Toronto is a wonderful city. If you take the vibe of SF, add in the structures of Chicago, sprinkle in the cosmopolitan flair of NY, and make a city of it, you will come pretty close to recreating Toronto. Though I was only there for a day and a half (and I will certainly return in the near future) and though one of those days was spoilt by rain, I was able to appreciate the food, the local breweries, one flea market, the waterfront, the islands in the lake and, of course, the CN Tower. If Toronto is representative of Canada (certainly more cosmopolitan than Montreal), the thing that stands out is the way in which the immigrant community has been effortlessly absorbed into the native community. No wonder this nation boasts such a large contingent of blue helmets!

The colours of late fall

... aptly complemented by urban art ... 

... and reflected in the water.

I decided to use the phone camera so as to take it through its paces ... as in the snapshot of these ducks ...

 ... and this rope used to secure a schooner by the lake ...

... and the plane that was taking off in the distance!

There is art in almost every shop window ...

... and urban structure ...

and reflection on a gray day!

And then of course there is the CN Tower, the tallest man made structure in the Americas

So tall it dwarfs every other structure in the vicinity.

Standing at an imposing 584m (approximately), it was originally intended as a radio tower for the railways ...

... before it became Toronto's premier tourist attraction and home to one of its finest restaurants with vertiginous and breathtaking views.

For those who enjoy (or get their thrills from) heights, there is the glass bottomed viewing gallery, that looks upon the Ripley's Aquarium's shark tank 1700 feet below. In the unlikely event that the glass gives way and you find yourself in free fall - and in the even more unlikely event that you survive the drop - you may just find yourself playing the part of manna from heaven for the little beasties!

The next day, we were able to grab a taste at the local Amsterdam Brewery

And last, and not to be missed, the fabulous Inniskillin vineyards (makers of perhaps the most famous ice wine ever) by Niagara.