So I spent 48 hours in Toronto with my lovely friend from home Abi. We didn’t do much other than go up the CN tower and went shopping (you know the way girls do) and just generally caught up. My god, it was so nice to sit in a restaurant for hours with a friend and just chat for hours. Makes a change for 30 minute meals with my book that all this independent travelling has caused me to do.
I then took the shuttle bus to the airport. First of all I got on the wrong bus, I got on the drop off bus not the pick up bus so I went round the downtown route twice so I spent much of the journey worried that I would miss my plane! The bus driver also took a bit of a fancy to me and was asking me about England and on the 10 minute stop at Tim Hortons he insisted on paying for my coffee, so that was a bit awkward but I got a free coffee out of it! I then got to the airport at the boarding time for my flight so I’d missed check in but a nice member of staff checked me in on a computer and then I pretty much threw my bag at the bag drop off. Then security took the piss even though they could see from my boarding card my plane was taking off in 15 minutes! They padded me down, checked my shoes and opened my bag, even though I didn’t beep!!! My gate was also the other end of the airport so I had to run but I joined the end of the a queue that was already walking on to the plane. But I made it!!! I then need a ten minute nap once I got on the plane after all that stress.
On my plane there were these 2 non-identical twins who were about 2 or 3 years old. They were in matching pink dresses and one of them was blonde with rosy cheeks and the other was ginger with porcelain white skin. They were so stunning, the whole plane was captivated by them. Except for the airhostess who kept on (accidentally) banging her trolley on their seat at which point the whole plane would turn round to check that they were ok. Their mother was also stunning and made travelling with toddlers effortless. Even when they screamed the plane down during the turbulence (there was a lot on this flight) their mother was so calm and just said ‘its 9pm and they usually go to be at 7pm, they’re just tired, its been a long day’ but she said it with no resentment, tiredness or frustration.
I am now in Vancouver staying in the hotel where I’m due to meet my tour round the Rockies tomorrow. It’s the first time on this trip that I’ve stayed in a hotel not a hostel. This hotel is the sort of hotel I would stay in with my family, the room has a nice double bed, a big TV, free coffee and tea, a luxury bathroom with free toiletries. The hotel has restaurants and bars and a pool and a spa and is just generally way too grown up for me a student to be staying here alone!
Yesterday was Canada Day so as a public holiday that mean pretty much everywhere was closed (I can’t afford the restaurants in the hotel) I pounded the street to try and find some food, I found a (very busy) pizza take away and walked back to my hotel room. The streets were filled with people carrying Canada flags or with maple leaves painted on their cheeks and there was lots of street entertainment and the fountain outside the art gallery was filled with foam which provided lots of entertainment.
Tour starts tomorrow, get to seem some mountains, yay!
Happy Canada day for yesterday everyone!
