To Yosemite and beyond!

Our drive to Yosemite was pretty unevenful and not all that interesting it has to said, until we climbed into the hills and shortly arrived in the small town of Mariposa, a pretty little place whcih still resembled the old town it was in the late 1800s with one main street and lots of old style buildings housing modern shops.  We quickly established from a visit to the tourist information centre that this would be the last time we would see any kind of real shopping facilites for some time so we picked up a few essentials and headed for the hills, so to speak.  Actually we soon found ourselves in the bottom of a valley on a road which followed the curves of a river which at the time was flowing gently, but the humungous boulders dotted along the river bed told us that there were times when there was a great deal more water flowing.

When we reached our hotel, the Yosemite View Lodge, we checked into our river view room, opened the curtain and patio door to step out onto the balony and there is was, the river running right in front of the room.  And for a river which was not flowing at its peak, it was LOUD!   Very soothing actually and we soon learned it was very pleansant to just sit on the balcony with a cold drink and watch the water meander its way through the large rocks and watch the dragon-flies fltting all around.  


As we were already on the edge of the middle of nowhere, dining options were limited so we ate at the hotel restaurant and were given a table on  the patio.  Not long after we sat down, we were joined by a family of racoons who were apparently regular visitors at dinner time, sniffing out any scraps that had been dropped.  Fortunately they were timid enough that they kept a decent distance, it wasn't as if they were scavenging!  But a nice opportunity to see racoons close up as it was the first time for me.

Lookimg at what we wanted to see in the park itself, we decided to get the longest of the routes out of the way on day one, the one which would take us over the Tioga pass and out of the park on the eastern side.  Winding roads with hairpin bends, a speed limit of only 25 mph in some places and no edge to prevent a drop of several hundred feet in some cases meant for a challenging drive so at that point I was fairly glad I hadn't yet been 'allowed' to drive!  But I was still hanging on for dear life on the occasions when we were on the outside of a bend going uphill and the cars coming the other way were clearly freewheeling at much more than the recommended speed limit!  And frequently we found ourselves the leaders of a convoy ahead of those who didn't seem to be bothered by the Red Bear Dead Bear signs marking the sight where black bears had recently been run over.  Luckily there were plenty of viewing points so it was very easy to go a short way, pull over to let the others pass and to take in the stunning scenery.

By the time we came out of the eastern gate of Yosemite and drove a short way to the town of Lee Vining it was lunch time so we stopped at 'Bodie Mike's BBQ' which looked popular, always a good sign.  We discovered thet Bodie is a Ghost Town, a town which during the gold rush was one of the largest and richest towns in California, but which fell into decline in the early 1900s and was deserted by its inhabitants.  It is now a state park and remains in a state of 'arrested decay' for people to go and have a look at a place which has not been touched since its remaining population abandoned it.  We couldn't resist going to have a look so after lunch, took the 45 minute drive up the highway and on a gravel track to see the spectacle.   Truly amazing to see the old buildings, some of which were as old as the town itslef, to see the general store with all its good remaining, just rather dusty, and the mining buildings and equipment.  A lucky find on the outskirts of the main attraction.



 

The second day in the park took us up to the Glacier View, another winding road but shorter this time, but with the mos spectacular veiw at the top. 

The Yosemite Valley with Yosemite Village and camp grounds was pretty but heaving with tourists and cars parked while people took the shuttle busses to some of the closer sights and viewing points.  The only downside to that was that we wanted to stop for a late lunch but could find nowhere to park, so ended up in the village store for a rather unintering sandwich and went on our way but did manage to find a picnic spot by the river to eat our sarnies, then headed out of the park to make use of the laundromat at the hotel before heading on the last leg of our journey to San Diego.






On the way out of the park using the South Entrace, we stopped to look at Mariposa Grove, a forest of giant sequoias, beautiful enormous trees which stretched up to the sky, amazing!

Then for the long drive to Wasco, a small agricultural town with a Best Western which was to be our stop over and to break up the journey to San Diego but deserves a mention for being the nicest and friendliest place of all!  And great New York Pizza at Cataldos!  So if you're ever in the area...


We broke up the last long drive of the holiday with lunch in Newport Beach what appeard to be the most lively restaurant on the beach called Mutt Lynch's.  On departing the beach we ignored Garmin's instructions and took a drive south along the main strip of Balboa island admiring the lovely large houses only a stones throw from the beach.  Garmin really didn't like it, mainly as Balboa Island is a peninsular and we were heading to the tip of it, but when we finally did as we were told, she took us to the Balboa Island car ferry, (when I say car ferry, I mean only 3 cars at a time!) a real treat and a short cut to Balboa island and then over the bridge to the mainland.  


It was gone 4 o'clock when we arrived at the Catamaran Resort in San Diego, we checked in and had help with our bags to our room on the first floor of a 2 storey garden view room, only to find that the room wasn't ready.  The bell-man was really quite cross about it, we were pretty relaxed but when we got back to reception they were very apologetic and gave us a different room, on the 8th floor of the Tower.  At least there was an elevator this time I thought!  As we approached the room, the bell-man said 'You'll be pleased that just happened, it was probably a good thing for you, wait til you see the view you have now'.   I was gob smacked.  A beautiful view over the bay.  I would have been happy looking at the koy carp in the pond, but this view was gorgeous.

After allthe driving we had a quiet couple of days in San Diego where we were actually happy to leave the car in the car park.  We walked the beach, saw dolphins, watched humming birds and made the most of the sunshine.  The highlight was meeting my former Nokia colleague Desiree and her husband Ron for dinner on our last night at a wonderful restaurant on the beach.  I had only met Desiree once before at an HR meeting in Finland but we had been on conference calls together on many occasions and had remained connected through Facebook.  It was great to see them and the food was great and it was the perfect way to end our holiday in California.

If you're going to San Francisco.........

Before I start, I have to say I'm playing catch up with the blog, partly because there has been so much to cram in to the time we have but also due to a lack of free wifi in San Francisco and no service in Yosemite whatsoever, so for anyone who doesn't see Facebook, we are actually in San Diego already about to embark on our last 2 days in California, but I have yet to update on San Fran and Yosemite.  But for now, let the catch up begin!

After a fairly decent drive up the coast in yet more fog and with a brief detour to the small historic and quite picturesque town of Pescadero, we arrived in the sunshine of outer San Francisco.  Garmin kindly helped us to our Fisherman's Wharf hotel which we were pleased with, although less pleased with the $44 a night parking charge!  It was later in the day by the time we arrived so we headed for the laundry up the road to do our washing, luckily there was a cafe opposite so we had a refreshment while waiting for the laundry to dry!  At dinner time we wandered around the wharf where there were plenty of choices of restaurant, all catering to the tourists but we were lucky with the choice we made, the chowder was delicious so a good start to a great meal.

The following day, we took a boat trip out of the wharf along the coast and under the Golden Gate Bridge, then around Alcatraz for a good look at the island, although we didn't stop on the island itself, then after a spot of lunch at the most fabulous crab restaurant, we walked The Embarcadero admiring the sights.

We saw quite a lot of the city while we were there and managed to get some good photos, so I will let the photos do the talking but we particularly enjoyed the sights of the Golden Gate Park although didn't managed to get a glimpse of the herd of buffalo in residence!  Bizarre but true apparently! We also arrived at the Science museum in time to see a presentation in the plaetarium which was really very interesting!

Having heard nothing but US accents and Mexican Spanish up the coast, we suddenly found a large number or british tourists, but I'm not complaining!

On Saturday 11th we left San Francisco for the three and a half hour drive to El Portal at the gateway to Yosemite.  Our route took us over the Bay Bridge towards Oakland and trusty Garmin did direct us which highway we needed and whether to keep left or right but with so many lanes and so many choices, inevitably we were in the wrong lane.  We ended up heading north instead of south and immediately Garmin got her knickers in a twist and started saying 'recalculating' over and over!  Easily enough we did as we were told and turned round and set off leaving the Bay Bridge and San Francisco behind!

It happened in Monterey....!

After a sunny arrival in Monterey, we had some dinner and made an early start only to find that the fog had rolled in over night and there was no sign of sunshine.  We had planned to walk from our hotel on the beach to the Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery, but decided against it in favour of a drive to Carmel by the sea and the 17 Mile Drive through exclusive estates with stunning views of the quite dramatic coastline.

Carmel by the sea looked like the sort of place one could easily spend a lot of money quickly in the cute boutiques and the beach itself looked like it would be most picturesque if the sun was shining, but as it wasn't we didn't even take a photo.  Instead, headed for the entrance way to the 17 Mile Drive, paid our fee and explored all the things there were to see, but luckily the first place we happened upon was the Pebble Beach Golf Club which this year was host to the US Open, with cafe open to the public (i.e. rif raf like us!) so we stopped for breakfast.    I decided to try the 'Huevos Rancheros' as I'm quite a fan of mexican food and although I was a little uncertain about whether I was ready for refried beans, guacamole, and chilli sauce so early in the day, I decided that 'when in Rome' you have to try these things and I was blooming glad I did!  Probably not my choice for an every day breakfast as it really was a bit early for all those flavours, but definitely very interesting and very very tasty. 

Once we were fed, we continued on to see some beautiful scenery, birds and sea lions which were a treat I wasn't expecting and took some photos which perhaps looked even better for the fact that it wasn't gloriously sunny! 

Cannery Row in Monterey itself was an interesting and very touristy place, lots of restaurants and

souvenir shops but still looking as it must have done when it was the centre for fish canning in the town.  Under the walkways were the huge concrete containers which were designed especially to bring the fish from the boats to the factory buildings.  Due to our late and large breakfast we weren't ready for lunch despite the attempts to draw us in, however, most restaurants offered us small cups of Clam Chowder to taste.  Now I had never tasted it before, I haven't been brave enough as I'm not a huge fan of fish but given the opportunity to taste a small cup full, I gave it a shot - it was an instant hit!  So after a couple of small pots of that, I was set up for the rest of the day!!  Yum!

We needed to find a glass of water and a 'restroom' and ended up in a wine bar where they were offering wine tasting for $10 so we each got a bottle of water for free and I got to have a taste of 6 wines made by the Sheid winery in the Monterey region.  Dad who was driving stuck with the water!  I was quite pleased to give it a go and see if I agreed with the descriptions of the wines, I'm never very good at discerning the flavours in wine myself but with the details in front of me, it was easier.  And whatsmore, I bought a bottle of wine and the $10 wine tasting fee was waived!  Bargain!

Onwards then to Fisherman's Wharf, another very touristy place which also had restaurants offering clam chowder tasters which kept us going until dinner time, and then at the end there was a higher level viewing platform where we got another treat, a group of sea lions directly below us sun bathing on a rib, very cute!  We spent quite a long time watching as they lay there, then all got in the water for a dip before fighting over who was going to go where when they all got back on!  Very entertaining.

It was a full and interesting day, and I was so pleased that we had taken the time to see the 17 Mile Drive for so many reasons.  When we got back the cloud hadn't lifted at the beach, but it was just lovely to be right on the water and listen to the ocean crashing onto the sand, very soothing to fall asleep to.

Coming up, San Francisco!

Birthday celebrations, then big fog on the Big Sur

After a wipe out recovery day, the 5th September was dad's birthday and we were headed up the coast to Pismo Beach.  It was a sunny morning as we left Santa Barbara and although we encountered a bit of cloud on the way up the coast, it was a sunny day....until we reached Pismo Beach when we discovered our hotel shrouded in fog.  Our room wasn't ready so headed into town to have a look around, finding it to be a fairly popular seaside resort for the masses so we decided not to hang around.  Instead we found a nice and uncrowded restaurant next to our hotel for a bite of lunch and went the other way down the road to a small place called Seashell Beach where there was an italian restaurant recommended for dinner, within walking distance of the hotel.  And much nicer and quieter it was too, so we settled on that as a destination for 'The Birthday Dinner'.

And what a good chice it was, we freshened up, had a rest and took plenty of sunset photos, then walked the half mile to Del's Pizzeria.  It was heaving and we were invited to have a drink at the bar while waiting 15 minutes for a table.  In that time, I was overheard by the barmaid wishing father Happy Birthday and that was it, a treat was in store for him, whether he liked it or not!

We ordered Salad and Pizza and ended up with more than enough to eat heartily and bring home left overs for lunch the next day.  Then our waitress, a lovely young lady called Charlyann who thought my dad was 'precious'  brought him a slice of icecream mudpie with a candle, with the rest of the waiting staff in tow singing Happy Birthday!  Lucky him, such a nice treat for him to make the day that bit more special.

The following morning was our journey to Monterey covering the stretch of coast known as the Big Sur, and we were disappointed to wake to thick sea fog in Pismo, so got on our way in the hope that the sun would burn it off quickly.  It did lift a little, but not fully so we didn't see as much of the dramatic coastline as we had hoped.  It was a bit disappointing but at the same time, it was an interesting way to add a little more drama to the winding road with the Pacific deep below and the mountains rising to our right.

On the way we saw a viewing point for Elephant seals so we stopped for a look and were glad we did, it was a beach populatd with elephant seals coming in from the water for a few weeks to rest and regain bone mass.  They were piled up on each other on the beach but as we watched a couple of young ones came out of the water.  After some time at sea, they are exhausted, so its an effort to get up the beach and when they get there, they're so tired they just lay there!  Cute but tired!!

On we went, it was bizarre to see thick fog to the left and high hills with sun shining down on them on the right, a little spooky from time to time when visibility diminished and at one point, a bird of prey flew out of a tree ahead of us, heading right for us out of the fog and it was like a scene from a horror movie. 

It was a really interesting drive, sheer cliffs on the left, and to our right hills with pink pampas grass dotted over them and the odd gulley which was greener and boasted more dense floliage.  Beautiful and interesting and just a shame that there wasn't more if it to see through the fog.

But once we arrived in Montrey, all became clear, it wasn't long before we learned that the whole summer had been very cool and very foggy, and that it was less foggy up the coast now than it had been.  So in the scheme of things, we had no cause to be unhappy, we had seen a lot in the circumstances and there is always the chance to come back some day to do it again, it would be very enjoyable.

Living it up at the Hotel California!

Ok, cheesy I know but there had to be a Hotel California link in there somewhere, sorry but I couldn't resist!  And the hotels so far have been very comfortable for the sightseeing and chilling that we've been doing in equal measure!

So Dad actually arrived in LA on Thursday last week, had a night an airport hotel to acclimatise and as I said before was at the airport to meet me on Friday when I landed.  My flight was delayed by about 30 minutes leaving Vancouver but as I had already cleaered customs and immigration in Canada, getting out of the airport was fairly quick and very straight forward.   Picking up the hire car was as easy as it usualy is, given that once again we were told that the car we had been 'sold' was smaller than what we had expected and didn't come with GPS.  So after a little bit of discussion, we walked away with the car of our choice AND GPS for free so we were happy.  Chevy Impala loaded we headed out into the friday afternoon 'labour day getaway' traffic preparing ourselves for a long trip. 

Well having seen the conglomeration that is LA from the air, it reinforced my lack of desire to actually venture any further into the city itself!  One day and with a local guide I may be tempted, but given the time it took us to reach the 101 from the aiport I was happy to be leaving the city behind.  And as we drove at snails pace, we counted Mustangs (in admiration) and watched the 'arrival time' on the GPS notch up by the minute as our 2 hour journey quickly became an estimated 3 hours, but that was ok, we were on our way!

Santa Barbara was our first stop, and our GPS led us to our hotel in time for an aperatif and something to eat and then bed for the poor person who was still jet lagged, bless him! 

Santa Barbara itself is a really pretty little place with a lovely main street which has its fair share of expesive boutiques, then there is the sea front which led us to a hill drive along the coast passing lots and lots of lovely houses over looking the sea then ranch after ranch behind massive gates.  Very nice, from what we could see!

It was a sort of quiet day while Father got himself over his jet lag and since we had found a post office and dispatched a parcel of goodies for my friend Neil in Ohio, we had done our duty for the day.  Actually what was amusing was the full range of Californian hospitatlity and frienliness experienced in the post office.  Having expected to buy a fixed price box for Neil's goodies, the clerk advised us against that option and suggested normal parcel post would be best.  For that I would need a box so she went to find a used one for me which took a few minutes but she found one that was perfect, so I turned to start packing the box and she went to find me a roll of tape. I noticed a line had formed in the time it took her to find the box and the woman at the front of the line started laying into me about the fact that there were people waiting, as if I had asked the clerk to be so very helpful and to take her time about it.  I was so shocked at how blantantly rude she was that all I could do was statre at her, at which point she just said 'Whatever'.  And she wasn't a young woman either!  Shocking!  But I couldn't have asked for anything more from the post office clerk, lovely lady!  And I was pleased to get Neils treats off to him safely.

Then Dad sat in the sun while I made the most of the hotel pool and for the first time in a fortnight did some of my Aqua exercises 'A La Joy' and felt better about the very nice steak dinner I had that night!!  Yum-oh!!

Vancouver and a long lost cousin!

For anyone who didn't know my mum or who hasn't already heard the story, we didn't know about  cousin Jack until about 5 years ago.  Mum and her cousin Grace in Toronto were researching the family tree and knew that there was a branch of the family connected with Canada and the Hudson Bay Trading Company.  Between them, with the help of the interenet, the Hudson Bay Company as it is today and a very very helpful Senator from the Yukon Terrotory, they tracked Jack down to Vancouver.  I'm not exactly sure what relation he is to me by title but he is the Granson of my Great Grandmother's sister.  Cousin will do just fine!

In 2006 Mum and Grace met in Vancouver and together met up with Jack for the first time and then took the train back to Toronto, which is really what inspired me to take the train in the first place.  But since that meeting, we have been in regular contact with Jack by email and he has even been to visit Grace in Omemee.

So it seemed fitting that I should meet him while I was in Vancouver and when I told him of my visit, he invited me to stay.  And I am very glad I did.  We had a really fun few days.

After meeting me at the train station, we went back to Jack's condo where I was issued with a map and set of keys as Jack had to go to his voluntary job in the afternoon.  It was such a lovely day that I managed to walk a long way around the city and get my bearings, and with the promise of a sail for the following day, it all looked very promising.

Tuesday morning arrived, I looked out of the window and immediately identified that it was not going to be a day for sailing.  The mountains which were visible clearly behind the high rises the day before had almost disappeared into a cloud, and it was raining quite heavily, so the plans for that day were abandoned and instead we did a bit of shopping followed by a very damp trip to the Aquarium which was lovely, and I saw Beluga whales for the first time which was very interesting.

Luckily the following day was much better and after a walk at the water front in the morning, we were collected by Jack's friend Albert and taken to his boat at a Marina on False Creek for a spot of sailing.  It was a perfect day for it, we left False Creek, headed out into the bay and got excellent views of the city and Stanley Park from the water.  And as Jack said, it was nice to be able to see the city from my favourite medium.

Thursday being my last day, Jack had another afternoon of work to attend so we headed out early for breakfast at the market on Granville Island, followed by a spot of shopping.  Then after the walk back to the city, Jack left me at Spokes Bike rental so I could hire a bike for a couple of hours cycling around Stanley Park which was excellent and great exercise.  After the cyclcing and all the walking around the city, a lot of which was up hill, I felt I had made up for the days on the train where not much exercise took place at all!

My last night in Vanvcouver was maked by dinner at a restaurant in the city which Jack treated me to, and afterwards, the final meeting with the Doggy Social as I call it, and I will fill you in.....!  Outside Jack's building each night, there is a gathering of dog owners who come together so the dogs can have some social time and the owners can have a chat.  The pooches seem to enjoy it and so did I as the dogs are all very friendly, even Benson who is a large mountain dog but who is a little shy when it comes to new people and didn't like to come near me!  I met him one day with his owner, and Benson spent the whole time trying to hide behind his owner so I couldn't pat him, but I was assured it wasn't me, he's like that with all new people!  Phew!!!

And then it was time to say goodbye to Jack and to Vancouver.  There was so much I didn't get a chance to see within the city, even before I think about the mountains and national parks outside the city, I defintiely have to go back again and more time will be required next time to fit it all in.

Jack took me to the airport on the Skytrain, which actually went mainly underground until we got near to the airport and had to cross the river a couple of times.  Luckily, when heading to the US from Canada, you clear US Customs and Immigration IN Canada, so when I reached LA, I didn't have to wait in line, but went straight to the carousel to get my luggage and as I turned to look for my Dad, there he was walking towards me with his luggage all ready to collect the hire car.

California here we come!

Three days and four nights on a train!

My last day in Toronto was a quiet day, getting sorted out for the train journey which would start at 10pm that night, but also becaue we had two meetings, the first with Grace's son Paul, the second with her Grandson Aaron and his partner Nicola.  It was lovely to meet them and I was glad to be able to do so while I was there.

But the day went quickly and it was soon time to say goodbye to Grace and get on the train.  I was a little apprehensive about the accommodation as I had an Upper Berth, basically a bed which folds down from the upper wall.  But by the time I got on the train, it all seemed very proper and my concerns disappeared!  I had booked the cheapest of sleeping options (the alternatives being a lower berth slightly more expensive or a cabin for one) but its safe to say that I actually had the best of the options, a very wide bed with a thick privacy curtain, and very very comfy.   The motion of the train was the only thing which was a little disturbing, a bit like sailing but less soothing!!

And what's more, I very quickly discovered that I was sharing the compartment with some pretty cool people two, two ladies from Australia, one from Quebec and one unfortunate young man from Ottawa who got lumbered with us.  It wasn't long before we were chatting and laughing and it was those people who helped to make it a superb trip.

Joining the train at 10pm as we did, our beds were set up for us when we embarked, but it wasn't straight to bed as we were invied for champagne in the Panorama car as the train departed Toronto, and looking out of the glass roof, the last view of the city was the CN Tower lit up in red green and blue.  I did't have my camera with me which is a shame, but the view was stunning.

One the champagne was over, we then headed to bed and woke the next morning several hundred miles away in the bush, miles and miles of scrub and lots and lots of water.  There were lakes everywhere and it made for some beautiful views.

There was plenty to do on the train but the company was so good that we didn't need to take advantage of all the activities, although we did participate in a spot of Bingo!  The food was excellent too, although I have to say that there was probably a little bit too much of it given that we didn't have to do much exercise, other than walking from our section to the dining car and back or to the Panorama car.

We arrived in Winnipeg on Saturday morning at 8.30am and had 4 hours to look around.  A bus trip was laid on for us so I took advantage of that and saw some of the sights the city had to offer, it was a bit of a whistle stop visit, but I saw more than I would have otherwise including the Legislature building, the remains of Fort Garry, the Park and the Cathedral in the french quarter.  I didn't spend much time by the river, but in that short time I managed to acquire 10 missie bites as I discovered the following morning when I woke up with lovely big red bite marks up my legs and arms!  Lovely!!

Sunday, our last day on the train, the scenerary changed from praries to hills then mountains and by lunchtime we had arrived in Jasper, a pretty little town in the mountains and we had an hour and a half to look around.  There were plenty of souvenir shops and I did have a good forage but managed to avoid temptation.

Once we were on our way again, we were on the final leg of the journey with the train arriving in Vancouver on Monday morning.   As we sat having breakfast, it was clear we were almost there as we passed the many farms of the Okanauga Valley, and then into the subburbds of the city.

It was sad to leave the train and the friends we had made along the way, but there waiting for me when I came out of the station was Jack, my cousin who was to be my host and guide for my visit to Vancouver!

A day trip to Niagara and a spot of wine tasting!

The day trip to Niagara started early so we asked for a wake up call on Wednesday morning.  The phone rang, I answered and was greeted with a very cheery 'Good Morning Dr Mason, this is your wake up call' at which point I explained that I wasn't Dr Mason, but a relative.  The person on the end of the phone apologised and we said goodbye.  

While I was in the bathroom, Grace answered a knock on the door to someone who was bringing us complimentary morning tea, he smiled brightly at her and said 'Good Morning Dr Mason'.  Grace said 'Thank you but I'm not Dr Mason' to which he replied, 'Oh I'm sorry Mrs Mason' so she said 'I'm not Mrs Mason either'.  I think the next question may have been something along the lines of 'If you're not Dr Mason or Mrs Mason, then who the devil are you?'!    For the rest of our stay, we were each regularly addressed as Dr Mason which we did chuckle about and in the end, decided it was easier to go along with it and not bother to correct them.  But its nice to know that the real Dr Mason gets such excellent treatment when he and Julie stay there!

The bus trip to Niagara Falls was a 2 hour trip mainly along the highway until we reached Niagara on the Lake which is a pretty little town with some interesting history.  A lot of the land around the town has been used to grow grapes due to the fact that there is a micro-climate in that particular area and as a result, there are several wineries in the area.  We were taken to the Peller Estate for wine tasting and lunch which was excellent.  We tried their fizz and some Merlot, then I tasted Icewine, a wine made from white grapes which are left on the vine into the winter and are harvested in Janurary when they are completely frozen, then pressed before they have a chance to thaw.  Each grape then produces one small drop of nectar which is used to make the Icewine, which is quite sweet and probably more like an aperitif than a dinner wine.

After lunch it was only a short trip then to the falls which were absolutely stunning. The visit also included a trip on the Maid of the Mist which was exhilirating, a little wet but very exciting, although Grace didn't join me for that particular trip so she stayed in the dry with the camera.  I did meet some nice people from Chicago on the bus and they were kind enough to take some photos of me on the Maid of the Mist and promised to send them on, so fingers crossed, otherwise, I will have to put my blue plastic poncho back on and get to work with photoshop!

It was a wonderful trip out, and again, photos will follow when I next get access to Wifi!

Next stop, Toronto!

I realise that I am a bit behind on the blog, so my apologies for that, but it is really because there has been so much to do that getting time to sit at the computer has been a bit of a challenge, but surely that's how it should be?

Tuesday 24th August, Brian dropped Grace and I to the 'Go Bus' stop in Cavan to make our journey into Toronto the way the commuters do, by bus and train.  So we said our goodbyes to Brian, hopped on the bus which dropped us at Oshawa train station and within 2 hours of leaving home, we were in Toronto Union Station which was conveniently located just opposite our hotel.  

What was slightly less convenient however was that the go station was location below ground level and the only way we could see to access the hotel was to climb several flights of stairs with our suitcases...so we made a start.  Half way up as we stopped to check we were where we thought we should be, a woman stopped to ask what we were looking for and kindly offered to tell us where the nearest liquor store was! 

Grace's son in law had booked our rooms in the Fairmont Gold section of the hotel, getting us a much reduced room rate as he uses the hotel regularly for business.  At reception Grace gave her name, but there was no booking in her name so she tried Ron's name and immediately the booking came up on the system.  'Ah yes, we have it under Dr Mason's name, Dr Mason is a regular visitor and is very good to us'.   That was a little surprising to Grace who didn't know that her son in law was a Dr (of medicine or PhD) and was the start of something which caused us great amusement, but I will save that for a little later!

President Sarkozy stayed at the same hotel during the G8 and was heard to remark that he saw 'nothing sumptuous' about the accommodation, but when I saw the room, I had no doubt it was more than sumptuous enough for me!  And whats more, a bottle of Moet was delivered closely followed by some chocolate decorated strawberries, a gift from Grace's daughter Julie.  Very yummy indeed.

We spent the afternoon on the open top bus tour of the city, looking at the sights and taking photos, a very good way to see as many sights as we could in the time we had without the need to walk too far. Photos will follow when I get wifi access next.

The highlight of tuesday however was dinner at the top of the CN Tower, an amazing view as we revolved 360 degrees in 72 minutes, starting with a view over Lake Ontario as we sat down, round to the West as the sun set, and then a view across the city as the light faded and the sky scrapers lit up like Christmas trees.  Beautiful!  And the food was exceptionally good too.  A truly memorable evening after an exciting day.

And then it was time for bed in what I came to describe as 'My Cloud'.  Soft white bed linen on a very soft mattress with squidgy 5* pillows.  A very good nights sleep after a very exciting day!