Visiting Reta

Last Sunday John and I visited my mother in St Catharines. Each time we visit we like to walk a new route to her home from the bus station. This time we walked along the Victorian townhouses of King Street.

King Street truly has some lovely old buildings like this one that is now a YWCA.

We peeked into the window of Ivan's Barber Shop on Court Street before walking towards Welland Avenue. John loves traditional barber shops and has decided he wants to get his hair cut there soon.

We loved this ghostly white house in a dramatic setting where Court St meets Welland Avenue

and this classic car-wash further along Welland Avenue.

Reta had lunch ready for our arrival. After eating we like to settle in to watch a DVD, share some wine and chat. Here Reta and I are trying to rationalize the generally unlikeable characters and confusing scenarios of Something Borrowed. In the end we three agreed that we'd enjoyed the flawed movie.

We always take Reta out for dinner after watching our movie. Check out the storm clouds gathering as we walked along the Terry Fox Trail to a favourite, local restaurant.

We arrived at Coppola's Italian Restaurant just as the storm was about to break.

As the rain poured down outside we settled in to a table to enjoy Coppola's Vegetariano pizza and a shared chocolate bundt cake for dessert. Happily by the time we'd finished eating the downpour had ended.

As usual after eating we visited the Buns Master on Carlton Street so that Reta can buy some bread and local fruit and vegetables. As we left with our purchases the skies were looking threatening again.

We scurried along Rodman St back to Reta's place before the next storm cell arrived and headed off to the bus station for our return to Toronto. The weather certainly added visual drama to this visit with Reta!