Two months can be a short time, and it can be a very long time, a small lifetime in itself. We're lucky to have done fun things all the way to the end.
Last week we were very privileged to spend a couple of days with Annu's online (and now also real world) friend Donna and her wonderful family. They took us to their campgroud trailer and we had a totally lovely time - we only wish we can repay all the hospitality one day!
Having returned from the shores of Lake Huron, we spent a sporting Friday going to the Blue Jays home game. Tampa Bay beat them in extra innings but so what: it was a tight game and we all - yes, even Annu! - loved the atmosphere, the major league spectacle and the huge hot dogs. Go Jays!!! We've watched their games on tv after that and would like to keep doing that but where can you watch pro baseball in Finland?
One reason we got glued to watching baseball was the hideous weather over the weekend. Both days brought extreme rainfall and thunder, flooded streets and power cuts. So much for our plans of going to Beaches Jazz... but we now know the rules to baseball pretty well ;-)
On Sunday afternoon the storm let up and we spent some time walking around Kensington, the marvellously hippie little pocket of peace, love, pot - and very nice boutiques. We could so stay there for much longer!
Yesterday we did Canada's Wonderland, the huge theme park outside Toronto. The boys loved it and we did too. Annu outdid herself riding a totally crazy ride with Reko. Strange how 10 hours can just disappear!
Having done the last shopping today, all that remains is to pack up tomorrow and get ready for the last big adventure: the long drive to NYC on Thursday. Feels so sad but can't be changed... but just wait for 2011 - we start saving up right away!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
In America, Episode 6: Expanding Views and 1220 Km's of Highways
Back in T.O. after a week on the road. Visited both Ottawa and Montreal so it was a lot of driving for Annu , and she did brilliantly! There were a couple of exciting moments with parking and one way streets in downtown Montreal, but we got through them as well :) And when we drove into Toronto last night after dark, she was pretty exhilarated, doing over a hundred in four-lane traffic with a sea of fast moving headlights and tail lights everywhere.
Ottawa turned out to be a dignified but also warm and welcoming capital city. No skyscrapers; in their place lots of castle-like old stone buildings, bridges, the Rideau Canal and the breathtaking Parliament Hill. The downtown area is very walkable so we did a lot of that and got a good feel for the place. And such nice people too - Annu would not mind moving there! We met and talked with all kinds of folks who made us feel at home.
The Museum of Civilization had wonderful sections on Canadian history and the First Nations, so we learned a lot in Ottawa, too. Marko's work meeting went well and he hopes to keep the Canadian Connection going now that it's been opened.
Being non-French speakers, we were a bit nervous about Montreal but no worries: the city is very bilingual and again very open, polite and friendly. Not to mention European: it was very easy to forget being in North America. On top of the atmosphere, the city has a high hill (Mount Royal) right by the city center, just like the Petrin Hill in Prague, and having visited Prague several times, the ambience was eerily similar at some points - you just had to pinch yourself and keep repeating "I'm in Canada, I'm in Canada..."
We only had about 48 hrs in Montreal but we got to have a good look around the downtown. Marko's Rush shirts and us being Finns (Saku Koivu's compatriots!) led to many fun chats with the nice Montrealites many of whom seemed genuinely sorry Koivu had just been traded to Anaheim.
The only thing that gave us a bit of a problem in Montreal was the Old World way of giving tips in restaurants. But our very nice waitress in the Hard Rock Cafe took time to explain the right way to us, so that was cleared too. And the guy who sold HRC stuff in the restaurant's gift shop got chatting about prog rock with Marko, and so on... In short, it's this easy socializing and openness we will again miss so much when we return home.
Most of all, these modest travels have helped to expand our views on Canada. Before, Canada was mostly just Toronto to us, but having seen other cities and noticed how different the three are with each other, we are much better informed now - and even more eager Canada fans :)
We have less than two weeks to go, and our schedule for the remaining time is pretty much set. We try not to think about it too much now and instead concentrate on the time we still have. And, of course, we will return here - no doubt.
Ottawa turned out to be a dignified but also warm and welcoming capital city. No skyscrapers; in their place lots of castle-like old stone buildings, bridges, the Rideau Canal and the breathtaking Parliament Hill. The downtown area is very walkable so we did a lot of that and got a good feel for the place. And such nice people too - Annu would not mind moving there! We met and talked with all kinds of folks who made us feel at home.
The Museum of Civilization had wonderful sections on Canadian history and the First Nations, so we learned a lot in Ottawa, too. Marko's work meeting went well and he hopes to keep the Canadian Connection going now that it's been opened.
Being non-French speakers, we were a bit nervous about Montreal but no worries: the city is very bilingual and again very open, polite and friendly. Not to mention European: it was very easy to forget being in North America. On top of the atmosphere, the city has a high hill (Mount Royal) right by the city center, just like the Petrin Hill in Prague, and having visited Prague several times, the ambience was eerily similar at some points - you just had to pinch yourself and keep repeating "I'm in Canada, I'm in Canada..."
We only had about 48 hrs in Montreal but we got to have a good look around the downtown. Marko's Rush shirts and us being Finns (Saku Koivu's compatriots!) led to many fun chats with the nice Montrealites many of whom seemed genuinely sorry Koivu had just been traded to Anaheim.
The only thing that gave us a bit of a problem in Montreal was the Old World way of giving tips in restaurants. But our very nice waitress in the Hard Rock Cafe took time to explain the right way to us, so that was cleared too. And the guy who sold HRC stuff in the restaurant's gift shop got chatting about prog rock with Marko, and so on... In short, it's this easy socializing and openness we will again miss so much when we return home.
Most of all, these modest travels have helped to expand our views on Canada. Before, Canada was mostly just Toronto to us, but having seen other cities and noticed how different the three are with each other, we are much better informed now - and even more eager Canada fans :)
We have less than two weeks to go, and our schedule for the remaining time is pretty much set. We try not to think about it too much now and instead concentrate on the time we still have. And, of course, we will return here - no doubt.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
In America, Episode 5: Treasures and Trash in Toronto
[This entry is written on a tiny Nintendo DSi game console and sent with its Opera browser, thus no pics this time either, sorry. But isn't tech wonderful these days - all you need is a super mario thingy and a wi-fi. Like, wow...]
Annu did a super job driving us to Toronto on July 1. We settled as quickly as possible in our small but very cozy TO (that's local for Toronto) home and have been about town ever since. Our TO home is located at the area by both Little Italy and Chinatown, the latter the more dominant here (wait for the pics!).
So far, there's been a few happy returns: Atte got to return to his beloved CN Tower, Reko and Make rummaged through the Silver Snail comics store just like 2 years ago, and Annu got some shopping time at Eaton Centre, with less interference from the boys than last time. We spent the entire Saturday at Ontario Place, a very nice theme park on the lakefront. It was worth every penny, and we got a wonderful fireworks show to end our day there. Incidentally, the huge Molson Amphitheater is on park grounds and we got a good dose of Cheap Trick and Def Leppard live during the evening hours - the sound was very good even if you didn't see the stage. Make may go there next Thursday to see Whitesnake and Judas Priest!
We have been walking a LOT! but also got the ride streetcars, a very good way of both getting around and seeing places. Yesterday we walked through Little Italy and dined at a very nice ristorante on College St. And today we had a fab day at the Annual Renaissance Fair up at Casa Loma, TO's only castle with a strange and wonderful story behind it...
The only downside is that the city workers are still on strike. Garbage piles are growing and trash cans overflow everywhere. So far it's been only an aesthetic nuisance but with the temperatures on the rise...
We'll be taking it easy, with Toronto Island, the beaches and many other fun things to see and do still ahead. And the folks here are nice as ever :)
Annu did a super job driving us to Toronto on July 1. We settled as quickly as possible in our small but very cozy TO (that's local for Toronto) home and have been about town ever since. Our TO home is located at the area by both Little Italy and Chinatown, the latter the more dominant here (wait for the pics!).
So far, there's been a few happy returns: Atte got to return to his beloved CN Tower, Reko and Make rummaged through the Silver Snail comics store just like 2 years ago, and Annu got some shopping time at Eaton Centre, with less interference from the boys than last time. We spent the entire Saturday at Ontario Place, a very nice theme park on the lakefront. It was worth every penny, and we got a wonderful fireworks show to end our day there. Incidentally, the huge Molson Amphitheater is on park grounds and we got a good dose of Cheap Trick and Def Leppard live during the evening hours - the sound was very good even if you didn't see the stage. Make may go there next Thursday to see Whitesnake and Judas Priest!
We have been walking a LOT! but also got the ride streetcars, a very good way of both getting around and seeing places. Yesterday we walked through Little Italy and dined at a very nice ristorante on College St. And today we had a fab day at the Annual Renaissance Fair up at Casa Loma, TO's only castle with a strange and wonderful story behind it...
The only downside is that the city workers are still on strike. Garbage piles are growing and trash cans overflow everywhere. So far it's been only an aesthetic nuisance but with the temperatures on the rise...
We'll be taking it easy, with Toronto Island, the beaches and many other fun things to see and do still ahead. And the folks here are nice as ever :)
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