That's London, Ontario, folks. A city of a couple hundred thousand people that is on - yes - the river Thames. We stayed with a Servas host named Nathan, who was a very good host. He also lives in a high-rise, without spectacular views but very comfortable and homelike. And the people in the building seem to know each other really well - every time we met someone in the hall or on the elevator, Nathan would introduce us and chat with them for a few minutes. There is even a weekly singalong there (tho not in the summer). Nathan and his special friend (she's named Suzanne and lives 10 floors up) are both very good musicians and we had fun playing music together, me on my little dulcimer and they on guitars.
London has no special charm but feels nice. It's a lot calmer than Toronto (no surprise there). People smile at each other when they pass on the streets.
Nathan took us to the nearby Museum of Ontario Archeology. It's on the site of a settlement that at its peak probably had more than 1000 people. The people had longhouses like the Haudenosaunee, but were not part of the confederacy. They are called the "Neutrals" because they were neutral during the war between the Haudenosaunee and the Wendot (Huron) nations. What they called themselves is unknown. They died out in the 1600s, probably from famine and wars with neighboring groups, before the Europeans arrived in force.
Besides a hall full of artifacts, well presented and explained, they have reconstructed part of the settlement, including one longhouse (originally there were at least 10). The longhouse is starting to lean badly, but they do not plan to repair it; instead, they are going to let it fall down so they can see what happens in the process. They are going to build another if/when they can get the funding.
They also have a virtual reality setup where you can walk through the settlement by donning a pair of goggles. It was an interesting experience - you even get to shoot a virtual bow and arrow!
London has no special charm but feels nice. It's a lot calmer than Toronto (no surprise there). People smile at each other when they pass on the streets.
Nathan took us to the nearby Museum of Ontario Archeology. It's on the site of a settlement that at its peak probably had more than 1000 people. The people had longhouses like the Haudenosaunee, but were not part of the confederacy. They are called the "Neutrals" because they were neutral during the war between the Haudenosaunee and the Wendot (Huron) nations. What they called themselves is unknown. They died out in the 1600s, probably from famine and wars with neighboring groups, before the Europeans arrived in force.
Besides a hall full of artifacts, well presented and explained, they have reconstructed part of the settlement, including one longhouse (originally there were at least 10). The longhouse is starting to lean badly, but they do not plan to repair it; instead, they are going to let it fall down so they can see what happens in the process. They are going to build another if/when they can get the funding.
They also have a virtual reality setup where you can walk through the settlement by donning a pair of goggles. It was an interesting experience - you even get to shoot a virtual bow and arrow!
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