The 416 Escape
Looking For A Way
Right after coming back from Winnipeg, Feng and I drove to Toronto to… yeah, to escape Ottawa for a little while.
I had landed in Toronto quite a few time since it’s Ontario’s big hub. The city was my first stop in Canada when we came from Brazil in 2002 and I went numerous time since then. However, I never really had the chance to explore it since I mostly went there during winter time. Oh, and I was broke, too. So I was looking forward to exploring the big city.
We started off from the hostel and walked down Yonge Street, Toronto’s busiest district. I felt so good to see people — not that I’m saying Ottawa is dull. It’s just… quieter. Toronto has a really big Chinatown unlike Ottawa’s which is fairly small and quiet. I hadn’t seen big billboards downtown like that since China.
 In Chinatown |
 Yonge Street |
The hostel had a really nice rooftop from where we could see Toronto’s skyline (and smoke cigarettes while trying to hold the camera still for the night pictures) :
 Toronto Skyline |
 Toronto Skyline By Night |
We visited the CN Tower and took the elevator up to the last floor. Lucky me, I don’t have vertigo… There’s a glass floor on top of the tower and walking on it is the weirdest thing : a view of 1,122′ straight down can be extremely scary. I mean, the glass is only 2.5 inches but I knew it wouldn’t break. Yet, it’s disturbing… although I got used to it after a few attempt.
 CN Tower |
 Walking On Glass Floor |
 On Top Of The Tower |
 Seating On Glass Floor |
We took the ferry to Toronto Island, 20 minutes away from the city. It’s a complete different atmosphere : so quiet, so green, no cars and an okay beach by Canadian standards (yes, I grew up on the Atlantic side of France and we used to have nice beaches before the oil slick).
 Toronto Island |
 Toronto Skyline |
 Toronto Island |
 Toronto From The Island |
I love Toronto. The busy streets, the skyline, the diversity, the water nearby (okay, there’s the Ottawa river here… but it’s not quite the same), the buzz. I’m sick of Ottawa, I just want to go traveling again. Gotta get through the summer.
Related posts:
- A Sunday In Toronto
- Winnipeg Adventures In Friendly Manitoba
- Kensington Market
- Tourists in Toronto
- Toronto By Night
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Ryan : You’re the second person mentionning the Vegas glass floor. I have to go there one day !
Wat : don’t be jealous, LA guy :$
Dinah : I totally understand that ! I’m from a medium city in France, but I like big cities, for the culture, for the diversity, for the convenience of public transportations etc. Where do you live right now ?
I’m in Northern Ontario…a beautiful place, but my town has less than 1000 people…
Toronto is nice, but it’s no Winnipeg!
Great pics, zhu.
Wow, amazing pictures. I too have landed at Toronto airport on occasions when I have flown over to attend meetings at Honda’s Car Manufacturing Plant in Alliston. Unfortunately, all I have seen of Toronto is from a taxi window.…so it is nice to see what I have been missing. The CNN Tower with the glass floor must have been a true experience…you have me wriggling with envy!!
On that note, I’m off to Istanbul from 24th –27th July for a few more days of meetings at Honda Turkey. I’ll be sure to take my camera this time and will write a post from my hotel room during the evenings.