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