One last look at the CN Tower from the hotel room and we are off for home…

We have been blessed with a wonderful trip together and four days of absolutely perfect weather.

We are already making plans for what to do next time…

Lynette had great success in the Betsey Johnson shop, finding a wonderful skirt.

Thursday morning started in our traditional manner – a relaxing coffee time at Starbuck’s.

For our last morning the plan was to shop on Yorkville and Hazelton Avenues, the Rodeo Drive of Canada, and an old haunt of mine from the late 60’s.
Lynette particularly wanted to visit the Betsey Johnson Store – an exclusive designer that she has frequented on the Internet.

The area is re pleat with wonderful designer shops, art galleries and such. In my youth it was of course the Hippie coffee house area, filled with night life and the likes of even Joan Baez and Bob Dylan in their early days – a great place to take pictures and hang out. Now the street is the parking place for new Mazerati’s and such.

We enjoyed it greatly.

Jersey Boys is a musical about the life of Franki Valley and the Four Seasons. They had many hits in the 60s and 70s, creating a popular music genre with lasting effects. They rose from the working class areas of NYC and had a colourful past. The show was a blend of their story with over 2 hours of hits songs. There was even some film footage of the actual Four Seasons. All the music was live. It was very enjoyable.

The Toronto Center for the Performing Arts is a huge live theater complex. Great design and acoustics. It is what I think that the NAC in Ottawa would be if it were built today.

Since we were late from shopping and there was construction on the way (it is located quite far north on Young Street) there was some nail biting by Dad as to whether we would actually make the show. But as Lynette predicted we arrived, parked and picked up the tickets at 7:55, just in time to get seated for the 8pm curtain…

We left at smiling at 10:30, with Fours Seasons hits running through our minds. And I had thoughts of my youth, when many of these hits were number 1 for weeks.

When the Eaton Center didn’t pan out for Lynette I suggested that we return to Kensington to finish the afternoon. We both love it and she points out that she could spend days poking around in the vintage shops there.

The return to Kensington is a success with Lynette finding several neat items and a great sweater. We depart happily for the hotel and dinner.

Having enjoyed the restful view of the city, watching the ferrys coming and going, we headed back to dry land and to Kensington.

What a wonderful place to relax and watch the city. Ducks in the bay and planes into the Island pasting the CN Tower. We found it delightful – yet another place unique to Toronto.

Toronto Island is actually a chain of several islands. On the West is Hanlan’s Point, where the Island Airport is located. In the middle are a number of islands loosely called Center Island. And on the east is Ward’s Island, where people actually still live in winterized cottages year round.

Most public parks and such are on Center Island. There are ferry docks are Hanlan’s Point, Center Island and Ward’s Island.

I had originally intended to arrive at Center Island, casually walk the couple of K to Ward’s Island, and take the ferry back from there. However, we were tired and had decided to return to Kensington afterwards so Lynette could check some vintage shops further. As such we decided to stay on Center Island and relax.

It was a wonderful choice.

A returning ferry crosses our path.

It is a lovely trip across the habour to Center Island. A few sail boats float in the water while light planes cross overhead to the Island airport.

Having grabbed some lunch in the Eaton Center, we pick up the car from the underground garage next door (read the post about driving downtown) and head for the Ferry Docks.

The Hotel was kind enough to have a discount card for the Island Ferry, and one of the reasons we came to Toronto now rather than earlier in the Summer was that the municipal strike in early Summer would have prevent our trip to the Island.

We park conveniently close to the ferry dock and are on board the ferry quickly.

The food court in the Eaton Center offers a nice overhead experience. These geese are the best for flying over your lunch since they can not bomb you…

A guy, especially one over 30, would no doubt not know this, but there are important stores that are not represented in Ottawa, or whose goods have abysmal selections available in Ottawa. There are likes of Hollisters and Abercrombie and Fitch.

According to girls, one must check out their fine goods in real cities and real malls.

The shopping, however, proved frustratingly unfruitful.

I should also mention the difference among people on driving in the city.

Many will say – you are downtown, just take the subway which is 50 feet from the hotel and leave the car underground.

They are crazy.

First, I am a driver, meaning I take the car everywhere I can and feel uncomfortable without it available.

Second, I am from Toronto, even having driven a cab there in very young and crazy days, so I am very comfortable driving there.

Third, once you factor in several transit fares these days, parking is not much more.

Forth, carrying stuff on the subway or bus is yuck, and you can’t take extra stuff just in case with the car.

Fifth, you can’t easily change plans and equipment on a whim.

And lastly, parking in downtown Toronto is both easier and cheaper than in Ottawa.

Conclusion, IMO you are out of your mind to not drive downtown.

We start the day as is our tradition now in Toronto with coffee, conversation and people watching from the window of Starbuck’s at College and Young.

Later I need cash and search for the location of the nearest RBC machine. The wireless internet in Hotel is taking a coffee break (grrrrrr),

so I must regress to the phone book. This reminds me that the phone book is now organized by a company wishing to discourage its use. I give up eventually and we leave for the Eatons Center with hopes of seeing an RBC branch.

As I emerge from the hotel parking garage I come face to face with an RBC branch, just about half a block from our coffee stop every morning . I go in, wondering how we didn’t notice it.

Off the Eatons Center…