Day 11:Biodome and Schwartz's

We got off to a late start this morning. Seth has had some late party nights and he's not used to that. I rented a bike of my own with more than three speeds this morning and we biked out to the Biodome.

I am completely blown away at the city bike paths and how many people actually use them. I find it pretty cools when I see a couple dozen people riding along a bike lane in Toronto, like College St. Here there are hundreds and hundreds of bikers using the city paths. I love it. If it werent' for these paths I wouldn't let Seth drive. Car drivers are too distracted.

Anyways, the Biodome was pretty cool: Four ecosystems set up in the former Velodrome. I actaully got to see the bike track in the Velodrome shortly after the '76 Olympics. It was very impressive. I had my first bad meal of the trip at the Biodome. Don't eat Biodome food. I repeat: Do not eat Biodome food.

Then we rode over to the Insectarium. At that point in the afternoon I crashed. I got very tired and even riding the bike seemed ultra-effortful, even with an additional 18 speeds. We also went through some of the botanical gardens, but I really just wanted to lie down.

Schwartz's Deli was our destination for dinner. Two smoked meat sandwiches, two pickles and a shared order of fries. I told myself I wouldn't go in there. It's not far from where I'm staying and I've passed in at least ten times so far. There are always lineups at every hour of the day. The place has been around for 80 years and I guess it's just become an entrenched tradition for everyone who visits the city to eat there when they come into town. It's probably a childhood memory for the locals. The food was okay. Not great.

The place is completely packed. There are tables of six and eight and the staff sits you wherever there's a free chair, so you never know who you are going to end up eating with. The bus boy was particularly impressive. We watched him clear a table of four in less than 60 seconds with military like precision. He removed every dirty dish in one trip then came back to toss the empty ketchup bottle into a small garbage can from an impressive distance.

And that was the day. I don't know why, but I feel whipped tonight. Hopefully I will have a very restful night's sleep.