Our train down to Niagara Falls wasn’t until evening time, so we had a fair bit of time to kill during the day. Got up, checked out and lugged our bags down to a baggage hold in Union Station before jumping on the ferry over to Toronto Island.
Indeed, we did get the best views of the city’s skyline from here, but it was the near untainted beauty of this remote offshore part of Toronto that impressed the most. There was next to nobody there and at first it felt like we’d landed on the set of the Wicker Man or something, half expecting to be ambushed at some point and burnt at the stake in some sort of bizarre islander ritual. As you can guess, that didn’t happen. We wandered around the deserted island for a bit to get some snaps of the skyline and wandered to the other side where Lake Ontario was waiting. This place would be even better in the summer though as the wind was blowing a freezing intolerable gale into our faces.
With three hours still to kill, we headed to that Eaton Centre again and browsed at the shops, moaning in each about how expensive everything is over here and then headed back to the station (again). To be honest, the time we have spent in Toronto was easily enough to take the city in. In all honesty, I found the place underwhelming at times. There’s no defining character in the place compared to say NYC, Philly, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool etc....you know what I mean. Those cities have real soul; Toronto has spirit, but no soul.
Train journey was nice though, no hassle. They line you up and board you on trains here like you would at an airport which is kind of weird, but cuts out the bother of legging it for the train like you do at Kings Cross with 200 other commuters. It was weird seeing the Toronto skyline become an identifiable dot on the horizon as we rounded the lake. Saw the Skylon Tower thing, which marked our arrival at Niagara Falls.
Didn’t actually see them until the taxi approached the hotel, but within seconds of seeing them you could tell there was magic here. Our hotel is the best yet. Some Radisson gaff, but the view out of the window (see picture) is quite something. A few months ago we paid £60 to stay in this proper dive in Kings Cross, for the same money (once you do conversion) you have a proper bang-on hotel, ace rooms, cable TV and one of the world’s true wonders waiting outside your window. Took a quick walk out into the streets after checking in . This place is what I’d imagine a mini Vegas to be: Lights everywhere, casinos, garish buildings and overfed people (myself included). I like it. Can’t wait for tomorrow.
