View Full Version : I am on my way to Fan Con 2004
Hi all, great flight from a sunny and warm Glasgow to an equally sunny and HOT Toronto on July 19th. The Northlander broke down so not fancying a bus to North Bay and a Midnight changeover back to rail arriving in Matheson around 4:30 am with a further hour bus ride to Timmins I have decided to 'do' Toronto and stay for 2 nights!
So today I went UP! the CN Tower, truly one of the 7 wonders of the World, gosh what a feeling standing looking out from the Worlds highest observation tower at 1465 feet or over 446 meters high. On the lower level they have a glass floor and it is weird standing on it looking down over 1000 feet to the sidewalks and streets below!
They have a simulator and cinema too so suitably simulated and cinema'd I boldly went where millions have gone before and got a great seat to watch Mama Mia the musical. I have tried and tried to see it in London but always booked out, so really lucky to get a ticket at last.
I am wearing my Fan Convention 2003 T shirt and Kilt and causing quite a stir in the down town traffic with people honking there horns and have been stopped a few time by fellow tourists asking if they can take a photo of me with there group!
Toronto really impresses me much, the downtown core is very modern and clean with loads of parks and other open spaces. With a strict no smoking policy in force the Taverns are also clean and smoke free and the one in Lakeside near the beach Motel where I am staying ($70 per night plus GST) had a new Stern Pinball called "Playboy" which I have not played before so had loads of fun on that one beating all the locals.... I have or should I say I had 7 of my own back home, but did not tell them all that! :)
The people for the main are very open and friendly but like all major cities some are in a hurry and will not pass the time of day, a very small minority are just plain rude and you have of course the less fortunate, but overall I give Toronto much higher marks than London, Paris, Amsterdam and my home City of Aberdeen. That is quite a complement I would say.
Madonna is in town, trying to fill the same arena that Shania played, tickets were available last night at 6pm so guess her second show had not quite sold out. Very dear though, more pricey than Shania's.
So Tommorow I have all day until the Northlander at 6:15pm to kill so I am gong to do the harbour/lakeside tour and Central Island. That will be fun.
Toronto is a very cosmipolitan City with a great mix of cultures and languages and as I say everyone is for the main very warm and friendly, so I would put this on you list of places to go. This PM I am going to walk round the CBC centre, they have a tour of the TV and Radio Studio's which of course being a Radio Man will be of interest to me, then home for a quick shower and a shave and MAMA MIA I will be singing Abba songs for the rest of the Convention.... ;)
IS IT AUGUST YET... I SAID IS IT AUGUST YET.
Hi all, great flight from a sunny and warm Glasgow to an equally sunny and HOT Toronto on July 19th. The Northlander broke down so not fancying a bus to North Bay and a Midnight changeover back to rail arriving in Matheson around 4:30 am with a further hour bus ride to Timmins I have decided to 'do' Toronto and stay for 2 nights!
So today I went UP! the CN Tower, truly one of the 7 wonders of the World, gosh what a feeling standing looking out from the Worlds highest observation tower at 1465 feet or over 446 meters high. On the lower level they have a glass floor and it is weird standing on it looking down over 1000 feet to the sidewalks and streets below!
They have a simulator and cinema too so suitably simulated and cinema'd I boldly went where millions have gone before and got a great seat to watch Mama Mia the musical. I have tried and tried to see it in London but always booked out, so really lucky to get a ticket at last.
I am wearing my Fan Convention 2003 T shirt and Kilt and causing quite a stir in the down town traffic with people honking there horns and have been stopped a few time by fellow tourists asking if they can take a photo of me with there group!
Toronto really impresses me much, the downtown core is very modern and clean with loads of parks and other open spaces. With a strict no smoking policy in force the Taverns are also clean and smoke free and the one in Lakeside near the beach Motel where I am staying ($70 per night plus GST) had a new Stern Pinball called "Playboy" which I have not played before so had loads of fun on that one beating all the locals.... I have or should I say I had 7 of my own back home, but did not tell them all that! :)
The people for the main are very open and friendly but like all major cities some are in a hurry and will not pass the time of day, a very small minority are just plain rude and you have of course the less fortunate, but overall I give Toronto much higher marks than London, Paris, Amsterdam and my home City of Aberdeen. That is quite a complement I would say.
Madonna is in town, trying to fill the same arena that Shania played, tickets were available last night at 6pm so guess her second show had not quite sold out. Very dear though, more pricey than Shania's.
So Tommorow I have all day until the Northlander at 6:15pm to kill so I am gong to do the harbour/lakeside tour and Central Island. That will be fun.
Toronto is a very cosmipolitan City with a great mix of cultures and languages and as I say everyone is for the main very warm and friendly, so I would put this on you list of places to go. This PM I am going to walk round the CBC centre, they have a tour of the TV and Radio Studio's which of course being a Radio Man will be of interest to me, then home for a quick shower and a shave and MAMA MIA I will be singing Abba songs for the rest of the Convention.... ;)
IS IT AUGUST YET... I SAID IS IT AUGUST YET.
Hey Tom, I'm not a Torontonian but I'm there just about every month. I'd say you are heading unerringly for all the must see things in the city. Mama Mia was wonderful. I loved it so much I went twice!!
Yeah I noticed Madonna was there but I'm not a great fan and the prices were just a tad high. I was eligible under the Front of the Line for the platinum package. Here is what it cost:
Each Platinum Ticket Package includes:
1 Excellent Top Price Level Seat
VIP Collectible Laminate for preferred entry
VIP Venue Entrance
Cost: $720.00
That's for one ticket!!
BTW Tom don't you want to attend the 2004 fan con first???
Roger
Cool Tom is becoming a celebrity.
GorToma
07-22-2004, 2:32pm
have a great time :D:D
BTW Tom don't you want to attend the 2004 fan con first???
Ah yes, I am supposing he might do that first! :D
I shall edit the thread to say 2004
So today I went UP! the CN Tower..
I am wearing my Fan Convention 2003 T shirt and Kilt and causing quite a stir in the down town traffic with people honking there horns and have been stopped a few time by fellow tourists asking if they can take a photo of me with there group!
Pinball ...had loads of fun on that one beating all the locals.... I have or should I say I had 7 of my own back home, but did not tell them all that! :)
MAMA MIA I will be singing Abba songs for the rest of the Convention.... ;)
Yikes!!! That's going to be one place I won't visit when I go to Toronto some day.... :nervous:
Hahahaha!!! The Scot takes Toronto by storm! :D
Ah, and a little pinball cheating? Tsk, tsk Tom! :nono: :funny:
And I wish to see that musical too some day, I love ABBA :D
Antw2004
07-22-2004, 5:50pm
I love ABBA :DHey ... I love Abba too !
Big fan ;)
Have a great time up here, Tom. :)
cftennisnative3
07-22-2004, 6:01pm
wow...have alot of fun :D, thanks for the description
I don't wanna turn this into an Abba thread......(but I do love 'em!!!). But I'm actually trying NOT to see Mamma Mia!! because I'm worried it will ruin my image of the songs. It's the same with the Queen musical We Will Rock You, even though it's supposed to be amazing, I'd rather remember the songs for the reasons they were written.....maybe one day I'll change my mind.......maybe I should take a chance, take a chance, take a chance chance.....:funny:
Sorry.......:rolleyes: I wonder if there will be a Shania musical one day?
Paul:)
I don't wanna turn this into an Abba thread......(but I do love 'em!!!). But I'm actually trying NOT to see Mamma Mia!! because I'm worried it will ruin my image of the songs. It's the same with the Queen musical We Will Rock You, even though it's supposed to be amazing, I'd rather remember the songs for the reasons they were written.....maybe one day I'll change my mind.......maybe I should take a chance, take a chance, take a chance chance.....:funny:
Sorry.......:rolleyes: I wonder if there will be a Shania musical one day?
Paul:)
Paul, I went to see Mamma Mia and loved it so much I went back the following year and saw it again. No, it is not Abba doing the performing. But Abba's songs have a life of their own, as all great music does, and the songs will live on and be loved long after Abba are forgotten. So go ahead and enjoy the music. You owe it to yourself. They fabricated a story around the songs and that story is hilarious!!
You know, after seeing Mamma Mia the first time, the thought occurred to me as well that Shania's music would make a good musical too. Why? Because like Abba's music, Shania's is tuneful, joyous, and rhythmic. Betcha twenty or thirty years from now, years I probably won't see myself, someone somewhere will do a musical based on Shania's great songs.
Roger
Yes, maybe!!! It would be better than that CBS movie too, and Shania and Mutt could have some control over it. Wow, thinking about it - what an amazing show that would be. The rags to riches, all done using Shania's songs. I'll even offer to do the part of Mutt!!!! :D
Paul:)
better than that CBS movie too
Paul:)
Um, that's CBC not CBS. Different country.
Roger
ShaniaKoukla
07-23-2004, 1:29pm
To all those that are going to Fan con, have a nice time. :cry: :cry:
To all those that are going to Fan con, have a nice time. :cry: :cry:
Awww, I'll miss you, Maria.
Roger
mama twain
07-23-2004, 2:19pm
To all those that are going to Fan con, have a nice time. :cry: :cry:
Maria, don't be sad,your time will come. :love:
Um, that's CBC not CBS. Different country.
Roger
I should have known that with the amount of TV I watch..... :p
Paul:)
Hey Tom, I'm not a Torontonian but I'm there just about every month. I'd say you are heading unerringly for all the must see things in the city. Mama Mia was wonderful. I loved it so much I went twice!!
Yeah I noticed Madonna was there but I'm not a great fan and the prices were just a tad high. I was eligible under the Front of the Line for the platinum package. Here is what it cost:
Each Platinum Ticket Package includes:
1 Excellent Top Price Level Seat
VIP Collectible Laminate for preferred entry
VIP Venue Entrance
Cost: $720.00
That's for one ticket!!
BTW Tom don't you want to attend the 2004 fan con first???
Roger Gosh $720 what a rip off! I am on my way to Timmins just don't think I have that much of a rush to get there when the whole thing is more than a week away. Get the Northlander at 6:15 tonight gets into Matheson about 4:30am where you are bused to Timmins for 5:15am.
To all those that are going to Fan con, have a nice time. :cry: :cry:
Thank you my Dear, that was very sweet of you. Saw Mama Mia last night, full house and we were all STANDING a good 20 min before the End so the last 4 songs were a riot with people spilling into the Aisles and dancing, including me in my Kilt and 2003 Fan Con T shirt!! :D
Cast were very good and I marvelled at the way the songs were edited into the storyline, so well you hardly noticed the slight changes to the worlds. I was really pleased to see Abba's very last single "Under Attack" in there as it was a flop in the UK but I liked it.
My last day in Toronto today so did the Harbour and Islands tour and now waiting for 6pm to board the Northlander to Timmins arrive 5am Sat Morning and let the fun begin! :D
Could not see Shania's star on the Canadian Walk of fame, anyone know where it is?
Could not see Shania's star on the Canadian Walk of fame, anyone know where it is?
Last year it was in front of Roy Thomson Hall but I understand that each year they move last year's stars to somewhere on King St. So now I don't know where it is.
Roger
Last year it was in front of Roy Thomson Hall but I understand that each year they move last year's stars to somewhere on King St. So now I don't know where it is.
Roger
Still there Roger right in frontof the Roy Thompson Hall, so I stood on top of the paving stone and walked over the whole trail, cool or what?
Hello everone. I am actually now in Timmins after a really awful 'train' journey from Toronto. For the 3rd straight day in a row no service between Toronto and North Bay so we got crammed into a standard bus, no special seats, my legs were wrapped round my neck just about as the space between seats was not large enough for a 6' 1" fellow.
With the Rush hour Friday night traffic it took and age to get out of the Toronto surban area and we eventually got to North Bay some 5 hours later only to find our Train was not ready and a further half hour wait there. Then on to Matheson, but twice my seat was pinched when I went to the Buffet. The first time was a fare doger who I reported to the conductor who promptly threw him off at the next stop.
Second time a new conductor 'gave' my seat away turning it round to make a 4 seat booth while I was in the Buffet car again. Gave up this time and just staying in the Buffet which of course had closed at 2am by then. If this is an example of Train Travel in Toronto I think I will never do that again. There was of course NO services on the Bus section of the journey.
However Chris and Sabrina were waiting for me at the Timmins bus depot and I am now posting this from Chris's flat waiting for the hotels around to open up so I can see about booking a long term room. May stay a few days in the Day's Inn. Shana Twain Centre was looking good at 6am this morning when the coach from Matheson went past it, did I forget to tell you the train no longer stops in Timmins so you have to bus in.
So the big plan is book in to the Day's in for a few nights and re charge my batteries, then find a Tavern room for the long term. Very high regard for Toronto and its people
Still there Roger right in frontof the Roy Thompson Hall, so I stood on top of the paving stone and walked over the whole trail, cool or what?
:great: :cool:
Still there Roger right in frontof the Roy Thompson Hall, so I stood on top of the paving stone and walked over the whole trail, cool or what?
LOL!! Well, I just finished telling Claudine in France that last year's stars are moved to King St. There are a lot of stars awarded in earlier years along King St. Maybe I'm wrong about moving the stars. Can any Torontonian help us out here?
Roger
Tom, the train may be the best way to travel in Europe but it isn't here in Canada. You have just had a taste of it. Our problem is a tiny population spread over the second largest country in the world. Trains are just a money losing proposition. Our traintracks are deteriorating so that high speed trains are not feasible and derailments are common.
Roger
ShaniaKoukla
07-24-2004, 12:54pm
Maria, don't be sad,your time will come. :love:
Thanks Katers, I'll miss ya 2 Rog have a great time on my behalf.
Hello everone. I am actually now in Timmins after a really awful 'train' journey from Toronto
So the big plan is book in to the Day's in for a few nights and re charge my batteries, then find a Tavern room for the long termHey Tom, seems like a little trouble, but you made it! Not as bad as the blackouts last time! :eek:
Have fun recharging :D
Tom, the train may be the best way to travel in Europe but it isn't here in Canada. You have just had a taste of it. Our problem is a tiny population spread over the second largest country in the world. Trains are just a money losing proposition. Our traintracks are deteriorating so that high speed trains are not feasible and derailments are common.
Roger
Yes it is a shame Roger, the Northlander could be a great tourist attraction given suitable investment - but the track is a mess and does require major work. The Polar Bear express could run all the way from Toronto to Moonsonee and be one of the great rail journeys of the world. I hope one day that will happen.
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