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Toronto!
I have arrived in Toronto, more or less intact and as scheduled.
My morning at the office, the drive to Baltimore-Washington International airport and the flight from BWI to BUF were all collectively uneventful. My car at Budget was waiting for me, and they upgraded me at no charge from an economy class to a Ford Focus --if one could call that an upgrade. Ah, well... the car runs and I can give it back when it falls apart.
The baggage carousel at Buffalo was intriguing. One expects to see suitcases and bags. I didn't expect to see a single sock, followed a few minutes later by a t-shirt, followed yet later by a box of Triscuits. Hmmm.
Crossing the border was mundane. I flashed my Canadian passport at the very cute muscle-puppy border guard with huge, muscular arms and a bemused smile, then scooted along to pay the bridge toll. Yup, once again I forgot to pack the Fastoll transponder so I had to pay cash to cross the Peace Bridge. At least it was a chance to break one of my $20 CDN bills.
The commute to Toronto from Buffalo took longer than anticipated, thanks to me arriving in Hamilton just as the evening rush hour was starting. It was largely stop & go all the way.
Alas, I arrived in the big city with still no place to stay, although I did receive several offers from friends and family as a fall-back position. Once here however, I located a bar with free wireless, grabbed a drink and started both catching up with e-mail and searching for a reasonably priced hotel or motel.
Apparently, there's some major conference stuff going on around Toronto. I checked all of my usual best candidates: Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Marriott, Embassy Suites, Comfort Suites, The Grand, The Primrose, etc.. Ultimately, I find a not unreasonable rate at an Econo Lodge. They don't have parking available and they charge for wireless Internet, but I'm not likely to be around in the downtown during metered parking hours and I've grabbed a signal from the Days Inn across the street, so I'm fine. As long as the air conditioning is functioning --it's uncommonly hot & humid here in Hogtown-- I'm a happy camper.
Now to get dinner. Since I'm travelling solo this time, I get to indulge myself in the worst possible culinary excesses and wonts. Since moving to the US, I've missed Pizza Pizza, Swiss Chalet, Harvey's, the St Lawrence Market and a host of other Canadian establishments. I'm now going to visit them all. Possible in one evening. Stay tuned.
It does feel good to be back, if only for a few days.
My morning at the office, the drive to Baltimore-Washington International airport and the flight from BWI to BUF were all collectively uneventful. My car at Budget was waiting for me, and they upgraded me at no charge from an economy class to a Ford Focus --if one could call that an upgrade. Ah, well... the car runs and I can give it back when it falls apart.
The baggage carousel at Buffalo was intriguing. One expects to see suitcases and bags. I didn't expect to see a single sock, followed a few minutes later by a t-shirt, followed yet later by a box of Triscuits. Hmmm.
Crossing the border was mundane. I flashed my Canadian passport at the very cute muscle-puppy border guard with huge, muscular arms and a bemused smile, then scooted along to pay the bridge toll. Yup, once again I forgot to pack the Fastoll transponder so I had to pay cash to cross the Peace Bridge. At least it was a chance to break one of my $20 CDN bills.
The commute to Toronto from Buffalo took longer than anticipated, thanks to me arriving in Hamilton just as the evening rush hour was starting. It was largely stop & go all the way.
Alas, I arrived in the big city with still no place to stay, although I did receive several offers from friends and family as a fall-back position. Once here however, I located a bar with free wireless, grabbed a drink and started both catching up with e-mail and searching for a reasonably priced hotel or motel.
Apparently, there's some major conference stuff going on around Toronto. I checked all of my usual best candidates: Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Marriott, Embassy Suites, Comfort Suites, The Grand, The Primrose, etc.. Ultimately, I find a not unreasonable rate at an Econo Lodge. They don't have parking available and they charge for wireless Internet, but I'm not likely to be around in the downtown during metered parking hours and I've grabbed a signal from the Days Inn across the street, so I'm fine. As long as the air conditioning is functioning --it's uncommonly hot & humid here in Hogtown-- I'm a happy camper.
Now to get dinner. Since I'm travelling solo this time, I get to indulge myself in the worst possible culinary excesses and wonts. Since moving to the US, I've missed Pizza Pizza, Swiss Chalet, Harvey's, the St Lawrence Market and a host of other Canadian establishments. I'm now going to visit them all. Possible in one evening. Stay tuned.
It does feel good to be back, if only for a few days.