Canada

After yet another flight at an ungodly hour we arrived in Toronto and were certainly feeling the change in temperature!

The journey itself had been fine though and we spent the last hour or so chatting away to our row-buddy. An incredibly texan Texan, complete with cowboy hat and boots, chewing tobacco and the famous friendly texan demeanor, we were asked “So are ya’ll from Toronto?” and greeted with a slightly confused expression when the words UK and Scotland were used in tandem. It’s always interesting speaking to new people though, having tiny glimpses into their lives and personalities, this encounter was no different and we enjoyed our chat with another interesting and friendly person.

We had however, no sooner touched down in the land famous for its manners and politeness (not Britain) when the people of Toronto stepped up to the plate themselves! People seemed quite eager to assist the 2 tired, lost looking and bag laden tourists and we managed to find our hotel with only the minimum of wrong turns.

After checking in and dropping off our bags it became quickly apparent that the small pastry eaten 12hours ago and the handful of plane pretzels just wasn’t going to cut it, so we went on the quest for food.

Our hotel was just on the outskirts of Chinatown in Downtown Toronto and so we were faced with so many options on where to eat. We didn’t even know where to start! But luckily after a brief exploration we came across Fancy Franks Gourmet Hot Dogs and treated ourselves to a tasty veggie dog with all the trimmings!

It had truly been a very long day and so wanting to get rested up for tomorrow we walked the long way back to our hotel and hit the hay.

The next morning we were ready to hit the streets and explore more of Toronto, with our limited time here we really wanted to make the most of it.

We didn’t really have much of a plan for the day but we’d set out with purpose and so we concluded that the CN Tower would be a good place to start.

We’d seen the CN Tower peaking over the skyline as we’d wandered through the city and then all of a sudden we were stood at the base of this giant concrete tower. Arguably Toronto’s most famous building, we have to admit, it’s pretty impressive.

We then continued our journey and came across the Toronto Railway Museum which is right across from the tower and aquarium.

It was a sweet little find, complete with the old railway buildings (one of which was now a brewery) and a miniature train line although, unfortunately, we didn’t get to see it trundle by.

Our journey continued onward and another major tick-off on the to do list for Toronto would be to see Lake Ontario, one of the 5 great lakes of North America. To get there we weaved our way through the city, once again becoming distracted by the buildings and its charm.

An interesting stop along the way was a St. Lawrence Market. An indoor market full of local food vendors and artisans, it was lovely to see so many different stalls and local businesses. We of course enjoyed the fruit, veg and bakery stalls best though…and the wine shop…

With so much choice but our stomachs still full of lunch, we managed to avoid temptation and not buy everything that looked so delicious.

The market is fairly close to the water and so we managed to tear ourselves away and head to the shore.

As we neared the lake we could see there was quite a lot of construction going on around us, with new complexes and luxury apartments threatening to pop up in the next few years. But then, who wouldn’t pay for that view?

We decided to head back toward dry land and away from the cold wind off the lake. That’s when we discovered the Distillery District.

It was once, funnily enough, Gooderham and Worts Whisky Distillery. The old buildings have been lovingly restored and now house galleries, bars, cafes, shops, and an array of cool and interesting businesses.

It’s a popular area and it’s easy to see why, there’s so much to explore and in a lovely setting.

Once we’d explored all we could in the area we realised that the day was wearing on and it was time for us to head back to the hotel to rest up and refuel for another day of travelling.

The next morning we were to begin our trip to Montreal. Although my pronunciation was quickly corrected by the French Canadian waiting in the queue when I asked if we were in the right place. It was clear we were going to have to brush up on our language skills a bit.

The train ride, although long, was actually incredibly comfy and the views of the Canadian countryside were lovely.

Our time in Montreal was very short and although we’d arrived in the evening, and the rain, it became quickly apparent how lovely the city was.

Not wanting to waste anytime we found a nice little Italian spot for dinner and then went for a walk around the area.

We finally dragged ourselves back to the hotel and rested our weary heads for another big day tomorrow.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Canada, however brief, and it’s definitely on the list of Must Return And See More, but until then, we’re heading back to the US.

Hatti x