What started so auspiciously, ended poorly.
You see Niagara Falls houses a casino on the Canadian side.
You can guess the rest.
Suitably chastened, the next day I head out, somewhat unsure of my destination, but glad to put my poor record at gambling to rest. Not that it was a particularly expensive lesson, but I should have quit when I was ahead.
Although my destination may be up in the air, the direction of my travel is not – I opt to head north/northwest to the shore of Lake Ontario I figure to travel along its edge until I work out where to go.
Google tells me of a close roadside attraction – the Lakeside Park Carousel, where you can reminisce about your childhood and ride for a nickel. Seems an appropriate (cheap) way to counter balance last night’s activities.
On my way there, I stumble across the following manicured tennis court, that I simply have to snap. Imagine playing on this surface lads! Without a word of a lie, this is the tennis court at a functioning primary school and there are kids on the nearby oval!
My luck is still out. Despite Google assuring me that I am within the ride’s operating hours, it’s closed. Probably still off-season with fears of the cold, though it’s a balmy 19 degrees (we’re back to metric now).
I still get a first glimpse of the lake – it’s huge and reminiscent of Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay.
From here it’s more googling. Nothing much grabs me until I read about Niagara-on-the-lake, one of Canada’s oldest towns (1781) and home of Canada’s oldest hotel.
It’s lunchtime, and the specialty of the house is fish and chips, which I suddenly get a hankering for.
The meal is pretty good (I abstain from a beer, and the chips, as I must start making an attempt to shed the excess kilos the US has put on me).
Afterwards it’s a stroll around town – a picture perfect old time township, full of old buildings converted into tourist haunts and businesses. It’s even home to one of Canada’s oldest and continuously operated pharmacies (until it was closed in 1964 and renovated into a tourism attraction).
It’s a beautiful day, and I stop in the local park to get some fresh air, whilst figuring out where to go next. The park is gorgeous, and it contains a number of park benches, all with little romantic plaques on them a la Notting Hill.
I eventually decide to head towards Hamilton, where I will have to turn right directly towards Toronto, or left and then loop back around to the same place.
When I arrive I can’t make up my mind – I am trying to meet someone in Toronto, but I haven’t agreed dates. I send of a message and decide to spend the night where I am.
It’s been a really slow, relaxing introduction to Canada, and I can’t help but be aware of the change of pace from NYC.
