Exploring Guelph Part 6

1. Visit the John McCrae statue at the Civic Museum (#72 from the Guelph Tour Guide 2017)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

     Most people have heard of John McCrae and the poem he wrote called "In Flanders Fields" during WWI (1915). John McCrae was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario. The house where he was born has been turned into a museum which highlights his life and his famous poem. It is a small limestone house in a Guelph residential area. The museum is also small but there are a few interesting displays concerning John McCrae's life before the war and his education as a medical doctor and teacher.

The roof of the archway going toward the house. Very artistic.

     We visited the museum as well as the garden beside the house. For a nice view of the house and memorial click here

The famous poem is wrtiten 

 

Walk through the gate to the Memorial Garden

What more can be said?

2. Grab a drink at the Albion Hotel -- the keepers of Canada's second oldest liquor license (#39 from the Guelph Tour Guide 2017).

     Every town has one. A hotel which is a drinking establishment for the surrounding area. In bygone days, only hotels could legally serve alcohol.  In my youth in Ontario, it was either the Clover Leaf or the "I" (Islington House). Neither one of these establishments exists today but it was our local watering hole. In Guelph, it is the Albion. You can go in and have a beer and a nice bit of lunch. One day, after exploring Guelph for the morning we stepped into the Albion for a spot of lunch. It was cozy and the staff were friendly. They claim to have the second oldest liquor license but the server didn't know anything about it and it was not on show.

A Wellington beer (brewed) in Guelph

Appetizers. Better than the pickled eggs you would get back in the "old days"

Lunch. The macaroni and cheese was very good.

3. Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the River Run Centre by taking in a show. (# 148 from the Guelph Tour Guide 2017)

     My daughter and I went to see A Passage to Bollywood at the River Run Centre. This Bollywood production was so much fun with the typical Bollywood speak, dancing and singing. There was a  romantic and tragic story line and everyone had so much fun. I quite enjoyed it.

     This was not the only time we had been to the River Run Centre. Several years back my daughter was dancing with a local dance studio and they had their year-end show at the River Run Centre. Good seats where you have a good view of the stage.

     Try and catch a show there.

4. Enjoy a delicious pizza cooked in an authentic Italian wood burning oven at Buon Gusto (#45 from the Guelph Tour Guide 2017)

     We had a lovely lunch of pizza and meatballs at the Buon Gusto Italian Restaurant in downtown Guelph. A very popular place for lunch especially on a cold and windy day.

5. Stroll down Douglas Street and spot the filming locations of Murdoch Mysteries. (# 51 from the Guelph Tour Guide 2017)

     One of my favourite Canadian shows is "Murdoch Mysteries" in which Detective William Murdoch of the Toronto Constabulary solves crimes. The show is set in Toronto in the early 1900's so the buildings on Douglas Street are perfect for that era. The show was filmed on Douglas Street in 2013 and 2015. The show has also been filmed at other locations in Guelph during the year. The last time was 2017.

The cast of Murdoch Mysteries

     It was interesting walking down the street and looking at the buildings, seeing if I could recognize any from the show.