"PLEASURE IN CANADIAN WATERS!" a Canada Travel Page by RafaelTheSecond

Before travelling to Canada I was planning to find a way to swim in Canada and experience some water activities in North America, it sees that I have chosen the wrong time of the year, but I did my best...Walking with my brazilian small swimming clothes under - 10 or lower temperature was something that I will never forget...The sensation of having your hair frozen is absolutely UNIQUE.

That experience can only be possible in the Laurentides, where I spent hours in a spa with my great friend Pierre. La Scandinave was the place and I learnt how the finnish enjoy the winter...They get baked in a dry sauna looking to a very cold swimming pool, then they jump into the water, stay there for 5 seconds and then back to the sauna!;)

Tough life in finland eh? And now in Canada....Anyway...I was in the sauna for some minutes, praying to all Gods even the VIKING GODS for not have a stroke when I jump in the water, and I went...No success, i just had my feet wet and came back immediately to the sauna!

Second attempt, BINGO...Splash in the water....UHHHHHHHHHH, and almost CRASH in the ground...the floors is very slivery because of the ice...but I did not fall, but I had a weird conclusion, after you jump in the pool, the sensation is pure pleasure!

So YES...PLEASURE IN CANADA...

But much more pleasant is to know that I have special friends in this country that I love so much.

Canada is now one of my homes and I cannot start any pages without expressing so much love, fondness and tender for such a fantastic country!

Canada gave me special moment and incredible people! Now it is part of my life story, and you will hear lots about Canada while I am alive!

This is a simple brazilian report about a place that I love and yes I left my soul in Canada!

OH Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free!

From far and wide, Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free! Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee

Finally they came to a conclusion 1980 and they are right, glorious land and free land, a land where everybody is welcomed, a land for freedom, where you are respected no matter what religion, political position or sex, a land which peace is the main concern. A land of equal opportunities!

Thanks God the Huron-Iroquoian had the good taste to name that frozen white north as the "village" or "settlement" called KANATA, referring to Stadacona (hahahaha YES THIS IS HOW THEY KNEW QUEBEC!!!:). Then Canada until today! Canada finally became Canada in February 1867, but before that..names like CABOTIA in honor of John Cabot, names like Ursalia (this one I like) because of the bears or Vesperia, thanks for the evening star. Actually I saw the north star when I was returning from Saint Felicien and when I spend such a lovely weekend in my favourite english canadian town called Pakenham.

I saw the TRUE NORTH STRONG AND FREE, and it taught me how to be strong in life and follow my goals and dreams, and I saw the Free Canada which made me much prouder of who I am and very proud of my true feelings towards people!

I love Canada from North to south, from West to East, this is a very sacred place where I gladly call MY OTHER HOME. Canada is in my heart and HOCHELAGA is MY REAL HOME IN CANADA!

If you think it is hot, it is hot!!! :0 Winter in Canada is something very easy to face...it is just a relaxing breeze...My relationship with canadian winter were quite simple, piece of cake! :)

What I want to tell you is that YES...it was my most important winter experience in life!

My first visit to Canada marked a new moment in my life, a moment with more friends, a moment with great work opportunities.

I visited both sides of this marvelous land called Canada...I met the French and the English.

The french size for sure I should thank specially and forever my great friend and big brother Pierre, a person who love his land and a person who is proud to be part of Quebec, but a person who never deny his honor to be Canadian! I stayed mostly in Montreal, city which doors were all opened for me, the city where I walked alone like I was in my own land, a place where I lay down my head on my pillow and think about HOME. I had the chance to visit Quebec, one of the most charming place I have ever visited. I had the chance to visit little french villages in the young America, and see the farmers life, Saint Felicien, La Belle, La Macaza, Sainte Agathe, La Conception and every little villages around Montreal and Quebec, I could drive in the road of Quebec and see how rich and enormous this territory is. When I talk about Quebec I talk with passion in my heart. I am not Quebecois, but I can tell you that my heart has a little french accent!

Two important people: Pierre and Jacqueline, son and mother which together made me love their land as well as I love my BRAZIL!

The English side...I have two great references in my life when I think about this english side of Canada. One my greatest inspiration of all times, someone with great ideas which changed my point of view about my profesional life, someone who has a great wisdon of his age and experience, a good father, a great grandfather and a fantastic friend, his name is David Craiggs, his body is british but the mind and heart is canadian for sure, and a brave Canadian from Calgary.

Another great reference which provided me a wonderful view of how life is heading in an english way, was Mike Cauchy, that person I met in Ottawa, and I could welcome him in Brazil after he opened his farm and let me see his incredible family, and I coudl visit Pakenham and spend some cool days there! There I met spectacular people and had oen of the biggest highlight of my canadian journey.

Toronto had a great part of my english cultural voyage, gave me an idea of a fast and busy big urban centre, and i loved it and I made great friends there too. Niagara Falls shown me the power of nature in north american style. Ottawa just convinced me that it is more than the Capital of Canada.

IN OTHER WORDS, CANADA, I LOVE YOU!