Travels with Jim and Sylvia
On May 1st we set out to visit Canada on the holiday Jim won with Moray Firth Radio, in conjunction with The Scottish Hydro Electric Board.
We flew to Toronto where we stayed for five nights. Toronto is a very cosmopolitan city, of different cultures and races from all over the world. This makes for some very interesting shopping and eating experiences. We were especially impressed with the cleanliness of the place, no litter, no graffiti anywhere we went. The weather was sunny, although quite cool, ideal weather for walking and we walked miles around the city.
In winter it is very cold and there is a huge underground city where it is possible to go to work and shop, keeping out of the ice and snow.
The city is built on a grid system so it is impossible to get lost. Well nearly impossible!!
The hotel we stayed in was excellent with a swimming pool and a hot whirlpool.
We then travelled to the next stage of our holiday which was a night in a hotel in Niagara. The star in this place is, of course, the Niagara Falls. You can hear the roar of the falls over all over Niagara. The mist that thunders is an apt description. The Canadian Falls are the most impressive, bigger than the American Falls. We went in a small boat right to the bottom of the Falls, lost in the crashing mist, we were swathed in blue bin liners, it was very wet. Thrilling is the only word to call the experience.
For the final stage of our holiday we returned to Toronto to collect our Pontiac hire car and drive 150 miles north to Deerhurst Resort just outside Huntsville.
Joining the motorway was not my favourite memory of Canada. Traffic is on the right hand side of the road which can be mind blowing on a six lane motorway. I asked to be dropped off, but had to stick it out. Fortunately traffic got lighter the further North we got. I tried not to think of the journey back.
The resort was beautiful, set in acres of golf courses around the lake. In our very spacious room there was a log burning stove which reminded me of a Tellytubby. We ventured into Huntsville, which is a typical 'small town'. One main street and a river running through the centre, lots of 'Olde Worldy' shops and old timers in Davy Crocket hats and leathery skins.
The best memories we have of Canada are the beautiful scenery, Niagara Falls, and the courtesy and friendliness of the people, especially the young people. My very worst memory is on the journey back to Toronto when we ended up in no mans land rapidly running out of road between two motorways, the average speed of the cars being 70 miles an hour.
Have a nice day!
By Sylvia Smith