We flew out of IAH at around noon on Thursday, July 18th. Maxine so graciously gave us some United Club passes that we could use in Houston, since our first leg of the trip was economy, but the rest of the legs were business, so we should have access to the clubs later given our ticketing status. The club near our gate was just ok, very small and was right between the breakfast and lunch switch. We had a little bite ( not the Chick-fil-A Megan was hoping for) and played some cards before heading to our gate for the three hour flight to Toronto, Canada, where we would catch a connecting flight via Air Canada to Copenhagen. The IAH -Toronto plane was small, but pretty roomy! We were in the second to last row, but was a pleasant flight.
Once we got to Toronto, we had about 2.5 hours to kill before our next flight that began boarding around 6:30pm local time, so we searched for an Air Canada lounge. We found signs pointing to two different areas that sounded hopeful and waited in line to see where we should go. I noticed the line we were in was near a buffet area-nothing fancy, very cafeteria-esque, but there was another area around the corner through some doors that looked nicer. The guy behind us said something under his breath that I didn’t quite catch (cursing of some sort) for which he immediately apologized. I assume he was complaining about the wait. I let him know we didn’t hear all that, but maybe HE knew what we were waiting in line for and knew the area- he confessed he didn’t know either, but was hoping the lady at the desk would tell him he was supposed to go around the corner into the “nicer” area. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t, but we were, and Megan and I could hear a little envy in his voice as we made it into the first class lounge. It was sooooooo much better than the United Club. I didn’t take many pictures in there, but the had a buffet that looked nice. The also had an actual menu to order from in a slightly less casual setting, or a very formal “no luggage allowed” area. We opted to hang onto our bags and do the less formal option. My food was delicious! I enjoyed a nice Italian red wine with the duck confit appetizer and the veal entree. Megan had chicken tenders and a Shirley Temple.
We boarded the next flight and (so spoiled) had first class seats - it was very nice. Neither of us had a window, but we’re in the middle seats were we could communicate with each other throughout the trip, so I think it was a better choice for us. It was only about a 7 hour flight, of which I think I only slept about 20 minutes (Megan woke me to help her find the bathroom....).
We landed on time, local time was about 8:30 am and were met promptly by a Seabourn representative who had a private car waiting for us. We gathered our luggage and took the short trip to the hotel where dad was waiting in the lobby. The hotel is right on the canal and we have a nice water view. We got to our room and I cleaned up to go out while Megan opted to nap. Dad and I hit the town and walked the streets of old town for a couple hours before collecting Megan for a nice lunch of fish and chips at our hotel. We sat on the back patio and watched all the locals swim in the canal- many seem to just strip down to their underwear for an impromptu swim.
We then decided to go to Tivoli Gardens, which is a nice little amusement park within walking distance. It was fun, beautiful weather around 70 degrees with a great breeze. We opted for the all inclusive wrist band that would give us unlimited rides and upgrades. One ride was especially fun and while we were waiting in line, a lady approached us speaking Danish. She quickly realized we were not comprehending and spoke English-asked if her daughter could ride with us. Very nice girl of 9 y/o named Ella-she spoke some English, but not as much as her mom. I noticed her doing a little dance that looked familiar and sure enough, she and Megan did the little dance together—-ahh the universal language of YouTube. Haha . So cute! This ride was a roller coaster that had an optional upgrade to use a virtual reality headset while riding, which our wrist band included. It made it a very interesting ride!
I think we ultimately only went on about 4 rides- it was pretty busy and by around 4:00, we were all tired and ready to head back. We stopped by a McD’s to get Megan a carry out since dad and I weren’t hungry. Back at the hotel, Megan and I got into our jammies ready to call it a day-relax with some tv and turn in early. I think I made it to around 5pm before falling asleep. Now here I am -a woke around 11:30pm and wide awake. Doh! Megan and dad are sleeping. It’s about 1am now and I am getting sleepy again, maybe I can get a couple more hours in. Tomorrow we have a 2:30 pm transfer to the ship. We have discussed possibly doing a canal tour that would take us past many of the popular city sights such as the queens palace and the Little Mermaid statue. We’ll see what we’re up for. It’s now 1:15 am and Megan is now wide awake. Jet lag is no joke!
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