Home of Toronto Maple Leafs

Me at The ACC with my Leafs Jersey on (that sign actually says Thanks for being a Fan) LOL
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What an amazing experience in Toronto! Even though I have now been to Canada 4 times, this time was most definately the best!!

I went to Toronto on 18th October for 1 week. John came with me. Everything with the flight went perfectly which I was EXTREMELY thankful for! As soon as we landed and got through immigration and outside onto the bus I think John fell in love with Canada (as alot of people already know I am already in love with Canada!) He'd been there not even an hour and wanted to live there! LOL

You can't Beat Canada!

Me & John in replica Leafs changing room
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We go to the hotel and our mouths dropped, it was like a palace!! We stayed at the Delta Chelsea in downtown Toronto (see pictures or www.deltahotels.com ) . We checked in and made our way upto the 17th Floor and OMG our room was HUGE!!! We had a suite 2 double beds, a desk, a TV, a couch, coffee table, chair, walk in wardrobe and a bathroom! The view was amazing we could see skyscrapers and in the night it looked amazing!

As it was getting late that night we ordered room service, our food and bottle of wine was brought to our room on a table with a flower in the middle it was soooooo posh!!! We sat there eating and looking out the window, it was pretty romantic.

John & Hoffs Hand at Planet Hollywood - Toronto
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Next day we woke up early and started getting ready to go and explore (and find the Air Canada Centre - Home of MY Toronto Maple Leafs!) when we got a call from Chris (the concierge at our hotel) Welcoming us to Canada and advising us that if we needed anything at all to come and see him. So I donned my Maple Leafs Jersey and we went downstairs. Chris was amazed to see that I was a Leafs fan and told me that he COULD get me tickets to the game whenever we wanted to go!!!! I started crying (I did this alot when it came to the Leafs! LOL) to cut a long story short - while we sat with Chris we booked Leafs tickets for Thursday night (ARGH!!!) a trip to Niagara Falls! A Sightseeing tour of Toronto, Tickets to the Hockey Hall of Fame and Tickets for the CN Tower!! Chris told us that our Leafs tickets (for the next day against Carolina Hurricanes!!) Would be with us by 2pm! It was now 10:15am .. 3 hours and 45mins till I had them babies in my hands!!

Me & John at Leafs Bench
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We decided to go see a bit of Toronto on the sightseeing bus! We hopped on at Gerrard Street (Right outside our hotel) This bus took the uptown loop and the guys on the bus running the tour where sooo funny!! They also loved the fact that I was a Leafs fan and made me feel like a celebrity LOL We went all around uptown Toronto, to Casa Loma which wasn't a castle but a massive stately home which was years old ... ok I wasnt really listening I was just in awe of Toronto, we then got off the uptown bus and waited for the Downtown bus.

Us at Niagara Falls just after we got Engaged! (John hates him on this pic LOL)
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Downtown was my favourite, although the girl wasn't as interesting as the guys had been the sights made up for that!! We saw the CN tower upclose, the Rogers Centre (Skydome) where the Toronto Bluejays Baseball team and Toronto Argonauts Football Team Play and the best of all THE AIR CANADA CENTRE as I said before HOME OF THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ICE HOCKEY TEAM!!!! Again ... I cried!!!!

LOL After the tour was done we went back to the hotel and went to our room, it was now 1:30pm so we wanted to standby for our game tickets .... then the phone rang and John answered, it was Chris, our tickets had arrived and all I could hear was Chris going "Woooohooooo!!" down the reciever LOL ... I raced down there and Chris handed me my tickets, AGAIN I cried!! LOL you see the pattern evolving here????

Edge of the Falls!
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To be honest I forget what else happened the rest of that day LOL I think we walked down to Dundas Square and did some shopping ... Oh! Yeah we did cause John bought HIS very own Leafs Jersey.

Next Day .... Game day!!! We decided to walk down to the ACC (Air Canada Centre) and see it close up and also go the Hockey Hall of Fame on the way, we both had our Leafs Jersey's on but John had to take his off as it was scorching!!

We got to the Hockey Hall of Fame and walked around for about 2 hours and bought our Hockey pucks etc. We had a go at being commentators which I suck at but I tried my best! lol We then decided to walk to Planet Hollywood to get some food before making our way to the ACC, on the way to Planet Hollywood we found a shop that printed names on Jersey's and that was one thing I wanted whilst I was there so I handed my Jersey over and $62 to Get "Tucker 16" printed on it, we were told to come back in 30 mins to an hour so I told the lady we'd be back after Planet Hollywood, we walked down there and I have to say its not as good as New Yorks but it was ok and my cocktail was nice lol, we bought our souvenier glasses and took some photos and then walked back to Nicholby's to get my Jersey.

The Beautiful Horseshoe Falls
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There it was in the Window all done up with "Tucker" on it, I got it and put it on, started crying!!! LOLand looked at myself in the mirror alot!!! We thanked the ladies in the shop who where VERY nice people and made our way to the ACC.

When we got there we noticed that we were just in time for the last tour of the day!! We got our tickets and where met by a really nice guy called Justin who took us around the ACC, we where shown where the Toronto Raptors Basketball team did their practising but we were all Hockey fans and he knew we wanted Hockey LOL it was amazing and yes I cried alot it was just so brilliant to finally be there in the ACC where my team play and knowing that I was going to a game that night I was getting sooooooo excited!! We even got taken into the room where they programme Hockey Night in Canada and I had my pic taken (see Toronto Album) AND we went into Tie Domi's very own Private Box!! How cool!!!

Kirsty at Hockey Night in Canada broadcast Room being Don Cherry :o)
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After the tour we went back to the hotel to freshen up for the game, we both had our Leafs Jersey's on and I had my Scarf at the ready, we got a taxi down to the ACC and lined up to go in, when we got in we had a drink and waited to be let to our Seats, Whilst there I bought a flag and some tattoos which I put one of on my cheek for the game (see pictures) I looked cool in my opinion! lol.

We then went upstairs and got in our seats, we where right at the back but it was brilliant because we could see everything perfectly! After about 30 mins both the teams came on to do their warm ups and I was in awe, my Leafs where there right infront of my own eyes, no TV's they where there and I was there in the ACC in the same room!!! ARGGGGHHHHH all I did was sit and stare in amazement! Then they go off and about 10 mins later the lights go off and the rink lights up with big blue Maple Leafs and lights spelling out Leafs and then the man on the mic says "here are your Toronto Maple Leafs!!!!" and they skate out and around the ice and the crowd goes wild!!

John enjoying a Molson in Planet Hollywood
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Then time for both National Anthems which I sang my heart out on Oh Canada lol Then Face off time!!!!! The Game was brilliant, it was an experience of a lifetime to be there and we won in Overtime 5-4... Darcy Tucker MY favourite player scored the first goal and I say it was for me LOL!!

The next day was Friday - Niagara Falls day, we got picked up at 10am and set off from the coach station on a Greyhound bus for Niagara with out coach driver and tour guide Eddie, who knew EVERYTHING!!!! We seen some amazing sights along the way and learnt alot about Torotno thru the years. When we arrived at the Falls it was breathtaking! Even sitting on the bus and looking out was breathtaking, we then got taken to the Sheraton Hotel for our Buffett which I admit wasn't upto much but the soup and fruit was nice lol

Kirsty & Will Smiths hand print
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We then made our way outside to meet Eddie for him to take us over to The Maid of the Mist - which is a boat which takes you out to the falls, we got our Blue poncho's on and got ready to set voyage ...... as we were going out we took pictures with the camera and our phones and I say to John "don't we get any closer?" erm yeah we did get closer!!! We got absolutely drenched!!! it was hilarious, you couldnt see a thing, John and I both had to take our Glasses OFF to see better!!!!

Then he grabbed hold of me right under the falls and said "Do you love me?" I said yes and then he said "Will you Marry me?" !!! I couldnt look at him cause I was getting soaked and the water was hitting my face so hard and it was so cold and he was like "hellooooo" lol I kissed him and said "Yes!!!" how cool, that was the most romantic thing I have ever experienced in my life!!!

When we got off the boat we just laughed and hugged and we were both smiling lol it was so cool to go on the falls but to be proposed too there was out of this world!!!! We sat around trying to dry off and phoned my family, Diane screamed alot and was soooo excited lol!!

I'm glad my family are happy for me because that means the world to me. We then decided last minute that we would run to Niagara's Planet Hollywood and buy another souvenier glass we had 10 mins to get there and back to the bus lol we made it and got on the bus which then took us to the cable carts (we didnt go on cause not enough time we were waiting for people to go on helicopter rides) and we went to the shop where John bought me a temporary $9 engagement ring lol then we got back on the bus and went through the most gorgeous town of Niagara on the lake, it was beautiful, I wanna live there but only when I win the lottery lol.

We then went to a winery where we tasted 3 different wines and the infamous Canadian Ice Wine (VERY sweet) We got back to the hotel at about 8pm and we where knackered!! Saturday - I wasn't very well, I stayed in bed most of the day but got up for the game on Saturday night John and I drank 2 bottles of wine in the room and then went down to the bar where I got VERY drunk!!!

Sunday - Still wasnt feeling too good but we went and walked around the Eaton Centre (Shopping Mall) for about 2 hours even though half the time it wasnt open!!! Then we went back to the hotel to watch a movie as is was raining outside and freezing!

Monday - Nicer day, went to the CN tower, the views where brilliant and I walked on the glass floor, John was a bit of a wimp LOL When we came out of the CN tower we fed about 10 pigeons Hershey's chocolate, them pigeons where sooooo brave they where all over us and one was having a fight with John LOL

Tuesday was home time, we were gutted to be coming home and it was so hard to leave there but we will definately be going back very soon, in fact we have booked to go in April 06! I had an amazing holiday and have brilliant memories that no-one can ever take away from me!!!