Phase 1 begins here in Toronto where I am staying at the Sheraton in the very heart of the City! My friend and I arrived yesterday afternoon.
← Here is a picture of the place.[CN Tower in background.]
It is grandiose, and I am having the time of my life.
Relaxing. Drinking coffee [← There is a Starbucks right IN this place, on the main floor…. now that’s my kind of hotel!]
Traversing Yonge Street.
Eating great food.
Finding outrageously wonderful used bookstores. [This afternoon, I bought a beautiful biography of Hemingway and Milan Kundera’s Immortality].
I’m reading the newest Ondaatje.
The weather could not be more beautiful.
I am loving life.
Almost to some sort of seemingly illegal degree.
This is a view from my 10th floor hotel window. [There are 43 floors].
Things are looking good, from Room 1079.And the symmetrically gorgeous curvature of City Hall. What an amazing piece of architecture, built in 1964. I was one year old. I remember it well!
Bay Street stretches northward.
See, [below] the old stone building there, to the right?
That’s the Courthouse. Directly behind the Courthouse is The Eaton Center, containing more retail outlets than any herd of women could get through in any one day!So… I just thought I would drop by to say Hi. Let you all know where I’m at.
I need to behave myself for just this one more night, and try to stay out of that Courthouse!
Cost of gas to get here → $10.00
Cost of room 1079 → $400.00 per night.
Cost of used books I bought today → $3.17
Cost of four cans of Boddingtons Pub Ale, chilling in an ice bucket → $10.00
THIS WEEKEND, THUS FAR → Priceless!
*************
Yup, good old T.O. - home of The Toronto Maple Leafs!
ReplyDelete(You mentioned your hotel room # twice - is this an invitation for your Toronto blog friends to pay a visit?)
Egads!! That's the cost of the hotel?? Wow. You weren't kidding when you said it was expensive.
ReplyDeleteShould've stayed in our library! (Mind you, you wouldn't have had as nice a view...unless you think the parking lot for the Danier Leather Outfit is sexy...)
You've got it, Beth.
ReplyDeleteYou've gotten the hint.
Actually, we just phoned down to the desk a while ago and asked to extend this adventure at least another evening, but they tell us that the place is FULLY BOOKED!
How is that even possible?
So, we are on a LIST, and will not know till the morning if we are actually leaving this grand place.
For now, we are here.
So, what time are you and your rowdy friends [like Patricia here] going to be over?
Patricia and I could rock your socks off!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I can't make it today. (Seriously.) You should have given us more notice.
If your hotel gives you the boot, there's always floor space here. (Okay, a futon.) And currently three dogs, two kids, two women, a bloody raccoon and an annoying squirrel residing here. (The raccoon and squirrel are outside.)
Wow, what a great view. Sounds like you're having a wonderful holiday. Hope it contiues great to the very end.
ReplyDeleteIs the newest Ondaatje Divisidero? I remember seeing something by him on the new book table but I was sooooo in a hurry to bypass everybody with the HP book trying to get in line for checkout.
ReplyDeleteI finished Anil's Ghost last week...images of his prose on Sri Lanka's turmoil still haunt me.
How does it feel like reading your favorite author in a $400/nt. hotel room? Have fun. :)