Ontario

A Day in Gotham City

Waking up at the very heart of Gotham City was a lot of fun.. high above the city that barely sleeps…all night the vista transforms, the lights, the sounds.. mesmerising!

Good to lay in and relax…for the boys first on the agenda was a private screening of Norwich’s first home game against Newcastle. 3-1 win putting the boys in a good mood and giving me a little time to catch up on my writing…

After a lazy morning at ‘home’… we set off to give Tom his perfect treat…the Toronto Ripley’s Aquarium!

Watching his face as he explored the fish-filled tunnels, the circling sharks, and twisting turtles was magic!

The swordfish that attached themselves with invisible suckers to the tunnel roofs were my favourite, their toothless frowns and slot like eyes made me chuckle out loud!

Hearing our marine mad boy devour and regurgitate fishy facts and figures was funny, seeing how he devoured each exhibit was wonderful and almost made it worth the extortionate prices! 😂

Onwards and upwards to the iconic CN Tower! A great chance to get a real perspective on the city .. it’s incredible skyline and its different districts.

Toronto isn’t satisfied with its ground space… it has reached skywards at every opportunity to claim as much vertically as it has horizontally! It was reassuring to read that the glass floor on the observation pod can take an impressive 41 moose… but still unnerving as they stomped the boys stomped their way across and then lay flat looking down at the streets below! 🤣😱

Dodging a sudden storm we made our way back to the Bat Cave for a condo swim..and a recharge…

Jack and I were still hungry for more and, when the others settled down for gadget time we set out for an evening on the islands! A cab down to the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and we were on our way… as the sun set we stood at the stern of the boat watching the skyscrapers of Toronto recede as the sky turned from brilliant blue to the warm, subtle shades of dusk… perfect!

The heavy storm that had raged into the city as we left the CN Tower had flooded so much of islands… we tiptoed thru the new streams and puddles on Olympic Island and watched the last spectacular rays of today’s sun disappear.

We wandered across Central Island and enjoyed the peace and views before heading back to the boat as darkness fell.

We watched from the bow as the lights of the city took over from the sun..and located Iceboat Terrace.. home of the Batcave, high in the sky. Ours is the 3rd and 4th tower from the left as you look at the silhouette above.

Hungry and more than a little tired we snuck into Tim Horton’s for a late drink and dinner before hailing a cab home… another special day.

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Sacha Brakenbury

As mum to three sons (and auntie to ten!) Sacha is kept busy trying to keep the kids alive, safe, fed and watered. Having specialised in Child Psychology and Linguistics at the University of Reading, Sacha went on to complete her Postgraduate Certificate in Education before taking up her first teaching post as Head of Boys Sport and Year 6 teacher. After 6 years, Sacha was fortunate enough to awarded a travelling fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, enabling her to undertake an extensive research project overseas. Sacha has worked with some of the world's top professional sports and educational institutions across Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand - researching ways of engaging young people through the medium of sport and in particular how this can help to reduce drug use and gang membership. After returning to the UK Sacha became Education Director at Ipswich Town Football Club, leading in the government's 'Playing for Success' scheme. She went on to establish three highly respected Study Centres back in the East of England, each of which used sport as a means of motivating children and young people. After successfully completing her National Professional Qualification for Headship in Cambridge, Sacha went on to study for her Masters Degree in Education. With the arrival of her three sons, Sacha decided it was time to 'go it alone.' She set up her own business consultancy, supporting a range of charities and organisations across the UK. Securing funds in excess of £2 million pounds, Sacha was able to 'give wings' to a wide range of charitable causes close to her heart. She continues this today with work specifically for Child First Trust. It was her own kids that were the inspiration behind her establishing Learning Academies (www.learningacademies.co.uk) - a tutoring company that has the simple mission to motivate and encourage its students to become confident and assertive learners who are not afraid to 'take risks' and challenge themselves. As a passionate photographer, Sacha is never more at home than when she's travelling, camera in hand, boys in tow. As a qualified medic with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, she is able to combine her love the outdoors with her passion for wild animals.

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