Summers are relentless for me in a great way that there are lots of socializing and other fun plans one after the other. Except that the introvert and home-body in me is also very excited by the prospect of any people-free time I can catch. 

Read more: A Visit to the Past as a Tourist

Which means social time interspersed with some home time is my sweet spot. This week has been low key, and I am so very happy at home, after a weekend away.

This past long weekend I went with my boys to see my parents and brother in Ottawa. The traffic coming out of the Greater Toronto Area was terrible so it made for a very long driving day on Saturday. But we made it. And after a good stretch, it was lovely. If hot and humid!

My mom always has feasts planned for us, and we come back with our bellies stuffed with great mom-made Indian food. And going around Ottawa is always a treat. I used to live there for years before I made the move to Toronto. But since it has been almost 2 decades of me having left Ottawa, it now feels like I am a tourist there out to explore an unfamiliar-to-me place. 

This weekend was very hot, which means the streets were more subdued. But the Byward Market downtown was just as happening as ever. You can alway expect crowds and action there. With the farmer’s market and arts and crafts stalls, well, it was a good place to visit. Even though shade was the best thing to seek as advertised by the stall owners- “we have shade, and pies”. 

Cooling down with some authentic Napoli gelato was very much on the agenda.

But walking around my parents’ house- the same neighbourhood that I lived in with them in my time in Ottawa, but in a different house- everything- the nooks and crannies, the paths, the shops – they just come back to me. And it’s a strange feeling. It’s like my gut directing me to places, and my mind then catching us and saying, “oh yeah, now I remember, vaguely, this place.” 

Of course, businesses have changed, buildings have changed, nature has changed in the span of the past 18 years. But a whole lot of it is still the same. The places still look the same. And I love playing these games with myself of finding these old haunts, and then figuring them out in my head. 

Another thing that struck me this time, and I mentioned it to my husband, is that the flavor of Ontario is so different around Toronto than from around Ottawa. Of course having 100s of kilometers in between the two cities makes a big difference. Being in the same province, it feels worlds apart. Around Ottawa, things are more laid back. The French flavor (Quebec being next door) is strong. Almost an easy lazy feel that is missing for me around Toronto and central-western areas of Ontario. The big green spaces add to this vibe in Ottawa. There seems to be more of a buzz of stuff happening, people on the go, and the big city vibe in and around Toronto. Things are more edgy in a way. I enjoy them both, and find the difference fascinating. 

Happy to have seen my family, happy to be back to a slow week at home! 

We’ve gotten intothe last few bits of lazy summer vibes this week with a big dose of Olympic watching, and I’ve also spent some quality time with my teenager- or at least as much as he’s been willing to 🙂