Excursion to Niagara Falls

Linda has deserved a reward for her hard work during the past weeks. Therefore she joins us on this trip. So do five Canadian guests from the Academy, among them Aunt Norma whose birthday it is. We start on the tour with "Happy birthday, dear Norma!" Over the weekend Hartmut has recorded German TV news. They help to while away the three hours' drive to the Falls.

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls. Quite impressive!

The weather is marvelous again, we enjoy the grandiose view. One steps close to the edge and gazes 50 meters down where 6,000 cbm of water roar down by the second.

Journey behind the Falls

And now the Falls from below. It feels like heavy rainfall, but it is no rain...

We are equipped with yellow plastic capes - and we need them. An elevator takes us down beside the Horseshoe Falls and to the gallery behind them. Those who wear glasses hardly see, all get quite wet.

The American falls are smaller, but just as beautiful as the Canadian falls

Imax Theatre

The falls on the screen are at least as impressive as the real falls. They seem to thunder down upon us from a height of six stories.

Admission card. Entrance ticket

The 45-minute film "Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic" takes up the Indian legend of the young bride who avoids marriage to the old and ugly chief by following the call of "Thundering Waters" (Niagara); the movie also shows some of the daring passages of the falls, e.g. by the French tightrope-walker Blondin in 1859 or by the school-mistress Annie Taylor, 46 years old, who let herself be washed down the falls in a barrel (the black kitten that she took along seems to have turned white with fear).

Dinner at the Plain and Fancy Restaurant, Vineland

Butterflies from up close

After a short visit to the Butterfly Conservatory we sit down to a rich Thanksgiving dinner. Most unknown to us: squash, a vegetable akin to pumpkin.

The last night at the Academy

In the bar

We arrive "home" at about 11:30 - not too late to haunt the bar for the last time. Reginald is waiting for us, in particular for Gretel: he has done some genealogical research for her. To Christian and Brigitte he shows copies and transcriptions of ancient German documents. Christian is eager to decipher them right away, but the copies are none too good.