Day 1

New York, Chelsea

Got my flight which by some miracle was a success, although I did get held at US customs for 30 minutes because I tried to bring a Pret Á Manger Italian Prosciutto Baguette in my bag and no meat is allowed! I was just hungry..

The baguette was destroyed. 😪

Once through the airport a very kind man gave me his metro card with $2 left on it because clearly I looked like I couldn’t operate the machine.

Then 5 minutes later I couldn’t figure out how to swipe the card on the Subway and another man had to step in to help with a kind “hey bud…” before I held more people up. Shenanigans!

Then got to my hostel which is pretty neat, good location etc. Alex Polizzi would not be impressed but it works. Spent the evening grabbing dinner at a Mexican, then walked the High Line at sunset.

Day one done.

Day 2

New York, Chelsea

So I may have ended my last blog prematurely as after finishing it I bumped into someone from the hostel who ended up being from Reading, and was gay (score), so naturally we headed to Hell’s Kitchen to meet a local gay he knew, and then from there we went to a couple of bars, including a gay bar with a country western theme - sadly I did not get chance to do my Dolly Parton impression but I’m hopeful for the future.

Then, after getting home at 2am, it was an early start as Peyton who I’m travelling with arrived at 5am. We had a brief reunion following leaving uni 2 years ago, before I promptly fell back to sleep.

During the day we explored more of the city, starting by grabbing a bagel, then walking up from Chelsea to Midtown where we visited the NY Public Library, Macy’s, and Times Square.

For lunch, we headed to Panera Bread - here we waited 40 minutes for a sandwich in sub-zero temperatures, but it was a good escape from the 33°C heat that was melting us outside.

Today was thankfully less embarrassing than yesterday, but there was a slight incident at dinner where Peyton and I had no idea how the tip / payment system worked and I ended up defacing our receipt thinking I was meant to write the tip amount on it.

Day Three

New York, Chelsea

We kicked off day 3 with a trip to an American diner where I ate pancakes larger than my head. We then walked (I rolled) to the High Line, which is a converted train line that has a long walkway above the city with nature and stuff on it. Very handy on a day with 36° heat for a little breeze.

There was a weird incident where a man across from Peyton and I imitated me drinking water and started laughing maniacally, but other than that it was pretty standard. Very cool walk ending at the Vessel.

We then headed to the Rockerfeller Centre for a good view of the city, to be honest this was really pretty snazzy and the view was crazy good. Very cool building too.

From there we walked through the city and saw a few landmarks like Radio City Music Hall, and then we visited the Moma where a lady gave me a student ticket because I look 17.

We finished the day with a classic American burger and I’m pretty sure they also lace the Fanta with coke here because mine looked like a vat of acid.

Lots of piccies today:

Day 4

New York. Brooklyn

After our last night in Chelsea, Peyton & I packed our bags and walked to a coffee shop for breakfast. One slight issue in that my suitcase pulley broke so I spent 5 minutes faffing with it in 30° heat but we move because Peyton fixed it.

From there we headed to our new hostel in Brooklyn, this seems a nicer overall hostel to the previous one and has a cool roof terrace with a good view. We do have to share this one with two other people though but for the price can’t complain. (Unless the people are weird then I will complain)

Oh and also I got trapped in a turnstile on the subway because of my big heavy ass suitcase which was a bit embarrassing. Ended up having to jump over the fence and pay twice to fit through (a mess).

We then headed to Central Park for a quick walk, before we ate at Ellen’s Stardust Diner. This is a restaurant where people sing musicals at you while you eat. This was cool but there wasn’t enough Mamma Mia for my liking.

The highlight of the night was then heading to Broadway to see Dear Evan Hansen, where Dear really gave his all.

Day 5

New York, Brooklyn

Today has been great. We got started by heading to Times Square for last-minute tickets to Funny Girl. The West End def needs to implement this moreso because it was v easy and really central.

After this we headed to Central Park for an afternoon of enjoying the greenery. The park is huge and we got the chance to see some cute spots like Belvedere castle. We did sit down for lunch at one point but a squirrel attacked Peyton so we had to flee x.

We then explored a little of the Upper West Side which was again pretty sweet. For dinner we found a cute Italian and both ordered a lil pizza.

After a quick stop at our hostel to change, we sped to Broadway for Funny Girl. The show was brilliant and our seats were great too. One weird thing about Broadway is if there is a famous person in the cast everyone claps and cheers when they appear, so in this Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester from Glee) came out and people were screamin’ and a hollerin’.

To top the day off we headed to the Empire State Building. We thought this would be a good idea as we’d get to see the skyline at night, versus Tuesday where we saw it in the day. Thankfully no phones were lost but my hair did leave in a state.

Day 6

New York, Queens

Firstly I am drunk writing this. Secondly I have not moved hostels I thought we were in Brooklyn but technically we are actually in Queens. Keeping my eye out for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man x.

Okay so today we started by heading for a quick coffee on the upper west side, then on to a boat that took us around Manhattan to see the sights etc etc.

The tour was really good, but the tour guide was not Funny Girl (guy). We saw a few neat sights like this cool green lady with a lamp.

After we headed to the World Trade Centre and went through the museum which was amazing and I’d highly recommend.

In the evening we grabbed some dinner at the restaurant where they shot the hit 2000 \240film, ‘Dinner Rush’.

We then took a walk to the Brooklyn Bridge, and ended the day with a drag show at the Stonewall Inn where we said Bye Gay! before heading home.

Day 7

New York, Queens

So for our final day in New York, we kicked off by… having a lie in until 11.

After that, we headed for the Upper West Side to grab some lunch. One slight problem, we boarded an express subway train straight to Harlem so were slightly delayed. A mess.

Once we’d dealt with that debacle we grabbed a spot at a Mexican restaurant for lunch, where I had a burrito.

For the afternoon we went to the American Natural History Museum which came as part of our city pass. The pass was a really good deal also, about $120 but you get Empire State Building, Rockerfeller Centre, 9/11 memorial museum, the boat tour of Manhattan and the Natural History Museum. The museum was also really cool, I even got to have a nap in the planetarium while we watched a film.

To round off our time in New York, we took a stroll through Central Park and I grabbed an ice cream. I’m obviously really fitting in here now because a lady asked where I got it from.

We finished with a trip to Hell’s Kitchen, which is giving gay on another level. I’ve truly never once seen some many gay couples in the wild it was very neat. We went to a few bars and finished at Flaming Saddles, the gay country bar from my first night here.

Overall, New York has been pretty stunting. The city has felt really safe and we’ve had plenty to do, to be honest I can definitely see myself living here at some point. I’d definitely recommend staying in Chelsea as that was a good time and had a good mix of enough outside of the city centre, whilst also being very well connected with plenty of bars and restaurants. It also helped that it was homo heaven. Tomorrow, we’ll be up early to take the train to Boston.

Day 8

Boston, Massachusetts

Okay I apologise in advance but this one will be long.

Starting with a 5am wake up (yawn) we left our hostel and headed to Penn Station. The station was actually pretty cool, although we had a delay which meant waiting for ages (not cool).

The train was really nice and about 4 hours, but we got a good view of New England which seems really pretty.

Once we arrived in Boston we dropped our bags at our hostel which is definitely the best we’ve stayed at so far, really central and also a nice room.

The city seems great, there’s a really chill feel to everything and everyone. We took a stroll through Boston Common which was lovely. Americans do really make me laugh though, all incredibly friendly but very hot headed, lots of energy.

We ended the day with what has definitely been my favourite thing yet, a baseball game. We walked down to the famous Fenway park where we saw the Boston Red Sox play the New York Yankees, I get the impression there is a rivalry here as there was a lot of “fuck you yankees”. Thankfully the Red Sox won so no hate crimes! There was a point in the game where everyone stopped to sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ however and I did consider this to be a hate crime.

Day 9

Boston, Massachusetts

We started the day with a lie-in until 12pm which was a big vibe, but also very needed after New York and a long day on Sunday.

Then we headed for lunch at a place called Tatte which they insisted we pronounce like ‘latte with a t’ but there was no way it wasn’t some pretentious way of it really being ‘tate’. That gripe aside the pastries were unreal.

Our main activity today was a walking tour of the Freedom Trail. I’ve wanted to do this for ages and it’s basically a tour of Boston’s historic sites as for the USA the city and state in general has a pretty deep history.

Our tour guide was dressed like an olde-timey person which was pretty funny and he also did this accent that was apparently accurate to the time period of the 1700’s. The tour was really good, a few highlights would be the State House, USS Constitution, and Bunker Hill. Pics below.

There was also an ICONIC moment we passed where a child went to go to a playground, there was a sign saying ‘no dogs’ and the child asked her mum if she could go in, to which the mum, in the thickest Bostonian accent replied, “well are YOU a dog??” This is perhaps not so funny without hearing the accent but Peyton and I have been skinning about it ever since.

After the tour finished we browsed a few shops before grabbing dinner. Boston is known for its seafood and more specifically a lobster roll. This is basically lobster in toasted bread with a metric fuckton of butter. So of course I had that. Not going to lie this might have been the best thing I’ve ever eaten, I was a big fan but I did have to roll home.

Day 10

Boston, Massachusetts

Okay so today Peyton and I entered our flop era…

The day began well enough with a nice breakfast at this cute spot, we had French toast which maybe I’m an idiot but I’ve never had before. I was a big fan though.

The main plan for the day then was to walk along Boston’s marina and then the coast on the Harbour Walk. This began well enough along a rejuvenated area, but after awhile we reached a more industrial part of town which lasted a good 30 minutes, and then we reached South Boston, which while not too bad was kinda a run down side of town. We did however walk past the bar where they shot the pub scene in Good Will Hunting.

After finally getting back on the harbour walk we walked along the beach to find… a giant fire with 3 fire engines whirring along the front.

After walking a further 30 mins and getting to the other side of the beach we finally took 5 to sunbathe on the beach which was a fun vibe. The only issue was the whole reason we walked this way was to then go to the JFK museum, which we realised had closed as it was now 4pm.

Like I said flop era. We did walk a good 10 miles though so at least I burnt off the French toast. We then had to take a freakin shuttle bus to the nearest metro station, and then the metro home.

The evening was much more successful though, we met a friend of Peyton’s who lives in Boston and grabbed a Canoli which is a dish that originated in Boston. I had a really nice pizza and it was great to see more of the city at night.

Day 11

Boston, Massachusetts

Alrighty today started with a second visit to the same place we went for breakfast yesterday because it was so good that I just HAD to have the French toast again. Think I’m due to go to the dentist when I get back and considering when I last went I needed 3 fillings it’s not looking good for the forthcoming trip either…

From there we went to the subway as it was already 12 and it was a 40 min walk. The only problem was Boston’s subway is a little outdated since they built it in 1897 so once you’ve scanned your ticket for a platform you can’t get to the other side like on the tube so we spent a good 20 minutes working this all out stranded on the wrong side. We did work it out however and made our way to Fenway Park.

We wanted to do a tour of the stadium since we had such a good time at the game on Sunday. The tour was an hour long and $25 so a good deal. The tour was great but more iconic was our tour guide, Ellen. She looked about 80 and everything she said was legendary, here are a couple of quotes:

[On the photo you get taken at the stadium]: “It’s free except for when we make you pay for it at the end”

“These old seats don’t have cup holders, but that doesn’t matter, the best cup holder is the man you bring to the game.”

Following this we grabbed lunch at a country themed restaurant that I was obsessed with. I got chicken & waffle which my friend Dan has definitely mentioned before as an American dish and I was very here for it.

Even though it was already about 4 the plan for the evening was to walk along the river to a separate subway station, and then to have a walk around the Harvard University campus. The campus was pretty snazzy but I didn’t realise they didn’t actually film Legally Blonde there so that was a point against the place. It was really nice though and again I love the New England architecture so a good time. Lots of overpriced Harvard merch shops too but I just bought a cute mug from a Boston store instead.

This evening we were pretty dead so just chilled once we got back. We’ve been averaging about 7 miles of walking daily so not going to the gym isn’t really making a difference yay. My feet are ready to sleep though. Peace xx

Day 12

Boston, Massachusetts

Okay as wild as it may seem tonight is my last night in America, we were sure to use the day to its fullest in light of this however…

We got up bright and early (9am) to catch a ferry from Boston to Salem. You can take a train or bus, which is cheaper, but we felt like we needed to do something on a boat since the state has a lot of history there and you’re basically surrounded by boats or boat adjacent history 24/7. Anyway the boat there and back was $50 which is pretty good and it’s about 50 mins. The trip was pretty choppy and I ended up getting soaked. Standard.

Upon arrival in Salem I was surprised by how modern the town felt, I kinda forgot people actually lived there and expected a load of mud huts and people wearing bonnets dressed like pilgrims because I am crazy. Anyway the town is actually really neat and the architecture is super pretty, lots of pics below. We had a good pooch round and enjoyed all the witchy vibes.

After that we got the boat back to Boston and enjoyed our final night here. We did a little shopping and then grabbed dinner by the marina. This was pretty uneventful save for our waiter who we really put through the wringer. First I asked what beer was good and he said he was 19 so didn’t know, then he forgot to take our menus away, and finally asked us if we wanted dessert, then said he realised there weren’t actually any dessert menus so he’d have to find out what was on offer. We made sure to tip.

Overall Boston has been amazing, Peyton and I came up with 3 do’s and dont’s over dinner:

DO:

The Freedom Trail, with a tour guide

Attend a baseball game at Fenway Park

Buy a lobster roll

(Bonus, ride a boat somewhere)

DONT:

Walk to the beach via the Boston Harbourway

Use the Subway if under 30 mins walk

Spend too much on seafood (very easy to do)

Tomorrow we’re off to Canada babyyyy!!

Day 13

Montreal, Canada

Alrighty so today was a pretty quick one, we left our hostel this morning and then grabbed some breakfast at a cute coffee place. Then we took a final walk through downtown Boston toward the bus station before boarding our bus to Canada.

You can also take a flight (very annoyingly no trains) but bus is definitely the cheapest. Most are night buses that last about 14hrs but we managed to get one that was only, and I use the term ‘only’ very loosely, 8 hours.

The bus has been pretty painless, however we’re a bit delayed. We’ve travelled through a few states, Vermont, New Hampshire and more rural Massachusetts. There were loads of mountains and a few cool towns so that was neat.

There was some drama in Vermont where a man was arrested outside the bus but tbh I was too hungry to pay much attention to what was going on and I thought if I was about to be involved in a crime scene I’d rather do it on a full stomach.

We’re just about to arrive at Peyton’s where we’ll meet with Ted so I promise to give a more exciting blog tomorrow xx.

Day 14

Montreal, Canada

Okay two weeks in baby, we kicked off this milestone with… a lie-in until 12.

Once we finally got up we headed to a brunch place Peyton knew, and had a good stroll through the city. Overall everything feels really chill, and obviosuly quite French in terms of architecture. Peyton’s apartment is also ridiculously cool I am incredibly jealous and contemplating my move as we speak.

We had a nice lunch, and were able to catch up a little after a couple of years since we were last all together. After this we walked through the McGill campus where Peyton studies, and then on to the stadium to watch a Canadian football game.

The game was really good, I’m starting to think my problem isn’t that I don’t like sports, but that I hate straight English men who sing ‘Roxanne’ in their spare time. Montreal also won in the last 30 seconds which made everything all the more exciting.

This evening, Ted, Peyton and I grabbed something to eat, and then had a few (too many) drinks.

Day 15

Montreal, Canada

I must be really at peace because I spent the whole of today thinking it was Monday not Sunday.

Anyway we had another leisurely start to the day, grabbing some breakfast from a cute cafe. Back in the U.K. it’s a well-known fact that I’ll over-indulge in pastries but the Canadians have clearly not got the memo because when I ordered a croissant and (god forbid) a Danish pastry, the lady visibly stumbled before remarking, “both?”.

Embarrassing.

Following that humiliation we took the metro to the Montreal Biodome which is a centre exhibiting different ecosystems in the Americas. These were pretty cool and we saw some snazzy beavers and penguins. I did have to run through the rainforest section because I got scared there’d be a spider but other than that a solid time.

In the afternoon we checked out an area called the Plateau. This has loads of cool murals which Montreal is known for and is kinda a boho-artsy district. We also got caught in a thunderstorm and had to hide in a pub. I then had a little nap because I’m clearly so carefree that my body is just in a little rest phase.

This evening we grabbed some Thai food, then took a stroll through the city before watching The Simpsons & Veep with some wine. It’s giving vibey vibes.

Day 16

Montreal, Canada

Alright gallies blog sixteen. We all got up before 10 for the first time all trip because Peyton had a call for school at 10. As such Ted and I went for a stroll around the old part of Montreal which felt very French and had lots of older buildings. We also went for a coffee and once again the staff were shocked when I bought two croissants.

After this we met up with Peyton and hiked up Mount Royal, which is the mountain for which Montreal is named after. We had a great view but it was very hot with minimal wind so we were all a little toasty by the top.

We then had a picnic where we were attacked by a swarm of wasps, honestly they really took a liking to Swiss cheese x. After that ordeal we walked back and grabbed a few souvenirs.

In the afternoon we just chilled, listening to country music and drinking wine as a reward for our hike. This evening we went to a few bars, and grabbed a burger. Tomorrow we’ll be up early to take a train to Ottawa for stop 4 of the trip.

Day 17

Ottawa, Canada

Not gonna lie I can’t believe I’m on day 17, I definitely didn’t think I’d be keeping these blogs up but I actually really like writing them so hope they are good to read.

Today has been a bit of a travelling / chill day after the past couple of days exploring Montreal. We got our train to Ottawa which was a bit delayed but a really good journey, it rained but I got to see a bit of Ontario (the province, which is like a county in the U.K., just on a bigger scale.) We also played a few card games and listened to \240music.

Once we arrived it was a lil rainy so we took an Uber to Ted’s apartment. Once again I was blown away by how cute this is. Canada is seriously outdoing the U.K. in its housing offering. Again my visa papers for permanent residence are in the mail as we speak. I’m thinking Peyton and Ted can keep me kinda like a shared parenting situation and I can repay them in entertainment value when I embarrass myself.

We then grabbed some bits for dinner from a market near Ted’s, and then made some bruschetta and pizzas. Well, Ted and Peyton did, I mainly just distracted them and cleaned the dishes. We finished the day by eating dinner with a lovely sunset backdrop before watching Arrested Development which was our favourite show back when we were at uni.

Day 18

Ottawa, Canada

So for our first full day in Ottawa we kicked off by taking a tour of the parliament buildings which are actually quite similar to the British parliament with a House of Commons and Senate (House of Lords). Ottawa is actually the capital of Canada (most people thinks it’s Toronto) so all the government buildings and departments are here in the city.

After our two tours we took a stroll through downtown Ottawa which was really cool. Thankfully we’ve been really lucky with the weather so we had a good chance to see some of the streets and a few Canadian shops like Roots which is a popular clothes store.

We then grabbed dinner and Ted and Peyton introduced me to Poutine which honestly I have heard loads about and wasn’t that excited by, but it was actually really good. Although I have to say it is basically chips and gravy with cheese curds. We then also had a really nice walk back along the canal.

This evening we had drinks with some of Ted’s friends which was great and a good chance to meet a few more people.

Day 19

Ottawa, Canada

For the final day in Ottawa, we started off with a leisurely breakfast on Ted’s balcony. Peyton had a call for school as the semester has started here so we just chilled until the afternoon.

We then took a trip to Gatineau Park, this is a nearby spot for hiking and has some really good views. We also got to take a trip in Ted’s car which is a very cool Volvo station wagon.

Once we got to the park we had a short walk before arriving at Meech Lake. I forgot to change before getting to the beach so had to do that embarrassing towel dance to put on my swimmers which is a big ick. Thankfully I ended up not getting put on a watch list by exposing myself to all the families on the beach. Big bonus.

Ted & I then had a good swim while Peyton read a book on the beach. This was really peaceful save for the 10 minutes where five children started crying and causing a whole load of ruckus in the water. Hardly the Crème de la Crème of society.

After hiking back, we checked out the nearby village of Chelsea. This had some really cute more rural Canadian homes; we then grabbed dinner at a very pro-LGBT bar and I had my sixteenth burger of the trip.

Tomorrow, we’re off to Peyton’s family cottage in Round Lake, I’m pretty sure I’ll have signal but in case I don’t post for the next couple of nights it may be that I can’t get service out there. Very excited for a few days in the wilderness though. Hopefully some fun snaps to follow. Hopefully not featuring me being chased by bears.

Day 20

Round Lake, Canada

Okay so by some miracle considering I had 0 signal for all of New York I seem to actually be able to upload the blog. Success!

To start the weekend off, we had a leisurely morning packing our stuff from Ted’s. We then set off on our road trip, firstly we stopped in Carlton Place. For lunch Peyton & Ted introduced me to Tim Horton’s, which is a famous Canadian fast food joint. I feel like I’ve been hearing about this place for years so it was good to finally check out their infamous coffee & donuts.

We then drove a little further up to Peyton’s family home to drop some bits off and meet her family before driving up to the cabin. The drive was really sweet and a good chance to see more of Ontario. There were a few more eccentric homes on the way up though, including a restaurant with a horse and cow on its roof, and a statue of a man riding a unicorn. I feel like if I had a little log cabin out here I’d be happy enough to buy a comically sized platypus or something too…

We got to the cabin around 4pm and since then have just been chilling. This place is pretty much as idyllic as you can imagine and it’s been great getting to meet Peyton’s family. After a lovely meal, we chilled by the river. This evening we (not me) set up a campfire and played some guitar. I feel pretty untalented as everyone can play guitar however I think I could play the triangle or cymbals to really add a sense of drama to the whole setup.

Day 21

Round Lake, Canada

Alrighty so I got the dates wrong 4 days in a row and today is actually day 21.

We kicked off today being woken by a faulty fire alarm which was very fun but also I thought it was a wildfire alarm as it sounded a lil different so thought I’d die at 9am which isn’t too fun of a time to go. No drama at all at 9am you need a solid 10pm or so at least.

We then had some breakfast and Ted and I chilled in the sun for a couple of hours while Peyton hid in the shade. Ted read a book while I did my utmost to tan before I’m home (keep reading for the results. Spoiler alert - it did not go well.)

The three of us then took a quick hike before spending the afternoon kayaking around the lake. Once we got back we had a swim and played frisbee before dinner.

Today is Peyton’s birthday so we had a lovely meal with her and her family all together before unwinding by the fire. All round I knew today would be one of my absolute favourites for the whole trip and it did not disappoint (minus me looking like the exterior of Apollo spacecraft as it burns up upon reentry into the earth’s atmosphere.)

Day 22

Kingston, Canada

Okay so I very nearly forgot to write today’s blog as it’s been a busy one but we move because I remembered just in time. I’d imagine everyone is very relieved.

So today we again spent the majority of the day on the lake. I spent the morning reading before going for a swim in the afternoon and taking some pics.

After saying goodbye to Peyton’s lovely family we started our road trip to Kingston, which is where Ted is originally from. The drive was really scenic and I got to try A&W which is another famous Canadian fast food joint. One iconic occurrence was driving through the area of Greater Napanee. Each area or town has its own motto, and Greater Napanee’s is ‘greater for many reasons’. There’s a pic below but I really want to know how they got away without naming at least two of the reasons. I bet Lesser Napanee is really mad about that.

We also took a brief stop on the banks of Lake Ontario, this is the first of the Great Lakes that I’ve seen and visiting has been on my list for awhile now.

Once we arrived at Ted’s we just crashed watching Queer Eye before heading to bed, it was about a 3 hour drive and we only left at 4 so another long but great day here in Canada!

Day 23

Kingston, Canada

Realising I am now on my final week of the trip which is wild but all the more reason to make the most of everyting so roll on Monday baby…

We spent the majority of today exploring Kingston; the city is really lovely and the architecture is great. Loads of really cute houses with nice porches and some nice Victorian style ones too.

We grabbed some brunch at a spot Ted knew which was great although we were sat in the sun and got some gorgeous new tan lines to show for it. The weather is about 30° but quite cloudy or rainy so a lil muggy. I also grabbed a really cute print from an art store, the guy found out I was English and then started talking about Spitfires and the RAF like I knew what that was x.

In the evening we went out for drinks with a few of Ted’s friends here which was lovely. Then we grabbed some ice cream because I am a child and wanted dessert and then we walked along the lake & back home.

Day 24

Kingston, Canada

Alrighty day 24 babyy. Today kicked off with an old fashioned Canadian breakfast featuring waffles and maple syrup which I was of course a huge fan of. Ted also has the Charles and Diana mug that Peyton’s family had which makes me laugh and also want one. Feel like I’m missing out on the Ar’ Di merch.

Afterward we headed out for the day and despite the rain we were eager to explore some more of Kingston. Specifically, Ted took us to an old military base called Fort Henry which was pretty snazzy and gave a good insight into some history which I am a big sucker for.

In the evening we grabbed a good meal at a burger place which was very tasty. They even had cute little Canada Pride flags. Actually pride flags are pretty much everywhere it’s feeling very rainbow friendly.

After dinner we went for a walk past an old asylum where they first lobotomised people (not chill) and then along the lake as the sun set (very chill).

To finish off the day we played Catan with Ted’s brother and had a few drinks. A bit of a bittersweet day as tomorrow Peyton and I head to Toronto for the final leg of the trip and Ted will stay here in Kingston before heading back to Ottawa. That being said we couldn’t have had a better time together and I’m sure we’ll all be back again soon.

Day 25

Toronto, Canada

Toronto has been reached which means we’re at the final stop of the journey which is wild to me. 4 weeks has literally flown by I think I should’ve gone for 8.

We started the morning by having a nice breakfast before we drove to the station and said goodbye to Ted as he’s heading back to Ottawa for his new job (great for him, sad for us :(). Sharing the trip with Ted & Peyton has been the best part of it by far but we’ve had a great time and will hopefully all be back together soon. Funnily enough when we were last alltogether at uni we all walked Ted to the train station from our house as the covid shit hit the fan, and this time it was him walking us there (and me to eventually end up back in the U.K.😒) a lil poetic.

The train to Toronto was great and had some good views of the lake. Upon arrival we headed to our hostel which TBH is more that a little basic so I’m glad we’re here for the least amount of time but maybe it will make me at least slightly excited to sleep in my own bed. You may remember when I got to the hostel in NY I said Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi would be aghast at the “lack of frills”. Well this place makes that look like the ritz.

The neighbourhood we’re in is really cool though. It’s called Kensington Market and is a bit like Camden Market. Lots of bright buildings and vintage stores. We grabbed a quick coffee from a neat spot too.

In the evening we went to the distillery district for dinner. This is an old part of Toronto well known for its beer breweries and home to really cute industrial style buildings with cool bars and restaurants. We settled on a cute Mexican which was great before walking back.

Day 26

Toronto, Canada

Alrighty only 3 days left so really trying to make the most of being here. We actually got up at 9:30 which was a trip-first!

After grabbing a bagel for breakfast we took a walk through the city to Casa Loma. This is basically a big old castle and I’m not sure what it’s all about because the entry fee was $40 and that seemed a little steep for castle that’s less than 200 years old.

We did get a good chance to look around the nearby Spadina Park however which was a really lovely Victorian garden.

In the afternoon we headed for the CN Tower to take a trip up and enjoy the view. Being up there you’re fully inside so it didn’t feel quite as high as the Rockerfeller Centre or Empire State in New York but I think it’s higher than both. It also made me laugh that they really push this fancy restaurant with a good view that’s super spenny but when you get to the regular viewing platform half of the window space is taken up by tables and there were two cafes. Not that they mentioned those in the marketing however.

For the evening we got dinner by the lakeside and I had the best burger of the trip so far, while Peyton got a club sandwich. After, we took a stroll along the harbour and took some nice pics of the city at sunset before heading home.

Day 27

Toronto, Canada

Today started with Peyton and I grabbing breakfast from a cute coffee place, I got French toast and Peyton had poached eggs. We wanted to be sure we’d had a good breakfast as Peyton was then heading back home before starting her semester in-full from next week. The breakfast was great and gave us a good chance to evaluate the trip in its entirety and it’s safe to say we’ve had the best time.

We got an Uber to the train station at midday and said our goodbyes… which means everyone is now stuck with my ramblings and ravings until Sunday evening when I catch my flight.

I mainly spent the day shopping, firstly at the St Lawrence Market, then to the distillery district which had a load of cute independent Canadian stores, and then finally to the Eaton Centre, which is basically a big department store.

I took a quick break from all the walking outside the Old City Hall when a load of people with flags started asking me what I thought about vaccines. I thought they were just people that liked to sit around in flags but it turned out they were actually antivaxxers and I had just sat myself down in the middle of their protest. As such I quickly hurried my way out of there before catching anything.

I then took a stroll along the harbour before getting something to eat. I was attacked by a seagull on the way back but other than that it was actually very chill.

This evening I’ve read my book and chilled in the hostel. Feels very weird to be on my ones after 4 weeks practically living with Peyton & Ted but I talk to myself all the time so it’s hardly a big change- I do miss them both loads already though ❤️❤️.

Tomorrow I’m off to Niagara Falls! It’s also not lost on me that the moment I am left to my own devices I get harassed by antivaxxers and attacked by seagulls but we move.

Day 28

Toronto, Canada

Oh Lordy penultimate blog, okay let’s go girls.

I got up nice and early (8am) and took an Uber to the station as today my plan was to visit Niagara Falls. I’ve always wanted to go and it seemed a fitting final stop since I started in New York and the falls form the border between Canada and America, specifically New York State.

I arrived early so got two donuts and a coffee for breakfast then realised I’d waited in line too long and didn’t know where my bus left from. It turned out to be in another building so I had to commit my most heinous travel-sin of all time and run in a train station (the only thing worse is an airport run).

After boarding the train and spilling half my coffee I chilled listening to music for the 2 hour trip.

The falls were really special and I got lucky with the weather too. After taking in the view I went on this lil boat up the canyon and into the mist of the falls where I got soaked. Some people were doing full on photoshoots here which I thought was crazy because I looked totally like a drowned rat.

After grabbing lunch I took a moment to take in the sights before a little walk. Then got the bus back home.

This evening I grabbed dinner by the harbour for the last time before taking a nice stroll along the front. The moon was really bright and lit up the lake.

Tomorrow I plan on doing two blogs, as a treat. One shorter one to document my last day, and then a final blog with some last thoughts and bits on my favourite places, attractions, etc.

Day 29

Toronto, Canada

Well girls, gays & theys, we have arrived at the final day of my trip.

I started by packing my stuff which took longer than I anticipated, before I checked out of the worst hostel ever. Okay, it was fine, but the showers were open cubicles in a row with a lil curtain around them and there was only one toilet for the whole floor. A mess!

I then trekked down the Main Street to grab breakfast because my flight isn’t until 6:30 and I had to check out at 11 so a few hours to play with. Today I went with classic pancakes and maple syrup.

I then walked back to the Eaton Centre as it turned out the other day I was actually at Hudson Bay which is a totally different department store. Here I bought some goodies to take home and managed to kill a good few hours pretending I was interested in buying new cologne by smelling them all - much to the sales assistant’s dismay.

From there it was a quick trip to the station and an even easier one to the airport by train. I’ve just had my last supper - a burger from Tim Horton’s.

As I mentioned in yesterdays blog, they’ll be one final entry uploaded at the same time as this as a sort of afterword. But as it is I’ll be boarding my flight in a few hours, and this concludes my tour of North America & final day here in Canada.

- Rob xx

Afterword

Toronto, Canada

Okay I promised an afterword so here goes, this is just going to be a little evaluation of some things and some unseen images that didn’t fit any other blogs.

Best food

Lobster Roll, Legal Sea Food, Boston

Best night out

Flaming Saddles, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC

Best experience

Seeing a baseball game at Fenway Park, close second goes to seeing the Canadian Football game at Montreal, or perhaps seeing Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway.

Biggest regret

Not checking the route for the harbour walk in Boston which ended up taking us through shady South Boston for an hour.

Best day

Okay this one is cheating but the entire weekend at Peyton’s cabin wins hands down. We had amazing weather, Peyton, Ted and I went hiking, swimming and kayaking, and it was Peyton’s birthday on the Saturday which we celebrated with her family.

Best use of money

NYC City Pass, I’d never been to NYC and for $100 this gets you all the touristy stuff in one, basically saves $150 were you to get things individually

Best journey

Without doubt the drive from Round Lake to Kingston, this was beyond pretty and also Ted drove so there was no faff with trains or tickets

City I can most see myself living in

Again very torn on this one between Montreal, Boston & NYC. Actually it’s a tie - sorry, each was very snazzy in its own distinct way.

Final thoughts

Well as most people know I left my last job to do this trip because it felt like the right time and that was definitely the right call. That being said it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as good were it not for Ted & Peyton who put up with my shenanigans and with whom I effectively lived with for a month, Peyton especially had to deal with me for all the USA solo. The two of them are the best and I’ll miss them dearly, but will hopefully see them soon because we have already started talking about our next big trip - classic.

Were I to do this trip again I don’t think I would change a thing; 4 weeks has been the perfect amount of time to see everything at a good pace, whilst also giving us off days to chill. For full transparency everything cost me roughly £4K total but my flights were 1.2k because I was a little last minute.com so could definitely have saved money there. That being said we only took 2 months to plan the trip over a series of calls, first deciding if it was feasible, then who was free when, then a rough route, then accommodation etc. Obviously had I not had Ted and Peyton (and more importantly their gorgeous homes) to rely on, this would have cost more, but I think the balance of hostels and their places was perfect.

It’s not my place to give out advice at all, so take from this blog what you will - whether it’s been \240ideas or to check in on what I’ve been up to.

Dedicating the blog (because I am still nothing if not dramatic) to Ted & Peyton, without whom none of this would have been possible. I have had the best time.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading!

Rob xx