If you're going to Toronto then a visit to Niagara is pretty much a must see. Yes it's very touristy and yes it can get pretty crowded but it's still pretty neat to see and you can really make a day or two of it if you plan it right.
Unfortunately we didn't.
So lesson learned. Don't believe everything you read and never trust a timetable. Especially a Canadian timetable. We did and ended up losing several hours of valuable never-going-to-get-back sightseeing time.
Number One tip: Don't take the VIA Rail Canada Niagara Express train that goes from Toronto. This train is always late, like ALWAYS. It might call itself the Express but as it crosses over the border to the US and has to go through customs both ways it's always delayed. So avoid.
Instead take one of the local Go-Transit trains from Toronto. It's cheaper and much quicker and you'll get to spend as much time as you like - you could even opt to stay the night there and go back to Toronto the following day (something we wished we had done instead).
On the plus side the Falls really are wonderful to see.
Arriving at the the Niagara Falls train station you'll be forgiven for thinking you've landed in no-mans land and that you're gonna be fed to the local wildlife aka bears. Because yes the train station is pretty much in the middle of nowhere on the edge of a decrepit looking town that looks like the only people living there are ghosts and serial killers. Blame the imagery on me watching way too many crime shows and Supernatural.
Luckily there is are regular buses to save you from this fate and will whisk you away to civilisation, i.e. all things touristy and gimmicky and watery.
There is heaps to see and do and you could really make it a total Niagara Falls immersion if you wanted to by doing it all. Really though the Falls are pretty impressive in just themselves.
Not being a particularly touristy tourist we skipped on all the watery things like the Maid of the Mist etc. and instead walked along the promenade taking endless photos of the Falls and having the occasional snack break in the pretty park that ran alongside the walk.
After taking photos of the Falls from every angle possible just because I could we then made our way to Niagara-on-the-Lake. It's a bit tricky getting there (you have to take a taxi as there are no buses) but the village is super pretty and it's just lovely to walk around and admire all the lovely buildings.
And if after all that you still feel like more things to see and do there are a range of walks and museums and attractions that you can take your pick of which makes spending the night either at the Falls or nearby a very attractive proposition. Apparently seeing the Falls in the evening is pretty magical.
I'm definitely planning on going back one day and seeing some more.
And no I won't be taking the Niagara Express train.
This time last year I was counting down the days to my holiday in Canada. Who knew that a year later I would be unemployed and finally writing about it - the holiday I mean. Once again I am the mistress of procrastination.
In the spirit of complete honesty I am not the most adventurous traveller. In fact I am the complete opposite. I like a comfy bed and a nice room, preferably with room service and a hot tub; and if not at the very least a functional toilet. No swatting in bushes, praying that some stranger won't come across you or being eaten alive by all things swarming for me thanks very much.
I am also not a travel blogger. My photos won't do any of the places I visited justice and are more likely to look lopsided than anything else. I definitely won't have any insightful insights into what I have seen. Instead my words will probably be filled with lots of pretty this and lovely that and all in all will read like a boring manual.
What can I say. In my head I have all sorts of amazing words and stories but on paper it comes out kind of meh. Which is kind of tragic really as I love reading funny, quirky travel memoirs so I'll apologise in advance for anything boring or meh.
Toronto was the starting place for our travels and is a pretty cool place. It's a city with all the things a city has to offer.
I went with very little idea of what I wanted to see, other than a visit to Niagara Falls (partner's choice). Which was kind of good on one hand as it meant we just stumbled onto to things as we found them but which also meant that we missed out on some neat sights which I will definitely want to do, when and if I go back.
Getting around Toronto was fairly simple. It's a surprisingly easy to get around on foot and public transport is there if you need it. And if you're really stuck you can always try the Hop On Hop Off Bus, though personally I wouldn't recommend it. You're probably just end up walking anyway if you do go on it as the buses on this service seem to take forever to get to stops and when they do they are usually full to bursting which means even more waiting until the next bus arrive. We tried it once and went back to walking.
We walked everywhere. Great for the fitness but not so great for the feet, which ended up being a throbbing mess by the end of each day. My so-called comfy shoes ended up being not so comfy after all.
As for things to see and do the Waterfront seemed like a nice place to start. From here there are a myriad of things you can do, from going up the CNN Tower to visiting the aquarium or The Hockey Hall of Fame. None of which sounded all that appealing to us so we opted for a walk along the Waterfront.
On a sunny day it's a pleasant walk along the boardwalk plus you get lovely views across the lake to the island. Which is where we headed off to next. We went on a Harbour Cruise which is totally cheesey and touristy but also seemed a nice way to spend a hot, sunny day. Even better we could do a stopover on the island for an hour or so. A perfect way to get away from the city and the crowds and still enjoy amazing views.
A day of sun and sea was followed by a day of history and food. First up a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) which turned out a nice way to spend a couple of hours. I recommend the dinosaur and the Egyptian exhibits which were fascinating. Even better go and visit on a Friday after 4.30pm and you only have to pay half price.
In fact many of the city's museums and galleries have free or half price admissions on certain evenings so I would definitely check these out if art, etc. is your kind of thing.
If you're like me and love looking at food then wandering around St Lawrence Market is another interesting thing to do. Not only is it free but the food is mouth watering. My only problem was deciding what yummy thing to buy. It took me ages and even then I brought not one or even two but three totally-bad-for-me-but-totally-delicious bakery things. Sometimes you just have to indulge.
The area around the market is also neat to walk around as there are some wonderful old red brick buildings to look at even for a non architecture person like myself and it was a great way to burn off some of those extra calories I had just eaten.
And that was Toronto.
A city of glass and steel and wonderful old red brick buildings and tree-lined streets.
Somehow what with leaving work and recovering from leaving work I forgot to do last month's Buyer's Archive. So here it is... a month late (no surprise there) and combined with July's. Two birds, one stone. The perfect kind of blogging when you're running a little bit behind with your posts.
Last year in June I actually didn't spend any money courtesy of having a birthday which meant presents. Lots and lots of presents. Which kind of ran into July's where I only brought 2 things; a pair of floral canvas shoes which I absolutely love and which I wear heaps.
My only regret is that I didn't buy two pairs at the same time as I'm going to be devastated when these pretties finally fall apart. Luckily for me they are holding on really well in terms of wear and tear so I'm hopeful that they will be with me for at least another year, maybe even two.
My other item was a 3-pack of super cute socks, which I have also managed to which a few times so complete success in terms of purchases for last year's July.
Now onto this year buys...
Well I had a bit of a blow out and I totally blame it on the fact that I was leaving work. Suddenly I realised I needed all the things, especially some more casual clothes for all the lounging around home I was going to be doing. So naturally of course a little spending was needed.
Purple T-Shirt - $8 from Kmart
Kmart is my ultimate bargain shop. They have so many pretty things and all at awesome prices. Sadly my nearest Kmart is a bit of drive way which is probably a good thing as I would be just about living there if it was any closer.
I just love this style; long sleeves, scoop neck, super soft and super warm and all in a pretty purplish colour. Naturally I had to buy another.
Blue T-Shirt - $8 from Kmart
And the second one. This time in a pretty denim blue colour.
I've already been wearing both of these heaps in past month so they have been the perfect buys.
Orange Ribbed T-Shirt - $5 from Factorie
A bargain buy from an under $10 rack this T-shirt is a lovely orange shade (more orange than the coral which the photo shows) and ribbed, Like the ones above it is also super soft and super warm and makes a nice splash of colour in these dreary gray winter months.
Mermaid Socks- $3 from Typo
I know right? I really didn't need any more socks but as soon as I saw these I knew I had to have them and even better they were only $3 in a clearance sale. Ultimate bargain.
Beauty Products - $24.99 from Price Wise
Of course having brought some clothes I then went on a bit of beauty product spree. All things I totally needed. Well maybe not but they were pretty and hardly cost anything so really they were justified and I'm sure I will use them at some stage. So what couldn't I resist?
For my bargain buy I brought a strawberry & chocolate clay mask ($5), 2 lip tints/gloss ($5), an emery board case with an emery board inside it ($3), a candyfloss pink nail polish ($3) and Nature Republic's Aloe Vera Gel ($8.99).
I'm really keen to try the Aloe Vera Gel as this is one of those Korean beauty products I have heard so much about and this one has had lots of rave reviews.
Stationery - $17.50 from The Warehouse
Naturally the spending spree went on. Sometimes you just have to do these things. This time I stocked up on some much needed stationery. I felt I deserved all the pretties to make my plans with. And once again I managed to buy what I wanted at a half price sale. Pretty awesome shopping right there don't you think?
In this collection I brought a storage box ($4), a pen holder ($1.50), 2 pink pens ($1), a small floral notebook ($1), a notepad ($2), a large notepad for my desk ($2), and 3 hardback notebooks ($2 each).
Total Spend for the month: $66.49
