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Canada Road Trip

August 2019
To commemorate my 50th birthday, David and I are going on a long-awaited road trip around Ontario, Canada – 25 years after the first trip got cancelled!! Read more
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  • TravelerCanada Road Trip
    1
    1
    Day 1

    Day 1

    August 1, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We’re finally in Canada - Toronto to be exact. After a non-eventful eight and a half hour flight from Heathrow, we’ve finally made it. Our hotel Le German is located in Mercer Street. Literally a five minute walk from the CN Tower, theatres, Ripley’s Aquarium and loads of other cool stuff to do. It’s a lovely hotel - most importantly the bed is comfortable, but with a Bose stereo, flat screen tv and Molten Brown products in the bathroom, we have very little to complain about!

    On arrival, we had a quick shower and freshen up and then we went for a walk around the local vicinity and ate pizza at a local sports bar. We’ve gained an extra five hours today so we’re both totally shattered. It’s 8.20pm here, but at home its 1.20am on Friday morning!    Read more

  • TravelerCanada Road Trip
    Day 2

    Day 2 - Toronto Part 1

    August 2, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Having been awake since the wee hours due to the time difference, this morning we were both showered, fed and ready to go before 9am! We walked to the beginning of the tour bus City Tour Route and picked up an open-topped double decker bus to begin exploring the city.

    Although the settlement of Toronto has been here since the late 1700s, two fires at the turn of the last century decimated most of the city, so there is no architecture that predates the Victorian era. Today’s architecture is mainly made up of large glass-built sky-scrapers and Victorian town houses and theatres, giving the city a clean, modern feel. But what Toronto lacks in history, it makes up for in cultural diversity.

    There are over 160 languages spoken on a daily basis and over 51% of the population were born outside of Canada. French, which is one of the official languages of Canada is actually only the 12th most spoken language. English comes first, with Chinese and Cantonese coming in second and third respectively. This variety of cultures follows through with the cafes, restaurants and bars, with every type of food imaginable on offer on every street corner.

    We jumped off the bus tour at the harbour and boarded the ‘Serendipity Princess’ riverboat to explore the Toronto Islands on Lake Ontario. We were also treated to some fantastic views of the city from a different perspective. Toronto has many similarities to New York (apparently it is regularly used for filming ‘New York’ scenes in films and televisions shows) and this was certainly evident as we watched the city skyline from the shoreline.

    Afterwards we had lunch in the Distillery. An historic Victorian, pedestrian-only, village area where only independent business are allowed to trade from the refurbished industrial buildings. The cobbled walkways gave the area real character and without the city’s traffic racing around the roads, it was certainly a peaceful afternoon. We had lunch in a Spanish Tapas bar and just generally chilled and gave our feet a rest.

    At the end of the afternoon we jumped back on the bus and finished the tour in the sunshine and then headed back to the hotel for a cocktail and some much needed rest, before heading out again for the evening.    Read more

  • TravelerCanada Road Trip
    1
    Day 2

    Day2 – part 2 The CN Tower

    August 2, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I did it!

    I can’t say I enjoyed it, but you really can’t visit Toronto without visiting THE most iconic building on the city’s skyline, the CN tower!

    This evening we made our way to the tower. Once through security, we headed to the super-fast, glass-fronted lifts and then on up to the viewing level – 72 floors in less than a minute!

    I’m never going to be good with heights - however, the views from the LookOut were well worth the discomfort. We timed it perfectly, with the sun beginning to set over the city skyline. I avoided the glass floors and the floor-to-ceiling glass panels (which apparently enhance the experience...?) and instead looked out across the vista a good three feet from the edge and enjoyed watching the planes take off from Billy Bishop Airport 1,135ft below. The huge sky-scrapers which had towered over us during the day look even smaller than Monopoly buildings.

    The trip back down again was equally as quick and as we descended I tried very hard not to think about how fast we were plummeting towards the ground!

    If you asked me to go up again it would be a resounding ‘NO’, but I am so glad I’ve done it!    Read more

  • TravelerCanada Road Trip
    Day 3

    Day 3 - Last day in Toronto

    August 3, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We planned to take our last day in the city a little easier than the first two and started the day by jumping back on the open-topped bus and heading for Canada’s only castle ‘Casa Loma’.

    A beautiful building with very little history. Only lived in for a short while before bankruptcy by its creator forced him to sell, it then became a hotel at the turn of last century, but the Great Depression put a swift end to that. It is now a tourist destination for a pleasant couple of hours, a popular wedding venue with a five year waiting list and its biggest claim to fame, a favourite location for filming. The most recognisable of which being the film set of Xavier’s school for budding mutants in the X-Men film.

    We had a lovely lunch in a pub called ‘The Village Idiot’ - great name, great food and a laid back atmosphere. Probably had something to do with the name but we felt right at home!!

    In the afternoon we strolled through the lanes of Kensington Market. A fabulous bohemian experience with colourful street traders selling everything from vintage clothing, fruit & veg to jewellery, baked goods and cheese. We loved the vibe - seetorontonow.com describes it as; ‘a trip to Kensington Market is like a sensory trip around the world’

    An evening stroll after dinner saw the CN tower lit up like a Christmas tree - dominating the skyline at every turn

    Toronto gets a big thumbs up from us!    Read more

  • TravelerCanada Road Trip
    1
    Day 4

    Day 4 - Niagara part 1

    August 4, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    I’m going to have to split today into three separate posts! It’s been full-on since the moment we got up this morning, checked out of our hotel and picked up the hire car. We ended up with an upgraded vehicle, so just for the two of us we have a humongous Toyota Highlander - we have seven seats!!!

    David did a fabulous job of getting us out of Toronto and onto the highway. We had a non-eventful drive to Niagara Falls. Although this weekend is a Bank Holiday in Canada, so the roads were incredibly busy and we were delayed by three quarters of an hour. But we were here by 1.30pm and able to check into our room.

    The Sheraton on the Falls is a huge and very obviously, old hotel, but its clean and comfortable and we probably have one of the best views in the house being on the 12th floor with our balcony facing the Falls.

    The Falls are something else and a wonder to behold, but the rest of Niagara is very tacky – think Butlins crossed with Margate and you’re coming close and with it being a national holiday it seems like the World and his Uncle have come to visit, but luckily, we have managed to miss most of the crowds today - in fact the day has been completely awesome! …

    See part 2 …    Read more

  • TravelerCanada Road Trip
    Day 4

    Day 4 - Niagara part 2

    August 4, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Once we had our bearings, we grabbed a quick sandwich and headed north on foot away from the town to the Helicopter Tours’ air field. It was a fair old hike in 27 degree heat and took us nearly and hour to get there – by boy was it worth it.

    We took to the skies for what was an incredible ten minute flight. Being such a clear, sunny day made it even more perfect!

    It was such a fabulous way to see all of the falls, including the ones on the American side. Being up that high gives you a real perspective of just how much water there is within Niagara Park.

    Not only was it my first time to the Falls, but also my first time in a helicopter and I loved it!

     The pictures speak for themselves…    Read more

  • TravelerCanada Road Trip
    Day 4

    Day 4 - Niagara part 3

    August 4, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Once we got back to the hotel and rested our weary feet for a bit, we headed back out for the evening.

    We walked along to the Horseshoe Falls where the Visitor Centre is and booked our attractions for tomorrow - another full-on day to come!

    When you see the Fall for the first time up close it is quite Literally breathtaking. The constant mist caused by the sheer amount of water crashing over the falls catches the light and throws off a myriad of rainbows, whilst coating everything in a fine sheen of water - like a facial spritz.

    The drawback to it being a bank holiday was the sheer amount of people, but on the upside the carnival atmosphere, the entertainment and the stunning firework display over the Horseshoe Falls at 10pm all made for an incredible experience and we had the best view from the comfort of our hotel room.    Read more

  • TravelerCanada Road Trip
    Day 5

    Day 5 - Niagara falls part 2!

    August 5, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Today we made a real effort to get up and check out early to beat the hoards.

    We managed to catch the first Hornblower sailing at 8.30am – what an incredible experience. The morning sun was shining, creating all kinds of rainbows around both the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. The closer the ferry got to the Horseshoe Falls the more of an adrenaline rush it became. Millions of gallons of water cascading over the falls right up close soaking anything and everything in its sight - what a rush!

    We took hundreds of photos, which I can’t post just yet as they are on the waterproof camera, but I will later on.

    Despite the silly red plastic capes we were soaked, but the warm sun soon dried us off as we strolled along towards the Table Rock Welcome Centre. The next attraction was called ‘Journey Behind the Falls’ which is basically just what it says - in the 1930s a series of tunnels were hewn out behind the Horseshoe Falls and today you can stand just a few feet away from the cascading water, but this time behind! The noise was deafening and despite the silly yellow plastic capes, we were soaked!

    The final attraction ‘Niagara’s fury’ is a 360 degree theatre where a 4D details the history of the falls and how they were created, at the same time as spraying you with artificial snow and more water - as you guessed it, despite the silly blue plastic capes, we were soaked!

    By the end of the third attraction we were shattered. All the adrenaline and exhilaration had taken its toll - not to mention the 10,446 steps on top of yesterday’s 18,648! Definitely time to slow the pace down a little!

    We made our way back to the car and headed out to Niagara on the Lake, a quaint town on the Niagara Peninsula. The Prince of Wales Hotel is a vintage hotel, complete with oil paintings, dark wooden panelling and chandeliers.

    We have yet to explore and will post more information tomorrow when we can find some energy! So far we have discovered the jacuzzi and the pool - that’s enough for now!    Read more

  • TravelerCanada Road Trip
    Day 6

    Day 6 - Niagara on the Lake

    August 6, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    The Prince of Wales Hotel in Niagara on the the Lake is such a contrast to the two previous modern-day hotels. Built in 1864 and recently refurbished, it retains much of its timeless charm and offers luxury accommodation to all who visit.

    This morning we woke late and started our day with a swim and jacuzzi in the spa pool. We then took a walk down to the lake and explored some of the residential areas of the town. It’s a perfect town with beautiful architecture, colourful plantings with boutique shops lining the main town - it almost appears to be too perfect and we tried hard to find a down-and-out or some litter, but we failed!

    We haven’t been so lucky with the weather today. The skies opened just after 11.30am and like true Brits we headed for the nearest shelter, a pub named the Olde Angel Inn, where we had a couple of hot toddies, followed by a bit of brunch while we waiting for the rain to stop. The pub was owned by a Liverpudlian gentleman who emigrated over her 32 years ago - we can understand the reasoning!

    After our impromptu lunch we decided to explore despite the weather. There are many excursions around Niagara Park and this afternoon we visited two. Firstly, Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum, which scarily had many of the old printing machines that both David and I remember were still around when we first started out in print all those years ago, but although it made us feel very old, it was good to take a trip down memory lane.

    Afterwards we visited the butterfly conservatory - an incredible conservation site which is home to over 2000 butterflies. It’s a pretty interactive experience. As you walk into the conservatory, all the butterflies are flapping around and its like something from Avatar. There are hundreds of different varieties under one roof, all frantically flapping their beautiful, colour wings. It was such a treat and both of us spent well over an hour taking hundreds of pictures!

    This evening, after crashing in the room for a while, we went and had dinner in the bar of the hotel. Yet again, the bar was full of the atmosphere of yesteryear whilst retaining the level of service and comfort one expects from a modern-day hotel.

    Another lovely day where we managed to relax and be a bit more chilled than we have been on our first five days in Canada!    Read more

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