It’s July, and I’ve booked our next flights, accommodations, and some train journeys. Back in February, Alex thought we wouldn’t be traveling again. This year has certainly been unusual. After we returned from our winter vacation in Portugal, we both fell ill. Overall, it was not a particularly wintery season here in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Despite sharing the cost of a snowplow with our neighbors for the driveway (which gave us a small discount off their quoted price), we only had the contractor clean the driveway twice, and one of those times happened while we were in Portugal. While I believe this was an expensive form of snow removal, Alex views it more as insurance. After all, you never know how severe winter will be, although it’s expected that milder winters will become more common due to climate change—until, perhaps, they entirely disappear.
We arrived at Pearson Airport on February 7. On February 9, in the midst of winter, we began our gardening activities for the year. We raked the leaves, cleaned out the vegetable boxes, and prepared them for planting. It was 15°C (59°F), and I was in a t-shirt.
A few days later, Alex had a dermatologist appointment at what I refer to as a plastic surgery factory. I’m unsure why doctors refer patients to this place for basal cell carcinoma when their main focus seems to be cosmetic surgery. The large reception area and offices are filled with screens displaying advertisements for plastic procedures. I know this because I was once sent there myself for a basal cell issue, only to be referred to Women’s College Hospital for Mohs surgery. Shortly after Alex’s appointment, he fell ill. I followed suit just three days later, suffering from a sore throat and a high fever (39°C or 102.2°F). I was so unwell that I spent about a week in bed. Given that I hadn’t been in contact with anyone else, I’m certain I caught it from him. Meanwhile, Alex went to the NYGH emergency department alone, where he was tested for Covid, several flu strains, and other circulating viruses. All tests came back negative. They prescribed him antibiotics, and he recovered much quicker than I did. Due to our recent travels, the doctors diagnosed both of us with an unspecified virus, likely contracted in Portugal. With my high fever and slow recovery, I suspect I may have encountered a strain of Covid that was not tested in our hospital. I still believe that Alex picked it up in that overcrowded dermatology clinic, which is why I dedicated time to describe it. Ontario Public Health has since declared Covid to be a lingering presence and stopped extensive testing some time ago, leaving us uncertain.
As we started feeling a bit better, we realized that our calendar was overflowing with doctor appointments. With both of us needing check-ups, we found that not only spring but summer was also booked solid. We had dentist visits, optometrist appointments, and specialist consultations. This meant I had to wave goodbye to my plans for a Scandinavian trip—at least for this year.
By the end of February, we experienced thunderstorms, with rain but no snow. In March, Alex arranged for topsoil to improve our lawn, using some of it to enrich our vegetable boxes and barrels.
The warm weather persisted through early spring.
I decided that we would be home long enough to fill my planters with lettuces, zucchini, beans, tomatoes, and more. In our climate zone, people typically start planting around mid to late May. However, I planted the lettuces, onions, garlic, and kale in mid-April, and by the end of April, I had also planted zucchini, beans, broccoli, and more.
By mid-May, the lettuces were ready for harvest. Frequent rains meant I didn’t have to water anything. In fact, it rained so much that by mid-May, Alex’s favorite plant, rhubarb, in our front garden was ripe for picking. We gathered around 4 kg (close to 9 lbs) of rhubarb stems, and I made a large batch of rhubarb compote to share with neighbors and friends while freezing the rest.
This summer has been very wet and cool, with only a couple of hot and steamy days. Coming from a hot and dry climate, I’ve never quite acclimated to the summer humidity here. This year, however, the spring and summer have been pleasantly cool.
We’ve been able to keep our windows open throughout the season. Reports suggest this might be one of the rainiest summers on record for Southern Ontario, with Toronto experiencing significant flooding on multiple occasions. A 100-year storm has occurred more than once in a single month. Fortunately, we live in Markham, far enough from the hardest-hit areas.
Following a severe storm in 2005, which resulted in some neighborhood homes flooding, the municipality made wise improvements to the infrastructure, upgrading both sewers and stormwater systems. Although 2016 was dusty due to road excavation projects, these efforts have proven to be worthwhile in preventing flooding.
However, due to the heavy rains, we haven’t been able to walk around the city and its parks as much as we had planned. I’ve been meaning to write a blog about Toronto for a while now. After all, we’ve explored many cities worldwide, but not our own. I guess that will have to wait for another time.
In exciting news, we’re traveling again! After returning from Portugal in the winter and subsequently falling ill, Alex thought our days of traveling were over. However, I still have several destinations I want to explore. This winter, we’re heading to Southern Spain for a change of scenery after Portugal, and next summer, we’re planning a trip to Scandinavia. Time will tell how it all unfolds, along with our health.
This September, we’re set to visit five European countries, including Bulgaria, to reconnect with two dear friends who are still living there.
I have fond memories of Hungary, where in 1978 I attempted to find my maternal grandfather, who had passed away in a small town long before my search. This was part of an exchange program with a union from a similar institute to ours. Our Hungarian colleagues enjoyed two weeks at a resort on the Black Sea, while we spent our time in Hungary—one week in Budapest and another in a youth camp on Lake Balaton.
I also cherish memories of Slovakia. The Czech and Slovak Republics had just separated from Czechoslovakia, forming two independent nations. I loved the mountainous landscapes there. Unfortunately, we won’t have time or stamina to hike them again, as we did in my late thirties, but we’ll enjoy ample time in Bratislava. We’ll fly into Vienna, and after exploring, will return via an overnight train from Amsterdam. Exciting plans await! We’ll attempt to share updates from the road or shortly afterward. Stay tuned.
