Our Ontario Escape
Guest Post by Isabella Rose
Sitting at my desk early last September, wistfully daydreaming of distant summer holidays, I decided to take action. My life had become a monotonous routine of work followed by more work and I desperately needed an exciting escape. Enlisting the help of my most resourceful friend Maria, we trawled through the internet looking for a place with a little style and sophistication, exactly what we were both craving. After stumbling upon Ontario and discovering that it was Canada’s most bustling cultural province, we eagerly booked our flights. Although knowing very little about Ontario accommodation, being notorious city-girls we decided that Toronto, Ontario’s vibrant capital and cosmopolitan city, was the perfect place to stage our great escape!
After a seven hour flight and a short drive to Toronto, we were itching to get outside and explore. Keen to ditch our bags and go, we arrived at our hotel full of productive intent. Things didn’t go quite to plan when we were side-tracked by our lavish room and private balcony but in our defence the hotels in Ontario are exceedingly luxurious! After dabbling in this brief indulgence, we headed out in search of some captivating culture.
Just walking around downtown Toronto, we instantly felt rejuvenated by a new way of life. Close to the cosmopolitan city centre, we discovered the picturesque Sunnyside Park abundant with luscious greenery and crimson maple-trees tinged by autumn’s brush. As we strolled around the park with a view of the sparkling Ontario Lake, we began to realise that Toronto offered the best of both worlds: vibrant life amidst tranquil surroundings, (a fine balance that eludes most places).
Feeling rather smug with our idyllic escape, we scaled the CN tower to further admire Toronto’s natural beauty. Offering panoramic views across the entire city from a unique vantage point (of 53 meters high), this soaring tower lay at the heart of Toronto’s metropolitan ambiance and was a fantastic place to learn about the city’s history.
Continuing on with our cultural trail, our next stop was to the Art Gallery of Ontario. We thought this modern glass-fronted gallery would be a stylish place to soak up some artistic and we were not wrong. Well worth the $18 ticket, we were treated to a delightful array of works by European masters including Rodin, Monet and Degas.
As the sun set upon Toronto drawing our cultural adventures to a close, we returned to our hotel buzzing from the day’s excitement. With a trip to Niagara Falls and a winery tour still in store, our great escape had only just begun… 🙂 – Travel Feeder
About The Author
Cecil Lee
The author is an avid traveler and photography hobbyist who loves to share with others his travel and photo-taking experience in many popular tourist destinations around Europe, Asia and Australasia. Read the exciting stories with many photos captured on his journeys.
