Monday May 25th

9:30pm

Well, I woke up this morning feeling just fine. Pie had not been interested in nuzzling me and I did not look like a pumpkin. Mathew and I both rose this morning feeling very rested. Good job too, because due to the forecast of rain over the next few days, today looked like the best day to go to Niagara Falls.

We first went to Fort Erie which looks over the Lake of the same name, and you can see America on the other side. Namely, Buffalo in New York - the closest I have ever been to New York! It was kind of odd being in Canada and seeing the British flag flying...but it WAS a British fort. This was a supply base for British troops, Loyalist Rangers and Iroquois Warriors during the American Revolution. It was quite interesting, and there were some people dressed up in period costume while we were there. It was a nice, gentle introduction to the day.

Back into the car and onto Niagara. I noticed the Ontario landscape is very flat. I quite like most of the houses- the traditional ones, like Janet's house, with porches. And I liked the Dutch barns too. There is a part of Ontario here - Lincoln - which is known as wine country, and they also create "ice wine" which I guess is created after the frosts..or rather snow...! Apparently the only other place where ice wine is created is in Vancouver.

When we arrived at the Falls, a spray was visible as we approached - falling on us as soon as we got out the car. Looking over the railings, the Horseshoe Falls (which is their actual name by the way), looked about as big as I expected it to be. Whenever I go to see things like this, I always have an image of it in my head and hope its going to be bigger to impress me further! Unlike when I went to see Stonehenge - I thought it was really tiny!!!

Anyway, the main thing is that, although I knew it is very, very deep, and seeing the scale of the people on the American side....it just didn't seem quite as deep as I thought it would be. Somehow I couldn't grasp the depth, yet I was impressed with it at the same time. Hard to explain, but its most definitely a sight to see!

Eventually, we reached the "Maid of the Mist" boat tour and took one. Seriously - the Americans really don't get that great a view..!! The Canadian view is the most impressive. In the boat, we wet up to the American side (so I guess technically we were in the USA for around 5 minutes, illegally...!), then around to the Horseshoe. We wore delightful blue full-length ponchos....very attractive! ;o)

The water was incredibly loud - we could not hear a word of the tour narration on the boat until we reached the point of. . . just about able to return, and we suddenly heard - in an "American Idol" kind of announcement, "Ladies and Gentlemen, This - is Niagara Falls!" by which time you kinda knew......! I got quite wet despite the poncho....I had a great time! ;o)

After, we headed back to the car and went to Niagara-on-the-Lake after stopping off to see Brock's monument and a view of Lake Niagara. Niagara-on-the-Lake is a very pretty town, much like the place I stayed in when I went to Yellowstone National Park in the USA. Only the shops didn't stay open quite so late. We bought fudge and ate ice cream ;o)

Long drive back to Janet's was interrupted by dinner in Boston Pizza, where I ALMOST left my purse by accident, but we went back and everything was fine, the purse was on the seat. PHEW! We got back fairly late, much to the disgust of Pie who was VERY hungry indeed.

Tomorrow we're visiting Mathew's cousins in Stratford, one of the reasons why Mathew wanted to come to this area. There is a possibility that we might go to see a play at the theatre..although I have no idea if it will be Shakespeare or not. I don't really go to the theatre at home with the exception of a couple of Operas recently, so it should be interesting! :o)