As i sit here at Toronto’s Pearson airport, an airport with no shops, magazine stalls or anything other than a faux pub that smells of burnt panini’s, ..well, burnt something, and the sign says panini’s, I realise i have gone an entire holiday without a single post.
I know not many people read this but for me it forms some kind of lasting record as to the events of the year, and it would be a disservice to myself and the invisible minority who find themselves here not to report back on the order of play.
We arrived here in TO last week on Thursday, and save for a halfway to airport, car break down, limp home, change car, speed back scenario (thanks Stefan, or mum as it was your car that did the saving and speeding) it was a very uneventful flight.
I don’t think you need my in-depth views on ‘Night at the Museum’ that was shown on the plane, and other than to comment that Air Transat (a little bit budget ti say the least) had probably the worst most budget food i have ever had the pleasure of moving around with my fork, my only observation of any importance, ..to me, ..was the size and standard of the stewardesses.
Now i shan’t elaborate on that too much as i know not the size and standard of you dear reader, ..but i do know and can comment on the standard size of an airplane aisle, …and lets just say, it wasn’t exactly practical.
Once in TO we headed straight for the Gladstone Hotel, which was definitely without a doubt one of the most interesting hotels i have had the pleasure of.
Each room is designed my a designer or pair of designers, and therefore each room is very different and has it’s own special character as you can see by my boudoir below ….let’s just say i slept well.
But not before a little walk around TO, or more specifically Queen Street West (the Shoreditch of TO) with a quick visit to MOCCA (The Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art) which had this bus wreck outside
Friday was sort of a prep day for the shoot (the reason i was here in the first place), but before that we changed hotels for the famous Drake Hotel which again left an unmistakable impression with me, ..although not individually designed, these rooms were still excellently crafted, and the bathroom as the pictures below can never do justice, were incredible, …where’s your girlfriend when you need her.
Somehow amongst all the preparations i did manage to sneak off for a quick kite fly for a few hours, and in VERY low winds i was pretty impressed with the thermal lift in the air, ..and cloudless sunny sky.
Skipping to Saturday and we have Shoot Toronto, ..which i have to say from my technical point of view was one of the most enjoyable shoots to date, the tech team at the Drake were fantastic (thanks Eric) and having Adam shadowing me meant i was a well looked after geek.
Come Sunday i could say more than i will, because this is a positive blog, not a running commentary on arguements annoyances and such like, ..in fact i am saying too much already, …but post all that we hit up the Cherry Blossom Festival in High Park (not Hyde Park as we spent most of the day believing).
Festival gatherings in TO are very different to what we would expect, but i was a very chilled civilized affair.
Monday, ..oh how i loved Monday, …this was my day, ..up at 7am, hit the streets with my camera, ..anyone who has ever travelled to a city with me will know what i was doing, ..apart form the odd bit of shopping of course, …exploring, and collecting street art for my Graffiti Archive, and once i had found the ’special’ places i was bowled over by the sheer volume of quality walls.
Monday night was tourism time, ..we hit up the CN Tower which is the worlds tallest free standing bulding, with the highest observation deck in the world also, ..which we got up for free as our main CONTACT contact Emily was the girl to have in our posse.
Wait a minute, ..i haven’t even told you about CONTACT, …well, you can click and read for yourself, but the short of it is a photography festival lasting a month, being the largest in the world, and attracting over a million people to TO in that month, ..and Emily, ..well Emily runs tings so to speak, ..hence the lady to have in your posse.
Right, ..enough about CONTACT everything has been CONTACT, CONTACT, CONTACT this week and let’s be honest, if you weren’t there then you probably don’t care, …so, ..
..worlds tallest building, ..free wine, ..followed by the legendary JOJO’s Italian seafood restaurant, …this place is famous for two things, fish, and the owners fixation with large bosums, ..or fun bags as we continued to squeal at for most of our meal.
Again, there is lots to say, but those there will find it funny regardless, and those not, ..well, .. ..exactly.
..very drunk indeed we went straight to the Hyatt Roof Garden, ..which we weren’t supposed to do (lift skipping and floor jumping aside), ..we got asked to leave pretty quickly, …apparently they were closed, or some other equally silly excuse.
…but one excellent thing came out of all of this, …two person bike riding, ..something i have not experienced for quite a long time, …Natalie, ..i owe you an eternal debt of gratitude for not dumping me in the middle of the road and deftly balancing your super steed, ..and on the other hand, …those kids i can never have, ….your fault.
So have i covered it all yet, ..well, ..i missed out the bar we ended up in after that, ..hell i missed out a lot of things, but this is not a book, it is a blog, …so i guess there are only a few more observations that don’t fit into the chronological tale, ..so here they are.
NO PUBLIC SMOKING, …what a fantastic thing, …bars, restaurants, everywhere, …unfortunately everywhere also includes hotel rooms, ..and if you have ever shared one with me, you will be able to imagine my displeasure at having to go up and down 3 flights every evening for my ‘bedtime’.
Finally, ..courtesy, …the canadians were really really lovely and accommodating, …but guys, ..sometimes we just want to walk into a shop without having a sales assistant bark a pre-prepared two minute spiel at us, ..and more importantly, ..when i order a coffee and i am hung over, i don’t mind you saying hi, wishing me a nice day, ..but the complete forced dialogue of how are yous, fine thanks yous, and expectation of return of enquiry was just too much for this englishman.
And now, ..as the swedish family behind me get louder and more distracting i feel it is time to sign off, …and run for my flight that i just heard a final call for.
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