And there was to be some adventure. This was to be the longest trip we have ever taken in our electric car. It has a range of about 115 kilometres on a charge, and the B and B was about 95. And we knew there were charging stations in Stratford, so we felt pretty confident.
I was concerned that it would be so hot we would have to use the air conditioner in the car (which reduces the distance we can go). The temperature was fine, but I hadn't considered that the rain that was happening would necessitate the defroster, which also used the air conditioning. It was a bit scary to be going down the highway with the estimated range below the actual distance. However, we used the defroster only intermittently, and the rain stopped, so we seemed okay. Back roads, careful driving (we achieved 100% efficiency on their scale—an achievement that probably means little, but feels good), and we not only got there with power to spare, but saw some lovely back country as well.
We had planned to get thee in enough time to get some lunch before the performance. First stop, the B and B. We met Lara, our host, dropped our bags, and looked through the lovely victorian-era house. Then off to the Parlour Inn in downtown Stratford for a leisurely and lovely lunch, before the short walk to the Avon Theatre. We even had time to spare.
When we got to the theatre, we had about ten minutes to get seated. Got into line for our balcony seats, and began to wait. It was only then that I looked closely enough to the ticket to realize that the Sound of Music was at the Festival Theatre, not the Avon. We had a crosstown drive to get there. Panic!
I ran ahead to get the car. Darlene came behind me, more closely than I had thought. So when I went racing off from the parking lot, I failed to notice her, and went right by, then had to turn around to pick her up. By now it was almost curtain time. We got to the Festival Theatre as fast as the lights would let us. But now where to park? As i checked the close streets, with dwindling time, I chose to do what I have only thought about doing before: parked between two cars, perpendicular to the curb, and we went as fast as possible the single block to the theatre. Got there only five minutes late, and were seated after the first two songs of the musical.
And what a musical it was. It is hokey, hackneyed, overly-well known, and probably too simplistic. But it was wonderful to be part of it. The acting and singing were good, the sets were terrific, the emotions ran high. Lots of tears. We loved it.
And the sun was out in a clear sky after the performance. So we walked the gardens, found the charging station in that area, and then returned to the B and B. We thought we might go back into town for supper later on, but really were not that hungry. We had a lovely talk with Lara about this and that, before heading to bed by nine-thirty. The car had been partially charged while we had had our lunch, but we needed to plug it in and wish it a good night as well. A hot but otherwise comfortable night, and we were up for breakfast the next morning, bright and early.
Friday was our second play: Anne Frank. The local Stratford Perth Museum had an exhibit on the story of Anne Frank to coincide with the production, and had many of the material on loan from the Netherlands. Plus, the added bonus on having a EV charger are well.
We found the place, just outside of town, and pulled into the place for the charge. A man came out from the Museum, very excited, since they had just put it in and we were the first people to use it. They took a picture and we are now on Twitter for the Museum! The exhibit was good, too.
On back to town for a good lunch at Red Rabbit, then a coffee at Revell, a local coffee shop. Checked the tickets twice, the off to the Avon. This performance was a very different one than the previous day. This was drama, this was not light in mood, but it was also wonderful. Very hard, very moving: we stood in the theatre for several minutes after the play before we could talk and move outside.
Eventually, we got back to present-day, and retrieved the car. A pleasant (mostly) drive home, stopping for supper at the Cookhouse in Rockton for a good dinner, before getting home with still a 30% charge in the car.
And so went an untypical weekend in the life of a retired couple...
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Location:Stratford, Ontario
