Toronto : Casa Loma Castle

Ep.17

“Human vocabulary is still not capable, and probably never will be of knowing, recognizing, and communicating everything that can be humanly experienced and felt.” – Jose Saramago.

YYZ – Toronto, Canada.

Me at the Casa Loma

It was at the end of October that I got a chance to operate another long haul flight, and this time is to Toronto, a part of Canada. I wont say that I’m looking forward for this flight. Reasons?

1.     It was cold there

2.     Going to Niagara Falls would be a suicide as the weather will be ultra windy

3.     I got to stand by at the hotel at the second day from 1pm until 11 pm (means if the company call me, I have to operate a flight, most likely to NY)

4.     By doing number 3, it means I lost my 10 hours grounded in the hotel room already

Weapons

The flight was a little bit shorter than to NY, it took like 13-14 hours to get to Toronto from Hong Kong. Nothing special happened during the flight, not many call light, I mean it was at the normal rate. Passengers were sleeping during my watch (when the other half of the team were resting). I chatted with my galley partner, who occurred to be an ex-crew of another airlines (middle east) and I was like very curious and absorbing all the stories and experience she shared to me. She gave me some tips about plus and minus about the airline industry and so on and so forth and by doing that, the time just flied.

Autumn's red leaves

We arrived at around noon at Toronto. It was (of course) my first time to Toronto and it is (surprisingly) also the first one for my galley partner. Mentioning that on the way, one of the male crew was very nice to tell us a bit about the location of the hotel and what can we find around. He even offered us a short tour to the supermarket to grab some food. We agreed to go out after we arrived at the hotel. The hotel is located in the downtown area already, so that we can pretty much reach everything (read: shopping centre, supermarket, restaurant) within walking distance.

Dundas Square.

Even though according to the schedule, October is supposed to be still autumn, Toronto which is located more to the north of this globe, is freezing already! It was around 8-11°C and when the wind blew, it was suddenly felt like 6°C (for serious, I felt like I had a botox every time the wind hit my face). Me, my galley partner and the male crew, went out right away after we changed into our civilian clothes. He showed us the direction to the supermarket and also to the nearest Mall, the Dundas Square. As we arrived in the supermarket, we separate and agree to meet at the cashier 30-45 minutes later, so we can shop on our own route in that big supermarket. I bought some milk and some snacks (ammo for the next day stand by). After we finished our supermarket shopping, we decided to go to take away restaurant to grab us dinner. Anyway, it was already our sleeping time (HK timezone) and it was after a 13-14 hours flight, both of them decided to go back to the hotel and rest. As for me? I went back to the hotel too, put my shopping bag and went out again strolling around the Dundas Square. It was surely a downtown area. I looked right and left, screened all the shops and restaurant around, stop when I saw something interesting, bought some souvenir, and I realized that Canada has the tax for everything you buy, and it was the large amount one. Every time I have to pay, the tax is 13%. Ouch! It was hurting my pocket. There were a lot of local brand shops there in the Dundas Square (Jay Manuel’s brand was there! He is one of American’s Next Top Model judges), a Gay St., where gay community domicile, and many pubs and club too (I even can see a nude club just across the street from my hotel room). Walking around the Dundas Square until around 7 pm made me finally tired. I went back to the hotel, soak myself in a hot bath (kinda my ritual in every outport), and went to sleep with the TV on. I woke up in the middle of the night due to my hungry tummy, eat my take away food and went down to the lobby to skype for a while with my boyfriend.

EGGshuberant and Me

Disappointed of knowing I can’t go to the very famous Niagara Falls, the next morning I decided to call my galley partner, asking whether she wants to pamper ourselves with a good breakfast before jailed (read: stand by) in the hotel room or not. She agreed to go out with me for brunch. We went to Dundas Square, and as I scouted around the day before, we agreed to have our brunch in a restaurant called EGGspectation. It was a very catchy name for me and it is proved by the selection of egg dish they offered for their menu. As when we walked into the restaurant, the decoration was already Halloween mood kind of type. We got a table for two in the corner of the restaurant and thank God they turned on the heater already. I ordered a menu named EGGshuberant for CAD 11.50 and hot chocolate for CAD 4. EGGshuberant consists of 1 pancake, scrambled egg, lyonaise potato and bacon plus fruits. The price was actually reasonable for such a big portion. We went back to the hotel to start our stand by in the room. Lucky enough, I can get some internet connection in my room (my neighbor shared wi-fi without password). So I was not so bored. I slept for most of the stand by time and woke up around midnight due to my tummy again (HK lunch time). I skyped my boyfriend again and went to sleep afterwards.

Casa Loma front

a piece of history

The last day in Toronto, I woke up at 7 am. And I was desperate of a little exploration and adventure. I hesitated to go out because we should operate the flight back to HK at around 2 pm. But I can’t stay just inside my hotel room (no matter how comfy it is). I decided to browse some places of interest and crossed Casa Loma Castle (always love castle,,thanks to Disney princess series and fairytale). I browsed how to get there and I don’t even have to ask for companion as I can expect they took that I am crazy to go out even before the flight. I went to Dundas St. to  get on a subway (in Toronto it called TTC). It costs CAD 3 to get from Dundas to Dupont (around 8 stops, if I’m not miscalculate). I went to Dupont station and walk north two blocks on Spadina Ave. At this point, visitors have the option of climbing the Baldwin Steps at Spadina Ave. and Davenport Road or walking up the hill on the west side of the castle. I chose the second way. 

Me: reading the castle map

the Casa Loma tower

As I walked around the perimeter of the castle, I could see hat the castle is just like the one in the fairytale book, which made of stones. Casa Loma is the former home of Canadian financier Sir Henry Pellatt, it is complete with decorated suites, secret passages (from Sir Henry's study room there were the access to the wine cellar and his own bedroom), an 800-foot tunnel, towers, stables (actually, I want to go to the stable, but it was through the tunnel like a sewer, I finally didn"t went there),  and beautiful 5-acre estate gardens (open May through October, lucky me to come in the end of October). The admission fee to enter the castle with a self guide tour is CAD 18. I took a picture here and there just by myself. I learn two things from this trip: 1. never went out without make up (at least standard). I thought that because I went alone, it was unnecessary to put on make up. I went out barely only with a layer of moisturizer on my face. Ended up I look so pale in those pictures! What a crime to waste such a beautiful view. 2: i praise whomever found the timer feature and installed in in a digicam, he/she was truly my savior! I went all over the palace, bought some souvenirs, and went back to the hotel (I still remember my duty) by the time of 11 pm.

Operating back to HK, the flight time is shorter, but I wont say that it was an easy flight. It seems that everybody’s got their PMS time or what so ever, that one of them might get the mood change. The flight back was totally different from the first sector. Cup noodles service almost killed my legs and I fell onto my bed for a good 10 hours sleep after reached HK.

“There are always a place to go as long as you search for it.” – Me.