Falling in love WITH ONTARIO

A lot can happen in 20 years – and even more in 12,000. As we sat down to celebrate our China wedding anniversary, the conversation between my wife Rachel and I switched between our big day two decades ago and the breathtaking Canadian Horseshoe Falls formed at the end of the last Ice Age. Whether you're a fan of natural landscapes, like the world-famous Niagara Falls, or man-made attractions like those in the big city of Toronto, you get the best of both worlds in Ontario, as we found out on a five-day celebratory break in Canada's most populous province.

TORONTO
After arriving in Toronto on a seven-hour Air Transat (airtransat.com) flight from Manchester, we boarded the Union-Pearson (UP) Express Train (upexpress.com) which runs from the airport to city-centre Union Station and avoids the pesky traffic. And time was of the essence as I'd managed to get hold of two tickets to go see a band who Some Might Say are the greatest on the planet today – Oasis – at Rogers Stadium. So, once we had checked in at Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel (marriott.com), we jumped in an Uber and arrived at the music venue just in time to hear Liam, Noel, Bonehead and co belting out their opening track Hello.

Following a seven-hour flight and a late night in the Oasis fan zone, the Deluxe Guest Room at the Sheraton, was the perfect place to rest and refresh ahead of a busy week of adventure and sightseeing around Ontario. The next morning, Rachel and I headed up to the hotel's 43rd floor and refuelled with a complimentary breakfast buffet with sweeping views of downtown Toronto. And the helpful servers immediately got to know our drinks order – two English breakfast teas – by heart.

Before we'd arrived in Toronto, I'd downloaded the CityPASS app. Combined with a VIP pass from Destination Ontario, it enabled Rachel and I to group together the activities we wanted to sample and places we wanted to visit. First up, we made a beeline for Casa Loma (casaloma.org) in the midtown area. The Gothic Revival castle-style mansion's tunnels and hidden rooms are great for exploring, and it's no wonder the beautiful property is a popular filming location, with films and TV shows like X-Men and Goosebumps shot there. From Casa Loma, we walked down to Royal Ontario Museum (rom.on.ca) to check out its latest prehistoric and natural world exhibitions, before visiting the city's premier shopping mall Eaton Centre on the way back to the hotel.

The following day, we strolled south towards the shore of Lake Ontario, taking an elevator up what was formerly the world's tallest building, CN Tower (cntower.ca), exploring Ripley's Aquarium of Canada (ripleysaquariumofcanada. com), and stopping off at sports venues Rogers Centre and Scotiabank Arena, before embarking on a boat trip around the harbour and Toronto Islands with City Cruises (cityexperiences.com).

Toronto is a highly walkable city and in between all the sightseeing, Rachel and I got in our steps, passing through Kensington Market and Distillery Historic District where we took a liking to the city's flagship beer, Steam Whistle pilsner.

During our time in Toronto, we enjoyed a Friday Night Special taster menu at Linny's (linnysrestaurant.com), a cosy new steakhouse with elements of Eastern European Jewish delis on the hip Ossington Avenue. We also tried out the food and drink at Waterworks Food Hall (waterworksfoodhall.com) – a beautifully restored 1932 Art-Deco former utilities facility in King West, full of artisan eateries and bars. We took a seat at its Indian outlet, devouring butter chicken with poppadoms and pickles.

NIAGARA ON THE LAKE
Although the majority of our Ontario trip was spent in the city, we wanted to see more of the province. So, after picking a vehicle from Budget Car Rental at Brookfield Place, we drove past the Beach Neighbourhood and down the Queen Elizabeth Expressway to the village of Niagara-on-the-Lake, stopping off at the Premium Outlets to seek out a few bargains on the way.

Our hotel for the night was 124 Queen Hotel & Spa (124queen.com), a tranquil retreat in the heart of the charming village's bustling Old Town. Once we'd checked in and dropped off our bags, we went for a walk, skirting the golf course and Fort George National Historic Site, before reaching the lakefront where we could see the Toronto skyline in the distance, and finishing off with a drink at 11th Post on Queen Restaurant.

Cindy, the hotel's complimentary shuttle car driver, then chauffeured us to what was a special night at the family owned Peller Estates Winery (peller.com) just down the road on John Street East. Following a group tasting tour of the vineyards, cellars and the 10 Below ice wine tasting room with guide Karen, Rachel and I took a seat for dinner in Peller Estates Restaurant. Then, after a look around the kitchen, we devoured a dazzling four-course taster menu with wine pairing, courtesy of executive chef Jason Parsons.

NIAGARA FALLS
Breakfast the next morning was served with a few jokes and magic tricks courtesy of the friendly server at Treadwell restaurant adjacent to the hotel. From there, we jumped in the car and headed up Queen Elizabeth Way to a destination that had been on both our bucket lists for many years. The city of Niagara Falls is not only home to the honorary Wonder of the World from which it takes its name, but also a number of attractions to rival any tourist hotspot. Rachel initially took some convincing to ride Wildplay's Zipline to the Falls (wildplay.com/ niagara-falls) at Grand View Marketplace!

We both also donned rain ponchos to experience the thunderous vibration of the millions of gallons water pouring over Horseshoe Falls in Journey Beneath the Falls (niagaraparks.com/visit/attractions/ journey-behind-the-falls), took a walk inside the 2,200-foot long tunnel, and descended 180 feet in a glass-panelled elevator at Niagara Parks Power Station (niagaraparks.com/visit/attractions/niagaraparks- power-station).

Best of all, we also got to try out the new immersive simulator Niagara Takes Flight (niagaraparks.com/visit/attractions/ niagaratakesflight), which takes visitors on a 'soaring adventure', along the Niagara River corridor. Before driving back to Toronto, we sat down for a delicious lunch courtesy of chef Chris Totah and his team at Table Rock House Restaurant (niagaraparks.com/table-rock-houserestaurant), with our table as close as you could possibly get to the Horseshoe Falls. It was a perfectly romantic way to round off an exhilarating trip!