While
we were staying in Lockport, New York, we left our
5th wheel in the RV Park and drove into Toronto for a two day stay.
Specifically we wanted to visit Toronto to catch a Blue Jays baseball game at
Rogers Centre, or as the locals refer to it, SkyDome. But, we also wanted to
allow ourselves a little time for touring, so the first day we were there we
signed up for a guided walking tour of this world class city. Toronto draws
over 40 million visitors annually from all over the world, and over 180
languages and dialects are spoken in the city. Little Italy, Little Portugal
and Chinatown have dual-language street signs written in both English and a
language other than French
Spanning 243 square miles, and
with a population of close to 3 million people, there was only so much we could
hope to accomplish in one afternoon, on foot. But our guide was very
knowledgeable, having been born and raised in Toronto, and somewhat of an
expert on local lore, city architecture, restaurants, sports venues,
entertainment (there are over 8,100 restaurants and bars in the city), and how
to go underground to stay out of the rain. This last item was especially
useful, as it was definitely raining the day of our tour. She guided us through
the most notable sights of downtown Toronto while providing us with an ongoing
narrative, including some of the lesser known stories and controversies
embedded in the city’s history. Both Dan and I enjoyed seeing the impressive
architecture, learning a little about the Toronto, and getting a chance to walk
many of the streets of this beautiful city.
