the cold when the shade covered the sidewalk. Gwen picked it up, only its head moving, and placed it on a sunny spot in the grass.

Paris has two claims to fame besides its name. On August 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received the first long distance phone call from Paris to his home in Brantford. 13 kilometres outside of town rests the homestead of Adelaide Hunter Hoodless who in 1881 founded the Women's Institute. This worldwide organization promotes the needs of farm women and homemakers. Adelaide Hoodless also promoted the development of domestic science and family health. The white clapboard homestead is open weekdays with a picnic shelter on the grounds.

Two good places to eat in Paris are the local Tim Hortons and Barons on the Grand. My friends laughed at the thought of a Tim Hortons being mentioned in a travel article, but what's Paris without a patisserie? Tim Horton Donuts infest all of Ontario. Many people pick up a coffee and donut for breakfast, and the parking lots fill at morning and evening break time with the trucks of contractors and salesmen. The moment after she steps off the plane, my husband's British aunt always asks for her Tim Horton donut and coffee.

There are cream and jelly filled donuts, crullers, twists, apple fritters, rainbow sprinkled, chocolate and the regular round donut with a hole in the center. Children and dieters like Tim Bits, the small round pieces also know as donut holes. Tim Horton was a famous Canadian hockey player who died in a car crash. Whenever we pass the spot on the QEW highway, my husband remarks, "There's where Tim became bits."

Gwen and I stopped for lunch at Barons and to our surprise, the outdoor deck overlooking the Grand River had opened for the first time. We sat in the mild spring weather and watched the swollen river boil below us. In the summer, Barons features a dinner and rafting on the Grand package.

I ate a huge Reuben sandwich with home made french fries and Gwen tackled a large Mexican wrap. Iced tea rounded out the meal, though the restaurant also specializes in various brands of beer brewed in small batches at local micro breweries. Americans should note that Canadian iced tea comes heavily sweetened and may include such flavours as raspberry and lemon.

While Gwen thought she might like to buy some underwear or perfume in Paris, the largest stores turned out to be a Home Hardware and the Mary Maxim sweater and knitting factory outlet. So we hopped back into the car and drove the scenic route of forest and farms back to our nearby home in Waterloo, Ontario.

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For more information about Paris or Southwestern Ontario, visit www.visitor.on.ca