Hi Everyone!

I know I've been here over a week but I've had so little time to actually
get round to writing this blog so I'm going to try and get a few done now to fill you all inon what I've been doing since I got to Canada!!

So the disasters started about 4 minutes after saying goodbye to my mam and dad. We were going through the security checks at Manchester airport and I somehow managed to lose my passport
which I had been holding very carefully in my hand! As you can imagine panic followed, I couldn't believe I'd lost it before I even got through security! But thankfully a lovely greek lady started helping us and
took my whole bag off me and kept telling us to stop panicking! After about 5 minutes of complete stressing and emptying my bag several times, Cait looked in her bag and found my passport just sitting on the top!! Turns out I had put it down on the desk and she picked it up assuming it was hers! Silly silly us!

Anyway, the rest of the flight went suprisingly smoothly, I managed to get a window seat on the plane (which was so much bigger than I've been on before) and the seats had Tvs infront of them which had a map so you could see how far along your journey you were - very clever! The flight seemed to go really fast too, it took about 7 and a half hours and despite the reputation the plane food wasn't actually too bad! So when we got to Toronto, Christine, a family friend was there to pick us up as they have an apartment in Toronto which we were staying in for 2 nights. The apartment was incredible! It was on the 20th floor of an apartment complex with glass walls that looked over Lake Ontario, the CN tower and the Rogers Centre (Toronto's Stadium). Christine and Keith were the most lovely hosts and took us out for dinner in the evening. We went to a new restaurant called Weslodge, it was very impressive, with huge yellow doors at the entrance and then moose heads and birds everywhere inside. I was almost convinced to try mussells but didn't in the end, although Cait and Keith both had some. I've promised them I will try them before I leave Canada! I did try scallops and scotch eggs though, the scallops were delicious!!

The next day we got up early, due to excitement and a little jet lag, and prepared for a full day of sightseeing in Toronto! The city was incredible, I think we both loved it instantly. Its so different to anywhere I've ever been before, all the building are massive but so beautiful too. We bought a ticket for the sightseeing bus that takes you around the city and it also included a boat cruise around Toronto islands. The cruise was so good, it was amazing that there was such quiet,
green islands literally right next to the biggest city in Canada! And the view of the skyline from the boat was amazing!! In Toronto we also went up the CN tower which I think is one of the biggest skyscrapers in the world (I think!). We paid a little bit more to get the viewing point slightly higher up the tower. To be honest the scariest part about it was the glass lift going up, it got you to the top in something like 58 seconds! The view really was incredible. I hadn't realised how big the city actually
was and it was very hard to believe the water was a lake and not the sea! Oh and silly me again managed to forget my camera at the biggest tourist attraction! There seems to be a theme here...
On the bus we also saw the flat iron building, Univ of Toronto, visited Eaton centre (shopping centre) and Dundas square! Dundas square is like Canada's version of Times Square in New York and I was impressed, so now even more excited to visit New York!

Toronto was such a nice city to be in, everyones seems so calm and friendly. Quite often people would start helping us with us barely having to ask and no-one ever seemed stressed or in a hurry. It was so clean and unpolluted aswell, such a great start to exploring Canada! We also went to a restaurant called Kit-Kat which is apparently Keith Richards' favourite restaurant in Toronto, there was a picture of him and the owner on the wall!

So after 2 amazing days in Toronto it was time to head over to London, (Ontario!) where I'm actually living for the year. We got up quite early and Christine had made us french toast and bacon with maple syrup and lots of other yummy yummy things! Maple syrup is definitely a new favourite! And then Christine very kindly drove us over to the hostel in London. It took about 2 hours from Toronto and the friends we know from Leeds were already there, so it was really nice to see them and hear all 'aboot' what they had been up to in London.

I really did love Toronto and would defintely go back again but now we had London to explore too..

Hope your all doing well at home, missing everyone lots.

Lots of love,
Jenny