There are actually three falls there, the American Falls (in the first picture it's the first one on the left), the Bridal Veil Falls (smaller fall next to the American Falls) and the Horseshoe Falls that is the most dramatic and most recognisable (the furtherest one on the right of the first picture).
L: All three falls at Niagara in summer; R: Horseshoe Falls (close up) in winter.
L: Iced over - the two closer falls in the first pic; R: Horseshoe Fall.
Off Clifton Hill is the Skywheel. I've always had a thing for ferris wheels (I used to work on the one at Manly Wharf, which they've since taken down). Steve suggested we go for a ride and I was happy to oblige, even if it was $10 for 10 mins. I like being up in the air where it's quiet where the world is removed a brief moment. Or maybe I just like going round in circles.
Ever since I got here (Canada) I've wanted to make a snow angel. That dream came true when we spotted some lovely trackless snow by the sidewalk. Ah, the free things in life are often simple. Or was it simpletons like free things? I like free things. Wait a minute...
Ever since I got here (Canada) I've wanted to make a snow angel. That dream came true when we spotted some lovely trackless snow by the sidewalk. Ah, the free things in life are often simple. Or was it simpletons like free things? I like free things. Wait a minute...
Top L: View of Skylon Tower from the Skywheel; Top M: The Wheel ; Top R: Steve being attacked by Rex.
Bottom L & M: The best things in life are free; Bottom R: Steve in knee-deep snow.
The Niagara region is also Ontario's reknown wine producing region. Particularly icewine, which Ontario is leading the world in. It is essentially dessert wine. They say to be aware of cheap imitations from Asia where the process corrupts the quality. Make sure your bottle label has "Icewine" as one word, not two. We made it to Inniskillin Winery before their tasting bar closed for the day and after a couple of samples we bought the cheapest bottle for $55. It yielded 4 small glasses. You work out the maths. I guess someone had to be paid for picking the grapes by hand, at temperatures betwen -8c and -14c, usually between 1am and 5am. Yawn.
If you're ever in Niagara-on-the-Lake and you're British and miss O' Blighty, you should seek out the British store on the main road. It's got all your favourites, right Steve? On this main road (Queen Street it's called) you'll also find some lovely shops, restaurants and two features of the town, the Clock Tower and the 1866 apothecary now a museum. We arrived around 4:30pm to have a late late lunch and by the time we got round to exploring it was growing dark. But I must say it was very nice just to stroll in the fading light with tiny perfect snow flakes drifting down on you.
The Niagara region is also Ontario's reknown wine producing region. Particularly icewine, which Ontario is leading the world in. It is essentially dessert wine. They say to be aware of cheap imitations from Asia where the process corrupts the quality. Make sure your bottle label has "Icewine" as one word, not two. We made it to Inniskillin Winery before their tasting bar closed for the day and after a couple of samples we bought the cheapest bottle for $55. It yielded 4 small glasses. You work out the maths. I guess someone had to be paid for picking the grapes by hand, at temperatures betwen -8c and -14c, usually between 1am and 5am. Yawn.
If you're ever in Niagara-on-the-Lake and you're British and miss O' Blighty, you should seek out the British store on the main road. It's got all your favourites, right Steve? On this main road (Queen Street it's called) you'll also find some lovely shops, restaurants and two features of the town, the Clock Tower and the 1866 apothecary now a museum. We arrived around 4:30pm to have a late late lunch and by the time we got round to exploring it was growing dark. But I must say it was very nice just to stroll in the fading light with tiny perfect snow flakes drifting down on you.
We stopped by the edge of the lake (Lake Ontario) on our way back. An eerie silence prevailed as the water was still (it's a lake, not like the ocean waves at a beach like I'm used to) and staring ahead into the distance in that light was really mesmoring. I pretended we were in Antarctica. A footnote: the houses that were in that neighbourhood near the lake were just enormous. Think of the movie Home Alone, that kind of big house and that kind of suburbia.
L: We took this picture behind a block of ice at the winery; M: Clock Tower; R: Me in Antarctica.
Photos courtesy of Steve. Thanks for being the day's cameraman.
