In Toronto we met up with Esther, a friend that was doing her internship in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Both D'Arcy and me had a very positive first impression of Toronto. We both didnt know what to expect of this big city and despite its size we both felt at home immediately. Toronto is a nice, cosmopolitan city. Esther showed us around a bit and in two days we visited some of the tourist sites in Toronto. We visited the Royal Ontario Museum and we climbed the CN-Tower (highest observationplatform in the world, at that time..447 meters). The glass-floor on that tower is just the most scary thing in the world. How stupid is it to be scared walking over glass when you can look hundreds of meters down through the glass. Some sign told us that glass is more solid than concrete..but just seeing the height makes it hard to cross that glassfloor. Stupid brain.
We went for some food in the Subway (and i just have to tell that i love canadian people, but i really dislike those in the Subway, all over Canada). After the lovely loaf of bread we went onto the ferry towards Toronto Centre Island, to enjoy a great view of the Toronto skyline by sunset. I just ignored the rats swimming in the very smelly and dirty water and it was a nice and romantic evening.
That evening we were about to get a coach to Montreal. But when we wanted to get onto it, we realized it wasnt a coach we could use our Greyhoundpass on and so we had to look for accomodation in the middle of the night. Lots of stress, but finally found the HI, back in downtown Toronto..
Maggy showed us around a bit and let us taste the french-canadian specialty 'Poutien' (or however that is spelled..), some very dry pieces of 'cheese' on chips with gravy..err yummy..We spent time on the mountainbike and also some time with Maggy's little niece. That evening two of Maggy's friends picked us all up to go to Montreal. Everywhere in Montreal were bands playing, because of the International Jazz festival and we spent a nice evening watching some live acts and perfomances of really good international jazzbands.Again it was promsnight (other province ofcourse) and lots of limousines and dresses again, especially on top of Mont Royal, where we watched over the city by night, together with a lot of young loving couples.
So the next day we got our coach early for our 12 hours drive back to Ottawa and North Bay to Kirkland Land to end up in 'the middle of nowhere'. That evening we arrived in Virginiatown. Almost a ghosttown, where two lovely old people welcomed us to their little house. We spent 3 days in and around the house. Near the house was a lake where we could swim (and had to wash ourselves). D'Arcy's grandparents told me that more and more people had left the little town and it got more and more like a ghosttown. We walked around the streets and it all looked so deserted. I felt sorry for them.
One day we spent a whole day driving around in the car with airco. D'Arcy wanted to visit a bookstore he had visited many years ago. For me a bookstore is around the corner and i was so surprised we literally had to drive for 2,5 hours to reach the store, just to have a look around. Weird. But it was so hot outside and all we could do was enjoying the airco of the car, so a long drive was just what we needed.
We also celebrated D'Arcy's birthday and watched a nice movie and the finals of the Soccer World Championship.
And then time had come to say goodbye to D'Arcy. I had a wonderful time with him and want to thank him very very much for the great experience it all has been.
I hate saying goodbye..
That evening i said goodbye to Verena and got my flight back to The Netherlands. I have had an amazing trip and i fell in love with this beautiful country, Canada.