When you have a friend who is with no question the most special man in the entire world, the vacation is always going to be the best ever!! Winter in North America, the coldest in history. It is minus thrity and counting. I have no coat warm enough so I have to order one in the sale. It is an artic Musto, broght blue with a Parka hood and fur trim. Its baggy and at the time my mousey hair and flowery skirts were as unglamorous as the coat !!
The jacket arrives in the post just after christmas and he pops in and looks at it. Iam stood like a gawky girrafe with the hood up and it over my fluffy jim jams. Not the most attractive look ever (but we are friends so thats ok !) He looks at me and says ‘It fits’ I literally giggle. There is the compliment …. not, it is however true the coat fits! …. No glamour but frost bite is not apealling!
So we are sharing a room rather than having to sleep in the basement and the city pad is one bed anyway! So I am packed for what looks like a month away (not eight days …) My friend is more practically packed with one bag. I barely sleep the night before with excitement. He agrees to drive to Gatwick I book the parking. I cannot lie I spend most of the journey sat quiety listening to the radio and every so often gazing admiringly at my friend (sad but true! )
Arrival at the airport and I am regretting my OTT packing. The bags are cumbersome… So we stop for coffee at Girraffe. I order my usual cappuccino and it arrives with a chocolate heart on top. I smile and we discuss repurposing honey pots as salt and pepper shakers… I am a nervous flier and as we board I feel the nervousness. I ordered seats with additional leg room as he is tall and I am scared of flying!! It is fair to say that as we take off he politely asks if I would like to hold his hand and I of course thank him. I try and ignore the most beautiful watch I have ever seen in my life! His calmness is reassuring and we settle for the eight hours.
The first part of our vacation is spent with the folks. I take pictures in the garden in my bathing costume for my brother and sister in law, joking it’s a beach holiday ! We walk around the town, admire the lakes and visit Niagara Falls. It is a once in lifetime event that falls are actually frozen. The view from Rainbow bridge is breathtaking.
Then downtown for a few days. Starting with my first helicopter ride in my life. It is the coolest ever! The headphones are not attractive with the Parker jacket and oversized sunglasses, but still he’s my friend so that is unimportant. I am still scared of heights so handholding is reassuring. The views are just amazing. Flying around the skyscrapers over the lake is the most exciting thing I had done to that point in my life.
Then we have tickets for Ice hockey, our team wins and a lot of jumping and shouting (from me) Then because I was doing the planning I wanted to take my friend ( who has been everywhere). To do something he has never done before. So we go to a small theatre on the outskirts to see Macbeth, the rock version. Me laughing as he looks vaguely amused by my quirky choice. A visit to see Dippy the Dionsaur art galleries and a cold but fascinating wonder through Chinatown.
I manage to stand on the balcony of the 56th floor and We take the trip to the top of the CN. I vomit with vertigo and then braver at heights with each day of our vacation I lay facedown on the glass floor and make pretend snow angels. Our trip ends with me not being able to pack my ridiculous amount of clothing back into the castes without inelegantly sitting on them. He casually packs perfectly, whilst we have the Crown on TV.
The folks are the best folks anyone could ever ask for, even building a basement apartment because of the issues I and the children experience in England. They adore my friend as much as I do. It was the vacation of a lifetime. Frozen Niagra to rock Macbeth. It was however as much about the company. Travelling with friends or family is always the best !!!!!