The Last Instalment of Our Canadian Photos!

So you may be fed up of seeing all of our photos from Canada, but we have one final instalment! 

We're back in the UK & have been since January 17th, but it's taken Aslan THIS long to get his act together as far as the blog goes!

Don't worry! We've got many plans for the coming weeks!

...

First stop, the St. Jacobs Farmers Market located in St. Jacobs, Ontario! 

Me being raised VERY close to St. Jacobs always saw it as "normal" to see Amish people walking around town.

Technically, the people I'm referring to are actually called Mennonites! Similar, yet different.

This photo was taken at the cattle ring in the market!

Basically there is a panel of auctioneers behind a desk, a mennonite in the ring showing off the cow & the people in the audience bid on their top picks!

Aslan had never in his life seen such a sight, so my brother & I thought it was essential that we take him!

Just when he thought the fun was over in the auction ring, we took him "out back."

Basically, behind the ring is kind of like the "holding unit" for the cattle waiting to be put through the ring.

                           

You can see some of the cows here who are either waiting to be shown or have already been bid on.

Quite a weird & unpleasant experience to be honest. 

You have to walk along these rickety wooden boards that overlook the cows.

The smell is overwhelming & I've never heard so much combined mooing in my life!

They also have horses, pigs & sometimes goats etc.

A Canadian classic!

Cheese Curds! Also known as "squeaky cheese" because it squeaks when you chew it (if it's fresh)!

So delicious!

Summer Sausage!

Apparently this is a Canadian thing as well!

Basically just a smoked meat in a sock!

(Not a real sock, but that's what the bags are called).

Fancy a JUMBO kosher pickle?

What-the filthy vat & garbage bag storage don't entice you?

Only $1.00 each, though!

So, if you really don't believe me that Mennonites are everywhere in my town, this is a horse & buggy PARKING spot in the local Wal-Mart.

I am not kidding around!

Standard St. Jacobs Farmer's Market item. Aslan could do with one of these!

This is another local hotspot.

My grandma's go-to for stationary.

Love that they had to identify exactly what a "handful" means.

Goose & Gramma Make Homemade Doughnuts!

(This could have been a post all on its own!)

Took quite a bit of preparation to make these doughnuts happen.

Aslan & Gramma had to take a trip to the grocery store for some quick rising yeast as she was all out!

*AND I didn't receive my invite. I was left at home!

Tasty little things, though!

One of the following days, we woke up quite early to go to Niagra Falls! 

Took me awhile to get myself sorted this particular morning!

We finally get to Niagra Falls and as we park the car we looked up and saw this view. We knew we were not going to get the best of views that day.

The entrance to the local tourist trap. 

It was mainly empty with the occasional splattering of a group of Chinese tourists.

During the winter months many of the activities at the falls are closed down; including this lift which takes up to a platform form which you can get an amazing view.

As we approached the the horseshoe part of the falls the visibility (and the spray) got worse and worse.

Ta da! You could only really see about half of the horseshoe falls. I realise that it sounds/looks like we had a terrible time but it was actually quite fun.

 It kind of reminded us a little of what it was like on our US road trip. 

The fog did block off the views but it also made everything dissolve into beautiful nothingness. 

As soppy as bread and butter pudding.

One of my favourite spots to go.

Thought Aslan might like taking a few photos here!

The family dog!

Boom! Real name: Boomer!

He loves going for walks!

Of course we had to take him along!

REALLY old style Canadian mailboxes!

We LOVED watching this show when we woke up every morning! 

Its a Canadian classic about a clever dog and the adventures he gets up! 

Estée's mum said this was one of her favourite shows when she was growing up and we have to say that it is still great today. 

One episode involved two orderly single people that got together in the end because of the dog. 

It was very sweet.

Overwhelmed by the consumer choice at a dollar store (especially after England's limited range of produce at Poundland). 

This is the range of delicious cured meats at OSOGOOD butchers. 

They have the best baloney and wieners there! 

The girl who served us was really nice and Aslan got lots of free samples; including an odd looking sausage which consisted of pork jerky suspended in pork gelatine (it was delicious according to him). 

She also told us that man who set up the butchers stole the name from a butcher's shop in London that he used to work in before he came to Canada. 

Has anyone heard of an OSOGOOD butchers' in London?

Needless to say we visited Value Village again (and again). 

One of Estée's favourite charity shops got closed down. 

On a brighter note, the Halal butcher's next door is doing a booming trade!

Last but not least, the top knot.

If I'm just having a relaxed day, my hair usually looks like this & Aslan makes sure to document it!

I'm sure this isn't the last you'll be seeing of it!

That's it for our trip!

As I said we have many more posts in progress!

We're doing a new thing where we do one "date" a week!

*hint* this week we went to a museum!

Until next time!

Goose & Button

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