Starting last Thursday, I was in Kingston for their annual Writersfest. When I was there in 2019 I only went for two days, but this year I sprung for the four day festival pass. Unfortunately I didn’t call about my hotel reservation in time so not only did I not get the discounted rate, I had to stay in a different hotel. But this was the view from my window:
That big building directly across the docks is the hotel I stayed in last time. :-D
Kingston is a beautiful city, and one of Canada’s oldest. And it’s full of history . . . and ghosts. So when I saw an advertisement for a ghost trolley ride, I couldn’t resist. I ducked out early from one of my masterclasses to take the tour.
The driver was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Kingston. He also knew the stories behind a lot of the ghosts and, of course, where the bodies were buried. We were well entertained for two hour trip.
It got dark pretty quickly so I didn’t get a whole lot of pictures. I think the highlight was the “big three” – the Kingston Penitentiary, the Women’s Penitentiary, and the Rockwood Asylum For the Criminally Insane, all abandoned now. The stories he told about these places were horrific, none more so than the ones that took place in Rockwood.
We spent considerable time parked there while Jack, our driver, regaled us with gruesome facts and haunting stories. And I swear to God, as he was talking, I could feel my throat constricting. There was a pressure building up in my chest. I was actually on the verge of asking if we could move along when he started up the engine and started off to the next landmark. The pressure in my chest eased up immediately.
The next morning, I was awakened by the sound of a fog horn. And honestly, I didn’t think anything about it until I was sitting down for breakfast in the hotel dining room and saw this:
Talk about a missed photo opportunity! If had had known the fog was out there, I’d have been down on the dock instead of in the dining room. And it was so bright and sunny out, the pictures would have been amazing. I bet the sunrise was too.
So the next morning I went down to the dock before breakfast and waited for the sun to rise. Unfortunately, this time it was somewhat overcast and the sun stayed behind the clouds. This was the result:
The following morning I decided not to waste my time, and of course it was a brighter sunrise than the day before. Clearly I was not meant to get that picture.
One of the things I really like about Kingston is the path along the waterfront. This is an 8 km public trail, perfect for walking or biking. Or running, as evidenced by the number of runners that passed me whenever I was on the trail.
The hotel I was staying at overhangs this trail on three sides, and what I really enjoyed were the murals along it.
To be honest, I didn’t really get to see much of the city, other than the waterfront early in the morning. As I said, I was there for the Writersfest, so I was in masterclasses from 9 in the morning to 6:30 in the evening with only an hour or so in between each class. And one evening it was actually 8 before I was done because I went to one of the author readings and interviews:
That’s Guy Gavriel Kay, who was kind enough to let me take his picture while he was signing books. For those who are unfamiliar with him, he’s a famous Canadian fantasy author. Look him up. :-D
I had a great time at the festival, and I’m already looking forward to next year. But it’s also nice to be home again.
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