Niagara

On Thursday we had a day off so I decided to go on a coach trip to the Niagara falls, thinking I would be
unlikely to get another opportunity. John and Mich Gunter (the set designer of Boccanegra and his wife) decided to come too, so we booked on a bus trip from the hotel over the road. It was all
quite an experience! I have something of an aversion to the guided tour,
and this one fulfilled many of the reasons why! But we didn't quite feel
like hiring a car and I didn't have my licence with me anyway.

The guide/driver talked solidly the entire way, it was informative, but quite relentless, I learnt more than I wanted about American Football and the hopelessness of the local ice hockey team, but he was very interesting on Canadian history and topography.
Having taken the shorter trip, we didn't get to go to the 18th century town of Niagara on the Lake, which is lovely - apparently.

Still it was well worth it for the experience of the falls themselves which are indeed amazing.in Summer there is a boat which takes you behind the main fall itself, but its not safe yet, as the 'ice bars' are still in place in Lake Eirie and great chunks of ice are likely to tumble over the edge at any time. Dramatic, I think, but painful..

There is an esplanade opposite the American Falls which could have been Worthing, but behind it was a tourist strip of quite speechless vulgarity! I do find bad moving waxworks depressing... think a revolving J Depp on his pirate ship and Harrison Ford being endlessly pulled up and down over a pit on his rope - oh and a sphinx with a moving lower jaw and beard singing Elvis songs, actually that was quite funny.

Then back to Toronto, [which simply means 'meeting place' in Huronese - we learnt].