After two nights in Niagara, we reluctantly departed the seat of nature for the City of Toronto, which is a mere two hours away by coach. We would only be in Toronto for a day, so time was of the essence.
Reaching the city around noon on 26 Aug, we just had two key items on the agenda, and that was to visit the renowned Casa Loma (Spanish for Hill House) and the CN Tower. In between, we also planned to meet our friend Belinda, who is in Toronto to pursue her postgraduate studies... so here we go...!
See above as the coach finally rolls into Toronto.
Heading off to the Casa Loma at Spadina Road, we encountered some cool and artsy street lighting... don't they just look like giant magnifying glasses?
The unmistakable cobble-wall of the Casa Loma.
This luxurious residence was home to Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a well-known Canadian financier and soldier. He is well-known for bringing hydro-electricity to Toronto, and of course, this majestic estate...
Work commenced in 1911, and took 300 workers three years to build at a cost of $3.5 million. The house comes complete with an elevator, 98 rooms, pipe organs, a giant oven as well as secret passages.
Sir Henry lived in luxury in the castle for 10 years until 1923 when he was forced to sell off the Casa Loma during the Great Depression. The Casa Loma served as a secret military post for researching sonar technology for detecting U-boats during World War II.
The Baldwin Steps mark the steepest parts of a hill along the shoreline of the ancient Lake Iroquois. It is understood that during the last Ice Age, much of lower Toronto was submerged under Lake Iroquois. The steps were of a wooden construction until their more permanent replacement in 1913.
The top of the Baldwin Steps affords one a clear and unobstructed view of the cityscape. In the background is the distinctive form of the CN Tower.
I thought the glass rooftop of the Dupont Station made for a good photo opportunity.
Ah... we finally met up with Belinda at the Eaton Center - a sprawling shopping mall almost the size of Vivo City in Singapore. We certainly had a good time catching up over dinner and sharing the many blessings God had for us.
At the spur of the moment, Belinda decided to join us for the night tour of the CN Tower too... towering at about 553m, this structure is still one of the tallest free-standing structures on the planet. Built at the cost of CND63 million, the structure took three years to build between 1973 and 1976. It is said that on a clear day, one can even see as far as the Niagara Falls, which is about 160km away!
Above are some breathtaking night scenes of Toronto City.
This is not for the faint at heart - standing on the glass flooring of the observation deck... but not to worry. The thick glass base is said to be able to bear the weight of up to 27 large hippos... I hope I got this right!!!
How about staring right at a death-defying 342m plunge as a starter for dinner? hahaha...
Natural suckers for metrics, Doris and I decided to give the engineering feat a quick test. Yup, it passed with flying colors!
How about a jamboree along the outdoor observation deck? Warning - come prepared with additional layers because its really cold out there, especially at night! Huddling together is scant comfort against the buffeting winds.
Below: Exterior lighting intermittently changes from red to blue to white. But during the migratory season of the birds, unnecessary exterior lighting are dimmed to prevent bird injuries. I love this wildlife-friendly policy!!
Lightning strikes the CN Tower an average of 75 times a year. Long copper strips run down the structure to grounding rods buried below ground to prevent damage.
Leaving the CN Tower on a high, Belinda took us on a quick tour of the harbor front as we casually strolled back to our hotel.
I find it tasteful to have performance area built next to the harbor. We were told that just this year, taiwanese actor/singer Wang Lee-Hom held a concert at this very place. Cool...
Just what are these strange markings on the ground at the Union Station? Well, apparently, much of the present-day Toronto Harbor (stretching up to where the Union Station stands) had been reclaimed from Lake Ontario, and these neolithic-like drawings are actually in remembrance of the former wildlife and heritage of the place before the fill.
Thank you Belinda, and thank you Toronto City, for a marvelous experience!
2 comments:
Gosh! Daniel "MACHIAM" like professional photo journalist. I enjoyed reading all the "TOP OF THE WORD" stories!
I wish..........one day........can visit US too!
Your entry has such an effect on me.
Yo yo... hahaha thank you. Yes I loved to be able to recall the different moments we had in those cities. Well, I do hope to be able to bring you more entries as we move along.
I want to bless you and Yeow that one day you'll both be in the US to enjoy its sights and experiences. It'll be reality one day!
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