Hospitality with a
capital H
For the gem that is
Kincardine we thank Jacky, Don, and Nicole McGregor. These friends were
neighbors and walking partners when we lived in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia for
five years in the early 1990s. From listening to stories of their home on Lake
Huron we knew they appreciated the charms of this area, but we had no idea how
modest and understated were these comments. (It may be a plot to keep this area
an undiscovered treasure?) Our arrival coincided with the annual Scottish
Festival which with a name like Kincardine should give a hint to the depth of
Scots blood in this area of Ontario. We arrived to the sound of bag pipes on
the Highland Games competition field immediately adjacent to the marina. On
this grassy field the kilted competitors challenged themselves against the
traditional feats – both men, women and even children. We saw several of the heavy events – like the
hammer throw, stone throw, caber toss and sheaf toss. We didn’t even have to
pay for a seat since the fences were low and it was easy to watch from a safe
and free distance in the sunshine and waterfront breeze. Strolling up the hill
to the main part of town we wandered around the bag pipe and Highland dance
competition areas. The pipers and drums staged outside the competition arena so
we joined the locals watching the pipers tune up and test their air flow before
marching smartly into the judging. While we are not able to appreciate the
subtleties of this music, it was entertaining to listen to snippets and watch
the focused and intense concentration of the bands as they made final
preparations to perform. The flourishes
of the drummers who magically twirl their mallets, the colorful and intricate
traditional kilt costumes, and the heel tapping sounds
of the pipers will be hard to top on our journey. Speaking of heel
clicking or tapping, we also got a glimpse of the Highland dancers in action on
their competition stage and warming up before performing. These young girls are fit athletes with
endurance to admire. In the warm humid afternoon they were fully decked out in full
highland kilts, socks and jackets. In these colorful outfits they energetically
levitated above the stage with seemingly no effort. As one fan observed, just
watching them perform, one worked up a powerful thirst. The festival grounds
fortunately included a food court with traditional British food and beverages.
We tore ourselves away for the even bigger treat - to meet our friend Jacky and her daughter Nicole. The last
time we saw Nicole she was a wispy middle schooler, so it was nice to see the
beautiful young woman she has become. It was truly heart-warming to see how
poised and confident she is and hear about her accomplished professional and
personal life. She is happily married yet independent and adventurous and
poised to be the model mother she was blessed with. We especially were grateful
that she made time to drive the almost 7 hours from her home in Petawawa to be
in Kincardine for the weekend. Jacky, on
the other hand, is timeless which helped feed the illusion that it had not
really been more than 15 years since we had gotten together face-to-face. As
with so many of our friends from Saudi, time apart disappears and our hours together
flew by as we caught up on details that don’t make it into annual letters. Our
walks and talks were punctuated by scrumptious meals prepared by the master
chef, Jacky. Jacky and I have always shared an interest in food – I still use
many recipes that I got from her – so we knew we were in for a treat when she
promised us dinner. Pork chops with
ginger sauce, perfectly blanched and garnished beans, and toasted orzo with
olives and oranges were preceded by Margarita pizza and minted avocado dip, then
followed by a tower of white and black coconut, almond brownies and
creamy/tangy lime mouse tart topped with strawberries. All these delicacies
were served up with style and accompanied by wines pared to complement the
flavors plus good conversation with Jacky’s friends John and Sharon. We drifted
off thinking we might never partake of a better meal. After dinner we were
treated to the Saturday night bag pipe parade through downtown Kincardine. This summertime weekly tradition included an
augmented band of pipers and drummers since many of the day’s competitors
stayed to march as well. Behind the band
many locals fall in behind and parade through their town following the music
and greeting friends along the way. Even the youngest citizens join in and are
decked out with the proper tartan. The
enthusiastic participation in such activities clearly bond the community to its
heritage and fellow citizens. It is also just plain fun and a great excuse to
get outside on a beautiful summer evening.
John, Sharon and Nicole
The next morning, we
were picked up for a day of touring which started with brunch at Jacky’s gourmet
table. Fruits in season, blueberry French toast and Canadian bacon with honey
mustard got the day off to a delicious start. We did find time to tour Jacky’s
magnificent garden, walk the boardwalk gardens along the lake in town and hike
the trails in Lake Huron Highlands. (It was essential to burn off some calories
since Jacky was seen preparing another dessert for after dinner.) The whole
area is blessed with talented gardeners. It seemed every house had a special
display at their driveway, but the mini-masterpieces, manicured by families who
are responsible for the small plots along the lake front boardwalk, were over
the top. This area was also decorated with trash cans which, Nicole informed
us, were painted by high school students as an art project. The colorful
results worked to make this shoreline even more attractive. The attention to detail and pride in the
community were evident everywhere with murals on many of the immaculate
downtown buildings and plaques explaining the history and ecology of the area.
In contrast, the rugged, rocky shore of Lake Huron near Jacky’s house was
shrouded in mist and fog – untouched by any but nature’s own gardener and
peopled only with wildlife. It was good that we walked a little since dinner
was a treat – who cares about a few more calories! Jacky and Nicole along with
Don’s mother, June, took us to a local restaurant famous for classic fish and
chips in nearby Port Elgin. There was no
need for the traditional newspaper wrapping in this establishment since the
fish came golden and crisp with no oily taste – paired with crunchy chips
waiting to be smothered with tartar sauce and malt vinegar. Yum – better than a
trip to the UK. After dinner we toured the resort town of Port Elgin with its
attractive marina/harbor and quaint cottages lining the shore. On our return we
passed alongside the Bruce nuclear power plant where both Jacky and Don have
worked but were not able to see much of this the largest nuclear facility in
the world – quite a tribute to the planning that it is hidden yet so near. The
rolling open land between towns is rich farm fields dotted with windmills also
contributing to the local power grid and the wealth of this area. We closed the
evening with another delicious dessert (banana cream pie with a hidden
chocolate layer along with Canadian butter tarts) and conversation – making two
record late nights for these early to bed mariners. If you aren’t lucky enough to be hosted by
the culinary and tour guide prowess of Jacky, you haven’t lived. We are deeply
grateful and only sorry that Don could not be with us.
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