Want to see something spectacular?

Then you should go to Niagara Falls. They. Are. Amazing.

There honestly aren't enough words to describe how awesome they are. I took heaps and heaps of photos, probably way too many but who cares!! The falls are simply breathtaking. It felt surreal to be standing there today, seeing something that I have only ever seen on TV or in a book. To watch all that water just tumbling down, the power behind it, the sheer majesty of God's beautiful creation. It felt strange to look across the river and see the U.S.A. (and I can tell you now that the Canadian side definitely has the better view)!

My tour group was small (just 16 of us) and I met some lovely people. Many of whom I hope to see again during the conference. We went on the Maid of the Mist, a boat which cruises up the river and directly underneath the Horseshoe Falls. They provide blue ponchos, but we still got drenched! But it was totally worth it, and in my opinion part of the whole experience.
I learned so many things today. I didn't actually realise there were two sets of falls, the American and the Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls, with an island (Goat Island) separating them. I also hadn't heard the stories about people who survived falling down them, and how people who survive it these days face a $10,000 fine!

We had lunch at Table Rock Restaurant which overlooks the falls. Then we drove along the Niagara Parkway to a quaint and pretty little town called Niagara-on-the-Lake. So beautiful!! It was a gorgeous sunny day, and being a Saturday afternoon there were weddings at the church, market stalls, street performers and lots of other things to see. The Peach Festival starts tomorrow, I was disappointed to miss that. But I did try a new thing while I was there ... cookie dough icecream! I've always wondered what it was like. I have to say it was a bit strange and I'm not sure I would buy it again. It actually has chunks of cookie dough in it - I always thought it was just the flavour. But it had to be done, and I was happy to oblige :-)

My conference starts tomorrow, so I'm not going to get much time to blog. Besides, it wouldn't be interesting to anybody else! Unless I meet Bill Gates, Richard Gere, Alicia Keys or one of the other celebrities proported to be here :-)