Friday, September 07, 2007

Hogtown is smogtown

To Queens Quay on the yellow Brompton bicycle in temperatures of 90f and a smog alert. I am ashamed to say that this is the first ride here of the summer. I was out cycling at Le Mans earlier in the year but discounting a quick warm-up yesterday with a couple of circuits in High Park that is it so far this year. Anyway I can tell it has done me good - about ten miles in all.
We called in at the Toronto Island airport terminal happy to hear that Porter Airlines have announced flights to New York City and other destinations in the States yet to be named. In anti-business Toronto this won't have been met with universal approval - the fine folk at the airport meet with constant opposition from condo-dwellers who bought near the airport with the aim of shutting it down and have tantrums when they don't get their own way. The airport opened in 1939.
We stopped at the Ex on the way back where superannuated limey prog-rockers Genesis are gigging at BMO field in the evening. This is the new soccer stadium where folk are sometimes hoping to catch sight of David Beckham. The security seemed superfluous - who on earth is trying to gatecrash an event being staged by these wrinkly old rockers? Anyway we cycled past the barriers unmolested, not the case on the lakeside Martin Goodman trail where the dragon boaters were setting up.
The band have several Prevost motor coaches, the ultimate touring wagon made in Sainte-Claire, Quebec, Canada. As Wreckless Eric might say "not exactly your blue nylon sleeping bag in the back of a Transit!" These ancient British bands seem to have better cred on this side of the pond. Well I hope they are making a few shillings on tour because they sure have some bills to pay.

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