Hello Toronto!!!

I'm back!!

Sorry, didn't give you long but so much to say, so little time!!

Right, where was I....? Oh yes, retrieving my thankfully undamaged holdall.  Well, as I stepped through the doors of the arrival lounge I was met by a wall of people waiting for their friends and loved ones and all eyes were on me!! Disappointed eyes I must admit when they realised I wasn't their wife / girlfriend / mother / mistress / grandmother so I just headed out to find a cab to my hotel.

And what a little ray of sunshine my driver was. Not.  But what he lacked in a sunny disposition the weather made up for it.  Gorgeous.  I sat clutching the obligatory 50 leaflets and booklets on the area I picked up at the airport and that will end up in the recycling before sunset, and we headed downtown.

After rushing down the freeway and seeing the amazing skyline of downtown looming into view, dominated by the CN Tower we arrived at my hotel. LUSH!!!!! Radisson Harbourfront does exactly what it says on the tin.  And not only is it on the harbour, it's next to a brewery!!  Stunning room and equally gorgeous view from which I saw my good old favourite Open Top Bus stop opposite.  I was in heaven!! 

So |I did no more than shower in a shower that could get at least 10 people in and headed out to by my bus ticket.  And what a ride it was.  Wonderful Toronto has some amazing old buildings mixed in with the new, one even made of gold!  It has some real funky districts and some posh ones, and seems to have a really good vibe, I did my usual making notes of where I wanted to go back to tomorrow.  There was a great commentary as always but the munching of 'chips' and moanings of the big old New Yorkers sat behind me trumped that!!

As we meandered through the Friday early evening traffic it did what it always seems to do when I'm on an open topped but - it rained. Just a bit at first, and we stuck it out.  Then it rained some more and ponchos were handed out to the hardened handful still up top (me included).  Then it rained some more.  Then the rain turned to hail.  I went downstairs.  The roads flooded.  And so did the bus.  The thunder and lightening made the kids cry.  But we stuck it out, the young lad doing the commentary soldiering on admirably and with a passion that made me smile.

So I did the whole loop, we all did as no-one wanted to get off into a monsoon, the windows steaming up so we couldn't see anything at all but guessing we would love to see it tomorrow by the way the guide was describing it, when we were wearing flippers not flipflops.....

As I got back to my stop at the hotel I was thinking to myself I wouldn't go any further than the brewery that night....tough choice.  But little did I know how my evening would turn out!!

As the rain disappeared and the sun shone through a vision appeared before me....The Toronto Blue Jays were playing at home tonight! And I could see the stadium from my hotel! And you can just rock up and buy a ticket starting at a tenner!! Result! So I fully embraced the tradition and with a ticket bought I nommed down on a hotdog with the lot - saurkraut, onions, pickles, corn relish, ketchup and mustard - and settled in amongst the locals to watch the game.  Amazing.  The roof of the Rogers Stadium opened before my eyes as the rain had cleared to leave balmy summer evening, perfect for baseball.  I ended up sitting next to Martha from Belgium who was with a Canadian friend (name unknown) and we chatted about the game like pro's, listening to the banter and soaking up the atmosphere, which was made even better by 2 home runs in the win.  And after 3 hours (there is a lot of faffing about and singing rowdily in baseball) and one of the most expensive cans of beer I've had the pleasure to drink, I bid my farewells to Martha and the unnamed companion and headed back through the throngs of fans to my bed (which is actually so big it has 6 pillows and I can starfish and not touch any of the corners!)  happy, content and ready to take Canada by the antlers and enjoy!!

And so that was my first fun filled 12 hours on Canadian soil!!  And here I sit at my picture window overlooking the lake, it's now 7am and the sun has risen in the sky to show clear blue skies and the prospect of another amazing day.

So I will sign off and upload some pics........until later followers!!

TTFN xxx