A first experience. I flew a plane, well, with a little help! And the weather was just perfect to be up in the clouds… Continue reading “Canadian Flight Experience “
Tag: #explore
Niagara SkyWheel
Niagara SkyWheel is a 175-foot (53.3 m) tall Ferris wheel in the middle of Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
Daffodils over the Falls
While spring was arriving, we were fortunate enough to be in Niagara Falls. Although we had been there many times before, seeing the daffodils was very special and on top of that, the weather was incredible.
With the short lived time to experience daffodils, especially in such a wonderful place, this was an extra treat in addition to an already fantastic wonder of the world.
Dazzling daffodils on display with the bridge from Niagara to Buffalo in the distance with the American Falls to the right.
Just a short video from a balcony showing the awe and magnificence of these wonderful falls.
The Pier 6 Building
The Pier 6 building is the oldest structure on Toronto’s Central Waterfront. Continue reading “The Pier 6 Building”
Kensington Market downtown Toronto
For generations, people of diverse origins have lived and worked along the narrow streets of this colourful and distinctive neighbourhood.
In the mid-19th century these streets were laid over the Denison family estate.
The tightly knit blocks of businesses, homes and community institutions evolved as successive waves of immigrants, attracted by the relative affordability of the area, added their cultural imprint to the city.
The district was first occupied by British workers, then by Jewish immigrants who converted the Victorian houses into small small family-run stores by adding makeshift ground-floor shops.
As a result, the area was known for decades as the Jewish market. After the Second World War, new Canadians from Italy, Portugal, Western Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia were drawn here, each in turn adding to the vibrant life of this culturally diverse marketplace.
Below, beyond the park and houses of the streets of Kensington Market, the financial district of downtown Toronto and the CN tower.
The synagogue is next to the park, part of the rich history of this place.
Tolerance and integration have been vital to the development of this cosmopolitan community, which is distinguished by constant renewal.
Filled with scents and sounds from around the world, Kensington Market recalls the history of the Canadian urban immigrant experience.
In a short time, we met some wonderful people from different parts of the world, it really is fascinating experiencing life in one of the most diverse cities in the world.
Hyatt Regency Montreal
On this short road trip to Montreal, we stayed one night in the Hyatt Regency Montreal. It was actually a very nice gift from my sister-in-law. Below are some photos, mainly of the view from our room on the 11th floor, overlooking Downtown Montreal.
One of the main reasons we booked this particular night was to coincide with the road trip to Montreal. The girls were very excited about going to the pool, especially as it was at least -20 outside.
Unfortunately, our bad luck was that the pool was closed for work that was being carried out, a huge disappointment, they really should have stated something on their website and let customers booked in on this day know about this.
We had the pleasure of seeing some lovely colourful lights and displays outside the room whcih warmed up a very chilly night.
Whatever you see is from the Montréal en Lumière, the festival of lights that adorns this area, really is quite spectacular. You can get a much better idea of what this is about by visiting the website below, if you are visiting the next time this is on, it would be a fantastic experience.
http://www.montrealenlumiere.com/en-ca
The video below shows some of the very nice effects that were on display on some of the buildings.
A short walk away is a small mall with a nice water feature, food court and of course, ice-cream.
The morning reveals the views in a very different way, obviously a lot more to appreciate and work out from the hotel room.
Beyond the messy construction going on in Downtown Montreal, you can just make out the cross on top of the hill of Mount Royal.
Just looking at this photo below reminds me of how cold it was…
The Montreal Olympic Stadium can be seen near the centre of the photo below. I must remember to take photos of this stadium close up next time we visit, it is much bigger than I remembered from the last time I visited there several years ago.
Sunrise on the way to Montreal
Despite the extreme weather warnings, we were blessed with a lovely welcome from the sun as we journeyed towards Montreal.
We left very early to get a head start to avoid any meeting with the storm that was forecast.
The effect that the sun has on the scattered clouds above is always a pleasure to witness. The sun really warmed the car up inside, very deceptive as it was freezing outside!
Clearly the gritters have got the message, helping commuters along the way.
Yep, for you folks back in the UK, there is a Cornwall here too!
This is no April Fool’s…
We have been having some really nice weather in Toronto, Spring is definitely in the air, milder temperatures, birds singing (although they are probably as confused as we are regarding the weather) and you can just feel the change, the positive change towards milder weather and it certainly heightens the mood. Continue reading “This is no April Fool’s…”
Toronto Symphony Orchestra – ‘Symphonie Fantastique’
We were so excited about visiting the Roy Thomson Hall to see the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, lovely to see the CN tower in the background as we approached the entrance. Downtown Toronto is very special, vibrant and lively at night. Continue reading “Toronto Symphony Orchestra – ‘Symphonie Fantastique’”
Chinatown, Downtown Toronto
After a lovely cultural visit to Kensington Market, we walked towards Chinatown. It is quite an unbelievable place, you basically enter an area that engages your senses, wakes up the wonder in you, informs your brain that knowing Chinese at this moment maybe a very good and beneficial thing to know, especially if you are like me and like to haggle now and again! Continue reading “Chinatown, Downtown Toronto”
