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Well here we are sometime after my holiday away in Canada, and finally the images have been scanned and are all ready for your enjoyment! They are all available around here! But now, a little something about my holiday, or rather... The complete guide to Dave's Canada Experience!!! :)

Contents


In the beginning...

In the beginning these was England, and Dave looked out and decided, it twos a semi-good land! But some time later, he was introduced to the USA courtesy of a trip to Florida. Thus everything was changed... West of the Atlantic - Good! England - Bad! And thus the craving to get back there was born. Of course cravings can get out of control, and this was my first visit abroad sans parents! (Discounting a school trip to Germany! ;) ) And so, the craving for the West and the USA and Canada was quenched... Almost ;) This is the account of the travels I undertook whilst out and about in Canada...

What Happened During Week One...(The Official Guide ;) )

The holiday started on the 2nd September really, when I went across to the B&B I was staying in. (Thank you Dad Taxi's ;) ) That evening was supposed to be an early night... err yeah, I spent Hours on the phone as usual! Infact the rest of the day is distinctly uninteresting. Well things obviously don't get interesting until the flight itself!! So on the 3rd September at around 5:15am I went to the airport. Supposedly to board a plane at 7:55am... Err, "Your flight has been delayed and boarding will take place around 9am!" That is what I got when I checked in at the desk. OH Shit! I thought, what to do for all that extra time? Well the mobile came out and I chatted to Em for ages, well that wasn't until around 7am. I had so far been up since 4:15am. Not bad, I was managing! The flight was called through to the departure lounge, and as always I had to have a padding down :) Woo they are such good *fun* *grin*! On the other side I was confronted with the Duty Free!!... Err and I bought nothing, because it was too much ;) But never mind.. well actually I bought a CD (Surprised? No didn't think so!) Well as 9am approached I gradually got more and more frustrated! Because it appeared and then went... by 10am I was on the plane! No running 2hrs late!! I was beginning to pray that Vee would be at the airport. The plane FINALLY left at 10:40am... a full 2hrs and 40mins late!

I suppose documenting the whole holiday like this could make this rather long... So here's a summary of the rest of the next few days of the holiday!!

Well, the plane landed in Toronto at 1:15pm (EST) After clearing Customs (which always takes sodding ages!) I met Vee for the first time ever!! We hugged, then started looking for her Brother. A rapid piling into the car, and then we were off... All the way to Montreal. 7hrs Later... MONTREAL!! This was the place I stayed for the first few days, until Sunday infact ;) Because then we drove back to Wallaceburg, via Waterloo and Toronto a lovely 12hrs trip!! *ah* Friday was a relaxing day thankfully! It gave me chance to get to grips with the surroundings. Me and Vee drove partially into Montreal and the downtown area, but we didn't stay - because we had no idea where the hell we were!! Friday was rather uneventful and just gave us time to get to know one another.

Saturday was another lazy day, but we managed to get into Montreal again, and this time I could do some site seeing and shopping!! :) *Woo Woo* and there was a very nice HMV there too :) So err, the first of many CD's was bought! There was also plenty of time for some photo taking ;) Saturday evening we were at Montreal Airport to wave off several of Vee's family (I met loads of them!) Unfortunately we stayed for AGES! *Grr* By the way that isn't a bad comment, it's just that ages is about 4hrs! The rest of Saturday was then err gone! So we had an early night, for Sunday was that mammoth drive to Wallaceburg! Finally arriving there at around 11pm or something like that. Even at that late hour, me and Vee still spodded!! *grin*

The next day was just spent doing a little 'site-seeing' around where Vee lives... Hmm, I think we saw everything in about 5mins ;) *grin* Still there are quite a few photos of the area looking out towards America and the Michigan coast! We only spent a small amount of time in Wallaceburg, well about 2days... The reason? Vee had an exam in Waterloo so we had to head back there. That was where I met OJ and Liz, Vee's house mates :) On our last day in Waterloo (for that week ;) ) we headed out towards Niagara Falls! Err, well we would have done! If it wasn't for the fact that the car was broken! After the poor little car was fixed, it was a long drive out to Missisauga to meet up with Albert - better know as DragonKnight on Snowplains. The three of use then drove along to Niagara... And err that was where I went a little camera happy!!!

We spent the next few hours walking around... Hmm, and Albert and Vee got lost! That was trying to find the falls, my remark was, "I'd have been better on my own!!" Turned out to be too true ;) Well once at the falls I proceeded to take way , way too many photo's of the same bit! Still, most of the photos have turned out really well. Albert actually chickened out on part of our visit. Me and Vee went Underneath the falls.. or rather down along side them, though at one point we were actually underneath them in the middle somewhere, looking out into a sheet of falling water... Fantastic :) After several hours in Niagara we had to leave, it was a long drive back to Wallaceburg, and we had to drop Albert off too. Finally arriving back in Wallaceburg at around midnight I think, we just crashed! The next few days were to be spent there, until Sunday when it was time to go to Waterloo, the place were I spent the next 2weeks ;)

A few days later, after Vee had recovered from driving so much it was a short hop down to Windsor - Canada's Southern most city! Driving toward the downtown area I could see the sky scrapers and though (foolishly) that was where we were going... Hmm, couldn't have been more wrong! The sky scrapers were across a little bit of water and belonged to Detroit City Michigan!! It was unbelievable how close we were to the USA!! The same day was also when we paid a visit to Point Pelee, the Southern most point of Canada! We spent a while here just looking out over the water, it was really very quiet and peaceful with the gentle lapping of the water against the shore... Aww... *grin*

And that was the end of the first week! Wow! What a lot of travelling and seeing and meeting of people! It was really very tiring. On Sunday we went back to Waterloo, and thus commenced week two and all the fun and games of that!!!.....


And during Week Two...

Monday week two.. woke up feeling VERY dodgy! Infact this was only a prelude to what happened over the next few days. I thought that a few Solpadine would help... I ran out! and had a killer soar throat, swallowing was very hard. And I didn't sleep that night. Infact I had to wake Vee up to get the painkillers she had. Tuesday was even more fun... I decided that since I was feeling much worse, it'd be wise to go to the doctors. Well I was not altogether with it, and was shivering, with fevers. Woo fun! *NOT* So it was off to the doctors, who wouldn't take on a new patient, and told us to go right the way across town - a half hour cab journey! We waited for the bus to go to the A&E ward of Kitchener/Waterloo Hospital. It was at this point as the bus approached that I nearly collapsed! To be honest I really can't remember much of the journey to the hospital. I can remember having my vision go all blurry but that is about it!

At the hospital, after a little wait I was seen and examined, and then told that I had tonsillitis Oh Shit!! I told myself. It was bad, because I could barely speak to give my name and details. I was given a prescription and told to rest, and then asked were the bill should be sent! *gulp* We then had to roam around to a pharmacy so that I could get the pills. Most of the rest of this week was trashed! I was too ill to do much else but walk around the flat. I spent most of it asleep infact, crashed out on the sofa. I was starting to improve by Saturday, which was good, as that was when we went to Toronto!

Since there was NO car now... we had to rely on the wonders of Canadian public transport! This meant Greyhound Canada! Woo Woo, I got to ride on one of them famed buses :) Entire journey to Toronto was about 1.5hrs, not too bad really, and of course the first thing we had to do when there, was - eat! Yes by this time I was feeling much better! Of course we just had to walk down the street with access to ALL the decent record stores!! :) We ate at one of the Malls... can't remember the name of it though! It was big, that was what I remember! HUGE! Anyway, after that we moved back up the street and started CD shopping... And HMV was the first store 'Hit!' After 2hrs or so of hard looking and deciding.. we left, me armed with 8CD's!! After that it was down to Tower Records, and then two other places... Names escape me - Sorry!! Maybe Vee will remember??!

After all that, it seemed prudent to do a few other things, and one thing high on my list of priorities was to get the CN Tower done! Of course this meant finding it first! Actually very easy ;) Just look and follow the tallest building!! When there, I dragged Vee up the thing! We didn't go all the way to the top, that's Next time I'm over!! The view was amazing from way up there!! Only 1150feet up above the ground! This photo shows the really tall sky scrapers which we walked amongst a few minutes earlier... At this height they look so small! The other thing about being up so high is the quiet! There is only the wind for company.... it was amazing!! Another thing about the CN Tower is that, well it was designed with a glass floor in one place. Of course I just had to have a look down, BUT I forgot a photo!! *Grr* Still I think Vee remembers the view ;) She used to suffer from vertigo badly, she's ok on not so high buildings but she flatly refused to look down... Can't be having that! So I dragged her physically onto the glass floor and jumped for her!! ;) Oww, the look of sheer terror on her face! It was fantastic! *grin* Sorry Vee, next time I'll make sure I have a photo too ;)

Before we left the Tower, there was time for one last photo of it! Now the best way to view this beastie (which is a BIG file!) is to scroll to the bottom and then move up, pretty quickly... Then u can almost ;) Appreciate the height of this thing!!! If u are brave enough then look here.. Be warned though, it can actually cause vertigo! Hmm... well that is what I have been told *grin* The photo looks straight up the side of it from the ground... have fun!

After all that fun, we had to make our way back to the bus station to check the times.. and then a brief spell of shopping more and we were done and dusted.. Toronto survived.. I am looking forward to a revisiting in the very near future! I need more photo's of the place ;) Anyway, we managed to be back at the apartment for about 10pm, not bad going really! And that was week two over with... Mostly missed due to illness :( Still we managed to survive, and I could Spod at least! *Woo Woo*


The Third and Final Week of the Holiday...

By now I was a lot better, Toronto had given me a buzz, and I wanted out more, so Sunday was a trip to Waterloo's biggest mall, for yes, more shopping! This day was spent roaming around looking for Em's birthday present... I had seen them in a lot of places but hadn't actually bought one yet... I of course refer to the Tickle Me Elmo's!! This was when I bought one! :) (Will have to get a photo of it!) It was pretty good fun choosing one :) Getting to play around and squeeze them to see which one was best! *cough Yes fine.. err back to Sunday, also bought a fleece jumper, later confiscated by OJ and then Em, my girlfriend! I also managed to get my bro.'sjeans as well... Hmm, and that was Sunday.. The evening we turned into a HUGE South Park night and watched hours and hours of South Park all night long! *grin*

Much of the third week was spent just lazing around and spodding occasionally I was dragged - forcibly! to Campus Fest 98, I show thing for new 'Frosh' err yeah... there Fresher's not frosh! Fresher's!!! Now that's cleared up... It was OK ish, but not really something I could get involved with! More movie watching later at night and then on Thursday night.. Vee's parting gift to me was to take me to a rock concert... Hmm, I am not a big fan of rock music.. and this sounded quite hardcore. Well we got there, and with a few problems getting me in (Proof of age you see!! wouldn't accept my ID! :P) eventually settled to stand near enough in the Mosh pit! *Ah* Well the first act started and it wasn't too bad.. a group called Treble Charger. I'd never heard of them, but they were pretty good. I thought, this ain't so bad...

and then.....

Stabbing Westward!!!!

*Woo Woo* They were awesome! Well worth going to see :) They best part of the night for me... Shame that I hadn't bought any of their CD's - well we all make mistakes!! Their part was cool, and all the pretty lights too! So when the main act came on I was expecting good things... and to begin with it was good! Econoline Crush started well, but got too heavy for me, so me and Vee left around midnight, and got the last bus back to the flat. All in all a good night out and well worth it just for Stabbing Westward! And of course with all good nights out, we were both left with slightly ringing ears ;)

Friday.....

My last day on Canadian soil... and the end of my holiday! It had been fun and now I was actually looking forward to going home for a bit. (I was suffering from advanced girlfriend withdrawal!!) The day seemed to go pretty quickly and thankfully I had packed the day before, fortunately there was time for a few photo's ;) Vee's parents came across with the car and we loaded up, stopped off for something to eat, and then started the drive to Toronto. We picked up Vee's Brother Len on the way from where he was working and then drove out to the airport. It was getting pretty late by this time, and when at the airport there was some time for brief goodbyes. Vee accompanied me into the terminal building, we hugged, and she left me to queue to check in. Just as well really as about 30mins later I was in the departure lounge waiting for the plane, and they had a 4hr drive ahead of them too.

The time seemed to go quickly and pretty soon the flight was called and I boarded... 6hrs 15mins later... touch down in the UK

And that was the end of my holiday in Canada... I had a lot of fun, spent a lot of money and finally got the chance to meet a good friend from the internet. I just hope that Vee comes across to the UK soon so that I can show her around here!!! :)


The Final Comments of the holiday...

Well OK so the holiday didn't just end there... I got back to the UK and left the plane.. completely knackered and just wanting to go home... And my case went missing!! Yep someone had walked off with it!! *Wibble* Not fair! So I had to wait around and then fill in a load of forms and give details. What a mess it was. I finally left through the customs channel and there waiting for me was Em :) Yeah *bounce* *bounce* *bounce* *bounce* *bounce* It was so good to see her after all that time apart. Well we then walked on to get the train back to our homes. Both going via Doncaster *grin* Of course the train should have gone to Scunthorpe... but there was track work, so it was a bus back to Scunny. Me and Em said our goodbyes and headed off in our own directions. Thanks to mobile phones I arranged for my dad to meet me at Scunny Station, and then he drove me back to Brigg. I had been up for over 24hrs by this point.. and somehow managed to last until 10:30pm!!

Sunday I got my case back :) It was delivered in the morning by the people who had accidentally picked it up. So I got Em's Tickle Me Elmo back and all my CD jewel cases too :) Fantastic! Of course I was still knackered and then on Monday I left for Uni :) What a trip... and finally.. the hospital bill was settled.. and finally came to 86quid!! Thankfully I managed to get some of it back from insurance :) The moral there is, don't be ill in the USA or Canada ;) Anyway it was a great holiday despite that.

And finally, I'd just like to add, way down here at the bottom of the page, a massive thank you to both Veronika and her parents and her family for not only putting me up but putting up with me!!! This holiday could not have happened without your help, Thank you so much! I am eternally grateful to you all. All that remains to be said is... Vee, when are u coming over here??? Hmm?? Well? And I hope to see you soon, maybe even next year.. Who knows ;)


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