But, today, I wish to present one of the great wonders of this country: Niagara Falls, a unique show of natural power, one of the natural wonders of our world.
I've been to Niagara Falls on a beautiful, sunny day. It is perhaps rare to find a cloudless day here but, no matter how the weather is, the spectacle the Falls offer prevails over any weather mishap.
At the border between Canada and the United States, set between the thriving Ontario province and the state of New York, Niagara Falls attract about ten million visitors throughout the year. In the sun and in the snow, in the cold and in the rain, the Falls are always super crowded and are a true beauty of the nature of North America. Anyone coming to the side of the world cannot resist the temptation to see them and take a tour on the boat which goes under the Niagara River that plunges over a precipice to create the second largest waterfall in the world.
The Maid of the Mist, the boat which goes under the falls, is very popular and therefore tickets sell out fast but, luckily, many tours depart all the time and all day long. You must wear a raincoat to go close to the Falls because they spray!
The Niagara Falls are not particularly high but the surrounding scenery and the extraordinary and immense flow of water have made them a masterpiece of nature. Their “horseshoe” shape allows them to be admired on the Canadian side, probably the most beautiful one and I’m not biased! - and the US side. The waterfalls are famous all over the world for their beauty but in North America are equally well known for their great production of electricity since there is an electricity plant for the State of New York nearby. The Falls begin from the Canadian side with the Horseshoe falls separated from the American falls, which are on the American side, from Goat Island and then end up in the US territory with the smaller Bridal Veil Falls.
The greatest number of visitors come here during the summer to take advantage of the most favourable temperatures. On summer nights, several lampposts, placed on a long row on the Ontario side area, illuminate the waterfalls that can be admired from the waterfront promenade inside the Park. One of the most beautiful viewing points is from the Skylon Tower, which stands on the banks of the river.
The walk along the riverfront is beautiful. You get to a point where you can really observe the grandeur of Niagara and hear the noise the falls make and be impressed by Mother Nature’s strength.
Along the way, before arriving at the Falls, we stopped in a very nice wine shop where we tasted some typical Canadian wines. This region is full of wine bars and cellars, and it is worth visiting at least one.
We wished to do a tasting of the famous ice wine, the Niagara wine: white, bold...and expensive.
Niagara on the Lake is a small village that seems to come out of a painting and is well known in this area for fine wines, carriage rides and art galleries. Here it seems that time has stopped and life flows quietly together with nature. Some activities one can do here include horseback riding, hiking, shopping and pastry eating! The city is surrounded by greenery and everywhere there are maple trees, bushes, roses, tulips and flowers of all kinds. A somewhat surreal atmosphere, one of the most unique places in Ontario and they make cakes to die for, especially the maple tart…it doesn’t get any more Canadian than that!
