What I did on my Holidays

We did as ‘The Village People’ and ‘Pet Shop Boys’ said “Go West”. We went as far west as the Canadian Province known as Ontario. My first really proper, ‘I set the plan’ holiday in years! (with only a little but superb hint of blue to it).

We started in GTA (Greater Toronto Area) in a steamy hot and humid time. First full day was spent doing a bit of a local reccy before starting of holiday stuff full on. Monday we heading into Downtown TO and visited Casa Loma (it really old for the canucks at 1910s), we went as we’d decided to get a Citypass for the major attractions as its was only £4 more than the 2 we def wanted to see), it was actually far better than I thought it would be; lots of UK influences and sort of a mish mash of eras but completed at the same time as each other so blended well. Then onto ROM, under going renovation and a (controversial) extension so some bits were closed (but that didn’t bother us, the hoards of school kids had by then though).

Then to Dim Sum Happy Hour in Chinatown (yummy, happy Caz) before a large amount of retail therapy in MEC. We spent lots, we’ll be reclaiming the 7% government sales tax (GST) from that shop as well! So it was new sleeping bags all round, for testing later in the hols, plus lots of other goodies. Stepped out of store to huge downpour and thunderstorm (which didn’t hit the CN, that we could see from the shop’s overhanging roof).

Tuesday saw us head for Niagara Falls for a couple of nights. Loads of photos taken of the falls, the Welland Canal (which takes ships over the escapement that form the falls); hmm we got a bit of a ship & lock obsession around there, and a bit of each other. We did the touristy things of the Maid of the Mist and the Walk behind the Falls. Both were fab, if wet (our glasses cleaning cloths were soaked by the end!) and huge grins at the end of the day from both parties. We stayed in the tacky bit of Niagara, known as Clifton Hill; think Las Vegas neon for 1 short street just up from the Falls and you get the idea. The hotel was really close to the water, huge room and swimming pool to cool off in! Then we headed back to GTA via Port Colborne, more like small town ON so Dr T could see Lake Erie (plus another boat with lift bridge).

Next was the major blitz on Downtown TO. So a full day was spent in the wonder of the Ontario Science Centre, playing with all the exhibits and a brief lie down for the planetarium show. It was on the must see list; particularly by Dr T who’d had to be dragged away from it last time he visited, when much younger (and shorter than I am!). A morning was spent on the Toronto Islands, a playground for the city and very different from the metropolis of TO. A bit of architectural appreciation for me, followed by Dinner in the university area. We also went up the CN Tower, all the way up to the Skypod level (447m); well worth the extra money, Dr T didn’t get to go last time so it was a major request from him.

Then the second week was touring week as we headed out east from TO. First night was Sandbanks Provincial Park. A park on a sort of island (only an island because of a canal) in Lake Ontario of which the park is loads of sand dunes. For a place built full of sand I didn’t expect so many trees and forested areas. We camped in a huge tent, borrowed, so really got to appreciate the place. We have some lovely sunset pics from the rocky point just down from our campsite. We also went paddling here as it seemed the lest algaed bit of water we found (no tides round here, just lake + wind). More beach visiting in the morning before heading to Ottawa for a few days. Our accommodation in Ottawa was fab! For $15 pppn we got a huge flat (well bigger than ours, and Dr T worked out cheaper pcm than our flat!); only snag is you have to have a Guiding connection to stay there! You see the flat is the upstairs above the Ottawa Area Office and Shop. We came out the front door straight onto the bus stop into town. After a chilling out afternoon when we arrived (followed by retail V2 at MEC Ottawa, food shopping & take out Pizza) we hit Ottawa the following day for full on sightseeing. We wandered over to Parliament Hill, found that there was a free tour in 5 mins and still tickets so went around the Parliament. Dr T was too prepared so had to hand over his Swiss Army knife to a pouch before then causing his bag to have lots of interest and scans (airport style) over 3 batteries .. they took his camera remote control thinking it was that, then 10mins into the tour Dr T realised it was probably the 3 dead batteries in his Palm stylus/pen/ torch/pointer that they were looking for in the bag! Tour ended with a visit up the peace tower (the Parliament was rebuilt just after WW1 due to a fire) for fab views of the city. Lunch in a park overlooking the river so both ON & PQ could be seen. We then walked across the Alexandra Bridge into Quebec (PQ) for the Museum of Civilisation, this is huge! It was a good way to see how the country of Canada has evolved and rather interesting although our little legs were starting to get a bit tired so sitting down to watch short video items in the first nations area was called for. We then finished the day of with a meal in 50s style diner in Byward Market before getting the bus (every 15mins) back to the flat. I could have stayed in that flat a lot longer … as there was separate entrance we were just left to get on with things and so a very relaxing place that felt very homely.

Then it was time for our return back to TO, we headed off to Kingston after an early opening for the Guide shop (and lots of orders completed for those back home). My sister had recommended the place as she’d gone there at the end of her placement year, it was the original Canadian Capital. On the way we went along the 1000 island parkway for views… they were nice but we were wondering whether the cruise were worth it. We had lunch on the way looking at islands and boats. We arrived, we went into town, which was old in Canadian style and reasonably pretty but not as nice as we’d thought it would be. We decided to not spend out a load of money to go around only a few islands … which left a fort that isn’t too dissimilar to our own Fort Nelson. That left not a lot else to do in Kingston. We headed out for dinner, I had my pancakes & syrup so was happy (although defeated so not all were consumed). On they was there we saw a rather castley looking place on the horizon that we were driving towards (turrets first seen) and wondered what it was (Manor type place?, Hotel?), we then go closer and saw it was infact one of the 6 prisons in Kingston! After this we decided to see what appealed for stop off at on the way back tomorrow.

The town of Colbourg was located half way and we stopped there for lunch. It has a huge sandy beach (with only a little bit of algae at the lake edge) and seemed a nice place to visit and have lunch, if you had kids they had a fab trailer and campground right on the beach!

We return to TO, chilled and caught up once more with Tom’s cousin before trying to fit everything in to get home … it didn’t all quite fit but we smiled and were early with a nice check in person so no probs! The main reason we were so early (other than to return the hire car; awful slow accelerating and braking automatic with the turning circle of a HGV) was that once more that TO was on another heatwave and at 1000hrs it was already 36C and humid, we wanted a bit of air con! Plane was boarded 6:15hrs later (at 0330hrs) we arrived back at LGW before a bit of wait before hitting the train home (but this being a Sunday there were engineering works so it was bus replacement for a bit). Home, post looked through, 1st load of washing on and to bed and sleep for a while ….

…links will appear later when I’m at home ….