A lot can happen in 20 years – and even more in 12,000. As we sat down to celebrate our China wedding anniversary, the conversation between my wife Rachel and I switched between our big day two decades ago and the breathtaking Canadian Horseshoe Falls formed at the end of the last Ice Age. Whether you’re a fan of natural landscapes, like the world-famous Niagara Falls, or man-made attractions like those in the big city of Toronto, you get the best of both worlds in Ontario, as we found out on a five-day celebratory break in Canada’s most populous province. TORONTO After arriving in Toronto on a seven-hour Air Transat (airtransat.com) flight from Manchester, we boarded the Union-Pearson (UP) Express Train (upexpress.com) which runs from the airport to city-centre Union Station and avoids the pesky traffic. And time was of the essence as I’d managed to get hold of two tickets to go see a band who Some Might Say are the greatest on the planet today – Oasis – at Rogers Stadium. So, once we had checked in at Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel (marriott.com), we jumped in an Uber and arrived at the music venue just in time to hear Liam, Noel, Bonehead and co belting out their opening track Hello. Following a seven-hour flight and a late night in the Oasis fan zone, the Deluxe Guest Room at the Sheraton, was the perfect place to rest and refresh ahead of a busy week of adventure and sightseeing around Ontario. The next morning, Rachel and I headed up to the hotel’s 43rd floor and refuelled with a complimentary breakfast buffet with sweeping views of downtown Toronto. And the helpful servers immediately got to know our drinks order – two English breakfast teas – by heart. Before we’d arrived in Toronto, I’d downloaded the CityPASS app. Combined with a VIP pass from Destination Ontario, it enabled Rachel and I to group together the activities we wanted to sample and places we wanted to visit. First up, we made a beeline for Casa Loma (casaloma.org) in the midtown area. The Gothic Revival castle-style mansion’s tunnels and hidden rooms are great for exploring, and it’s no wonder the beautiful property is a popular filming location, with films and TV shows like X-Men and Goosebumps shot there. From Casa Loma, we walked down to Royal Ontario Museum (rom.on.ca) to check out its latest prehistoric and natural world exhibitions, before visiting the city’s premier shopping mall Eaton Centre on the way back to the hotel. The following day, we strolled south towards the shore of Lake Ontario, taking an elevator up what was formerly the world’s tallest building, CN Tower (cntower.ca), exploring Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (ripleysaquariumofcanada. com), and stopping off at sports venues Rogers Centre and Scotiabank Arena, before embarking on a boat trip around the harbour and Toronto Islands with City Cruises (cityexperiences.com). Toronto is a highly walkable city and in between all the sightseeing, Rachel and I got in our steps, passing through Destination Ontario Destination Ontario Destination Ontario 124 on Queen Hotel and Spa HONEYMOONS 79
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