Tag: Canada

Goodbye Canada

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20 and 21 October 2015

We got back to Toronto just as darkness was falling. It would be our last evening in the city and, once we’d packed as much as we could, we set off out into the night. We’d been either walking or driving more or less all day so we decided to take a short wander to Nathan Phillips Square to see the Toronto sign lit up and grab a snack in the process. When I’d been waiting for Commando to finish the marathon I’d noticed a Hero Burger place in the square. Hopefully it would be open. If not we’d have to think again. Continue reading Goodbye Canada

Horseshoe falls, barrels and miracles

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20 October 2015

“Let’s just go a little further,” I said to Commando. “I’d like to have a look from the river above the falls if we can get that far, to see what would have possessed someone to stand there with a barrel and think about going over the side.”
Looking down into the churning waters was like looking into a boiling saucepan. It seemed unbelievable that anyone would consider jumping in but many people have and some have even survived. Why did they do it though? Walking across on a tightrope is madness enough but a vertical drop of over one hundred and sixty five feet hardly screams ‘jumping in would be a pretty good idea,’ even without eighty five thousand cubic feet of water falling every second.

Continue reading Horseshoe falls, barrels and miracles

Niagara, where America and Canada collide

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20 October 2015

Commamdo was, understandably, a little nervous about driving seventy two miles on Canadian roads. After all, that’s like driving from our house to London, which in England would be counted as a pretty long drive. Of course, in Canada it’s considered just down the road and we couldn’t come all this way without seeing one of the wonders of the natural world. Not wishing to get caught up in the morning rush hour, we had a leisurely breakfast and then took a slow wander down to the car park. The worst part turned out to be getting out of the city. Once we got onto the Gardiner Expressway the traffic eased a little. Now all we had to do was follow the sat nav, keep looking at the road signs and try to be in the right lane at the right time. Simple? Probably not but Commando managed it. Continue reading Niagara, where America and Canada collide

Down by the lake

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19 October 2015

After a three course lunch at the top of the CN Tower there was a need to walk some of it off so we set off along Front Street trying to decide where to go. Commando fancied having a look at the local football stadium in Liberty Village while I thought it would be nice to check out Garrison Common and Fort York. In the end we decided to split up at the smelly bridge and meet later by the exhibition centre where’d we’d picked up Commando’s race pack on our first day in Toronto. As it turned out, neither of our missions was particularly successful. Continue reading Down by the lake

The view from the top of the world

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Standing right at the bottom of the CN Tower looking up no one could fail to be impressed. At 1,815.4 feet (533.3 metres) high, it is, after all, one of the tallest buildings in the world. In fact, for thirty four years, until the Burj Khalifa and the Canton Towers were built, it was the tallest and it remains the tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere. Not bad for something that was opened in 1976. We weren’t just going to stand there looking up though, we were going to the top to have lunch in the revolving restaurant. Whatever the food was like the views were going to be spectacular. Continue reading The view from the top of the world

lost cars, trains and towers

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19 October 2015

After the race we had a lazy afternoon for the most part. Apparently, running twenty six point two miles takes it out of you a bit. Commando had a chat with David in reception about having lunch at the CN tower and we did venture out during the evening in search of food. Once again, standing on the street looking slightly bewildered attracted some local assistance. A kind man stopped to ask if we were lost. When we said we were looking for somewhere to eat he directed us towards Queen Street.
“There are lots of places to eat around there,” he said.
Commando settled on fish and chips, wondering how they would compare to the ones at home. As it turned out, they were different but very nice. Back at the hotel we treated ourselves to a drink at the bar and whiled away an hour chatting to an American woman who’d also run the marathon. Continue reading lost cars, trains and towers

…and on to the finish line.

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18 October 2015

So there I was waiting around like a troll under the bridge near Toronto’s Distillery District wondering if Commando had already gone past and, if not, exactly where he was.  Now I’d stopped moving I was getting cold again and the light wasn’t the best under there the expressway so it was touch and go whether I spotted him at all. Runners came past in dribs and drabs and I squinted at them all. The problem was I didn’t know exactly when he’d crossed the start line or how far I was from the cheer point. The longer I waited to more worried I got. Continue reading …and on to the finish line.

A very chilly start

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18 October 2015

The hotel restaurant had barely opened when we went down for breakfast but, with the marathon starting at eight forty five, far earlier than most, we had to eat early. The only other diners were also runners. Back in the hotel room Commando put on his shorts and Itchen Spitfires running shirt and checked his bum bag one last time. Outside the window a row of blue and yellow portaloos had appeared overnight and I could see the start line a little way up University Avenue. We stood in front of the window, using the view as a backdrop for a pre race photo of each of us and then tried to watch some TV to take our minds off the day ahead. Most of it was about the Blue Jays second loss in the series. I hoped this wasn’t an omen for the race. Continue reading A very chilly start

Pre marathon nerves

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17 October 2015

Filled with Starbucks coffee and cake we retired to our hotel room where Commando checked over his race kit and muttered about being sure he’d never finish in under four hours and not knowing why he’d ever signed up for this in the first place. While he paced and worried I reminded him of all the marathons he’d already run, checked out the race course on my iPad and went over my own plans for the next day.
“You finished your last long training run on target,” I reminded him. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. You just have to think positive and do what you trained to do. Whatever happens I’m proud of you.”
All the while we half watched an episode of NCIS that I’m pretty sure we’d already seen at home. The day before a race is always a bit like this, Commando gets nervous and I try to be the voice of reason and pretend I’m not nervous too for different reasons. After a bit Commando said he was going out for a run to loosen up.
“Why don’t you get out and explore?” Continue reading Pre marathon nerves

in which we discover the colour isn’t all on the trees

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17 October 2015

Rather than go out in the freezing cold zero degree air, we decided to start the day wth breakfast in our hotel. It was also a bit of a reconnaissance mission as, with the marathon starting at 8:45, we would probably be having breakfast in house on Sunday morning too, as long as all Commando’s running nutrition requirements could be met. As it happened the coffee and juice were excellent, there was porridge, granola, seeds, nuts, dried fruit, croissants, interesting breads and, of course, the usual eggs, bacon, sausage and hot things. Breakfast in hotels is always a good people watching experience too and we were certainly not left wanting. Continue reading in which we discover the colour isn’t all on the trees