Cape_Verde - Parque Natural do Fogo
Foto: View from the CN Tower (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Canada - About a ten-minute walk from the hotel is the St. Lawrence Market, an old market hall from the early 19th century. The market is still held inside the hall. At one of the stalls, we have breakfast. We then walk on to the Distillery District. Here, old factory halls have been converted into nice shops and eateries. The old buildings and new use give the district a pleasant atmosphere. It was probably in a bad state ten years ago. Via Queen Street, we reach City Hall. Toronto is a bustling city with many modern skyscrapers. Occasionally there is an old building between them, which makes the city enjoyable to walk through. Northwest of downtown Toronto lies Chinatown. Here there are no skyscrapers, just small shops adjacent to each other. Mostly Chinese goods are sold, and everything is also labeled in Chinese. In the Kensington district, there should be a market. The street of the market mainly has small, cluttered shops. It looks somewhat alternative—both the shops and the sometimes eccentric people on the street. In a Portuguese eatery, we have a drink and some soup for lunch. From Kensington, I walk back to downtown. The CN Tower can be seen from everywhere. Standing practically under the tower, I can clearly see how tall this structure is. With the elevator, I go up at 20 km/h. The ride to the platform at 344 meters takes only 15 seconds. Through the glass wall, I watch the rapidly shrinking downtown below. From the platform, I can look in all directions. I see Toronto Island off the coast with its small airport. I see the hotel among the tall skyscrapers of the Financial District and can see where we walked through the city this morning. A magnificent view. One floor lower is the glass floor. Here you can stand on glass while looking more than three hundred meters down. I’m surprised how many people have trouble with this. Some lie down on the ground and roll on the glass plate. Does it make a difference if you stand or lie down regarding the weight? From the CN Tower, I walk to the waterfront. At The Amsterdam Brewery, I order an ‘Amsterdam’ beer. The waitress explains that in 1986 a Dutchman started brewing beer in Toronto. The brewery moved to the Harborfront three years ago. This location is perfect by the water. While watching boats sail by, I enjoy the beer. In the evening, we look for a restaurant in the Queens district. Mostly shops and fast food chains are here—no restaurants. We try some side streets. There are some restaurants here but without guests. Only near Chinatown does it get better. We decide to eat Korean tonight. At the hotel bar, we end the evening with a drink. On the big TV screen, we follow the baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto loses narrowly.
Banff National Park
Canada - In just under half an hour, we arrive in the tourist town of Banff. We drive through Banff’s main street. From a viewpoint, we can see the characteristic Banff Springs Hotel on the opposite side of the Bow River. Eventually, we are dropped off at ...
City of Vancouver
Canada - Afterwards, we quickly head into the city before it gets dark. When it’s too dark, it’s not good for taking photos. We walk toward the station and the harbor. On the corner stands the Harbour Centre with its distinctive round lookout on the roof (closed ...
Icefields Parkway
Canada - The Icefields Parkway is often called the most beautiful highway in the world. The road is a mountain pass with views of towering peaks and glaciers. Because the view from the bus isn’t equally good on every side, passengers often switch seats during ...
Niagara Falls
Canada - From Toronto, it’s less than a one-and-a-half-hour drive to the famous Niagara Falls. The Niagara Falls lie right on the border between the United States and Canada. The most well-known and largest waterfall is the Horseshoe Fall, which stretches over ...