Homeward Bound

 

Monday started early, too early as it turned out because DW had thought check-out was at 10am, and we were really pushed to achieve that, but at 10:58 she discovered check-out was actually at 11am. It was time to relax.

Getting out of the underground parking garage was fun as the turns were very tight and very narrow, made harder when we met a car coming the other way. But we emerged out into the sunlight and started to make our way through the traffic of downtown Toronto. The traffic itself wasn’t too scary, but there are traffic lights literally every hundred metres, which makes Chatham look free flowing by comparison. We did make it to the Gardiner Expressway eventually, then headed not home, but to the Square One Mall in Mississauga. We were on a mission to visit the Vessi shoe store there, because, why not when you’re already up in the big city? But first there was the traffic.

Driving on any of the freeways in the GTA is not a pleasing experience. The volume of traffic is daunting, as is its speed in relation to the speed limit, and its alarming tendency to switch lanes, two or three at a time, and never to signal before, during, or after. The most annoying thing, though, is when the right lane, the driving lane, suddenly becomes a right-turn only lane. This happens very frequently and, counter to the instructions in the Ontario Drivers’ Manual, you end up driving in Lane 2, simply to avoid yet another lurch to the left in fast moving and very heavy traffic.

Once off the Gardiner, we had to negotiate Hurontario Street, normally a three-lane each way road with a central median, but now mile after mile of construction work, often closing two of the three lanes, to allow a light rail system to be installed in the aforementioned median. It was slow going indeed.

We did arrive at Square One eventually and parked in the shade of one the many high-rise apartment blocks in that area. The Mall itself is big, and on multiple levels, and quite beyond anything south west Ontario has to offer. The range of shops was interesting, too; Rolex, Armani, Columbia, and the rest. But it was to Vessi we made our way, for DW to spend a fair bit of time choosing and buying some new shoes, so at least the mission was accomplished. We made our way to one of the food areas and had some of Jimmy the Greek’s finest Souvlaki and Falafel meals, because it seems we like Mall food court catering.

When it came time to leave, I had a choice of routes home. No road out of Toronto is a good road, but I opted for the more scenic southerly route and realised that may not have been the best choice. A few miles into the run, I had the option of joining the 407 toll road but decided not to despite knowing that it would not be busy, and carried on down to the Queen Elizabeth Way, the QEW, then ground to an almost immediate halt. Heading west towards Hamilton the road, all four lanes, was crawling along, and as we started to move, it wasn’t at much of a speed. There were no road works or crashes, this was just Monday afternoon traffic. Luckily, I did spy a High Occupancy Vehicle Lane (HOV) off to the left, so forced my way over and joined the more freely moving traffic in it. To use the HOV lane you’re supposed to have two or more people in the car, but as we discovered, not everybody did. We were bowling along, faster than the main part of the road, when all of a sudden, the traffic in the HOV ground to a halt. I was a bit distracted and didn’t immediately hit the brakes, not expecting such a thing in HOV lane, but as I keep a good distance between me and the car in front, I was able to stop quite safely. The pickup truck behind, though, had to veer on to the left-side shoulder to avoid hitting me, which is when we saw that the driver was the only one in the vehicle, the naughty man. I worked out that each time we came to a gap in the HOV lane that allowed vehicles to leave or join it, those leaving were having a hard time slowing to match the speed of the traffic on the main lanes in order to merge. Once I worked that out, I was able to anticipate the slow down. We made it to Burlington and a less busy road, where I realised that the 407 I had decided not to use earlier joined the QEW right there. All that aggravation just to save a few dollars on the toll road? I have learned my lesson.

The rest of the run home was uneventful. We didn’t stop, and managed to upset the Satnav by driving much faster than it anticipated thanks to the increased speed limits on our local highways. I really should update that thing.

It had been a successful weekend, despite paying a king’s ransom for the hotel room, and a ton on other stuff in the big, expensive city. The hotel room was disappointing given the cost, but I think most hotel rooms in Toronto are disappointing given the scandalous charges they levy. The transit system looked after us well, and the show on Sunday night was great. Toronto isn’t a city filled with history, great parks, culture, or sights, but it is a good place to visit once in a while, provided that your savings will stand it. We’ll be back, but maybe not for a while yet.