Toronto - July 2006!

We're off again....leaving America and heading back into Canada....to Toronto this time! We were staying at the Global Village Backpackers...where i had stayed with Naomi in 2001! This time me and Mark had the Jack Nicholson Room.....a little bit creepy in a kind of 'The Shinning' kind of way....but ok!!! We ate our first Toronto dinner in the Dim Sum Palace.....guess what we had...hehehehe...lots and lots of dimsums! It was Grand Prix time in Toronto and while walking around town that night we discovered a big street party!!! This included Sumo Wrestling, a live band and a dance competition!!! it was excellent fun! and i got a knecklace that glowed in the dark!!! Next day was Pirates of the Carribean 2 release day in Canada...so we got up early (relatively!) and headed out to the 11:30am showing!!!! hehehhee We then spent the rest of the day trying to find outfits for Caroline and Louis's wedding in Ireland....now only less than a week away.....it is not an easy thing finding wedding outfits, that wont get creased while travelling, in a city that you don't know!!! We didn't have much luck with the outfits...especially for Mark...but we did discover a gorgeous cafe - Sunbeam. An organic cafe.....and we sat outside on a swing chair for our fruit and eggs!!! We also discovered a giant thimble....especially for you Nan!!! That night we were meeting up with James McCurdy and his girlfriend Jamie! James we had known briefly in Ipswich a few years earlier before he moved to Toronto! We had a great evening and they took us to the Distillary restaurant....it was quite posh...and very nice! As luck would have it, Jamie is a fashion designer...and offered to make Mark his wedding outfit! Get in! So after watching the local salsa band perform, we headed to her studio for him to be measured! It was going to be like some crazy TV show, as we were leaving Toronto in 36 hours!!!!! So as Jamie awoke and headed to the studio on saturday to make Mark's clothes, we headed for our final day out on our trip...to Niagra Falls! We went on JoJos bus tour to the falls....and it was quite good fun....a small bus, which meant a small group, very nice! JoJo did talk quite a lot though!!!! We had 2 hours in Niagra...and decided to avoid the tacky town! We walked through the tunnels behind the falls - hence the fetching yellow macs; then rode the Maid of the Mist into the falls - hence the blue macs!!! We all got absolutely soaked still....which had us in fits of laughter! The falls are pretty awesome...although i think not as big as Mark expected! I had seen them before so knew what they were like! The best bit remains standing with the water at eye level and watching it rush over the edge....that always amazes me! The power of the water is breath-taking. Next we went up the viewing tower for a full view of Niagra. Then it was back on the bus....a quick stop at the whirlpools, and on to Niagra by the Lake (one of the Great Lakes!!)....a lovely picture-perfect town! From there we headed wine tasting and back into Toronto! Our day was not over yet though...we headed out to the CN Tower and up to see the city in full...including through the glass floor! Then it was over to Little Italy, to 'Kalender' for dinner and sangria! Next on to Jamie's for Mark's fitting, and finally back to James and Jamie's for beer! James has a bit of a reputation as a beer expert...and his flat certainly shows it....complete with beer fridge under the living room table! Sunday was our last day before our flight home!!! We were up in good time, and packing the bags one last time! Then it was rushing round to Jamie's studio for breakfast with James (at the Victory), and collecting Mark's outfit, and striaght off to the airport...he didn't even have time to try it on!!! It was great having our last few days with James and Jamie...kind of took the sadness away from it being the end of our trip! And it was fab to see them! And there we were....on the flight home....after 10 months away....wow! Moose even got his own seat! Excited, nervous and sad all at the same time...wow, what a trip! xx