Canadian National Exhibition - 2016

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, during the 18 days leading up to and including Canadian Labour Day Monday. With approximately 1.5 million visitors each year, the CNE is Canada’s largest annual fair and the fifth largest in North America.^[2] The first Canadian National Exhibition took place in 1879, largely to promote agriculture and technology in Canada. Agriculturists, engineers, and scientists exhibited their discoveries and inventions at the CNE to showcase the work and talent of the nation. As Canada has grown as a nation, the CNE has also changed over time, reflecting the growth in diversity and innovation, though agriculture and technology remain a large part of the CNE today. To many people in the Greater Toronto Area and the surrounding communities, the CNE is an annual family tradition.

The following description of the Canadian National Exhibition I lifted from Wikipedia this morning. 

This year for the third year I visited the CNE with my Canadian pal, Pat F. 

I LOVE carnivals! I attended my first carnival in my hometown of Downingtown, Pennsylvania when I was about nine years old.  Oh sure, I know carnivals are corny and not high brow, but I have always loved them.  Must be my white trash background.  You'll never see me at a Shakespeare Festival but you will see me at carnivals like the CNE! 
 

Shakespeare - too highbrow for this half a hillbilly white trash blogger

The above video is one I strung together from several short videos that I recorded from my iPhone during our visit a few weeks ago.  Be forewarned, this is the first of several videos that I will post to this blog.  

I hope  you enjoy the experience as much as Pat and I did!

Me and Pat waiting in line at CNE

To be continued:

Canadian National Exhibition

Yesterday, Pat and I spent a full day at the Canadian National Exhibition. 

What is the CNE you ask?  It is a national (Canadian) celebration. Last year was the first time I attended and that was strictly by a fluke.  I just happened to be visiting my friend Pat in Toronto while the CNE was in progress.  I had such a good time last year at the CNE I made it a point to visit Canada again when the CNE was in full progress.

What a full day we had.  I am exhausted as is Pat.  

We start out early in the afternoon (2:30 PM) and didn't leave until 11:00 PM last night.  We took public transportation down and back.  A mixture of trolley, subway and buses.  I sure am glad Pat knows his way around Toronto because if I attempted to do that by myself, I would still be wandering around in downtown Toronto asking questions how to get back to Tinytown (which is where Pat lives).

So what did we do besides walk a lot, eat a lot and, did I say walk a lot? 

Pat talked me into see a dog show.

 
I was reluctant but now I'm glad he took me because I had a fabulous time watching those dogs do their antics.

We also saw two musical performances.  One was Lee Harvey Osmond (similar sounding name, right? to someone we ALL know).  The other was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.  All fabulous!  Nothing like live musical performances.  Nothing like FREE live musical performances! 



We took two rides.  One on a Ferris Wheel.  Lots of fun.  The other on the Magic Mouse (I think that's the name).  It's a roller coaster.  Pat and I promptly lost our favorite hats two minutes into that herky, jerky ride.  Those hats, that were so loved by us, are now laying abandoned on the discarded cigarette butt ground amongst the steel rod construction of that ride.  Ces't la vie dear hats.  We'll never have that recipe again.  Today, of course, we're on a mission to replace those hats. 

Eat, God did we ever eat.  The CNE food court is HUGE.  So much to choose from.  All delicious except for one burrito that I got that was basically canned baked beans and wilted iceberg lettuce.  That sad torpedo promptly was deposited into the trash after my second bite when I determined I was eating a big tasteless mess.  Oh well, I got a falafel wrap that quickly assuaged my sour puss countenance. 




Folks, I did a lot of walking yesterday and buy the end of the day I really was dragging. Walking had always been my big thing.  However, after yesterday, I'm really feeling my age.  I don't know if my fatigue was caused my my leg injury this year that is still in the process of healing or just the fact that I'm a 73 year old man trying to carry on like a 37 year old.  In my mind I'm 37 but I think my body is trying to tell me something different.  

Today is a quiet, recoup day.  We've been pretty busy ever since I landed in Buffalo last Wednesday.  Pat has been the perfect tour director.  Hey folks, I wish you could all have a friend like Pat.  

Pat is off to yogi day, taking a short break from keeping me entertained.  I think I'll take a short nap before leaving this front door to my right and seeing what delights and adventures that Toronto has to offer today.  

Carpe diem!