Downtown Toronto - 4 blocks to the tower ... tomorrow
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 5
Water and lake views under vivid, blue clear skies approaching #Toronto
It was 6 am wakeup for me to take in the early morning sights and disturbed @Mac at 8:50 so we could shower and pack before getting off to brunch courtesy of #VIA Rail .
Time to get cracking - last day on train - no time to watch the world go by
How is it even possible, after all the delays that were experienced that we arrived in #Toronto a full two hours early. To top it off it was a stinking hot day AND we couldn't check in till 4 pm. We were dragging luggage so there was no way that we could dash off and do something. Unless of course it was on the way to our accommodation.
Must be Day-5 blues but I think I am on a roll for a bit of a #whine. We had a few little wrinkles in our blanket today. Nothing that really wasn't of our own making - and nothing that couldn't be solved eventually .
Finishing up the rail story - we enjoyed the journey and feel "accomplished" making that transit across the provinces- amazing variation in countryside and such a relaxed and indulged way to see it. On the down side (no doubt influenced by our recent #African safari) thought we would have seen more wildlife. With that thought in mind, it's not funny, but it was so funny, English @Lisa was saying out loud and often, that she'd even accept some "road kill" by the track if that's what it took - think we had convinced her maybe some "zoo" or "aquarium" experience might fill the void as an alternate.
Last hurrah in the #Dome
We loved views forwards, backwards, left, right and up in the glass #Dome
We were quick to pack up the "snug" and first time in the trip, we had to wait for someone to finish using the shower before we could access.
Spruced ourselves up (it's 30 degrees plus in humid #Toronto and we only have long sleeves left in our clean clothes choices), joined the brunch crew for the last hurrah, watched #Toronto start to appear on the horizon and all too soon were pushing our luggage along #Front Street to our accommodation.
I get the easy job - just have to wait
Welcome to #Tornto - pick a lane, any lane to get out!
Piece of cake - had four hours to get there
Set ourselves up at a coffee shop and indulged in some "real" coffee and managed to have a chat with the #Hop on Hop Off team to try and work out and source our plans for #Niagara.
That brings me full circle back to the #whines.
First #whine - we have tried multiple companies and haven't been successful in jagging something "organised" for tomorrow for The Falls. Delayed.
Second #whine - we tried to organise our onward train ticket while at the station using our squillion VIA Rail loyalty points -they don't do at the station - can only do over the phone - and you are on hold waiting for an operator. Delayed.
Thought it would be straight forward to book at the station. Nope.
Third #whine - we tried multiple ATMs because we are cash poor - for some reason, they don't like us and we felt we had experienced enough "declines" for the day. Delayed.
Fourth #whine - thought in our coffee break we would hook up our next accommodation options. Well our marked "favs" were already gone but there were alternates. Unfortunately, the online payment system they used required verification of our credit cards. The verification number was being sent to our Aus phone number (despite us changing this choice to email before we left.) FAIL, fail, fail, fail. We used 4 cards .... twice! Have a stack of "pendings" listed on transaction records with the bank. Delayed. #Solution, contacted venues, settled with# PAYPAL
Fifth #whine - train was so early we had four hours to kill in the heat till checkin! Killed two but then found ourselves perched on hot concrete seat outside door with no response from the "owner" for early checkin. #Solution - @Mac just risked it - and used the key less checkin process and let us in 2 hours early. My hero.
So predictably #whines transformed into #wines and we decided to spend the night "in." Went to the local grocery story - like a big #Woolies - but with masses of fresh food and premade dinner options and decided to chow down on a chicken with some bread rolls (not quite the dining car - but was AOK) and found the most AMAZING Maple Caramel Corn. Had to set a limit on how much to eat.
Not quite the dining car - but we did OK
We laughed lots because can't believe our 17th floor super dooper apartment is over a RAILWAY line. Every time a train goes by, @Mac grabs onto something, thinking he is going to be rocked over. It is even worse in the shower where you are holding on for dear life fearing the worst. Think we'll have time to get our land legs tomorrow - got a big day ahead of walking.
PS Once reconnected to civilisation we realised our systems at home had been offline for 4 days - we were a little nervous that we had lost power in a storm and the fridge/freezer may have been off. I have always said that "Everyone needs an @Aunty_Gail." And of course MY @Aunty_Gail came through like a champion. With a couple of texts, a few pictures amd a video call, we were back online. Tech genius at work 🙌 and we got some pics of the great work by #Harris Lawnmowing and a building update on our neighbour. It was just like being home - thank you.
Tips for @Kathy and @Dave
A.# Prestige can request assistance for disembarkation
B. #Prestige luggage is the first off the carousel
C. Have noted that -Prestige guests can always request the "forward facing" seats in the dining car
D. Our brunch meal partners from #Prestige said it was easier to pack for disembarkation with bed folded away so that L shaped couch could be used
Meanwhile in Europe with @M&I
Getting their turn at being Okympians. Hope they recorded their splits and monitored their PBs.
Admitting we got a little surprise with the "baby face" of the newly shaved @Ian.
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