Got up, had brekky, read the paper, shopped for some consumables to cover the holiday period in case cafes etc are closed, went for a walk, found out about bike hiring from the multiple bike stations then planned what I want to do for the next week.

Could not get into any of the Christmas Day lunches I wanted to (have tried since midweek) so organised dinner at TOCA in Ritz Carlton at the 8.15pm sitting Christmas Eve (tonight).

Thus I spent the afternoon relaxing and reading, then headed out at 7pm to walk to TOCA for dinner, with time enough to stop off and take some photos. I got out of the hotel and looked up into the sky – and this is what I saw.

It’s a Christmas Eve sign! The Trump-meister, President-elect of the USA, has a building here in Toronto. I really have to stop in on the way to dinner. Here it is in all its finery.

To be honest, it was pretty underwhelming. I did a little research (after I got home). Construction commenced in 2007 and was opened in early 2012. Like many buildings in Toronto, there is a hotel at the bottom and lots of condominiums above, with the building being 57 or 65 stories depending on who you believe. Trump Corp does not own this building. The Trump Corp has licenced its name to the developers of this site, and a Trump company has the contract to manage the building – nothing to do with the construction. The above information comes from some internet research, so it must be accurate.

The one interesting feature of this building is the mural that can be seen at the left of the first and third photos where the indoor cars are. It is actually a large mosaic which from afar is of a crowd of people of different colours and ages all waving their hands. Here are some Christmas lights from some of the nearby properties.

I really like the two shots below, where the lights reflect into the glass walls of the building. They would be better with a tripod, but still I like the effect.

After browsing the area, I reach the Ritz-Carlton in time for dinner. I had to wait a few minutes for my table to be ready, and after I was seated I was given a New York Times newspaper to read. The meal was a set 4 course meal, and I chose a Mission Hill (British Columbia) 2013 Pinot Gris to accompany it. Being an upmarket restaurant, the first two courses were small but artistically put together and professionally presented. For the main course and dessert I served myself (roast Turkey and vegetables followed by dessert including cheeses), so that’s where I made my money back. It was a lovely evening and the staff were very attentive.

After dinner, I wandered back to the area near where my hotel is, to the St Michael’s Cathedral.

The cathedral was built in 1848 and is the principal church for Canada’s largest Catholic archdiocese. The church was holding a choir session from 11pm until midnight, prior to the midnight mass; so I had planned to attend the first half hour before calling my father and family for Christmas (Toronto time is 13 hours behind Perth, so 12.30pm in Perth was the time I agreed with Dad).

The choir started on time, although the first 5 minutes was just the organist performing “Christmas in the Old Mary Church, Krakow, Opus 31, No. 3”. I was seated right at the back due to having to leave early. So it was interesting to watch the organisation of the seating. There were 4 security people inside the church. They wandered up and down the aisles looking for spare space for people coming in. They would have 6 or 7 persons waiting against the back wall and would find them seats in amongst others, and then some more would come in and do the same. The singing went well, but the quality was nowhere near as good as the Royal School of Church Music that my Dad and Jacky were involved with.

So at 11.30pm, I headed outside the Cathedral to make my phone call. Out the front of the cathedral, the two sets of metal gates were locked, and being patrolled by a couple of security guards. There were a large number of people outside along the footpath. Because there are so many homeless I wondered whether they were all lined up, but there were far too many so I was perplexed. I called Dad, and got to wish him, Jacky and Chris my brother Merry Christmas. It was good to speak with them. My twin brother Gerard was too unwell to attend Dad’s Christmas Day lunch, so I called him after getting off the phone with Dad etc. I was able to speak with him and wish him all the best too.

Then I headed back to my hotel. I was ushered out through the side gate by a security person and found out what was happening. There were police and security at the one gate, and a queue of around 110 people outside. They were lined up to get into the cathedral, but they were only letting in a couple of people in as a couple of others would leave. Who knew choir music was so popular? Having the police involved in helping organise the attendance arrangements for the Cathedral was what surprised me. I’ve seen them involved in traffic management, but this was a first.

Anyway, I then headed home and then left a Christmas voice message for my Aunty Carol who would have been out for Christmas lunch. Then I went to bed to see if Santa was able to find me so far from my home.