Every morning for the past week I've been taking the bus under the Detroit River into the Motor City. Every morning I show my passport and answer a list of questions, one of which is 'am I carrying any firearms?' and others ask what my business might be in the city of Detroit. I always pass with flying colours and then, later in the day, the process is repeated on the Canadian side of the border where I am staying in Windsor, Ontario.
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| Detroit at sundown from Windsor Ontario |
Windsor is a strange place, it's like the sort of town you might find if you're playing Grand Theft Auto, it's quiet, there doesn't appear to be much going on and yet it's peaceful and for the past few days it's been home. I find myself looking forward to getting the bus 'home' and once on the other side of the border I can look out from my hotel room at the Detroit skyline and, in a way, feel thankful that I'm not there. But don't get me wrong, Detroit is just like any other American city, in fact, it's probably better. I thought the food was a cut above that of Pittsburgh, put it that way, and let's just say that Frank's Deli, in the Buhl Building, was to die for, especially if you order the famous Gyro wrap, which I did twice on consecutive days along with a Twinings Orange & Cinnamon-flavoured tea and a bottle of mineral water. There's only two tables as I guess most people buy take-outs, but Frank's was easily among the best food on offer in my humble opinion.
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| Graffiti in downtown Windsor |
Normally, when I'm in the USA, I eat badly, but not on this trip and that's credit in many ways to Detroit, a place that has been given a bit of a bad press due largely to reports about crime levels, but it was fine. Yesterday I took a trip to a CVS to buy a toothbrush and some Sleepy Time Bear tea and I didn't feel in anyway threatened, it was just the usual sunny afternoon in an American city, lots of people walking around, plenty of traffic and those electric scooters, some abandoned on the sidewalks and I don't think I saw any down-and-outs or nutters walking about shouting (I saw more of them in Pittsburgh last year).
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| Houses in Walkerville |
Watching Detroit from across the river is a bit like watching a toy town, a model you might see in Hamley's over the festive season, especially when a bright yellow two-car train on an elevated line passes by like something clockwork you might get for Christmas when you're a kid, it's known as the People Mover. The whole scene is toy-like, the small ships moored on the river side, the traffic, the buildings and the fact that I'm on the opposite bank, in a different country just watching things unfold.
It's strange being on the opposite bank looking over to Windsor, Ontario, which doesn't have an impressive skyline at all, although it's possible for me to pick out my hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton on Riverside Drive.
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| Biblioasis – a great bookshop |
In Windsor, the restaurants are slightly better than in Detroit, in my opinion. There's not that American over-indulgence thing going on. Last night, in Cucina 360, an Italian restaurant on Chatham Street West, I had roasted salmon with brocolli and roasted potatoes, although I regretted the créme bruleé but thanked my lucky stars that I hadn't ordered the tiramisu, normally my go-to dessert in such an establishment. It was my second visit and it was fairly enjoyable as restaurant experiences go. There's a great restaurant called The Keg on Riverside Drive, very grand, a steakhouse, but there's more than just meat. Again, I ordered salmon with greens and mashed potatoes but started with prawns – or shrimps as they're known here – although these ones were huge and very tasty. I'd like to go back there and perhaps I will, but it's difficult to say as there are other places to investigate.
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| The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel... since 1930 |
Some people living in Windsor, Ontario, take the bus to work in Detroit every day and I'm wondering whether there are others living in the Motor City who travel under the river to work in Windsor. It's one of those things I guess I'll never know.
The river is flat calm today and the sun is shining. The skies are a hazy blue and there's a slight breeze causing the flags to flutter slightly on the memorial green I can see from my hotel window.
My colleague Catherine and I took a short walk to Tim Horton's for a drink. I had a cappuccino, she had some kind of fruit drink. Foolishly, perhaps, I ordered a cookie (I wish I hadn't, but I had) and I sat there nibbling and sipping until it was time to go. Later, I set out alone for a place called Walkerville, an upmarket region of Windsor, to check out a bookstore, Biblioasis, and then after that a coffee shop around the corner called Anchor where I ordered a black tea and a square snack. I took the number 2 bus and it took around 15 minutes, one straight road. The bus was packed, but I got off at Gladstone and then entered the bookshop. I wasn't particularly looking for anything specific to read so I simply riffled the pages of a few novels and then headed for Anchor. After chilling with the tea and 'square' – that's how it was described on the receipt – I found myself in a couple of gift shops and then I caught a bus home along Wyandotte Street as far as Ouellette Avenue and then walked towards and turned left on to Riverside Drive and my hotel.
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| Tea at Anchor... nice! |
It's nearly 1900hrs and the sun is still hot, the skies are blue and outside the motorboats travel east along the river. The skyscrapers of Detroit still stand proud across the water and people and walking back and forth or sit on the grass under the shade of a tree. Dogs are being walked, people are cycling and jogging, kids are playing ball games in the early evening heat while others sit on wooden benches watched by Canadian geese as they eat and drink below the limp flags hanging from white poles in a semi-circular war memorial.
Friday
The plan was simple: have breakfast, pack, check out and walk to Walkersville, visit a bookstore (Bilblioasis) and then a coffee shop (Anchor) and then take a look at the hippy shop that sells all the magic beans and tarot cards. Yesterday I took the number 2 bus, this time we walked. The weather was still very pleasant and it took around 45 minutes. We did everything we set out to do and when we walked back, simply retracing our earlier steps, we stopped off at a bistro on the riverfront for a snack before heading back to the hotel and taking a taxi to the airport.
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| A random shot of Detroit Airport close to gate 36... |
It was sad to be leaving Windsor, Ontario, but we'd both had enough and just wanted to get the flight over and done with. At the airport it was the usual hassles and then we settled down with tea and soft drinks and stuff as we waited for the flight to be called. It was going from Gate 36, which was next to where we were sitting and eventually it was time to board.
Or was it? They were offering $1,400 to anybody who stayed over in Detroit and flew back on Saturday night. That's £1,100! Wow! Surely a bargain? Well, yes it is so I went for it, but after saying yes I immediately regretted it as I really wanted to be home. I'm now sitting in a Courtyard Marriott not far from the airport, there's a noisy air-con unit (that will buzz throughout the night), the walls are a kind of orange colour, there are two double beds and it's all very miserable, but what is done is done, I'm flying back tomorrow night, I have a window seat and there's around a grand to spend for my troubles. I don't think I'll ever do it again. In so many ways I feel sick to the stomach about the whole deal and I just want to be home. I keep looking at my watch and working out how much time I'd have left on the flight had I taken it, but I didn't. Instead I took a shuttle bus to this Godforsaken place and now I've got to sit it out. I can't even be bothered to eat anything, in fact, I don't even know if there's anything worth eating. I hate my predicament and I hate myself. Roll on tomorrow is all I can say.
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| Now I wish I'd been on board, sod the money, sod the money. |
