Day 43 to Day 46Jul 17, 2008
|
|
DAY 43 Today’s Plan; Toronto and John & Nancy’s
We leave early to try to beat the traffic from ‘cottage country’, as per Alec and Catherine’s advice. Traffic is light until we reach Parry Sound, but the highway goes to 4 lanes to compensate. We roll along down to Barrie where the highway expands to 6 lanes and is suddenly crowded. Wow. Let’s just say it’s interesting driving in bumper to bumper traffic at 100 Kph with a two and a half ton trailer. That’s the slower curb lane. Going slower seems to cause a lot of confusion behind us so we keep up. Fortunately, we only have to go 40 klicks before we turn off onto a secondary highway. No change. Who would think that 1 PM on a Sunday afternoon would be heavy rush hour? We have no idea what town we are near or if this is just Toronto sprawl. We are still 30 klicks from the city. We are sort of in North Mississauga. We think. Whatever. We find Indian Line Campground, the first choice on our list, and see wall to wall RVs. We inquire at the gate to see if there is room for us and are assured there is for the 3 to 4 days we ask for. Whew. No more driving. I need a beer.
We set up in a City of Toronto Park. And it is a park. There are large shade trees and lawns throughout. All 227 sites have water and power, some have sani hookups. Washrooms and showers are clean and only 100 feet away. WI-FI works from the table in the trailer. Nice.
We spend the afternoon doing the laundry and relaxing. Nancy calls around supper and we arrange to meet tomorrow. We have a light supper and to Lorna’s delight, play Dominoes until bedtime.
Day 44 Today’s Plan; explore Turronna.
We wake refreshed. Nancy, Bless her, will hear of nothing except she come and get us and drive us to see the sights of her city. We protest, but she prevails and shows up at our doorstep at the appointed time and whisks us away to the city.
First stop is CASA LOMA. An Edwardian style castle built by Henry Pellatt in the early 1900’s. Pellatt made a pile of money on the stock market then increased it through investments electricity and real estate development in the early twentieth century. This is an impressive place. Rooms are set up to represent what they may have looked like when Pellatt lived there. We are awestruck by the opulence they lived in.
As often happens, the Pellatts made bad investments and had businesses such as the Toronto Light Company expropriated away from them. They struggled through a bank failure and then the stock market crash in 1929 finished them. Lady Pellatt died soon after and Henry lasted about 10 years longer and died a pauper. He certainly left a lasting legacy.
Next, Nancy takes us down town. Lorna cannot do the CN tower because she is restricted to first and second rung activities only, so she and Nancy go to window shop while I go up the tower.
The observation platform is about 1200 feet high. That is only two-thirds the height of the tower. High enough. Generally, heights don’t bother me, but as I step out onto that glass floor, I admit, my stomach tightens up. There is nothing between me and the ground but an inch and a half of glass or so. The problem is the glass is so clear. It’s not all scratched like a glass floor should be. It is like stepping out into space. I wonder if Astronauts get that feeling on a space walk? I take a picture and leave, glad to be on a concrete floor 1200 feet in the air. After doing a couple of tours around the platform, one inside and one out, I descend to the ground. I hook up with the girls and Nancy takes us to her place for dinner and to meet John. Later, after a nice lamb dinner and chatting about family and such, she returns us to our trailer. We have a drink and talk about our day.
Day 45 Today’s Plan; visit Fort York and the Royal Ontario Museum.
Nancy arrives at the usual time and we’re off to the Fort. Fort York played a part in the war of 1812. The Americans over-ran it in early 1813. The British got it back soon after, then went south to shoot at the White House. After, the fort was used in the rebellion of 1837. It was manned until the 1900’s then abandoned. It was almost plowed under for housing, but was saved as a historical site and eventually restored to its 1812 configuration. Some buildings could be restored and others had to be replicated. One was the powder magazine that was blown up by the British when they abandoned it. The fort contains many displays of contemporary life for the era. Actors in period costume add realism to authenticate the displays. We do question the choice of music for the Fife and Drum presentation, though. It has a familiar ring of Hollywood’s Civil War music. The musicians couldn’t be faulted for the quality of their presentation though.
Later, we decide to ‘Do Lunch’ at the St. Lawrence Market before going to the ‘ROM’. Lunch does us in. It’s such an interesting place, with many different ethnic food shops and lunch counters, that we stay quite long. We decide to do the museum tomorrow and to check out the nearby Distillery District, today. Nancy drops us off so she can go home (that’s nearby) and let her dog out. Lorna and I will tour the shops and she and John will meet us later for dinner.
This area started as a windmill driven stone mill around 1800. As the years passed, some of the grain was used to make whiskey. Eventually, the distillery complex expanded to cover a couple of city blocks on Toronto’s waterfront. The businesses went into decline in the mid 1900’s, and eventually closed in the 1990’s. Some wanted to knock the buildings down and put up condos. Others said the area was an important part of Toronto’s history and won out in the end. The complex now houses upscale boutiques and restaurants. Part is reserved for cultural activities such as a music school we see. The buildings are wonders of 1800’s industrial stone and brick buildings.
When we reconnect with Nancy and John, we do a walk about to check out the restaurants in the complex. We pick a restaurant with a patio and have some dinner. The meal is first class and we even leave full. Later, back home, we decide the place had little going for it for the average person except the architecture, a household gadget shop, and a glass blowers shop. The gadget shop had many funky articles and the glass shop had many beautiful pieces though they were well out of our price range. We bid Nancy adieu and thank her for another great day.
Day 46 Today’s Plan; The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and a picnic.
We start later and park at the subway terminal. There will be little parking by the ROM so we are better off taking the transit in. The subway is a change too and gives Nancy a chance to relax.
The ROM’s exterior is a weird combination of a traditional brick and stone building with an obliquely angled seemingly crystalline growth on its side. My apologies to Torontonians, but I like nice old buildings and modern sculpted ones but not married together. The contents of the building are wonderful. We think all the museums we ever visited dealt with local history, geology and culture. At the ROM, we find a chance to experience world history and culture. We are overwhelmed by the exhibits of Egypt and Greece, Europe and the Americas. Pottery and furniture. Household items and clothing. Weaponry and armour. We take about twice as long as planned, but still miss the dinosaur and mammal exhibits and the Darwin special exhibit. And who knows what else. We ride back to the car on a crowded commuter train. A new experience. Don’t look at any one or talk to them seems the rule. Is this NYC?
We drive to a couple of stores and get supplies for our picnic, then swing by to pick up John at home. It’s maybe a good thing we are a bit late. He has been working on a computer configuration problem for a while and gets it fixed just before we arrive. We pack ourselves back into the car on head for the beach. It’s only a few minute drive and we are there. The picnic area is a rocky point a kilometer or two west of the city and affords an excellent view of the downtown area. There is a light wind and the place is relatively bug free although humid. We drink our beer and wine and eat our sandwiches and salad while visiting. Later, after taking some pictures, we are taken home for the last time. We have to say good bye and don’t want to, but we must move on tomorrow. We thank Nancy and John, we have been treated so well. Thank you for showing us your great city and a few of its attractions. We say our reluctant goodbyes and prepare for tomorrow.
