Big city living can be so exciting, but at times it can also be very frustrating. Arkadi and I have always lived in big cities – Moscow, Manila and Toronto. Don’t get us wrong, we love Toronto, but sometimes the hustle and bustle of the city, the noise, traffic and people get to us! There’s something about fresh country air, farm land and nature that instantly calms you. We highly recommend getting out of the city even just for a day trip to any stressed and worn out city dwellers out there!
One of our recent jaunts out in the country led us to Caledon, Ontario which is just an hour and a bit from Toronto. Our trip started at Whole Village Eco-Village which is a “community with a commitment to sustainability and land stewardship seeking to live together in harmony with each other and with the natural habitat.”
Whole Village has a bed breakfast right in their community that you can book for a night or more and their self serve breakfast includes their own eggs, seasonal organic fruits and vegetables grown picked fresh from their own garden. The host is friendly, informative and helpful! And they have a charming little pond right in the middle of their community where you can swim or paddle around. Now, here’s a note for the squeamish: they have a “potty shack” and solar heated outdoor shower. Don’t worry too much though because the potty shack is actually really clean and environmentally friendly and if you really can’t handle doing your business in the middle of nature, then you can head indoors and use their shared bathroom in the house. We spent a part of the day walking around their farm and enjoying their garden and pond and the next day, we headed out to Elora quarry which was about 15 to 20 minutes away. And after two days out and about in the country, we felt relaxed and ready to head back to the big city!
If you’re looking for a short get away that’s wallet friendly, why not check out Whole Village or a similar village outside your city? It’s a trip out of the beaten path that not only refreshes you but educates you too!
Here are some of photos from our trips:
This small blue cabin fits two, but note that it isn’t insulated, so bring some warm clothes for the night.
You can purchase their garlic, onions, cucumbers, etc. on site.
