Toronto Aug. 1-4,  2004


Sunday
From Strawberry Island we hitched a ride with Larry Elmer to our Hotel in Downtown Toronto. We stayed at the Mariott at Eaton Center. Eaton Center is the largest Shopping Mall in Canada.

The Mariott had a swimming pool and Hot Tub on the roof. We would use the Hot tub daily to ease our aches and pains.  Sunday was the close of the Caribbean Festival and there was a free concert in the square in front of City Hall. It was very crowded so we stopped and listened to a few numbers and then moved on to find supper.  We both had a hankering for Mussels and found a Big Daddy's Crabshack on King Street. It's a Cajun style restaurant and we both had a small bowl of Seafood Gumbo and the Mussels in a Marinara sauce. The food was excellent and the price was right. Rating *** $$$.  Ambiance and sights  ****

Monday
Monday morning we found a sidewalk cafe near the Bus Terminal and had coffee and shared a single breakfast at The Fabulous Cafe and Bar on Bay street. There was plenty for two: Bacon, Eggs, Toast , and Fresh Fruit. Rating *** $. Great Value!!! Weather ****. We Bought two tickets for the Hop on Hop off  Tour Bus .
Bus
Tour Bus
 City Hall
City Hall
Casa Loma
Casa Loma Bow
 More Casa Loma
Casa Loma Starboard
Cathedral
Anglican Cathedral in the Crack
 Flat Iron Building
Flat Iron Building

Cn TowerWe finished the Tour in time for a Late Lunch at  IL FORNELLO QUEEN'S QUAY.  It is on the waterfront and we had enjoyed their food the last time were were in Toronto.

Cold Beer and fancy salads was all we needed because we were saving our appetites for  Big Night Out #1.

We made reservations for dinner at the 360 Restaurant atop the CN Tower. It is a Five Star Restaurant that turns 360° every 72 minutes. The view is spectacular day and night. Our reservations were for 9:15 but we went early enough to see the sun set. The Subway took us to Union Station and we walked the rest of the way.

Ricky our waiter has been there for seventeen years; he made our evening  most pleasant. Ask For Ricky and tell him Ed, the Texan, sent you.

THE MENU:

Ed Had : PROSCUITTO AND PARMESAN CRISP
vincotto, peppered goat’s cheese

Marion Had: PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND POTATO
Crème fraîche and trout caviar
Both Had: SUMMER TOMATO AND BOCCONCINI CHEESE NAPOLÉON
with basil infused unfiltered olive oil

Both Had: GRILLED CANADIAN AAA BEEF TENDERLOIN
wilted spinach, Gruyère cheese, garlic mushrooms and roasted parisienne potatoes, cabernet jus


Main Course
on plate
Both Had: DARK CHOCOLATE TOWER
Summer fruits

Desert
On Plates

We were dining on the inner ring of tables until it was time for desert. The view was not
as spectacular as along the outer ring. I asked if we could move to a vacant table for a
better view of the city. This is the view we found.
City Lights

City Lights below

Slowly circling around the tower was kind of like the sensation you get riding in a Hot Air Balloon: smooth, quiet, slow motion. It was a magical evening complete with the natural fireworks of a
Lightning Storm which moved in just as we were going down in the elevator.

"Does the lightning strike the tower often?" I asked the elevator operator.

"About 40 times a year," she answered, "But we are very safe on the tower. There is never any damage."

By the way Restaurant 360 gets my top rating of ***** $$$$$, Ambiance and view *****.

Tuesday

Again we had breakfast at the Fabulous Bar and Grill. We used our second day privileges to take the Hop on Hop off Trolley to the Royal Ontario Museum... The only disappointment of our stay. The museum is under reconstruction and all of the attention seems to be going toward that end. Many exhibits are closed and those which are open are sorely on need of updating. They do have a very instructive dinosaur section: perhaps the finest I have seen.

Next Stop was the Art Gallery of Ontario AGO. We saw

Turner Whistler Monet
Impressionist Visions
Now On View: June 12 to September 12, 2004
Monet, Claude
(French, 1840-1926)
Sunset on the Seine, 1874
Oil on canvas, 49.5 x 65 cm
Philadelphia Museum of Art: Purchased with the W.P. Wilstach Fund, 1921
© 2004 Philadelphia Museum of Art


"Superbly conceived... tells a riveting story of French-English intermingling - and the birth of modern art."
- Sarah Milroy, The Globe and Mail

"...an exceptional exhibition ...the only venue for this show in North America."
- Michael Kilian, Chicago Tribune

"...what promises to be one of the most popular and exciting shows in its history..."
- Peter Goddard, Toronto Star

What was so interesting to me was that the three artists all painted pictures of the same three subjects: the Thames River in London, the Seine River in Paris and the Grand Canals of Venice. The collection came from 37 museums and private collections worldwide. Many of the subjects were painted from the same location although the paintings were done several decades apart. I have to agree with the critics above... Go see it if you can.

The AGO is right next to Chinatown so we headed there for a Late lunch. We found a Vietnam Soup restaurant and got our favorite Bho Kho (beef stew). Marion gets it with Noodles; I do with French Bread. It was good but not a good as we get in Clear Lake City. Rating ** $$

We walked the 3/4 mile back to the hotel and rested up for Big Night #2.
Mama Mia!Mama Mia! is a Light Weight Story featuring many of the great songs by ABBA.

We loved it.

"Dancing Queen".
 
    "Take a Chance on Me"

          "The Winner Takes It All"

" Knowing Me Knowing You"

 We walked the mile back to the hotel and Ed was singing or whistling the tunes all the way.

We celebrated some more with Room Service Pizza.


We love Toronto and will be back in 2006.

I had to order the album on CD when I finished writing this account.