Lucky Billie: Photo Photo Toronto

Last post about Toronto, time to write about my impressions and I don't know what to think about this city or about this trip.

The fact that the apartment we rented wasn't what we wanted it to be didn't help us to really enjoy our vacation.

Also the fact that two days after I got back to Paris, I was on the road again to another destination, didn't help me digesting our Toronto trip.

I didn't get much of a chance to talk with Greg about it and it's a big part in processing and evaluating a trip.

I also guess that knowing at the end of the trip I had another month of traveling ahead of me and the aprehension kind of prevented me of enjoying the moment. Lesson learned. Span the trips.

With that being said, I'm glad I went there, and saw the things I saw, did the things I did. And I can't wait to talk this over with Greg.

We talked about it a little and he too is undecided about Toronto.

There was everything we could possibly want in a city(bars, restaurants, bookshops, parks, lake etc) and yet we are not that thrilled about it. Why is that?

I'm in Memphis right now(well, this post is scheduled and when it will go on line I'll be on the plane back home, booohooo :'( ) and even though my first day here was a huge slap of disappointment in the face, I've grown to really appreciate this city and enjoy myself.

So why, oh why was it not the case with Toronto?

I have a few theories besides the few cited above. First, the people.

I found the people in Toronto pretty similar to French people. Most of them were kind of cold. Here in Memphis people are so friendly and amazingly polite.

The theory we came up with with Greg was that comparing Chicago and Toronto, Chicago has this classier vibe that we love(classier to us). And boy, we love Chicago.

Another thing we came up with in comparison to Chicago was that the tourists attractions in Toronto were not cheap. When you have a free and beautiful zoo, like the one in Chicago, a magical greenhouse, also admitance free, it hurts to pay CAN $40 to go up the CN tower. Especially when the view up the Hancock Center is 100% more interesting and beautiful with the beach and 'only' about US $18.

Plus Chicago has a bunch of beautiful beaches. In Toronto we walked miles to find ONE.

I guess we were expecting a Canadian Chicago with friendlier people.

And yet I overcame disappointment in Memphis.

I'm not really sure comparing cities is very healthy or leads anywhere and yet here I am. Wondering.

Only time will tell. Maybe someday I'll want to go back to Toronto. Maybe in 17 years, maybe never. I had enjoyed this city so much 17 years ago.

Maybe I will feel the same way about Toronto as I do about New York.

I used to hate New York, well, it's kind of a love/hate relationship. Now I'm thinking I really want to go to NYC once more and try to really enjoy myself.