Terrific Toronto

When the room at the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel wasn’t ready at the stroke of 3 p.m., the front desk rewarded my friendly impatience with an upgrade to a larger, corner suite. A wall of windows extends from the sitting room, down the hall, brings light into the walk-in closet area and into the bedroom where the second wall of windows provides a view of the Rogers Centre. The windows must have low R-values because condense water collects on the sill as the temperature continues to fall. Something to keep in mind for people like me who wish to live in glass houses.

Blackout curtains close with a touch of a button next to the bed, which features a wall-mounted upholstered headboard similar to what we want to have when we upgrade our own living quarters. The bathroom has a two-person shower and a cozy heated marble floor. We’ve long considered a radiant floor heating system for the remodel.

On the opposite end of the comfort scale are the seats in the Air Canada Centre, which make you feel even more constrained than you would in the coach section of an airplane. As for the concert, singer, songwriter, guitarist and vegetarian Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders rocked. I made a mental note to iTunes a live version of “My city was gone.” After the standing ovation, I told my husband, “I’d hate to follow that act.” Then the Who came on and they were, well, the Who. As in: Wooooooooo Hoooooo!

When in Toronto, visit the CN Tower. Be sure to buy the upgrade to the Sky Pod, at 1,465 feet, considered the world’s highest public observation deck. At 1,122 feet, guests can look straight down while walking across a glass floor. (Oh how I want one of these!) There is also an outdoor observation deck. (Brrrrr!) Have a brew at Horizons Café, which is 1,136 feet up. (Note: when in Toronto, opt for wine and beer. The pour for cocktails, due to some law, is nerve-wrackingly niggardly.)

Speaking of beer, another highlight from the flawless vacation in this super city was the Steam Whistle Brewery, across the street from the tower. We signed up for the tour and they gave us a beer. Then a refill, then another. Plus another right before we started the tour. They also provided a post-tour beer… It got to the point where we actually had to say, “No, thank you” to their continued generosity.