"Canada, the 'truly' free Country" a Canada Travel Page by mapakettle

Canada is a great, great country. We left only because we needed to see more of the world, and could only do it, if we had no immediate need to return. Our desire was to meet people in their own backyards, and spend time shopping where they shopped, and eating where they ate. We travel the same buses, ride the same trains, and live pretty much like everyone else here does. We couldn't do it, if we were always checking the calendar for our 'return' dates.

Canada will always be my home, and as confused as all Canadians are about our identity, we're finding each day what makes us Canadian. Absence allows us room to compare, question, and eventually to learn.

When people ask us where we're from, they are always amazed that we have left Canada to live in Italy. Their desire, for the most part, is to move to Canada. They're envious, rightfully so, but very curious about life with such distances between cities. This is not to say that all Italians want to move away, but like members of Virtual Tourist, they want to experience more from life. Canada is a dream, just as Italy is a dream for us.

Most people we talk to think of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, but know precious little about the rest of our country. It is difficult to understand the vast distances from one coast to the other, and the tremendous range in temperatures from one region to another.

Canada is comprised of so many different cultures and religions, and you walk the streets of larger centers and enjoy the various garb that various Canadians wear, from clothing from their mother country, to odd, strange attire that threatens to slip off their backsides.

Politics is one subject that most Canadians would prefer to discuss through the use of cartoons, or political satire....no bar room brawls for us.