The one where we saw Adele

Well yesterday.............

Huffle and I went into Toronto, Huffle drove and we arrived around 2pm ish. We parked in our usual spot (put the ticket on the dash) and went to the Box Office to pick up our tickets. We then walked up towards Nathan Phillips Square (stopping for a scone and cold drink on the way) as I had heard they were building a huge nest in honour of the Blue Jays game that evening. In actual fact the 'nest' merely meant that it was a place where fans could get together and watch the game on the big screen. So I didn't feel silly at all for asking a security guard where the nest was and telling him I thought the huge while balloon was the egg for the nest. DOH! From there we wandered around looking at the sculptures, of which there were many, around the Court House, Government Buildings and finally the University. This is a whole area of Toronto we have never seen.

Silly Huffle found a place to nestle. Shiny buildings and big letters

Sculptures. Wish I could name them all but I've forgotten

Reflections. It was a beautiful day. Look at that sky.

Government building. Looked like it was made of biscuit but maybe I was hungry.

We discovered a whole area of fast food places situated in Containers. Very cool.

We walked through China Town (where we have been before, near to Kensington Market and finally on to Little Italy which is where Huffle had already found us a nice place to eat dinnner. We ate at a place called Traverniti Trattoria which was very authentically Italian, in fact the Mothers' Owner sat at the bar eating the pasta (always a good sign).

We started with some dipping bread and a beautiful olive and balsamic oil served to us on olive wood plates. We shared Arancini and then Huffle had Lasagne and I had Pasta Medallions of Butternut in a butter sage sauce. We finished with a Tiramisu and a PannaCotta which were excellent too. After we had finished 'the mama' came over, asked if I was Italian and then proceeded to talk to us for ages. She was lovely and we will definitely go back.

Huffle was given the tiniest bottle of Coke.

Attempting to use the PublicTransport to get back as we had walked for miles (in the wrong footwear altogether), we managed to get on a Street Car (tram) where the driver pointed at the slot for money and expected us to know how much it should be ($6:50 for both) and he was not allowed to touch our money with his blue gloved hand. We got off somewhere (Good job Huffle was in charge, I had no idea). Then we took the subway to Union Station and walked to the Air Canada Centre from there.

We were a bit early so we wandered around, bought a tee-shirt for me and then went in, queued up for drinks and took our seats. Adele should have come on at 8pm with no support act and she came on around 8:30pm. She arrived in a box which was wheeled underneath the centre stage and she came out rising from the middle. Of course she started with HELLO and then was escorted along the aisle to the main stage. She sang Hometown Glory, One and Only, Rumour Has It and Water Under the Bridge. Her backdrop was a screen that sometimes had her beautiful face on it and sometimes a video of the song. At some point they pulled up the screen and we could see her orchestra, band and backing singers. At one point there was Screen with her face on it but you could see through it to the band. It was very cool. She talked A LOT and I have no idea how the Canadians could understand her thick London accent but they loved her. She didn't swear too much but one really embarrassing moment (for Huffle and I only, the rest of the crowd loved it) where she brought up on stage, a gay couple with a baby (why would you take a flippin' baby to a concert?) and chatted to them and signed the baby's headphones. HONESTLY!

When she sang Skyfall there were lovely moving clouds in the background and lots of searchlight beams all around, she said if a beam came your way you were to wave. So I did. Lots of times. She sang Happy Birthday to me though she said my name was Ashley but I felt it was to me and I recorded it for ME!. She sang Million Years ago (accoustically) Don't you remember, make you feel my love and Sweetest Debotion.

Towards the end she sang Chasing Pavements, Someone like you and Set fire to the rain (where she had water falling all around her). She then disappeared through the stage again, got carried off in a box and ended up on the main stage for the encore. She had said earlier that she hated it when people didn't ask for an encore and she got really grumpy. She sang When we were young (lots of photos of her as a child) and Rolling in the deep (huge amounts of ticker tape were blasted into the air and fell all around us, each with a little message on either a line from one of her songs or a message. I got one that said Thanks for coming, Adele x, which I will keep forever. She was fabulous and we really enjoyed it.

She asked everyone to shine their phones so it looked beautiful

I am a very lucky girl and I thank Huffle for making me feel really special. It was excellent and I sang lots very loud.

TODAY

However, today I am paying the price. My throat is so sore I can hardly swallow and my right hip is in agony possibly due to incorrect shoes and too much walking. I did still go to aerobics even though I tried to get out of it. ExerciseNic was very easy on us today. Everyone in the house is now ill with coldy type symptoms. Despite that, Grandad was making veg beds up, Huffle was transporting soil from one place to another and I was helping where I could. The tissues are dwindling by the second with all the nose blowing and sneezing.

The boys came home from school with annoyances of bus buddies, MissMoll, teachers issuing them with orders of this and that. Basically there has been a huge miscommunication and I am having to go to the school to sort it out. I am not very happy but I'm sure it will all be sorted soon.

Yesterday, Smallest was in a mini football tournament and he played three games and scored a penalty. He was very tired after scooting home when Grandad and Small cycled (one with flat tyres!!) to fetch him from school. Today Grandad and I needed to go to the Beer Store (for beer and screws) and he went on Small's bike and I walked. Small's bike seat was too low for Grandad and he couldn't get his legs on the pedals so i had to push him!!!! OUCH!

Also, yesterday, Smallest lost a tooth and Grandma didn't have any money so the Tooth Fairy didn't come, when I asked him about it he said "of course she didn't come, you weren't here Mummy" I tried to tell him I wasn't the fairy but he was adamant. I think if he looks in his tooth pocket, he might find she left him something after all (even if it was after the event).

After dinner, all the boys went off to Basketball and I sat on the porch and tried to write this before I got bothered by bugs and the light disappeared.

 

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