Apologies

It has (before today) been well over a month since I blogged anything, but I'm back to business as norml now, pretty much anyway, so expect to see regular posts once or twice a week from here on in.

Thanks.

PART FIVE: Wonders of nature, blunders of man.

Saturday, our last full day in Toronto, and it started as I believe every day would start were I to live there, with a coffee and a cruller at Tim Horton's. Post-coffee Emma and I burned time with a little more shopping, gathering yet more Cd's and DVDs and heading back to the hotel for 11. From there we departed on a subway train, heading west to meet up with Chris and Leah who were very kindly taking us to Niagara.

The trip out was a little hard for me to comprehend, every piece of the journey surrounded by urban sprawl, the only break being rows of vineyards, green and brown against the grey of buildings, but the work of people rather than nature nonetheless. While this was, for the most part, merely surprising (like most people I foolishly expected there to be swathes of countryside between Toronto and Niagara), but when Hamilton Harbor came into view the worst excesses of industry were visualised. The steel mills, black against the white sky, belching smoke and flames into the air, polluting our nostrils. The sight was at the same time both hideous and compelling, I couldn't look away, following the lines of smoke with my eyes as we passed.

The Pelham winery (http://www.henryofpelham.com/) on the other hand, was a lovely rustic vision, quiet due to the time of year. The staff, possibly the most smiley and happy (and very genuine, this wasn't false hospitality for the sake of the customer) I've ever come across, gave us samples of a number of their wines, each of which was excellent. Before we left Emma and I grabbed a few bottles for our own use. A passable Rose, some absolutely delicious Riesling (the best I've yet tasted) and a small bottle of Ice Wine, which is really worth trying if you haven't before (we bought more Canadian wine from the airport on the way home we were so taken with it).

After a brief stop for food (Wendy's for me and Leah, the brilliantly named Pizza Pizza for Emma and Chris) we headed on to Niagara itself.

The first encounter with the falls is something that can't quite be put into words. The sheer majesty and power of it is overwhelming, a true display of the power and grace of nature and an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

The town of Niagara on the other hand, is a classic tourist trap, a street of hideous neon signs and fibre-glass fronted buildings housing wax works and other facilities for separating a holiday maker from their cash. We stopped off for a coffee to warm ourselves, the temperature around the falls being much lower than in Toronto just a few miles to the north.

Night had fallen when we emerged on to the streets and headed back toward the falls, lit up by huge beacons shining their light across from the town. The falls, throwing up their clouds of mist which was turned to snow by the cold air, looked even more potent in the darkness.

We got back to the car and drove around for a while chatting away, Emma and I marvelling at what we had seen while Chris and Leah seemed genuinely bemused by our awe of what was on their doorstep (I'm much the same when people who are on holiday in the UK are in awe of our history).

Soon enough we headed back to Toronto, once more passing Hamilton, which looked like some neo-Victorian hell against the night sky.

We had dinner at a real Irish pub (as opposed to an Irish themed bar) called The Galway Arms, Chris had spoken highly of the steak and I was pleased to find his praise fully justified. Whilst there I watched my first hockey game on TV and developed, in the space of half an hour and without being able to hear a word the man said, a strange fascination with Don Cherry.

Before taking us home, Chris and Leah gave us a little tour of the Distillery and Entertainment districts, pointing out all manner of interesting sights, Chris showing me many of the early haunts of The Hip.

All too soon we were back at the hotel, removing our wine from the boot of Chris' car and replacing it with a box full of Galaxy Chocolate I'd brought over for Leah (and Chris of course).

Sunday found me in a melancholy mood, I'd had a fantastic holiday with some memories that will always stay with me, but it was counterbalanced by the fact that, for the first time, I'd found a place other than Portsmouth that I would happily call home. Toronto is a place it is very easy to feel comfortable in, it's small communities giving it the feel of a huddled mass of small villages. But not only was I leaving a wonderful city, whilst in Canada I had reinforced friendships with some great people. Mark and Steve, both very friendly guys who I'd have liked to get to know better, Matt who had bought Wintersleep tickets just to hang out with us, Dave who I could quite happily sit down with a beer and talk music with until the early hours, Trevor whose boundless enthusiasm and almost childlike excitement about things mirrors my own and not least Chris, who was so giving of his time in helping us plan the holiday and who, along with his lovely wife Leah, was a fantastic host.

All of these people I wish could be a regular part of my life.

One last Tim Horton's in the airport (and a doggy bag of their excellent cinnamon and raisin bagels for breakfast in the UK) and we were on the plane heading home.