A life experience of a Polish girl on the Greek island of Crete.

Polka pisze wiec po polsku tez bedzie…

Friday 15 April 2011

Winter in Canadian Niagara Falls

Have you ever been to Canadian Niagara Falls? Well, guess what…we almost didn’t make it too. 

After a nine-hour drive in a comfy new hybrid Nissan (call me primitive, but I am still impressed by a car that instead of an old-fashioned key, starts with a press of button under the steering wheel) we crossed the Rainbow Bridge, reached the Canadian border where an innocently looking customs official asked:

“Mrs…where is your visa?”

“WTF, what visa???” – “Haven’t we called the Canadian border service a few days ago and we were ensured that a Polish citizen with a non biometric passport but with an American visa can enter the country with no obstacles?”

We couldn’t believe it! We drove for so many hours, spent a fortune on a rental with a full insurance, booked a nice hotel and then what???? Was it all down the drain? 

We must have looked pretty pitiful and convincing on the other hand, since the  whole story touched a heart of a Canadian officer who decided to issue a special kind of visa (triple the price of a regular one, but who cared at this moment?!) and allowed me to step into the Canadian land. 

Things are kind of slow at Niagara Falls in winter time so it is really all about a room with a stunning view that you can afford due to the off season rates. We got one in the impressive looking hotel called Tower Hotel.

TOWER HOTEL AS WE SPEAK

The room was neat and it was all taken by a gigantic bed, but the view – it was heavens’ creation. Check for yourself. I am still amazed how lucky we were. More than sure that during a full season, only a high quality wall paper would provide us with such images.

VIEW OF THE HORSESHOE FALLS FROM THE PENTHOUSE OF TOWER HOTEL
Falls have this healing power. For hours you can wander along the promenade and stare at those fluffy as cotton waves that flow from the cliff and splash on the bottom rocks. The sound of spuming water gets into your head and you realize how untamed the nature is.  

HOPE THIS VIDEO JUST A LITTLE BIT CAPTURES MY DESCRIPTION


I don’t know about any other time in Niagara Falls and I don’t really care that at this time of the year we couldn’t go down to take a ride on a Maid of the Mist boat. Winter is so picturesque in Niagara Falls when water freezes into shiny icicles and rocks get covered with thick snow. 
About the entertainment, there is the Street of fun at the Falls called Clifton Hill and if you happen to visit Niagara Falls with your offsprings, it is definitely the place to walk around and empty your pockets. 
 
CLIFTON HILL
As for the older group of visitors, as myself, I would rather recommend a local casino or a cheaper form of free time spending which would be a cup of coffee at the place called “Elements on the falls” …

VIEW FROM THE RESTAURANT RIGHT NEXT TO THE FALLS

Niagara Falls should definitely be on one’s list of things to do in their life. It is breathtaking and inspiring to see what nature is capable to create…and the whole visa issue at the beginning of our trip, the fact that right behind the tourist zone the town looks neglected and that right at the end an employee of our hotel hit our rental….it all didn’t damage soothing experience of the falls that will stay with us forever.

1 comment:

  1. Awww Anna! What a beautiful trip you and Andy had!
    I didn't know it was so beautiful in the winter as well.
    Glad you got to see it afterall, with visa mixup and all! xoxo

    ReplyDelete