“From One Honk to another…….”
Stepping off from our Via Canada Train onto the steps of Toronto station, it felt like nothing special. It was cold and raining, as we stepped onto a grey dull concrete platform. A moment of alarm at first at the baggage handling section when I could not find my small bag that I had lived out of for the last four days on the train! A few quick breaths and a nervous feeling of panic rising eased once my bag was found. It had simply been placed with another person’s luggage and was hidden underneath! Baggage restored, all bags accounted for, adorned with raincoats and scarves we attempted to find our accommodation for the next two nights. Our bags were slightly cumbersome and as many steps down and up appeared before us, there was no way I was going to be able to carry both my luggage bag, my carry-on bag (the one that was misplaced) plus my backpack on all those steps. Not sure where we were going, I followed Marc through the ins and outs of walking through the strange rambling Toronto Union Railway Station. He gallantly took my large bag with his and I took his smaller one! Such a gentleman, don’t you think!
Finally exiting the station, rain falling on our heads, walking hopefully in the right direction along the side of the station, we eventually gazed at our beautiful hotel – the Fairmont Royal York. The funny part about all this, the hotel was directly across the street from the station. Looking back, if we had simply chosen a different route within the station, there would have been NO steps to negotiate the bigger bags up and down and we would simply have been able to roll our bags up a ramp, through a door then cross the road to our hotel!
How beautiful the hotel foyer was! Breathtakingly beautiful. A floor to ceiling (and I mean high ceiling) brightly decorated Christmas Tree stood in the middle. Of course, I raced to the tree for that needed photograph to send to family back home… “look at the tree”. Believe me, I was extremely small in comparison!
At reception, we were given a surprise. They had upgraded us from a Room Only to a Gold-class suite on the 12th floor, with our own concierge, lounge area and (free) food service area. The room contained a sitting area, two televisions, an enormous bathroom…and it had the deepest bath I had ever seen! Oh yes, we both used that bath! But no more on that topic!
Luggage down…. Toronto was calling and off we went to explore!
What can be said about Toronto!
Research told me that Toronto is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021. It is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. It is regarded as an international centre of business, finance, arts, sports, and culture, and recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. Multiculturalism was certainly extensive. This diversity is reflected in Toronto’s ethnic neighbourhoods, which include Chinatown, Corso Italia, Greektown, Kensington Market, Koreatown, Little India, Little Italy, Little Jamaica, Little Portugal, and Roncesvalles (Polish community). I so agree with this research as so many diverse cultures were present, and without racial prejudice, it was clearly “pick the blonde”. As we walked throughout the city, the various languages spoken undoubtedly was evidence of that! One conversation to the next was certainly language wise different! I gave up trying to work out which country they were from!
First impressions of Toronto were the cars. Not the colour or the cabs, but the continuous honking of the cars. Impatient drivers attempting to pass through huge intersections as the light was changing from green to red, one stop light to the next, many lanes but still very congested roads, big cars, all exhibited following the same behaviour of non-stop honking cars. Nothing like New York. This was at times quite aggressive. We laughed as we could see that honking was going to get them nowhere.
One misadventure on our walking trek (so glad we were walking) a car ‘stalled’ in an intersection and the lights changed. The tram behind had already used his horn several times to indicate his impatience at not being able to get through the intersection with his passengers. Then the lights changed, and a wave of cars surged forward all honking even though it was obvious to us bystanders that the cars would only be able to advance 10m and be just as stuck as the tram had been. The horns just became more insistent. No-one placed the man’s needs above their own and got out of their car to help him. Eventually the tram driver got out and helped the stranded driver push his car through the intersection. As the stranded car gradually cleared the roadway, the dammed-up cars as rapidly as they could swarmed around his rear desperate to return to their journeys. No compassion for the man’s plight nor thanks to the tram driver who had helped them all.
A grey day, a grey city. Perhaps because there was no snow? We had been in snow conditions up to minus 26 degrees across the country on our train trip, observing the undulating landscape change and shape with the various snow falls. This city had no snow at all. A little disappointing perhaps? We wandered around quite unimpressed by it all. Everything was huge….and I mean huge. Huge hotels, huge churches (no small ones seen at all for all denominations), huge hospitals- we walked by 4 of them, each one identified by huge signage. It was like they were all in competition with each other. The best sign in huge, enormous, oversized beaming letters was “Sick Kids”. We guessed it must be the Children’s hospital! The Toronto university went on and on and on and on. (We took the obligatory photograph of Marc outside the Faculty of Medicine…how could we not!) Ascending the “must see” CN tower, to see the lights of the city (at a huge cost I might add) was disappointing. It was similar to Centrepoint Tower in Sydney. The difference was, Centrepoint showed the Sydney Harbour. This scenery depicted large landscapes of buildings and buildings and high rises and more high-rises. Each block that we walked was huge as well- one block was not a simple block by home standards, you were definitely foot weary by the time we got to the end of each block to cross the road to the next one! Very hard to describe! Tired and a little depressed, we headed back to our hotel.
Such a contrast the next day. More rain but attired with rain gear and umbrellas, we walked in a different direction. What a difference. St Lawrence Markets were amazing. The historic St Lawrence Market is a very personable place to shop for fresh local produce and many other items in a wide variety of speciality shops. This incredible market is over 200 years old and an indoor market (huge again) that was certainly a scintillating sight and smells for the senses. In fact, it could be described as a sensory overload! Opening the huge doors, we were met with the aromas from numerous Fish markets, Meat markets, Bread markets, Cheese, Smoked goods, sweet pastries, and delicacies. This market was enormous but such an exciting sight to behold. Diverse colours, smells, people, languages, products all rolled together under one roof to present to the viewer a conglomerate of assortment and variety. We were recommended to eat a ‘PeaMeal Bacon Bagel’. One look at it, (combined with the smell) and my gall bladder was already reacting. Oh, that’s right I don’t have one…. but I had to walk away from that section of the markets quite quickly before something else reacted! To relieve our senses, we ventured to the Royal Ottawa Museum. Yes, we are museum buffs, but I won’t bore you with the details except to say, this museum was enormous again and in the space of a few hours, we only saw two areas of interest! Does that give you an idea of its size? However, I must mention an interesting aspect. If you read my previous blog regarding ‘people watching’ at the airport, I stated that Marc would be hopeless at it, creating stories and deciphering gestures to fabricate narratives because he would be too busy looking at their complexion to see if they were unwell. On entering this museum, we passed by a Lady head and torso statue in blue stone. I admired the artistic aspect of this sculpture, but what did Marc say? “Oh, she would birth very well, with her wide hips”. Need I say anymore?
The highlight of the day, New Year’s Eve, 2022, was the celebration of the New Year. We left the hotel at 11pm to walk down to the shore of Lake Ontario to view the fireworks. As we walked out the front door of the hotel, we were swept along by the throng of people heading to the bay for the same reason. Despite the enormous numbers we were able to manoeuvre our bodies ( also rather huge at this point after our train trip) to a vantage point right on the water where we were able to sight the spectacular city fireworks from barges strategically placed in the lake. Despite the immense numbers, very little alcohol or associated alcohol-induced behaviour was seen, but instead, waves of good-natured cheering all along the water esplanade. Think of Mexican waves where you stand and raise your arms in succession, well this was, Mexican cheering! WE joined in too!
Like the ball dropping in Times Square New York, the CN tower, that we did not think worth seeing, began to change colour and sparkle vibrantly as the New Year approached. On time and preceded by the crowd’s ‘count-down’, the fireworks commenced and gave us a 15minute exhibition of fireworks more spectacular and memorable due to the reflections from the Lake’s surface.
I had to laugh, as I thought I was bad with selfies, the Chinese couple next to us, snuggled in a tight embrace, spent most of the fireworks, taking selfies of themselves…with and without fireworks. Now Marc cannot complain about me in comparison!
Even though I do not like large crowds, I loved the departure from the shore. The crowds were even more dense than on our earlier arrival. But everyone moved in an orderly mass. A mass that was unperturbed by any obstacles that presented themselves. Remember the impatience of the Toronto drivers? They were no competition against the good natured, endless waves of cheering but unperturbed masses walking back towards the city, as they spilled onto the roadways, flowed through intersections, and around helplessly (despite their honking) stranded cars, like advancing flood waters impervious to the arrogance of the deluded drivers that thought their travel needs should take priority over those on foot. It was hilarious watching individual cars submerged by people, as they queued across intersections, blasting their horns in an ongoing non-orchestral sound and waving their fingers to the crowds. What was more humorous to me, was viewing a car that simply stopped and I observed the driver playing on their phone. This driver was very clever, he knew he was not going to get through despite the honking of those behind him that were mistakenly believing they would move! Cars in a loud cadence of horn blasting, immersed in a multitude of humans, were simply no match, despite their iron will and physical strength for the immense human factor!
Toronto saw in the beginning of 2023. A short but pleasing surprising visit of shapes, sounds, colours, and landscapes for the beginning of our East Coast Canada Journey. Onwards to Ottawa tomorrow!