Natalia drove us to the train station in Brockville and we got our bags weighed.
Each bag could not be more than forty pounds. Thanks to Larry weighing the bags before we left home we were in compliance. He had discovered that one of our bags was too heavy so at the last minute we added another bag. We had packed very carefully and with great attention to detail. Now we ended up tossing things willy-nilly into the new bag and everything now is in quite a state of disorganization. (Getting head of my story- we checked one bag so we would have more space, but somehow Trish’s pasta-maker has managed to end up hanging out with us in our already cramped quarters.)
We arrived in Toronto, put our bags in a storage area and walked to East Side Mario’s for a quick meal. We passed the Royal York Hotel that Dad enjoyed so much. Then back to Union Station to line up for the train. There were a lot of folks boarding. We had to walk quite a long way to get to our car. I think there are 22 cars on this train and we are in number 21.
We are directed to our room, and walk by the sleeping berths with people starting to tuck in. Everything is a tight squeeze and it is almost impossible to pass if people are coming the other way. You have to be very astute about it and always glancing ahead for a possible passing zone.
We are shown our room. Larry and I are in disbelief for several minutes on how small it is. It’s about the size of our little downstairs bathroom. Only one person can move around at a time- the other person has to wait on the bed. The floor space is about 18 inches wide and seven feet long. It has a little sink and a toilet and a big window. The bunk beds are nice and comfy.
Time to check out the observation car. We totter through a couple of cars and go up a set of very narrow, tiny stairs. It’s dark so we get a glimpse of the lights of Toronto as we leave the city. Complimentary champagne and petite fours are provided in the observation area and we sit there for about a half on hour.
Back in the room we maneuver ourselves around and settle in for the night. The rocking of the train makes it seem like you are in a cradle.
Train in Brockville