Back in UK

Well we've returned to the UK after 3 great weeks in Ontario. We left Manchester on a rather small but neat Thomas Cook airline that took way too long to get to Toronto.....8 flipping hours! As they'd changed the flight times this meant driving up Airport Road in the dark.....very disorientating! Still we got a glimpse of live animals eg deer and a skunk.....usually we only encounter roadkill!!
My friend Sophie was renting us her beautiful rental home and she didn't disappoint....tennis court over the road was a huge hit with my kids.
We didn't do too many tourist things this time. Instead we visited towns and show houses to get a feel of the area.We decided that Collingwood is not the town for us even though we love it. It's too far from Toronto and too expensive....council tax is way too high! After also ruling out Orangeville (stared at too much....didn't feel welcome there), Angus (military base), Alliston (big car plant) and Innisfil (what the heck is in Innisfil??!!) we think we've settled on Barrie.

This is Thornbury marina

We visited Toronto twice, visiting Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) which our eldest loved. I managed to find the Pickle Barrel in the Bay Atrium without the aid of a map even though its been 10 years since we last ate there.....food is still great by the way!

We also went to the Worlds Biggest Bookstore. Whilst deciding where to start my 16 yr old daughter headed to the dvd section and saw a man coming towards her. She stopped.... he stopped..... they made eye contact..... unsure what to do or say she wandered off. She turned the corner and there he was again.... same thing happened. She came and stood behind me and nudged me. Meanwhile this man was right behind us. I was so busy trying to get the 8 year old to her book section I completely ignored my 16 year old. I got them all onto the escalator and apparently she looked back and saw the man then leave the store. At the top of the escalator she turned to me and said...'Mum why didn't you turn round, David Beckham was right behind you?'..........No Way!!!!!!!!!!!!






We also experienced the Elvis Festival in Collingwood. I hadn't realised how seriously people take Elvis impersonators....some were very good but one or two should stick to the day job! I couldn't get many photos as it was so busy.