Niagara Falls

I take a tour to Niagara Falls. I am not a real fan of a ‘tour’, but it seems to be the easiest and cheapest way to get there. We travel by bus around one part of Lake Ontario for about an hour and half and there they are, looking exactly as everyone knows they look. It's not the height of the falls, but the width to them hat is so spectacular. The border between the US and Canada runs down the middle of the Niagara Riiver, with the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and the Americans have the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. A cloud of mist rises from the Horseshoe Falls and blows across the viewing area by the visitor centre and falls like rain on the poncho-wearing tourists. Standing at the top of the falls the water is remarkably close and I feel slightly giddy as I watch it rush by at a great rate and then plunge over the edge and disappear.   

Horseshoe Falls

The American Falls

Horseshoe and American Falls

Wet Tourists at the Falls 

Walking a short way along the pavement away from the edge of the falls the mist disappears and the sun is out. The hill behind the falls is dominated by huge, ugly hotels and on the American side hotels and casinos with flashing neon signs can be seen.

Mist from the Falls

Hotels

I have been sitting on the bus next to a young man, Chris, from Florida, who is sight-impaired. He has a long white stick that he sweeps across the ground in front of him as he walks. We queue up with hundreds of others to take the Maid of the Mist boat and as the queue moves forward and progresses quickly down a slope and around barriers, in spite of the considerable amount of information Chris is able to pick up from his stick, I realize how difficult it must be for him to keep up. I ask him if he would like some help and I take his arm. We are issued with long blue ponchos and people laugh as they put them on and the wind makes them flap around them. First the boat goes across the river close to the American Falls. The bottom of the falls is piled with huge boulders that have fallen from the top, as the falls recede upstream. Then we make for the Horseshoe Falls and get remarkably close while the boat bucks and rocks on the churning water. The mist pours down on us like heavy rain and although the ponchos keep us pretty dry, our shoes fill with water. 

Ponchos on the Maid of the Mist

The American Falls and Bridal Falls from the maid of the Mist

The Horseshoe Falls from the Maid of the Mist

After the boat ride Chris and I walk together up the hill from the falls to where there is a garishstreet of theme-park style amusements, bars and restaurants. There are several busy wide roads to cross and although there are visual signals for pedestrians, there are no audio clues for Chris. I help him choose a restaurant for his lunch and he is happy to be left there and to meet back again at the bus. I realize how difficult travelling must be for him and I ma filled with admiration for his bravery and determination.

Niagara's Amusements

The bus then takes us to visit Niagara On The Lake. This is a beautifully-preserved and restored historic town which attracts many tourists. To help maintain the carefully-designed ambiance of the town, tour buses are not allowed to drive through or park here, but must park on the edge of the town. In the wide main street tourists wander up and down enjoying the top end shops and cafes and the beautiful flower displays. There is quite a European feel to the town, as many of the buildings are brick-built. The town was settled by refugees fleeing the American Revolution, but during the war of 1812 between the British and the United States, Niagara on the Lake became a battlefield and was occupied by the Americans for 7 months, before being burned as they retreated. It was re-built in a British classical architectural tradition. The town continued to be a military town and was also an important shipping centre.

Niagara on the Lake

On the way back towards Toronto we stop at a winery for a wine-tasting. Here ice wine is produced, which I have never heard of and I find out that it is produced from grapes which have been frozen on the vine below -10 for 3 consecutive days. This reduces the water content of the grapes and makes a very sweet dessert wine. A 200ml bottle of this wine sells for $35 (about 22 pounds). I also learn that Canada does not export wine, which is something to do with their complicated alcohol laws.

Wine Tasting