Hiya, Marg.🤗 First, thanks for not minding that this video is seven years old -- well, technically, a little more than 6.5 years old. I visited Toronto in November 2017. Second, how fortunate you are to be able to visit the Toronto Islands when you wish. That's really awesome! The islands, the land, the flora and fauna, the residents' way of life -- all of that thrills me. I recall doing research (by no means thorough) prior to my trip, and a then-friend swore that I wouldn't have an opportunity to visit any of the inhabited islands due to the season. So imagine my surprise and utter joy when the tour guide who was selling two-day/ 48-hour-loop hop-on/hop-off (HOHO) bus tickets informed all of us that there'd be a free, round-trip boat ride to the Toronto Islands! Yeah!!! As you know, in your amazing city it can be frigid in November (the day that I shot this video was Nov. 5th, and my first full day in Toronto). Well, I do like cold weather -- preferably with lots of snow -- but that day it was freezing! Therefore, I was happy that we passengers couldn't leave the boat to explore, say, Centre Island. Surrounded by Lake Ontario, I would've frozen into a popsicle.🥶 For example, that same day (a Thursday) but earlier (around 1 p.m.), after I'd finished touring GORGEOUS Casa Loma for three hours, I waited for nearly an hour at the HOHO bus stop just down the hill and across the wide street from the castle. Although I was winter-ready, from my well-lined wool peacoat and layered thick scarves to my knit hat and gloves, the wind plus gelid temps numbed my face and hands. My legs and feet tend not to get cold fast, but ... yeesh! And yeah, I could've called a taxi. I forget, now, the name of the company that issues the green & orange taxis, but I had saved its number in my phone. I really hadn't intended to wait so long to return to beautiful Toronto, but I'd already planned return-trips to Montréal and Québec City from 2018 to 2019 -- for special events, including the Christkindlmärkte in both cities. The German part of my lineage has me hankering for the trees, handmade toys and clocks, Christmas decorations, foods, treats and ... Glühwein! Then the pandemic hit. Over the past several years, I was discovering Niagara Falls -- first the U.S. side, as it was late 2020, and so the Canada-U.S. border still was closed -- so it's just a matter of time that I'll be returning to Toronto. More than likely, I'll start my trip in Toronto and then ride VIA Rail Canada to Montréal. I'm a rail enthusiast, and it's far more convenient for me to get back home from Montréal than from Toronto. Presently, Amtrak's Adirondack is suspended, again, 'til sometime in September. Depending on the timeline for the railroad tracks' repair across the border in Québec province, the Adirondack's service resumption date could be pushed to October. Because I plan my trips far in advance and usually for off season, I'm looking at a 2025 trip to Toronto, as well as other international cities. There are many variables, such as world events, trip costs and cat care. To stay where I desire to sleep in Toronto is hella-expensive, more so than staying in Continental Europe or the UK, so either I'd better change my bucket list for Toronto accommodations or stay for a fewer number of nights. I'll see what's what by year's end in terms of Amtrak so that I could plan a TO/MTL combo trip.😁 Sorry for my longwindedness today.🫣 Thank you for viewing and commenting on this video. Wishing you a pleasant evening, Marg🌇😊
I love this! This was so tranquil listening to your perfect choice of music for the nice boat ride and lovely autumn scenery. I would like to visit during this time of year and see those wonderful colours. Very nice video! Thank you. 👍😊🇨🇦
Very much so -- this was a stay-on-ferry tour. I purchased my 48-hour hop-on/hop-off bus ticket in Downtown Toronto, and that ticket included a free tour of the Toronto Islands without the option of leaving the boat. It was cold ah. So that was fine with me.😆
