Toronto is one of the best places I have visited; cosmopolitan and clean and with a friendly air, despite the often freezing weather in the winter. It’s often passed over due to its proximity to the Big Apple, but Toronto is a far more rewarding trip and when you leave the city you will leave a little piece of your heart behind.
The first thing that strikes you about the city is the stunning skyline. Skyscrapers tower over the streets and the CN Tower dominates with its needle-like view. Go up the tower and peer out on a good day as far as the lakes, and stand on the glass floor to see the cars and trucks moving below you at the intersections like ants on the ground.
Toronto is a relatively modern city. Its crime rate makes it one of the safest countries in North America, and people flood there for the art and culture that the city offers. I love the fact that it is designed in such a clever way to ensure that when it is cold, you never have to stray out in to the elements! All the shops have ground floor and lower ground floor entrances, and the lower ground floor doorways are linked by underground shopping centres.
The city comes alive a lot later than most other cities, but there is a plethora of things that you can do at night. It is famous for its music scene and people flock to the bars and cafes that offer a melting pot of different cuisines; you can never get bored of the food offerings in the city.
My favourite part of the trip was our day out to the Niagara Falls, one of the most famous waterfalls in the world. We went on a cold February day so some of the falls were actually still frozen, but still the majesty of Mother Nature was apparent. Over twenty eight million people visit the Canadian side of the falls on a yearly basis, and at night in the summer time the falls are illuminated to give a completely different perspective. We did the walk under the water, where you go through a section of tunnels to come out directly behind the fall, but the most popular attraction to people visiting is the Maid on the Mist; a boat trip that takes you along the river as close to the falls as it can, depending on the weather. It is named in homage to a folk tale that tells of a maid that guides boats through the mist of the falls to avoid being dashed on the rocks.
No Comments