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Our hop on hop off bus tickets also included 45min boat cruise. We saw how many people were getting on and off the bus at the waterfront yesterday so we decided we would catch the first bus and get on the first cruise. There weren't many people on the first bus but just after we got on, the tour guide announced the first cruise would leave at 11.45am. It was only 10am so we weren't going to wait around. We decided to stay on the bus and get off at the Distillery District which we also wanted to see. This is a historical, pedestrian only area with cobblestone streets containing the largest collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America. It is the site of the old Gooderham & Worts whiskey distillery. The distillery opened on this site in 1859 and flourished until 1914 when war and prohibition nearly brought it down. However, it recovered and continued production until 1990.
The area as it is opened in 2003 and contains cafés, restaurants, galleries, theatres and unique boutiques and stores. Chain stores are not allowed to open in the Distillery District. Throughout the buildings there are reminders of the area's history - equipment from the old distillery, photos, tools & fittings. There is also the Mills Street brewery on site. Many of the restaurants are fitted out in industrial style in keeping with the area's history. We wandered around for a couple of hours & got an ice cream from Greg's Ice Cream. Yum!
We knew the next cruise was leaving at 1pm so we got a taxi down to the waterfront & got on board. The cruise took us up and around The Toronto Islands in Toronto Harbour. There are parks, a small airport, a yacht club & a small residential community on the islands. Properties only cost around $250k but there is a lottery system to get one. You can hand your 'lottery ticket' down to your children but if you own a property and pass away, the property cannot be handed down. It must be returned to the lottery.
It was lovely being on the water in the sun for 45mins. We got a great view of the Toronto skyline from the boat.
After the cruise we waited for the next bus and hopped off at an area called Kensington Market. This is a series of streets full of vintage goods, eateries & eclectic boutiques. There was a whole lot more vintage than boutiques & a stack of eateries. The area had a hippy vibe to it & a distinct whiff of marijuana. There was also street art, cheese shops & fresh produce. The Toronto Popcorn Company had a store there advertising their 30+ flavours which they encourage you to try. We tried some but definitely not 30.
We walked back to our hotel from Kensington Market stopping for a cocktail on the way.
Toronto is a very multicultural town. There are more restaurants, bars & cafés than any other city. You can find just about any cuisine. Tonight we had Indian.
Just about everything in Toronto is in English & French. The magazines have articles in both languages, as do ads & even the cream cheese & peanut butter packets at breakfast. But, French is only the 14th most spoken language in Toronto thanks to all the other nationalities living here.
Yonge ( pronounced Young) St is considered Toronto's Main Street. It used to hold the world record for being the longest street - it runs for 1900kms. However the title was taken away because it changes it's name to Highway 11 at some point. There is a series of underground tunnels running for 28kms under Toronto. It is a pedestrian walkway called PATH which connects the financial district, the waterfront, the main shopping area & subway stations. Perfect for moving around in winter when it is snowing. The tunnels also contain shops & restaurants.
Toronto been a great place to visit. Tomorrow we head for the nation's capital, Ottawa.
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