Canadian Trip Day 18 - Toronto Premium Outlets & Bye Bye Canada

Our last visit in Canada and it's the Toronto Premium Outlets' similiar to the one in Kulai but this one is really happening....

Toronto Premium Outlets is an outlet mall in Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada. Being the first Premium Outlet Center in Canada and the first conglomeration of stores of its type. The facility opened on Thursday, August 1, 2013.

The mall has 400 000 square feet (40 000 square meters) of shopping including the first ever Hudson's Bay Discount Store

We were there just before it opens and a few hours later it was crowded. Just look at the queue to get into Coach shop. 

Thank you Tami for your kind hospitality, see you in February.

It was a long journey back home all in all nearly 24 hours including 5 hours of transit in Hong Kong.

At last onto the connecting flight back home and it's nothing like home sweet home.

Canadian Trip Day 17 - Downtown Toronto

No more Tim Hortons for breakfast, Thanks to Shibley for recommending Cora's. 

We love this place and the heat is definitely on for Tim Hortons as Cora is getting popular for its good service and delicious food.

Samira wake-up - A beautiful plate of lavishly cut fresh fruit served with a choice of toast.

Crepomelette Western Cheddar - A delicious crepe stuffed with a Western-Cheddar omelette, covered in Hollandaise sauce, served with fresh fruit and toast.

Cora's Special - 2 eggs, bacon, ham, sausage and crepe, served with roasted potatoes and toast.

Our happy breakfast to kick the day before we go Downtown Toronto.

The bridge is part of the Waterfront Trail along the shore of lake Ontario

Stretching over 1400km along the Canadian shores of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and the Niagara, Detroit and St. Lawrence Rivers, the Waterfront Trail connects 68 communities and over 405 parks and natural areas including wetlands, forests and beaches. 

Created to regenerate, celebrate and reconnect people to our Great Lake waterfronts, the Trail has become a well-loved and used recreation, fitness and green transportation amenity and a world-renowned tourism attraction.

It is largely paved and welcomes all types of non-motorized recreation including runners, cyclists, walkers, wheelchairs, strollers and rollerbladers. Shibley trying to get closer to the loonies.

When I saw this University of Toronto I had a same feeling as if I was visiting University of Edinburgh both looks quite alike especially with the Convocation Hall around.

I had no chance to cycle in this city and I hope I can come back to do it in the future.

Cathedral Church of St. James is the home of the oldest congregation in the city. The parish was established in 1797. The Cathedral, with construction beginning in 1850 and opening for services on 19 June 1853, was one of the largest buildings in the city at the time.

My happiest moment of the day was to be able to meet a friend I have not seen or contacted for at least 33 years. Thanks to Tami for the coincidental arrangement. Bravo!!! And we met at Market Street at last. I hope to see him again and most likely in Malaysia.

While I was catching up the lost time with Steven Loh, Jo & Jenny were busy at St. Lawrence market.

St. Lawrence Market is one of two major markets in Toronto, the other being Kensington Market. It was named the world's best food market by National Geographic in April 2012.

Tami gave us a treat at a popular Indian restaurant at Ray Lawson Boulevard, Brampton

Judging from the good crowd the food must good.

And true enough the food is authentic and simply delicious. That was a quick day for us, tomorrow is going to be our last day for the trip.

Canadian Trip Day 16 - Woodstock, Cherry Picking, Apple Farm, Welland Canals, Vineyard & Niagara Falls

I woke up early in the morning, took out Tami's bike from the garage and off I went roaming for nearly 20 kilometres before we went out visiting with Tami.

Basically the road system is of grid plan and everywhere looks alike without much of landmarks for easy identification.

After a quick bite at Tim Hortons Tami set off to Woodstock, Ontario. Woodstock is a small historical city with a population of nearly 40,000 people situated at the southwestern of Ontario and about 128km from Toronto.

Tami bought a bouquet of sunflowers for Wilma from the main road of Woodstock she was expecting visitors from Malaysia and that is her playful dog, Shelby. We love her home made cookies.

Her home is more than a century old and she still maintains her house just as its original state. What a lovely home to live in.

It is cherry season, Tami took us to a cherry farm for an experience of cherry picking. There were lots of visitors swarming the orchard for an own picking of the sweet cherries.

A close up of the cherries.

Welland Canal is a ship canal connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

Welland Canal was originally built in 1829 and since then it has been rebuilt 4 times. There were many reports of sabotaging and accidents at this canal. The canal is closed during winter time and reopen during the spring when the water is back to good and safe.

On our way to Niagara Falls there were many promotions of Canadian wines we dropped by at two vineyards and came out with two bottles of classic ice wine.

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a small classic town with a population of less than 20,000 people such a beautiful town nicknamed as the Loveliest Town in Canada. Unfortunately we cannot afford to spend time in it but just passing by.

So near yet so far USA is just across the bridge what a pity some of us do not have US Visas to enter the border.

Our first feel of Niagara Falls from a duty free shop, the amazing sound and view of one of the natural wonders of the world.

The famous Horseshoe Falls.

The American Falls & Bridal Veil Falls.

We opted for a boat ride instead of a walk through tour of Niagara Falls. It is called the Hornblower Niagara Cruise.

The boat took us as close as possible to the breathtaking flow of water, power and mist that is the magnificent Niagara Falls. Within the Niagara Great Gorge journeyed past the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and into the very heart of the famous Horseshoe Falls.

What a spectacular experience of a lifetime

Prospect Point Park observation tower from the US side built for a better view of the falls.

Goodbye Niagara Falls you are truly amazing and we shall remember you.

Canadian Trip Day 15 - Goodbye Calgary & Our Last Destination Toronto

Margaret gave us a special treat at a Brazilian Fire Grill outlet called Bolero at Macleod Trail South of Calgary. It was a buffet eat all you can meal and if you love meat this is the place. The BBQ meats were awesome just too bad I could not consume too much. Thanks to Margaret for such a great meal and for being a great host I simply enjoyed the stay.

Also thanks to Margaret's mum for all the home cooked foods she had prepared for us. Nothing like eating at home especially in a foreign country where Asian food is quite difficult to find.

Bye bye Calgary I hope to visit this place again.

Toronto was our last destination and has a time different of two hours from Calgary.

A friend originally from Kulim, Tamijuddin picked us up at the airport and went straight to his house at Brampton. Lunch was already waiting for us. Nothing like a home cooked food prepared by his wife and the Nasi Beriyani was simply awesome.

So this is the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant, Brampton a relatively new and well planned community and it will be our base for the next couple of days.

Cheltenham Badlands, Caledon and locted exactly at GPS : 43.774069, -79.944778 at the roadside of Olde Baseline Road.

The Red Clay Hills has to be carefully taken care as it is a fragile formation and restriction access is ought to be carried out. 

Just imagine it used to be a river bed once upon a time, it used to be occupied by a large river and it got dry up over the thousands of years and now it is a red clay hills.

We were excited to see a wheat field and we insisted we to stop to have a closer feel and we did.

Me and an old school mate from Sultan Badlishah School, Kulim.

Terra Cotta Conservation Area is one of the most environmentally-significant areas in the Credit River Valley. The area comprises 504 acres of valleys, cliffs and bedrock plains mixed with diverse forests, wetlands and streams. This landscape provides a varied hiking experience with over 12km of trails.

We visited an apple farm as we were driving back to Brampton.

Actually the farm was already closed but our brother Tami managed to sweet talk the owner for us to have  a brief visit. Well done bro!

Our last stop for the evening was at Shalimar's home for a tea.