Our first taste of Canada - Toronto and Niagara Falls
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Day 1 – Sunday 24th May 2015
Woke up at 6am this morning, which was so much better than we were expecting. We didn’t get up straightaway though and instead lay in bed for a while discussing plans for the day. That’s what happens when you don’t have a firm plan in place!
I finally got out of bed and lifted the blinds in the bathroom. I had soon jumped in the empty bath in my pyjamas, just to enjoy the view across the lake.
Spent a few minutes there, then FaceTimed home.
Our stomachs were starting to rumble so we raided the fridge for breakfast, sharing some fruit, a Danish and orange juice.
We then showered, got dressed and left the hotel at 9am, just in time for the CN Tower opening. It was a beautiful morning, so as the forecast for later in the week was rain, we decided today might be the best day for views.
We only queued for a few minutes for tickets, then looked at a few of the exhibits, before going up to the 1st level at around 10am. We perhaps should have gone straight up as it had started getting a bit hazy by now. We took a few photos, then descended the stairs one level to the glass floor.
That made me feel a bit lightheaded when I peered over the edge, but I did eventually step on it - I just didn't look down at the same time!
We walked outside, then round a corner and noticed it was rather windy!
We also noticed this sign although I don't know why anyone would climb on it!
We watched a plane take off from Toronto’s other airport. Don’t fancy that much – the runway is tiny!
We got the elevator up to the Skypod level next, which was another 33 floors up. It was a much better view from here, so well worth the extra $12.
We saw the retractable roof coming off the Rogers Centre and some people doing the Edgewalk Experience below us. We ending up standing for ages watching them walk around the roof of the 360 restaurant 31 floors beneath us, marvelling at their bravery.
We decided to go back down and had a mooch in the shop, buying the obligatory fridge magnet and a desk
planner for Katie.I thought the prices were very reasonable in here – I saw an item in the market later in our trip which was $13 there, but only $10 in the CN Tower shop. It makes a change not to be ripped off at tourist attractions. We declined the photo of us that was taken on the way in – it was not in the slightest bit flattering for either of us!
Headed back to the hotel to drop off our purchases and Martin's jacket and my cardigan - don't think they'll be needed today. We grabbed some water from the fridge and went to catch the ferry to Toronto Islands.
We walked to the waterfront area and it was really warm there. We paused to apply some sun cream and thought it was a lovely spot for a photo - it was then we realised that Martin was no longer carrying the camera. I checked my bag but it wasn't there either. When we left the room, he had been carrying it, so we had a little panic that he'd left it somewhere. He mentioned going back to the hotel to check, but we decided to leave it and manage with our phones.
We continued walking along the waterfront until we got to the ferry terminal. The area was mobbed! There were lots of people with bikes, dogs, cool boxes etc. It was a lovely day to head over there, and everyone else obviously felt the same, especially as it was a Sunday.
We queued for about 10 minutes to buy our return tickets which were $7.25 each.
The ferry for Centre Island docked about 30 seconds later and within a couple of minutes we were on board.
As soon as we docked the other side, I felt hungry. It was only about 12 noon, but the early breakfast meant it was time to eat. The only place we could see was a pizza outlet. We had a slice of pizza each and shared a diet coke - bit of false economy really. No photos I'm afraid but you all know what a slice of pizza looks like!
It filled a gap though and on we went.
Think this tree looks like it could make a great villain in Doctor Who!
We walked past Centreville amusement park and ended up at the beach. We then picked up the path adjacent to it, before we found the boardwalk towards Ward Island.
We had a lovely walk, and enjoyed looking at the houses that backed on to the boardwalk. Lots of them had made the most of the views and had elevated sitting areas outdoors.
We eventually came out on a path near the Island Cafe, before catching the ferry back.
One off the ferry, we walked back along the waterfront before spotting the Watermark Irish Bar. It had a lovely front patio, so we stopped for a drink. Martin had 2 pints of Kilkenny while I stuck to a diet coke. It was a real sun trap there and I could feel my back burning through my t-shirt.
We left and decided to check out where we were picking up our hire car tomorrow. Thank goodness we did as the Enterprise location had changed recently and it took us a while to find it. Despite going the long way round, we did find a quick way on the way back to the hotel, so that will definitely help in the morning.
We walked back into the hotel room, and thankfully found our camera sitting on the side where Martin had gone back into the room to get the door key. Grrrr!
We then just relaxed for half an hour or so, then at around 5pm I ran a bath. Oh, it was bliss. I'd put the blinds down, but I could see the CN Tower from the inch gap at the side of each blind.
We got ready for our meal tonight. We had reservations for Ruth's Chris, which we'd booked this morning. We'd tried to get into a French restaurant but there was no availability until Tuesday. We started looking at alternatives we'd identified, but Ruth's Chris was the only one we could book online.
It was about 7:00 pm before we left the hotel to walk to the restaurant, which was about a 15 minute walk away. We passed a lovely mishmash of buildings - some old within the new.
Arrived at the Hilton hotel and the Ruth's Chris entrance, taking the lift downstairs to the restaurant.
We were seated straightaway at a table for 4. All of the tables were spread out well, meaning we had plenty of room.
Martin ordered a Beau's beer, which came recommended from our waitress Kimberley. I chose a glass of Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc, and we were also brought some iced water.
We looked at the menu for a while and decided to forego appetisers. We both ordered the fillet and decided to share the sides of garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli.
When our food arrived, they came on a 500 degree Fahrenheit sizzling plate - how do they get them to that temperature? They recommend you hold your napkin in front of your clothes for a bit to protect them from any potential splashes.
What can I say about the food? It was simply delicious. That plate kept the food piping hot even until we'd finished. We added some broccoli to the plate first, and Martin burnt his tongue on the first bit of broccoli he ate.
We ordered a second round of drinks, and then the dessert menu arrived. I couldn't move after my meal, but Martin was considering one. The waitress showed us the desserts for another table as she passed, describing the cheesecake and the creme brûlée. The cheesecake was huge and he could not have managed it. He eventually chose the creme brûlée as it looked lighter, but asked for two spoons as he felt sure I would help him out.
It arrived, decorated with fresh berries including strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries - it was like my breakfast all over again! I ate all of the strawberries, as Martin doesn't like them, then we shared the rest of the fruit. I also had two spoons of the creme brûlée itself, which was also delicious.
We sat for a while, finishing our drinks, before asking for the bill. A sharp intake of breath at the $235 bill (we won't be eating at places like this every night of our trip), but we felt it was worth it for great night. Left a tip of about 18% and headed back to our hotel. We'd been slightly worried that we hadn't taken a jacket with us, but we didn't need it. The temperature showed at 22 degrees on one of those flashing boards that show the time and temperature, despite it being almost dark.
We arrived back at the hotel, temporarily getting stuck in the 'automatic' revolving door
- don't think the sensor was working too well! Soon got out though and headed to our room for bed.