Sunday night and it is relaxing evening in a hotel room in the USA. We landed today in Newark airport with a stunning view on Manhattan. When you fly in on Newark airport, grab always a window seat on the left side of the plane. When the weather is great, you will get a fantastic view on the statue of Liberty and New York City.
So past week I did spend the week in Toronto for business. During business travel I sometimes have a day to explore the city that I visit.
The Three Things that I did visit in Toronto
Toronto, a thriving and magical city that resides on the shore of Lake Ontario, is a top destination in Canada that brings in travelers from all over the world. Toronto is a fascinating city where you can find both modernity and history, stunning architecture and beautiful, natural outdoor space, education, entertainment and so much more.
In addition to seeing the amazing attractions the city has to offer, there are tons of cool cafes and delicious restaurants where you can enjoy a tasty meal and your travel companions company. So after reviewing the different tourist magazines, I decided to pick the three top locations I wanted to visit.
1. CN Tower
One of Toronto’s most iconic attractions, visible in almost every photo of the city, is the CN Tower. It stands at 553 metres tall and a must for any tourist to see the view from inside. I can tell you that you get unbeatable views of the city. In fact, in 1995 the CN Tower was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers in addition to the Golden Gate Bridge, the Panama Canal, the Empire State Building and more.
The tower opened in October 1796 and from then until 2010 it was the world’s tallest tower, building and freestanding structure. There is also a glass floor where tourists do crazy things for a picture. If you are a daredevil, you can try the Edgewalk, a harnessed walk around the circumference of the building. You’ll be attached to an overhead safety rail via a trolley and harness system as you stroll along defying gravity and enjoying breathtaking views of Lake Ontario.It costs 250 Canadian dollars tough, too much for me !
2. City Sightseeing Tour Toronto
The quickest way to see a town and orientate the best places to visit is to jump on a hop-on off bus. After my visit to the CN tower I decided not to visit Ripley’s Aquarium but decide on the bus which next location to visit. The bus brings you to 20 different stops within the city and you decide where you want to go. You also get a free harbour and island cruise of 45 minutes. This ticket remains valid for your next trip if you can’t take it. This is the case for me.
As you can see on the map, there are many different districts you can explore. The Distillery District is an interesting neighborhood if you want a beer and on the outskirts of Chinatown lies the Kensington Market, a multicultural neighborhood featuring rows of vibrantly colored Victorian-style homes that have been converted into an outdoor market. Or if you want to find food of local farmers you can visit the St. Lawrence Market that is made up of two buildings. The North, for farmer’s markets and antique shows, and the South, which is filled with butchers, fishmongers and cheese shops.
If you have more time, you can plan a visit to the famous Art Gallery of Toronto, a must-see during your holiday. With more than 80,000 masterpieces here from the first century through the present day, you’ll find quite a unique collection of paintings, photographs, sculptures and other works from Canada and around the world.
There’s more places to see. Check the website with the 20 stops.
Website : Official Hop On- Off City SightSeeing Tour Toronto
3. Casa Loma
Casa Loma was originally built by Sir Henry Pellatt, a successful Canadian businessman who founded the Toronto Electric Light Company in 1883. It is one of Canada’s most stunning castles. The Gothic Revival-style estate dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, and you can explore the suites decorated in the period style, secret passages, stables, towers and give acres of stunning gardens.
On the main floor you’ll find the great hall, library, conservatory, billiard room and Sir Henry’s study with mahogany panels concealing a secret door on either side of the fireplace. The second floor features Sir Henry’s suite, Lady Pellatt’s suite decorated in her favourite colour of Wedgwood blue and the Windsor Room.
The castle also features a third floor, lower level and the surrounding grounds. Take a look at the view from Casa Loma hill. You get a great view at the CN Tower.
I ended the tour in Harbourfront where you see the yachts and water taxis that can take you to the isles. There is always music and street food and little shops with special products. It was time for me to relax and watch the boats with a strawberry pineapple smoothie.
Final Words
There were a couple of things that I learned in Toronto. Toronto is far from lacking in ethnic diversity. With a neighborhood to represent almost any culture, visitors can experience a wide swath of ethnic food and activities. You see this reflected in the couples walking hand in hand over the streets. An indian guy with a chinese girl, a latina girl with a “white” guy,..I have seen a multicultural society.
In Canada cyclists can mount their bike in front of a bus and take it along with them. Why can’t we do this in Belgium? I also tasted Canadian oysters for the first time. I didn’t know they existed. They are small in size but thick. They tasted delicious. I will eat them in the future again for sure !
On the streets you find signs as below. Trashing garbage on the streets can result in a 500$ fine. Great decision. Why can’t we do this in Europe ? The subway system is very efficient and many people commute using the subway in the city center. The trains are several 100 meters long and do not have doors inside like in Paris or London.
The car traffic is terrible and most local people prefer to take the subway and/or bus system to commute. I did use it several times and it did work great.
We hope you learned something from this blog post and keep on following us on Twitter and Facebook. As always we end with a Canadian quote.
Source : Homeaway Canada
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