1. Cat lover? Cuddle up with a kitty and cup of joe at My Kitty Cafe (#30 from the Guelph Tour Guide). What an unique concept. The facility is partly general store, pet (especially for cats, like cat beds, leashes, coats, food etc.) store, restaurant. At the back is an entry way to the "kitty" lounge which had two doors. You went through one and made sure the door was closed before opening the next door. Just in case one of the feline critters tried to escape. You order your beverage and/or meal at the counter before entering the cat room. If you just wanted to visit with the cats you paid a cover charge of $5.00 but if you order food the charge was waived. Inside there are many couches with knitted afghans hung on the back of them. In the middle of the first room is a large tree trunk made of brown carpets with platforms at different levels. Around the room were different climbing ramps and tubes for the cats to explore. There were 11 cats in the two adjoining rooms. I am amazed that I did not smell anything that let you know there were cats there. I never did find where their litter boxes were. We played with the cats using the toys provided. There were signs on the walls stating the rules of the room. No feeding the cats. Do not pick up the cats.
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| One of the 11 cats waiting in the tree. |
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| A variety of climbing tubes and equipment is ready for them to have fun |
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| Apparently this is the mother of several of the other cats |
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| Here are two of her children |
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| Up high on a climbing trail. |
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| Waiting at the tree for someone to play |
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| Toys are provided so you can play with them. |
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| Al pats one of them who is resting by his chair. |
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| "I have had my fun, now I am ready for a nap (in a bed at the top of the tree). No one will get me here." |
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| "I see something pink. I am tempted to grab it." |
We had a really good meal and enjoyed the company of the cats. I would highly recommend for you to try this experience at least once.
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| Nicely plated food. Very tasty! |
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| Al patting a cat. Was she looking for a pat or our tasty lunch? |
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| Cat cupcakes that we brought home as a treat from My Kitty Cafe |
"One of Guelph’s oldest and well-loved community spaces offers fresh local food, artisanal products and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere year round. Guelph Farmers’ Market continues a tradition of pride and community building supporting the local economy, sustainability and entrepreneurship."
We found it crowded with narrow aisles. There were several vendors outside but most were in the building. We bought a few things. Unless there is something specific to get, we will probably not go there again.
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| Al buying some beans at the busy Farmer's Market |
3. Check out one of the World's first documentary film festivals, The Guelph Film Festival (#126 from the Guelph Tour Guide). We bought a pass for the film festival. It was the best value and we could see as many films as you had time for. Our schedule only allowed us to see four films. All of them were in different venues which were appropriate for the films.
We saw:
Bluefin - about the tuna industry in North Lake, P.E.I. While in P.E.I., we drove by the Town of North Lake but did not go to see the harbour). Along with this documentary was a shorter one shown called Invading Giants (about the icebergs in Newfoundland). It was an emotional viewing because I had a feeling of homesickness while viewing the beautiful Newfoundland scenery and of course, the icebergs.
School Life - about a couple who are teachers in a private school in Ireland and live on the school grounds. It showed how they dealt with their students and school life. It is their last year before retiring and their thoughts show how they may deal with retirement.
In Pursuit of Silence - It was all about silence and how silence and noise affects us. It was interesting to learn about John Cage's song called 4' 33'' which is 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence "played" by a symphony orchestra.
Ramen Heads - about the making of Ramen soup in Japan focusing on Chef Osamu Tomita who takes cameras into his kitchen, where he shares recipes, trade secrets and his thoughts on flavours. Very interesting documentary about people's search for the best ramen soup. People actually line up for hours patiently waiting for the delicious soup.
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| Photo from the local newspaper for the screening of Bluefin. You can see us seated in the second row on the left beside the projector. |
The documentaries shown were very interesting and we would certainly go to the festival again.
Guelph was established by John Galt and the Canada Company in the 1820s. Quebec Street was one of the original streets named in Guelph. Quebec Street extended east and west of Wyndham Street North having several store fronts and services until about 1980. From 1980 to 1984, Quebec Street east of Wyndham Street North was closed off to build a mall, which officially opened in 1984 as an Eaton Centre. The demise of the Eaton's company in 1999 resulted in the sale of the mall to the city, which renamed it the Guelph Centre. The back wall of the Eaton's store was torn down, and the space was rebuilt as the Sleeman Centre. The remaining portion of the Eaton Centre became The Old Quebec Street Mall, which opened in 2003. The Old Quebec Street Mall displays a unique architecture, making visitors feel like they stepped in a historic town's main street as an indoor version of the traditional marketplace.
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| Entrance to the Old Quebec Street Mall |
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| Display of antique bridal gowns in the Mall |
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| As you can see, the main corridor of the Mall is straight. There are some unique stores in the Mall but they need to watch out for losing the historical charm by adding too many modern stores. |
5. Take a photo of the Guelph sign "where Gordon and Wilson meet". (We added this one for personal reasons - Bev's father was Gordon Wilson). Gordon Street and Wilson Street meet right before the railway bridge in downtown Guelph.
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