Staying local

Owing to a combination of me feeling like a ton of bricks had been resting on my chest all night, together with a tap being turned on inside my nose, and T&D's children needing a combination of lifts and pick ups at different times, we stayed local today. During a nip to the local pharmacy to stock up on drugs, I spotted this sign which obviously indicated the rotten state of the Canadian education system if spelling is owt to go by. They managed unlicensed, why the f**k could they not manage the correct plural of bus??!

So then on to Port Credit where we enjoyed a healthy and casual lunch courtesy of the Burrito Boys, and I had a mosey down the high street where I indulged in a frozen yogurt (sold by weight - oops) and came across a shop called The Birds & the Bees. Having noted that they appeared to have a fine selection of inexpensive scarves (the one essential accessory I forgot to pack), I ventured in, to be greeted with a friendly hello by a smart and matronly lady shopkeeper. As I forayed deeper into the shop past the jewellery, hats and tights, I came across the reason for the shop's coy name. Ann Summers had nothing on the selection of toys, novelties and undergarments which formed the bulk of the merchandise, and since I was neither intoxicated nor on the hunt for an inflatable willy, cock ring or crotchless panties, I hastily chose a scarf and hurried to the cash desk, only to be confronted by packets of cock and balls-shaped mints as I handed over my money. Who'd have thunk it eh?

A little walk and then back to base, where while Toni went shopping I enjoyed a little quiet time by the pool (not quite warm enough for a swim though)

(And yes, I know I have very short toes, which cause me endless embarrassment in yoga classes when the instructor decides it's time for a little toe yoga - yes, there is such a thing - because I can't cross them). I wasn't entirely alone though  - was joined by this little chipmunk who attempted to dive into my mug to retrieve the dregs of my tea.

Headed out with T&D for dinner to a local pub and having an early night in the hope that I may wake up tomorrow feeling vaguely human once more as Toni and I set off for the first leg of our trip. We're heading for Prince Edward county, and the plan is a winery for lunch because I feel duty calls me to check the standard of the local Pinot Noir. 

We'll be staying somewhere called the Owl's Nest where I suspect our bed and breakfast will be organic and hand-knitted, and as there's no internet connection I may have to give this a rest til we hit the Montreal metropolis on Sunday night. Pray for the safety of those on Canada's highways if Toni allows me the opportunity to take my turn at driving...

Toronto

Jolly nice double decker trains from the suburbs (Clarkson the nearest station) half hourly into the city. Assuming GO means Government of Ontario

but just like dear old South Eastern we had to stand all the way back..











Today we had lunch in the revolving restaurant in the CN Tower, which is very very tall - see neck-cricking photo below. The lift takes about an ear-popping 58 seconds to go 100+ floors and is on the outside of the building

If you ever visit, whilst lunch in the 360 restaurant seems a bit pricey, it includes all you can eat views of the city and Toronto Island from the viewing platforms. (If you buy a ticket just to look at the view, that's not cheap but I guess is on a par with The Shard or similar.) The food's good, but not recommended if you're really hungry. And char is, in my view, a fancy name for smoked salmon, even if it is accompanied by black sesame-encrusted watermelon.

What I don't particularly recommend is the glass viewing platform. Having expected something that ran the circumference of the building, instead I found a dimly-lit section around 20' by 10' that was covered with small children lying down on it, and members of staff inexplicably pratting about in some kind of lame college-studenty attempt to entertain punters. The large foot in the top left of the picture belongs to Dougal, T&D's youngest. He's not quite 13 but a long streak of a lad whose shoe size is giving his parents cause for concern. The waiter in the restaurant initially refused him the children's menu, though stopped short of offering him a beer.

We moved on to see a little pop-up Warhol exhibition on Bloor Street. It was a really good collection, some of which I hadn't seen before, and included pictures adorned with a glittery substance known as diamond dust. This was new to me too and I loved the effect of it as it really added appropriate showbiz glamour to the portraits.  

There were a couple of Marilyns too, as well as lots of Campbell's soup cans. Apparently the whole collection of 32 sold for $15 million a few years back - they initially cost the dealer $1000 in 1963.

The PanAm games are about to take place in Toronto - the opening ceremony is on Friday - so it provides an interesting comparison with dear old London town in 2012. Even the volunteers look as if they've been kitted out in exactly the same way as I was - except instead of purple they're being made to wear a saffron colour which would definitely not have been my colour as yellows tend to make me look like a sick person. 

Which coincidentally, I am, as slight cold has turned into something more stinky and a rain forest of snotty tissues surrounds me after a poor night's sleep. I'll leave you with that attractive image, enhanced only by my puffy eyes and glowing red nose......

At home with the Grahams

It's 5am here in Mississauga and I'm wide awake to the distant whoosh of the aircon. Arrived yesterday mid-afternoon after a decent cheap flight having earned a 2-seat row to myself via a well-timed whinge and a pained expression. Watched 3 movies but just realised the limited selection on Air Transat probably means I'll have nothing I want to watch on the way back...

Dear friend Toni picked me up and we spent the evening en famille (how did vertically-challenged Toni and Donald produce such giant children?!) and watching Wild with Reese Witherspoon which almost inspired me to take a big hike but I'd never manage the backpack or the lack of a shower. 

Went to sleep around 11pm with a Lemsip (of course I have another cold and claggy throat - I only had one 4 weeks ago, so it was about time) but my usual early wake-up routine has kicked in so rather than toss and turn I thought I might as well start writing this. It's kind of a diary as much as a blog so apologies if it's not very interesting yet. And I don't have any photos yet either but will try to remedy that later.

Yesterday I also became a great aunt for the 4th time - this time it's a boy called Wilson who sounds to have given mum Zena all kinds of trouble but eventually bounced into the world via Caesarian section weighing 8lbs 11oz. On the same day my friend Miranda lost her dad after a long illness, so kind of circle of life thing going on.

It was humid and chucking it down on arrival yesterday, but today promises better and Toni and I are going into Toronto. When I was here 2 years ago I didn't make it up the CN Tower because the weather was generally so misty that I would've seen diddly - but today we're booked into the revolving restaurant for lunch so this time I'll get to see the view of Lake Ontario from 553 metres (to put it in perspective, the Shard is just shy of 310). I've never suffered from vertigo - yet.....

Might try sleeping again now. Laters.