Toronto is really worth seeing!

August 22, 2007 – Wednesday

The arrival

We landed at about 8.00 p.m. and the weather was fine. After many meters to get my luggage I jumped into a taxi – to smoke my first cigarette after hours. About half an hour later we arrived at the “Intercontinental”, my home for the next 6 days.

August 23, 2007 – Thursday

Little sight seeing

After breakfast (a large fruit plate) and of course some cigarettes I started my tour through the streets of Toronto as far as my feet brought me. Toronto is great, with a lot of pedestrians, taxis just waiting for you, that means no risky manoeuvre to get a car if necessary. And food everywhere, each 20 meters a coffee shop, bar or restaurant. First I visited the CN-Tower (it was very close to my hotel), then I had to buy new shoes, because I walked my black ones “to death”.

After all these heroic actions I decided to write postcards to my mother and friends (I had not done this for more than 15 years). In the U.S. I couldn’t or didn’t want to buy cards, but here in Toronto I could not oversee them.

After several tries I found the Convention Centre South Building – the map on the Internet showed the North Building, that is another entrance. But that could not keep me away from success. Like a pig looking for truffles I found the space and inspected it. Now I was satisfied and ready for the opening on Friday. (Next day I found out, that there is a Skywalk between them).

Just to mention it – the weather was fine. I could watch two policemen with horses, a black squirrel and a wonderful butterfly.

August 24, 2007 – Friday

Let us start with the show

The weather seemed to be always wet in the morning. I started my day with fruits and relaxing, because this afternoon would be long and fierce.

I tried my best to look quite okay, but with a lousy outcome. So I started entering the Convention – no problems to get my VIP – Super – Premium – Ticket, then standing in the line for the opening. But there was no expected opening, you could just go inside at 2.00 p.m. – ok. I looked around, saw a lot of sellers with the more or less usual articles and found the tables of the guests and Robert’s space. I was satisfied, took a little smoking break and made my next controlling round. Robert’s “helping hand” came – a good sign. It was 4.00 p.m., more and more guests came except Robert. Jonathan Frakes also appeared; some time before a guy named Adam West has arrived under big applause, the neighbour of Robert – maybe he is a local hero. At 5.30 p.m. I decided to take another break – supposing Robert would appear then. And I was right, when I returned he was sitting on his place and was very busy. I went to the end of the queue just waiting for my time. When I was close enough I started the photo-session, then hello, my first autograph and pictures, pictures, pictures. I took another break, saw my butterfly friend again, and had trouble when I returned, because one of Alan West’s watchdogs told me not to take pictures of Adam West with a flash.

I never use the flash– one of the reasons why my photos are so lousy, and who, for hell, is this Adam West?  I did not even take pictures of Jonathan Frakes or Malcolm McDowell, why should I take some of this guy? Ok, I found out that he must have been Batman, but …!

I decided not to like her (the watchdog). The time until the closing at 9.00 pm was straining, standing around, walking around and taking about 160 pictures.

Afterwards I trudged my body back to the hotel without any feeling in my feet (they were burning). At about 11.00 pm I fell into a deep sleep.

Just to mention it, this must have been the day of crazy guys. First I had a long talk about – I did not really know what has been the topic, I think about his outfit. And afterwards during a smoking break in front of my hotel I met a guy, who told me he would go to heaven soon and a lot more. But although I did not understand what he was talking about we had a good time for one cigarette.

August 25, 2007 Saturday

The show must go on

Today was a bit rainy but I was in a good mood. I decided to be a woman dressed in black. There was a crowd of people visiting the event, so it was not so easy to take pictures at the beginning. I got my second autograph and talked a little bit with Robert. Sometimes he joked with the people, he was patient and kind as usual. Suddenly I saw Linda, his “helping hand” from Richardson. We talked a little bit, she had arrived the day before. She told me she had expected to see me in Toronto (she also knows that I am a crazy person ). From time to time I took a little break, especially for sitting down.

This standing around and walking for hours was very heavy. At about 6.40pm I met Robert again just to say goodbye until the next day. So I decided to go to my hotel (with my shoes in my hand – a wonderful feeling!).

August 26, 2007 Sunday

Time to say goodbye

When I arrived at the Convention the time was good to get my third autograph, for a close up and a photograph of him and me. But the camera did not work immediately, so that Robert meant I had taken too many pictures and now it was broken. But there was just a little mistake and I could make it work again – Thank Heaven! I also asked for the permission to film him during the day – him with his fans. I got it. So I started to take pictures from time to time and at 3.00 pm Robert had his Intimate and Interactive Show (= panel). He made a lot of parodies and told separate anecdotes, all in all it was very nice and funny. Then he returned to his space and I filmed him. I finished the whole thing with some more pictures (it was not so crowded on Sunday as on Saturday).

Then a last farewell to the staff and to Robert and a “thank you” for his patience. Linda meant we would see each other again soon – maybe, I will do my best.

August 27, 2007 Monday

Back to the roots

First I wanted to visit the CN-Tower and to make a little sightseeing-tour through Toronto until leaving in the evening. But a bad pain in my back made me cancel my plans and I stayed the rest of the day in my room doing Sudoku, without moving.

At about 10.00 pm the airplane took off for Amsterdam, where I had to hurry to reach my plane to Vienna; then we had to wait for 3 hours sitting in the machine until we had to take another one (engine damage). At 6.45 pm we landed in Vienna - back again.

Copyright Monika P. (August 2007)