Peterborough

Back in September we took a family trip to Peterborough -- a sort of holiday for Sora and I and a regular work day for MJ. I guess I must be getting old because I found the 2+ hour drive draining, a real slog. The Prius is a pretty comfortable ride but my body complains from sitting that way for so long.

Arriving in Peterborough, my first time, felt both familiar and strange. I could see how the freshly resurfaced downtown attempted to hide some dusty history, bringing to mind the downtowns of Kitchener and Guelph, which I guess makes sense as this is another university town: The same 60s low-rise downtown, pockmarked with signs of poverty, the same pre-war homes, many chopped into multi-unit rentals, the same bafflingly congested roads that compete with inadequate public transit.

Our hotel was located just outside the downtown and served well enough. Sora found the experience exhilarating, excited by the new bed, a new room with just mama and papa. We ordered some Greek takeout, very mediocre, before retiring.

MJ got up early to take a taxi to work, allowing Sora and I to pack at our leisure. After enjoying the complimentary breakfast we took in a couple nearby public parks, including a playground littered with dubious artifacts: a computer missing its outer case, a soiled mattress, the scattered remains of someone's wallet, some improvised crack pipes. Sora of course did not recognize these for what they were and indeed largely ignored them, her focus on the play structure.

We caught up with MJ after her class for a meal but Trent's campus is a bit of a food desert in terms of options, offering little to Sora tastes, being a rather finicky eater. The trip to the Peterborough zoo mollified her disappointment somewhat, though the otters were not out that afternoon, a bright and sunny one.

The drive back was uneventful other than losing the battle against Google Maps' adamantly directing me back to the main highway, despite all my attempts to take the scenic route.