We leave Montreal and enter the province of Ontario. The federal state has an area of over one million square kilometers, making it larger than France and Germany combined. Although Ontario only accounts for a good 10% of Canada's total area, it is the province with the highest population density in Canada at 11.2 inhabitants per square kilometer. In comparison, Germany has an area of 358,000 square kilometers with a population density of 236 inhabitants per square kilometer.

We make a stop in Cornwall to do the laundry again. We also need a stable internet connection for the German team's game in the European Football Championship. We spend the night at the marina and go for a stroll around the town in the morning and want to have a real American breakfast, with lots of calories and coffee. In fact, next to the well-known standard fast food chains, we find a diner that really looks like it has fallen out of time. The interior and staff are from the mid-1950s and the prices are fortunately the same. We continue on the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) along the St. Lawrence River to Upper Canada Village, a museum village that brings to life the structure and facilities of a typical rural small town in 19th century Ontario. Crafts such as sawmills, bakeries, blacksmiths, flour mills and much more are recreated by locals in period costume. 

The area along the St. Lawrence River is densely populated and it is becoming more difficult to find a free place to spend the night, as we are now encountering more and more 'no overnight camping' signs. There is an unusual sight in Brookville. A 500m long railroad tunnel, which was still in use until 1954, practically runs under the town and has been restored for tourism. We drive away from the river to Graham Lake. There we find a nice and affordable campground by the lake that has everything we need. We stay here for a few days and take a vacation. After four relaxed days, we move on. In Kingston, we take a stroll through the town and visit Fort Henry, which was an important military post on the St. Lawrence River until the mid-19th century. In the 1930s, the site was restored as a National Historic Site and is now a tourist attraction. Students earn a few dollars here by performing military parades, changing of the guard and artillery fire. Given the performance, hopefully no one responsible for training in the military will ever watch this. 

We continue on to the megacity of Toronto. We go to a provincial park just outside the city and take the GoTrain from there directly to Union Station in 40 minutes. From there, we stroll through the street canyons and the sunny weather provides plenty of great photo opportunities. The highlight is of course the CN Tower, which at 553m was the tallest building in the world until 2007 before being surpassed by Dubai and then the Chinese. We got a time slot for the afternoon and the elevator takes us to the first viewing platform at 350m in 58 seconds. From there it goes up again to 450m. The more daring can also take part in the Edge Walk and walk around the tower on a narrow ridge at a height of 400m. 

It is only 70 kilometers from Toronto to Niagara Falls. In contrast to many other tourist hotspots, you can park here for $20 a night and can easily reach everything on foot. You have a better view on the Canadian side, but everything is mercilessly marketed. In principle, the whole area is a large amusement park with a waterfall. The falls are illuminated in the evening and there is a big firework display every day at 22:00. 

Now we've had enough of the hustle and bustle and mass tourism and head to Kitchener and St Jakobs. This is the home of the Mennonites who first settled in Ontario in 1776 and originally came from the Netherlands and northern Germany. The traditionalists among them rigorously reject the use of modern technology. As in the old days, they harness horses to the plow and ride to church in a carriage. They even have their own carriage lane on the country road and a separate parking lot at the supermarket with feed for the horses. However, most members of the faith now travel by car. Many traditions have survived to this day. For example, the largest Oktoberfest in North America takes place in Kitchener, which was called Berlin until the First World War. Radio programs with a church focus are broadcast in German and there are also monthly newspapers in German with a circulation of up to 30,000 copies. . 

We drive along Lake Huron and childhood memories of the childhood books of Leatherstocking, the Hurons and the Iroquois come flooding back. Via Sudbury, we reach Lake Superior at Sault St Marie, and with an area of over 82,000 square kilometers, it really is huge. In comparison, Lake Constance, at 536 square kilometers, looks like a small puddle. Standing on the sandy beach on the shore, it's hard to believe that you're not by the sea. All you can see is water right up to the horizon. The TCH always runs alongside the lake, accompanied by the railroad line. Although the provincial parks are located on the lake with a beach, they are practically directly between the highway and the train and are also really expensive. The only solution is to take a forest road which we follow for 2 km and then enjoy an undisturbed night's sleep. On the way we pass through the village of Wawa, which means wild goose. They stop here in huge flocks on their annual migration and so it is no wonder that the town's landmark is the goose. In Pukaskwa National Park we take a break for a few days, do some nice hikes in the park and recover from all the driving. 

Apart from a few nice overnight stops at lakes off the main route, the route always follows the endless Superior Lake. Every now and then there are a few highlights along the way, such as Quimet Canyon, which you can admire from two viewpoints on a short trail. And then there is the supposedly longest suspension bridge in Canada. The area is shielded with barbed wire and video surveillance like a high-security wing. Two people have to pay a hefty $52 to visit. We thought that was a bit excessive, but 25,000 visitors a year probably justify such admission prices. However, there are definitely two fewer visitors this year. 

Thunder Bay is home to one of the best 'living' museums in Canada, Fort Williams Historical Park. From 1803 to 1821, it was the western headquarters of the North West Company and served as a central transshipment point and winter quarters for the fur hunters on Lake Superior. From here, the furs were transported to Montreal in the spring on huge canoes. The old palisade fort was rebuilt true to the original and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. It conveys an authentic picture of life on the edge of the wilderness around 1815 and is highly recommended. 

We leave Superior Lake at Thunder Bay and suddenly feel like we are in Upper Bavaria, surrounded by agriculture and farms. Karin has found a farm that sells Gouda cheese and we stock up on plenty, as cheese is generally very expensive in supermarkets and the selection is usually very limited. A few kilometers further west we come to Kakabeka Falls, which are referred to as the Niagara Falls of the North in full-bodied tourist advertisements. The comparison is perhaps a little exaggerated, but the falls, which plunge 39 meters into the depths, are very impressive.

After more endless kilometers on the TCH, usually surrounded by nothing but forests, lakes and annoying biting flies, we reach Kenora and thus the provincial border to Manitoba with the capital Winnipeg. As always, you'll find out what we experience there in the next blog.