My recent trip to Toronto, Canada.
Monday we set off at 9:30, but we were still too late at the airport to get the seats we wanted.Oh well, we could at least sit together, but I ended up with this girl next to me who kept curling up on the seat without worrying that she was invading my personal space.
We arrived mid-afternoon, and after getting to the hotel, The Fairmont Royal York (
www.fairmont.com/royalyork/), which is a local landmark, we found out later. It was an amazing lobby, but the room was a little tired, it had obviously been decorated in the 80's and was chintzed up! I think there were at least five floral patterns...the bathroom also needed updating. Apparently the queen always stays there when she goes.
After unpacking, we left the hotel and went in search of a Starbucks as we knew there were lots around. We walked for what felt like miles until we found one, they were difficult to spot as shop signs are very subtle in that part of town. We sat and ate tea, by this time it was 10pm UK time, then went for a wander. When we got fed up, we returned to the hotel and watched DVDs.
Tuesday we started out by going back to the Starbucks for breakfast.
We then went to the CN Tower, as we had heard it could get really busy. The guidebook we had said they opened at 10, but they were open and we could go up at 9:30. We had to pose for a photo, which we didn't buy, then it was to the elevators. It was a slightly misty day, but we still got good views and didn't have to fight to see things, which was good.
We walked on the glass floor. Now I had promised myself I'd walk on it a lot, but as I stood on it I could feel a fizzing pins-and-needles sensation of fear go up my legs from my feet, and realised there was no way I could stay on there for any amount of time! It was scary, I know the glass is thick, but it is a very long way up. Mark skittered over it, standing on it less time than me. As you didn't have to walk over it it wasn't too bad...
After that we went to the Rodger's Centre (it used to be called the Sky Dome), and had a tour. It was interesting, and the guide was slightly off his head and good fun!
Next was a trip to the harbour, and a lovely fish meal. I had fish and chips, I couldn't resist as it was halibut, and amazingly firm and tasty.
Then we went to book a boat trip we had pre-paid for. We had had no luck calling them, so decided to find the offices and book in person. We didn't have to bother, we could just go on it immediately, So we did, and had a lovely trip where we found out about our hotel.
Off the boat we wandered around a bit longer, then back to the hotel, and out later for a snack. Starbucks again, we hadn't found a local coffee shop yet except for Tim Horton's, which to both of us looked like a Mc Donalds, yuck! We tried some tea from Tim Horton's and 'Tim Bits' which turned out to be mini-donuts. They were both horrible, confirming our thoughts of the chain.
The next day we got up early, Starbucks for breakfast, as we hadn't found anywhere else. Back to the hotel to meet the Greyhounds coach for a two hour trip out to Niagara Falls.
Because we're cheap, we hadn't gone for the lunch option, so when we arrived, most of the group went to a buffet, and we walked to the falls. It's surprisingly tiny, although I guess some of that is distance, but I was expecting to be dominated by the size and noise, but it wasn't quite that dramatic. They were completely amazing though, and after a while of looking we went to lunch, you guessed it, Starbucks! We would have gone to Hard Rock Cafe, but Mark can't eat cheese, so Starbucks was safer, and we were planning a meal in the evening.
We met up with the group, and went on the Maid of the Mist. Or at least one of them as there are several. We were given lovely blue raincoats and had our photo taken with a random couple. No idea why, we told them we were a couple, and they gave us one ticket to share with the couple who declined it. We did too, we didn't really want a photo! We had to go below as the top was full, which was probably a blessing as we didn't get the full force of the water, although I got really wet, and so did my camera.
It was a wonderfully exhilarating experience, and my highlight of the trip. After that it was back to the town, which is tacky. Seriously, Las Vegas tacky. Horrible, and full of tat.
Then back on the coach for the non-exciting largest floral clock in the world, we had to wait for people to go on their $100 helicopter ride, and then to a winery where they make ice-wine. Ice-wine is a dessert wine that appearently is made from grapes frozen on the vine.
We didn't get back until nearly 8, so we went to...Starbucks! For a snack.
Katy Perry was singing that night, and I got a couple of photos of the stage before we were told we shouldn't take any!
We were trying to find a place for afternoon tea, and managed to locate this little cafe that did an Asian afternoon tea, The Red Tea Box. It was very charming (although we nearly died crossing the road, mental note, traffic is the wrong way around...), and we had beef wrapped in cabbage, a posh spring roll, mint and chocolate cake, and lemon cake with mint tea. Lovely, but we shared one as neither of us wanted to eat.
Then the long walk back. We tried to find a chocolate shop we had found on the net, but it was gone. We found another, and bought a couple of bits, which were very nice.
Eventually we got back to the hotel, very tired. The Indian restaurant we had wanted to go to dinner at the night before had vanished, but we ended up in a local chain called Second Cup (
http://www.secondcup.com/), which does very nice stuff.
Friday was Canada day. We wanted to go to a posh place for breakfast, but found it was shut until 9 that day. I suggested a chain I had spotted that looked a bit fast-foodie, but was worth a try, either that or Starbucks...so we went in and had a look at the menu. It was a place called Tutti Frutti (
http://www.tuttifruttidejeuners.com/en/home.aspx), and they had all kinds of food served with fruit. Mark had a human-sized omelet and fruit, I had ordered a waffle, expecting a generous portion. Well, a dinner-plate sized waffle turns up, covered in fruit. With lashings of maple syrup.
I managed to eat 3/4 of this monster, with Mark trying a bit, but that was it. Very filling, lovely! We would have gone back, but we had plans for the next day. We then tried a Inuit museum around the corner from our hotel, it was very charming, and free!
As it was Canada Day, the area we were in was very quiet, hardly anyone! We set off for the Necropolis, failing to notice that the map scale changed on that page. Well, we walked for ages. Despite having sensible trainers on, my feet started to ache. We went to the top part of the cemetery, which was very pleasant, and saw a chipmunk, then realised we couldn't walk down to the Necropolis, and had to double-back. Grrr.
We walked even further, and when we reached the Necropolis it was a disappointment, I expected tombs, but it was just a plain cemetery. So we went back, more walking, and in the heat of the day with 29 degrees of heat. We stopped at a Second Cup and had a piece of cake and a cold drink, then wandered around a bit more. I have to admit I wasn't in a good mood, I was very tired. For the evening meal we went out again to try to find somewhere to eat. Amazingly it was really difficult, especially as another choice of ours had gone (the book was 4 years old by now...). I spotted an Asian Fusion restaurant (Yulla)and insisted that we stopped. We did, and I had a lovely curry. They also had the most charming menus...
Saturday was our last day, so we had breakfast in the market again, I had pancakes (American style), which would have been nicer if they had been freshly made and not sat under a heat-lamp, but at least I got them!
We went to a brilliant Christmas shop where I bought tiger and moose Christmas decorations for the tree as they were so unusual.
Then we went to the parks on the harbour, for lunch at the nice fish restaurant again, to the Power Plant which is a modern art gallery. It was quite fun, although not sure I got some of the pieces.
Then we shopped, and wandered. We had to check out of the hotel at noon, so we had left our cases there. When we had had enough we collected them and sat in the foyer until it was time to go home.
Overall it was an amazing trip, and we both wish we could still be there!
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