Travel Notes, Part 5...

For quotes from the trip, click HERE.
For Travel Notes, Part 1, click HERE.
For Travel Notes, Part 2, click HERE.
For Travel Notes, Part 3, click HERE.
For Travel Notes, Enrique click HERE.

Okay, enough of all these words. I've got photos out the wazoo, and I'm just gonna throw 'em all up here for you guys to see.


Did I pack too much?


Driving through the middle of redneck Pennsylvania, you see sights like this all the time.


Michelle, all smiles, in Miss Cleo.


Michelle, getting ready to leave Bradford and head for the border.


Bradford PA, a small, quaint, quirky town.


Guess who forgot to pack his deoderant and had to buy some in Bradford?


At a rest stop along the QEW, this was what the hand dryer were like! It was made by Dyson, the people who make those vacuums. You just slide your hands back and forth in the slot and a fierce wall of air dries your hands almost immediately. Oh, those crazy futuristic Canadians!


This was a huge long photo that took up three sides of the elevators in our hotel. Loved the photo. And the ghostly Polt imagine floating over it all as well.


There was a guy walking down Yonge street wearing an orange prison inmate jumpsuit. And now one said anything! They weren't even looking at him, they were acting like it was perfectly normal and ordinary. I wonder what the guy's deal was.


Me with the hotel window behind me, looking to the street. We were only on the 6th floor, so we didn't have a great view. But hell, ANY window view of Toronto is a great view!


Michelle at the Elephant & Castle. It's where we ate our first night's meal in Toronto, and where we decided, almost on a whim, to stay an extra day.


The Elephant & Castle building was a bank the first few times I was in Toronto. The safe is still there, and it's next to the bathrooms. But they've painted it this way.


We followed this lady and her two small dogs on Yonge Street for a bit. Saw a lot of dogs, and a lot of them were small.


The guy with the suitcase was smoking hot and we followed him down Yonge for a bit. I finally got a photo of his ass as he entered this building. The Asian guy standing there, I think, knew what I was doing, and that's why he's smiling. But he wasn't all that bad himself.


We ate lunch at Zelda's, and these are the menus. You can see the big old drag queen Zelda herself on the covers.


This is Tam, and she has Dave S.'s seat saved for him. He was supposed to accompany us, but then couldn't. But he was missed, and we did think about him. In addition, this is exactly the spot where I got the first of my sunburns.


After the meal, we returned to our room....for some horsing around. But only for the photos. Tam's too much of a lady for me to take advantage of her. Which is just my nice of saying, she's not a man, so I'm not interested. :)


The side by side shot...in which I've scrunched down quite a bit so as to not show how short she is tall I am.


This is Tam, totally at home in our room and on my laptop. By what I love most about this photo is the red sneakers! Just shows how much fun she is, her shoe choice does!


Hot guy in HMV.


Did I happen to mention at any time that it rained a number of times while we were there?


Me, striking a pose in the elevatore. I think I was trying to show how wet my hair was, but the lighting wasn't terribly condusive to that.


Perhaps here you can see how wet my hair and shirt are.


Me on the subway. We took it that night further downtown to eat.


The CN Tower, while we're walking in front of the train station on our way to the restaurant. This evening was overcast and rained quite a bit later on.


The following morning, a cute guy eating with his friends at the Golden Griddle.


Yet another reason why I LOVE Tam: She has a purple iPod!


Cute guys in the lobby of our hotel.


The conservatory at Casa Loma, with Tam on the left and Michelle on the right.


And the same conservatory, but from facing the direction I took the other photo.


The Great Room at Casas Loma, viewed from the Master Suite. Also, incidentally, this is the same position Storm (Halle Berry) was in in one scene from the first X-Men movie.


Out a window looking south. The CN Tower and be seen in the distance, it's top obscured by some fog. Michelle and I walked back to the hotel, which is in that conglomeration of skyscrapers in the center pane. Quite a walk.


A secret passage in the Master's Study, leading to the second floor, right opposite his wife's suite.


Looking into the Great Room from the second floor. That's Tam sitting there. I had gone off to look for Michelle, who got seperated from us.


Another secret passage from the Master's Study, but this one goes down to the wine cellar.


As mentioned, parts of the X-Men movie was filmed here, and they have a poster up detailing what parts were in the film. There's also about seven or eight other posters up of other films that were shot at Casa Loma.


This is the underground tunnel going from Casa Loma itself to the stables and garages across the street. It's like 18 feet underground and runs for 400 yards. That's Tam and Michelle in front of me.


Michelle and I outside Casa Loma.


Tam and I outside Casa Loma. The actual height differential should be obvious.


Casa Loma itself.


Casa Loma on the hill through the trees from the road in front of it.


Tower at the University Of Toronto.


Gothic building on the campus of the University Of Toronto.


Ontario's Provincial Legislature.


Too many damn coins! I know the smallest bill they have is a five, and I know you're gonna get a whole horde of one and two dollar coins back in change, but geez Louise, they weigh your pockets down so much, they threaten to de-pants you at any moment!


Me, in between sunburns, looking a bit red.


My arm, inbetween sunburns, looking a bit red.


Two really cute guys eating breakfast the next morning.


The lake, looking towards the islands.


Michelle and I lakeside, wasting time until the next ferry leaves.


The CN Tower between two apartment buildings. We walked to it to waste time until the ferry left.


I was going for a specific photo, and this was the first attempt, which obviously didn't work. but since I laughed when i saw it, I thought I'd just post it anyway.


THIS is what I was going for: Polt and the CN Tower. And this is about as close as you're gonna get me to it. I saw the elevators going up, and I got queasy just watching that!


The closest I could get ot encompassing the whole tower in one shot.


Some graphitti I saw. Made me laugh. How well the Canadians know American politics, cause honestly, consider who the Republicans have to run in 2012, they'd be better to just dig up old Tricky Dick and run him. He'd have a better shot.


Two hot guys on the ferry with us to the islands.


A closeup of the cuter one. I think he caught me taking the photo, but he's Canadian, they're all polite, what's he gonna do to me? Scowl menacingly? Probably just make him cuter if he tried.


Toronto skyline from the ferry.


Michelle taking a photo of the Toronto skyline from the ferry. (I LOVE that blouse by the way, don't you?)


Cute Asian guy that rode the ferry with us. We'll see more of him later.


Toronto skyline from the islands.


The pier on the south part of the island. And the cute Asian guy again. He left the group of Asian kids he took the ferry with and kinda shadowed us for a time. Probably coincidental, but one never knows.


The pier, looking north back towards the island. CN Tower can be seen over the trees.


Cute Asian boy again, in tight girls lowe rise jeans. nice view all in all.


The pier and the lake facing south. Somewhere out there is the USA.


Cute Asian guy. I think he realized I was taking photos of him, none to subtley. But strangely, he didn't like leave or anything just stood there and allowed me to take more photos.


Like this one, among others.


Taken from the pier. The land you see is more of the islands.


I wanted Michelle to get a photo of me with my finger on the point of the CN Tower. Unfortunately, since it was so sunny, it made it difficult to see what was on the camera's screen. This was the best she could do. So I guess instead of having my finger on the point, I'm pointing to the observation area.


Michelle wanted to touch the water to see how cold it was, and get some seashells (lakeshells?). I got her picture while she did so. She was none too happy when she saw this, but she laughed too, so I guess everything's okay.


My foot in Lake Onatrio...or actually, the lake water is just lapping at the sole of my shoe, but it's close enough. The water was too freakin' cold to actually take my shoe off and put it in the lake.


This broad promenade is called the Avenue Of The Islands. This is looking north from the pier. I can just imagine this place on summer weekends being packed with people!


We walked along the beach for a bit. I was surpised that it didn't smell like it does at the ocean. But I guess that's cause it's fresh water and not salt water.


Walking across the islands. The CN Tower looking out over everything like a sentinel. It can be seen almost anywhere in the city!


Two cute gay guys on their way across the bridge towards the Avenue Of The Islands.


Taken from the north end of the Avenue Of The Islands, on the bridge there. The pier is at the far end. And the two cute guys in the previous photo are in the center of the photo.


Just a small bridge connecting two of the islands.


Toronto skyline from the ferry going back to Toronto.

Following this, I decided to walk through town to the comic book store. I saw several businesses that I'm sure I'd like on my travels!


Sounds like MY kinda eatery, eh?


Are the guys in the front on the menu?


This is a command, right? An order? Right?


No explanation needed here.


A big purple building along Queen Street!


And after taking the last picture, I turned around and saw this chick with purple hair!


This is where I entered Queen Stree, right off of Spadina. Now, had I just turned to the right, RIGHT HERE, I would have found the comic book store three storefronts away. Instead I turned left, and trudged a half hour out and a half hour back that I didn't need to do.


A view of Queen Street and how busy it is.


FINALLY, the Silver Snail comic book store!


This awesome building is part of the Toronto Art Institute or something like that.


Yep, that's what it's like underneath. And there's actually classrooms and such in there!


There was a protest on University Street near the US consulate by Sri Lankans. Not sure if they were supporting the rebels or the government or what the deal was, but I know they protested in that same area basically the whole time we were there. In the rain and sun, day and night. Traffic around there was a bitch!


Me, after walking around on the islands and Queen Street in the sun and after getting my second sunburn.


Polt pink...


Polt pinker....


Polt pinkest! Luckily, it didn't hurt, just a slight sting.


This is Ed and me. I took this photo myself because Michelle, God bless her, tried to take a photo of us, and in fact took about six or seven photos of us, but each one turned out.....


Blurry, see? Oh, well, at least she tried, and I didn manage to get a good photo myself.


Snapped this photo for Mama Polt, who's name is Beverly.


Michelle and I in the elevator.


In one of the stores on Church Street we saw this anatomically correct mannequinn. A well endoweled anatomicaly correct mannequinn. Surprised us both it did.


The shirt I'm holding says, "I'm a dirty boy" which is the one I wanted, but I didn't even notice she had gotten the Pig and Piglet shirts in the shot as well until later.


Michelle at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial.


Our dinner at the Pickle Barrel.


The restroom in the Pickle Barrel. Very upscale and chic I must say!


Me in the middle of Yonge Street at night.


Yonge Street at night looking south.


Me with Enrique's king of clubs.


Taken in an alleyway, showing how vertical Toronto can be.


PURPLE MONEY!!!


Cute guy eating lunch at reststop on the way back to the states.


Cute guy buying something at reststop on the way back to the states.


Purple Crown Royal display at the duty free shop at the border.


It looks a lot more miserable than it felt, honestly.


This was probably the worst day, cause it was still red, but peeling badly.


Michelle on the bed. We had a suite on the way back, with only one king sized bed. And somehow it was cheaper than the regular room with two queen sized beds we had on the way up. I'm just chalking it up to the quirkiness of Bradford PA.


Taken at a mirror in the great restaurant of Beefeaters.


What the hotel called a "business center". Pfft, yeah right.


Breakfast at the European Pastry Shop: two eggs, two sausages, two breads, hash browns, and donut, for $4.59! THIS is why we like staying in Bradford! And it tasted even better than it looks!


And these are the clothes that I packed but didn't wear. Did I overpack too much?

And that, kids, the the photos from the trip. I got one more post about Toronto, which I'll put up tomorrow! Hope you've enjoyed them all!

POLT Listening to "Tainted Love" by Softcell

I'm bisexual. Why would I want to go through life with one hand tied behind my back? - James Dean