Jernie's Hub

November 23, I was finally on board the Lufthansa flight to Toronto, Canada. My visa came earlier than expected and booked my flight right away. I packed my suitcase having in mind the allowed baggage will be 20 kg, so I had 26 kg. While at the check-in counter I was advised that my suitcase is too heavy, that I should have 2 suitcases; each one weighing 23 kg which make 46 kg in total. But the travel agency didn’t tell me about it. Anyway, I was given a Lufthansa box to take 3 kg out from my suitcase otherwise; I had to pay for it. I was not particularly happy about it. Can you imagine me fiddling with my suitcase in the open? I hate it! Had I known this, I should have brought more stuff with me. Anyway, we (with my parents-in-law) proceeded then to the coffee shop.

After 30 minutes, I had to say goodbye as I was thinking about the security checks and the queue at the immigration counters. I was at the boarding gate on time but had to queue for the passport/visa check. I was surprised that the passengers have to go through document check and questioning: particularly what we’re going to do in Toronto, how long are we going to stay etc.... quite ironic.

During the flight, I had a long chat with the lady sitting beside me. She’s 81 years old but still travelling a lot and alone. After almost 9 hours flight, we started to see the mostly white landscape of Toronto, covered with snow.

As we were getting out of the airplane, we had to queue again for another round of document check and questioning. I was just wondering how many more checks we have to go through. The queue was quite long at the Passport control area but it was quite quick. On my way out to the arrival area, I was bracing myself because it was so cold. I was so happy to be in Toronto finally.

As we were approaching the downtown Toronto which will be our home for a couple of months, I was so amused looking at the skyline at dusk. Based on what I have read, Toronto offers a lot of places to see and things to do.

We opted to take a suite in the downtown Toronto so I could go around town on foot or street cars/buses. We are more than happy to stay in the furnished suite mainly for us to be able to prepare our own food and to have bigger space. The proximity of the building is excellent: opposite is a big supermarket, below our floor is a line of coffee shops (Starbucks), fast food shops, restaurants, bookshop and most importantly the famous St. Lawrence Market is just next to the building. Many important/touristic sites are just close by: CN Tower, Rogers Center, Eaton Center, Sony Performing Arts Theater, Opera Theater, even the venue for the Miss Canada Universe pageant is just few meters away.





The building we are living in is actually one of the three buildings named as St. Lawrence Lofts. This is owned by Thomas Clarkson (founder of Jim Clarkson & Gordon), built in 1857 and 1858. As mentioned in the documentation, the warehouse included the general offices and commercial activities of a wholesale grocery, handling produce, wheat, hides and leather. These buildings with their monumental pilasters and intended symmetry reflect elementary Georgian classical design principles. The Georgian Corporation’s reclamation of these buildings ensures that they will continue to be a living landmark in Toronto’s history.





The ambiance inside the building somehow gives that feeling of stepping back in time. The pipes along the corridors and even inside the suites, the beams and the brick walls somehow give the suite a strong and unique character. Of course, the building is equipped with up-to-date security facilities: door lock, fire alarm, burglar alarm with well kept exit paths. Likewise, the equipments especially in the kitchen are modern and new. Since the furniture and some decorations are movable, I had the opportunity of re-arranging some of them that same night when I arrived.