If there’s one thing that is more ridiculous than public transport in Toronto, it is the weather forecast for Toronto. Today there was snow, sunshine, and storm, shutdown of Pearson airport, slow traffic, and slippery streets. Not only I was surprised by this sudden start of the cold Canadian winter, also the meteorologists had obviously no clue of what will happen…
Instead of sitting in the library and preparing the next university presentation, I did a tour along the shore of Lake Ontario. Fortunately in heated buses and trains… And fortunately I bought a pair of gloves on my way, in Mississauga’s Square One shopping mall.
I did another longer stop in Port Credit, once a small industrial town that replaced the former factory by a compact townhouse development including a small park.
On my eastbound train ride, I enjoyed the view to the lake, the snow and the condominium towers in downtown Toronto.
Finally I arrived in Oshawa. This is the place where I had to leave the train from Montréal and take a taxi to Washago this July. On this evening, almost four months ago, I wrote in my blog: “
My travel from Atlantic to Pacific was planned as a relaxing holiday, at the moment I’m feeling like Phileas Fogg on his race around the world”. Back in Oshawa, it was again a bit strange and stressful, so that there was again no time to take pictures. And It was unbelievable cold and windy. According to the schedule I looked up before I left my flat I had a stopover of 30 minutes, ideal to drink a Tim Horton’s coffee, before I would enter a bus at 5.10 that will arrive at York University 6.20 - early enough to see the York University Gospel Choir Concert.
Unfortunately, there is no Tim Horton’s at the Oshawa train station (four month ago it was dark and I was in a hurry, so I didn’t remember that there’s no possibility to get a warm drink). Anyway, also without a coffee, I went to the ticket counter and bought a ticket to York University. To be sure that I won’t be blown by the wind in a wrong direction, I asked where to 5.10 bus to York University will leave. The women told me that there is no 5.10 bus to York University. This 5.10 bus leaves at the “Oshawa Bus Terminal”, we are here at the “Oshawa Go Terminal”. I didn’t notice that these are two completely different locations. There’s no chance to catch the 5.10 bus at the Bus Terminal in the inner city anymore, and the next bus would leave two hours later, too late for the concert… So I decide to take a train back to Toronto (they are running every 30 minutes) and take a subway to Downsview and from there a TTC bus. Which means that I have to convert my ticket. I convert the ticket. Then I go outside to the freezing platform to have a look when the next train is departing. Suddenly the women who sold me the ticket is coming outside, and offers me a better idea (Canadians are so unbelievable friendly and helpful!): take a Go Bus to Scarborough, where I can change for a bus to Younge and Sheppard, where I can get a TTC bus to Downsview. Do I have to change the ticket again? Yes. When does the bus leave? In three minutes. Wow. I run inside, change the ticket, get the change, run through the snow storm to the bus, where the bus driver is waiting for me. He drives with walking pace through the snow that no meteorologist had expected. There is a car in the ditch, the bus driver stops, opens the door and asks the driver if he is ok. There’s a sighting distance of less than 50 meters and a lot of snow on the 401 freeway, when the radio equipment tells that they closed Pearson, Toronto’s International Airport. What a memorable bus trip.
Whenever I come to Oshawa, I experience a unique adventure…
Finally I arrive in Scarborough, where the bus to Younge and Sheppard didn’t wait, but I can take another bus to Yorkdale and from there the subway to Downsview – and yes, although I arrive almost an hour later than planned, I can still attend the Gospel Choir concert.
It is the day on which I got the acceptance for a flat in South Tyrol; it is the day on which Bayern München won 3:0 against Borussia Dortmund; it is the day of this crazy trip and of the great concert; it is the first real winter day in Toronto. It is one of the best days here. This is by the way how the day started:
