canada ontario in full

Well i have now traveled round Ontario and into Quebec and these are my thoughts.
Initially i was quite looking forward to my trip to canada especially as i have not seen it in the summer time.
02/05/2009
Well I hav finally started my world tour and started to learn how to use this new laptop and funny but the reality has not kicked in .
I have left all I know so well ,all my friends and now I find myself a bit lost.

First off today I am glad I checked in early cos someone at AA decided that when they were checking me in that they would cancel my ticket.
So after standing in they que waiting for 1.5 hrs I believe it is finally sorted out.
Got on the plane and was surprised that I had a space free next to me ( if it seems to good to be true It usually is’nt ) it wasn’t got some Guy sat next to me who knew only how to ask for coffee !!
Well that’s what travelling is all about 
Uneventful flight with fabulous service , the north Americans understand the meaning of service .
Get all the way to New York only to be put into a holding pattern for an hour just what you need when you have 3 hrs between connecting flights!!
Finally get down only to see that it takes 15-20 min taxiing to the gate ( by now im stressed)
Again the American service system works a treat , off the plane and through customs in 15 min with a re check in of baggage right next to the baggage reclaim ( inspired!) I love the Americans!
Checked back in , through the security and then on for a short wait for my flight where I met Vlad a guy born in St Petersberg , raised in Israel and living in Toronto .
So tired on flight just slept and missed seeing Toronto from the air.
Quickly off the plane and got the comp shuttle to Holiday inn fab room and best of all the shower.
Beer blog had something alexender brewed in Nova scotia
Nutty taste with bitter after taste , not too my liking.


03/05/09
Slept v well with about 9 hrs hope that the jet lag is sorted and waiting for Marie who arrives at 1510.
If you need hotel book holiday inn select at Toronto airport , very good let me stay till 1300 before checkout no extra and 50 quid for room .
Had a look a Canadian telly gave up on that what a waste of time , cant wait to get set up with media centre so I can watch downloaded stuff.
Well I went to the hotel reception and at 1 and sat there for the next two hrs surfing the net and chatting unfortunately I have done a dad and fiddled and now I think I don’t have enough mem for me to watch films.
Marie’s flight arrived 20 min late and we left on time.
After driving for nearly 2 hrs marie suggested that we may have driven too far ( she was right) we were nearly 100km too far down the road !!!
Turned round and booted it to try to make it on time to get to the folks who were waiting for us in Peterborough, funny enough the fuel economy was better at a faster speed.
Finally arrived an hour later than I should but the folks very happy to see us , and then round to their new house which was a surprise it was very nice in a lovely area.
Sat around and chatted to about 930 and had roast chicken which was lovely.
Went to my room in the basement which was very nice and dark so I slept very well.

04/05/09
Lovely area with a lot of lakes and water ways unfortunately the mossies are horrendous.
Went with dad to the worlds highest water cantilever water lock that is 100 feet high designed by the brits (chalk another one to the brits).

05/05/09
Up early today to say cheerio to dad cos we are off to Montréal today to see a little bit more of the country and let Marie actually see some places of interest.
Not sure what we will actually do just drive and stop where we think it is nice and they have space. Got to Ottawa in the end after lovely drive on route 7 that took us through a marshy area with lovely bulrushes stretching into the distance on both sides of the road. Ottawa the capital I found to have a lovely architecture that even though the paliment buildings only dated to 1856 still looked as if they were a lot older making you feel like u were in a country a lot older than 200 years.
Went to the tourist info and were helped out very well and directed to a hotel outside the city as there was a tulip festival on and there was no room at all, trust my luck!

Beer blog - Sleemans Honey Brown - lovely duh honey flavour with a little nutty flavour , absolutely lovely ,highly recommended especially if you can get some draught.

06/05/09
Woke up relatively early had a lovely breakfast and went into town to see the one million tulips that had been planted in the parks a bit disappointing so left and went and saw the capital buildings again but closer this time and then the set of 7 locks from the Ottawa river , very impressive , just a shame that they were not built after the turn of the 19th century and it might have been just one lock like the one in Peterborough . Left and headed to Montreal after taking a couple of roads that directed us to a place called smith falls only to find that there were no falls!!
After that we tried to go to a place called Burkes rapids , but in canada distance markings are only given on the main roads , making it unclear how long it will take to get there.
Went again to the tourist info in Québec and got sorted out with a lovely hotel in china town in Montréal that we arrived at by 1700.
After checking in we went for a walk round the old quarter and the harbour which was lovely the closer we got to the expo area of 64-69 and the Canadian grand prix circuit.
Back to the old quarter and found a lovely restaurant doing pasta dishes with a French twist. Had a rabbit pasta dish ,side salad and some chocolate cheesecake that were amazing !!

Beer blog - Sleemans honey brown - lovely slightly sweet beer that is clean and easy to drink , highly recommended .


07/05/09
Woke up at 530 to the previous persons alarm only to find that I stopped it by changing it to the radio and turning the volume up !!!!!!!!!!! and get woken up again 10 min later !!
Raining today will unfortunately change how we were going to see the expo area.
Glad it rained the expo area was all closed but did manage to drive on some of the grand prix circuit , it took a lot of reserve not to floor it in my PT Cruiser !!
Afterwards headed back to Peterborough.
More trucks on the road than cars , unbelieveable!
Stopped at the obligatory Tim Hortons and had to show some French canadian how to change a flat tyre how can you not know how to change a tyre.
Carried on home and after making a 15 sec call that cost $ 4 to a mobile , get a pay as you go . its cheaper.

08/05/09
Up early and off to Niagra via the wonderful city of Toronto , stopped off and had a walk down the waterfront it was fab , I think that Kyan would love it.
On to Niagra and booked into a hotel overlooking the falls ,unfortunately I have been to Victoria falls and so was a bit disappointed .
Afterwards went for a walk round the rather gaudy town that is their to entertain the masses after they have seen the falls.

Beer blog - the Rikards red on tap was so good Marie and I had a whole jug , hit the spot !!

08/05/09
Up early and off to Niagra via the wonderful city of Toronto , stopped off and had a walk down the waterfront it was fab , I think that Kyan would love it.
On to Niagra and booked into a hotel overlooking the falls ,unfortunately I have been to Victoria falls and so was a bit disappointed .
Afterwards went for a walk round the rather gaudy town that is their to entertain the masses after they have seen the falls.

Beer blog - the Rikards red on tap was so good Marie and I had a whole jug , hit the spot !!

09/05/09
Woke up early and went on our merry way to see the rest of the Niagra peninsula which is absolutely lovely with a tropical feel to it with vineyards and fruit orchards.
Funny thing happened though , passed a vinery and had to stop , ended up at a tasting and bought 5 bottles of wine Marie had two and I got three for my mum as it was mothers day.
Carried on to the Toronto airport where we booked into the Holiday Inn select again .
Got the shuttle bus to Toronto but there are cheaper options.
Arrived and went straight to the CN tower and went to the top to seethe Glass floor that is 450 feet above the ground.
Im a pilot and it still took me ten min to build up the courage to stand on the glass and take a photo.
Afterwards went and had a nice italian meal then home.


10/05/09
Marie left today and I went back to my parents to chill out and see what work opportunities there are for my future.
Stocked up on sleemans honey brown and some rikards red , should tied me over till I leave for Neew York on the 22nd .

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