We are now in Toronto. The flight took 3.5 hrs, and we put our clocks on 2 hrs from Calgary. There is no train from the airport, so a taxi it is.
Had dinner at a place called St Louis. BBQ ribs and wings is the style, and not at all bad. The waitresses all seem to be blonde with push-up bras. I see there is a Hooters somewhere else in town, so maybe this is a Hooters-lite.
Did the hop-on-hop-off bus today. It got off to a slow start. I asked the hotel where is the best place to pick it up, and the guy said he would call them and they would come get us. Unexpected. So, we waited 10 minutes, and the guy comes into the foyer to get us. There seems to be an issue with people using online bookings, so it took a while for them to confirm the printed voucher we had. He then took us to where we could intercept a bus and we were off.
This really is a good way to have a look around the place, and see what there is to see or do.
One cool place is called Casa Loma, a big-arsed castle smack in the middle of Toronto.
This house was built by Sir Henry Pellatt, one of the richest business magnates of the early 1900s.
He made a lot of money in the railway, then the stock market, then real estate. He introduced a little invention by Thomas Edison to Toronto.
He was then instrumental in getting hydropower set up at Niagara Falls, to get power to the people.
Once that was up and running, the government who previously gave permission for the project to go ahead, changed their mind. Leading up to an election, somebody convinced the people that electricity is something that is the right of the people, and should be free to all. The promise that their power would one day be free turned the tide, and allowed the government to nationalise the power company. Pellatt and his partners, having invested millions, were left with nothing. And the promise for free electricity to the people? Any day now, I’m sure.
He ended up going broke before the house was finished, so the swimming pool, the bowling alley and the rifle range, all in the basement, were left unfinished. As we all know, a castle’s resale value really plummets without a working bowling alley. Even the full-sized pipe organ didn’t help.It has been a tourist attraction since before I was born, and seems to be the home for the local Kiwanis, who have been responsible for it’s upkeep all that time.
The bowling alley is now a restaurant and gift shop. The pool remains unfinished.
We wandered around the castle for quite a while. This included an 800 ft tunnel from the basement to the stables and garages. They are actually across the road above ground, quite some distance from the big house. I didn’t count, but I’m not sure if they have more couches than The Sarahton.
There are a couple of secret passages, as you would expect. I left Sarah waiting on the 3rd floor, while I explored further up through an attic staircase.
Little did I know that there would be 4 more staircases after I left her. It was up into the tower you see in the picture, and included 2 metal spiral staircases. It’s like climbing the Cathedral spire in Christchurch. Past tense, unfortunately.
We also went to what we were told is the largest mall in Canadia. Really? They obviously don’t know what big means here. Never mind. Brand new mall, but the food court is not flash.
They did have, however, a shop that took Sarah’s fancy. It is laid out like a farmer’s market in the middle of a mall.
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