"Jeez its flat," is all I could think as we flew in to Toronto. Toront, as mis-said by the Japanese, or Tronno as it's known to the locals, sits in an epic flatness that out-Norfolks Norfolk. It is slightly hillier, only slightly - but it is spread over such a big region that seemingly bunked off Topography 101 whilst at the University of Landscape.
After a quick sleep at Ed and Lucy's kindly loaned condo, we headed south in our Not-So-Smart Car. Sure we were helping the planet, but who was helping us amongst these 18 wheelers, Hummers and monstered-up pick-ups? Next stop Buffalo, New York.
The US Border Patrol were polite but oh-so-slow, and it took them 150 minutes to decide that we weren't actually al-Quaida in disguise.
"What address will you be staying at?" said the uniform.
"Well, we're actually just popping to a lockup to collect some stuff. We'll be here less than 12 hrs."
"Do you know the address? I guess I'd better put that on the form," was said with disbelief that anyone wouldn't want to stay forever in his land of plenty and I suspect a suspicion that as illegal immigrants we may try and live in a lock-up garage.
After surveying just exactly how much junk we have in storage, it was time for a quick vehicle change, then we were headed north in a much more appropriate automobile for survival on these roads: the Highlander (I wonder if they make the "there can be only one" car sticker I want?).
Back in Toronto we checked out the neighbourhoods: Little Italy, Greektown, Little India, Chinatown.... Is any of it Canadian? Yes, The Beaches, a waspish enclave that's perhaps a little too new age: Starbucks sits proudly on the corner dishing out it's caffeine hits whilst it's downstairs for "dessert" where they do a roaring trade cleaning out the toxins you've just ingested.
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