I topped the report of last year's event because there are photos which people who weren't there might like to see to help recognize some of the people they will meet on August 9th.

Unfortunately, the title of the report didn't include 2007 so it may be confusing. It's probably best to let it sink. You can use this link to see the photos when it does: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35065763

Please count us in (2) as well.

Marilyn, I did notify you last week when I received the reminder.
Looking forward to meeting everyone.

Cheers !

ttt

yahoo, less than a week to go!!!! Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Too lazy to read the whole thread - what time are we meeting?

Danny Marks is playing at a music festival in Colonel Smith park in faraway Etobicoke - on the grounds of the former Lakeshore Psych Hospital...wondering if I can listen and make it to Hot House.

Sally, we're meeting at the Hot House Cafe at 6:00 on August 9th.


It's still not too late to join the festivities if you are a new member of Fodors or if you have missed this thread up until now. But you might miss out on the swag Katie sent becasue kodi had to submit our number a while ago and we have already surpassed it. 31 people have confirmed attendance to date!

The restaurant can accomodate more people but needs to know ahead of time so please contact me to get on the official guest list.

[email protected]

6pm Saturday, right?

6:00pm on Saturday, August 9th, 2008 at the Hot House Cafe, corner of Church and Front Streets in beautiful, downtown Toronto. Park under 35 Church Street for a flat rate of $5. www.hothousecafe.com

Can't believe its already here, after all these months.
I even remember entering it in my Microsoft calender in the late Spring thinking its still so far away...
Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.

Did we actually settle on a $25 per head menu including coffee, tax and tip?

That seemed to be the plan a million messages ago, but I can't remember the conclusion.

Regardless, Jana and I have our fingers crossed the rain will stop -- we were trapped in our driveway for 20 minutes a while ago, unable to get from car to door.

But it has eased off.

See you all in a couple of hours.

BAK

Well, I guess I must be the first one home! Unfortunately, we couldn't accept Moolyn's generous offer of drinks up at her place since we still have plently to do for company coming tomorrow but what a GREAT evening this was!

Kodi was saying that she thinks this GTG is a Fodor's record and I think so too. There were more than 30 people I think, from as close as upstairs from the restaurant and as far as Newfoundland. The Hot House was a great choice; we had our own room and the service was excellent, including our very dedicated waiter who took gazillions of group pictures of us.

I'll let the others tell more, but I just wanted to thank Moolyn, Lee and Lee for all their great planning and the work they put into this evening. I was thanked as a host as well, but I really did none of the work. That said, Mathieu, my 'thank you' chocolates didn't make it north of College Street!

I can't wait to see the pictures -- thanks again everyone, and it was so good to meet you all.

And, Katie, thanks for the gifts and the very kind letter. Come visit us here sometime soon!

your goddesstogo (and god)

Another year and another memorable Toronto GTG! Anselm, Robjame and his wife Sandy arrived at the Hot House early so I had a chance to catch up with their news before everyone arrived.

Nfldbeothuk won a prize for coming the furthest for the evening - Newfoundland. She nudged out Raquel and Pat from Winnipeg and Anselm from Halifax. She was given first choice of a selection of new guides sent by Fodors. Everyone was given a ticket to put on their favourite remaining book and four more Fodor guides went home with other members. Orange Fodor tote bags were available for everyone.

It was great to see people I met last year and to meet new members. Double the number of last year showed up, 31 people in total. After the last guest left for home just a few minutes ago my husband commented on what a nice group of people I hang out with online.

Many thanks to Mathieu and ElizabethS and JonW for the kind words and sweet gifts they brought for the organizers! See you all next year.

I am still too pumped up to go to bed.
I had a wonderful time!! It was so good to see everyone again and to meet new Fodorites.
I think I can safely say that a good time was had by all.

Thanks to all of you for making the evening such a success.
There was constant chatter at the restaurant and also at Moolyn's aferwards. I can't think of any other group of people that have so much to say to each other, and that seem to 'know' each other so well.
Just another benefit of the love of travel.

I think my friends think I'm crazy when I talk about my Fodor friends, but they don't know what a great bunch we are!!

Thank you Moolyn for your work and your hospitality.

See everyone next year if not sooner.

Just got home myself and am still basking in the afterglow of a truly wonderful evening. As expected, nice as FODORITES are online, they are even nicer in person.
It was such a pleasure reaquainting with so many of you from the first Toronto GTG last year - Moolyn, Kodi, LJ, Anselm, MichelP, ElizabethS, BAK and J, RobJam and S, and to further build our friendships, while welcoming so many more new to the gathering this year who came from far and wide.

Very happy to have met TeacherCanada, who is every bit as congenial as his recent trip report imparts, Irecommend and B who are soon leaving for an African safari, Goddesstogo who really is a goddess, JonW and D soon traveling to India, and many others.

Such congeniality and camaraderie amongst a group of over 30 people brought together by a love of travel, travel writing and apparently, international food is surely unique and special. And I'm sure that our combined adventures could make for a hard to put down (and hilarious) bestseller !

Thankyou Moolyn, Kodi, LJ and chief... MC ? Goddess, for organising a terrific evening.
All credit for the truffles go to ElizabethS whose kind idea it was.
Thanks Katie for the gifts and message and Moolyn and R for hosting everyone for coffee afterwards.

Looking forward to hearing about and reading everyone's next adventures.
And of course, to meeting up again.

M.

LoveItaly and cmcfong -- thank you for your lovely greetings which kodi dutifully delivered! I hope the time will come soon when I can meet you both. And LI? You can be a Canadian-American any ol' time you want -- we'll confer honourary citizenship on you at a GTG! :-d

Many thanks to all who organized last night's Toronto GTG, it was excellent. Great location, tasty food, and outstanding company. What a pleasure it was to meet the faces behind the screen names. Plus, now I have plenty of information for when I plan my next trip.

Happy travels!

I knew all of you would have a wonderful and fun evening, how could you not, you are all such fun and nice people.

Oh goddesstogo, I so want to travel to your eastcoast area. I have been in Canada a lot but just BC. I love your country and your people.

My paternal grandfather was born and raised in Canada as were his mother and father (Scots). I found a wonderful website some years ago and consequently have the information where my greatgrandparents are buried but sadly I didn't record the website and have never been able to find it again. They are buried in Lower Cape Albert, NB. My greatgrandparents were born in 1828 and 1838. I don't know if there respective parents were born in your country or in Scotland.

I will get to see dear Kodi in September and somehow goddesstogo I truly feel you and I will be able to meet in person. Kodi has my email so if you like obtain it from her as I would love to hear from you!

Best regards to all of you along with wishes that you have many more GTG's.

Hi all!

Just arrived home and wanted to thank you for organizing such a successful event. It was so much fun. We werent sure what to expect, but it was the best!.

It was so nice to meet such a warm and wonderful group of like minded travel lovers. Put our names down for next year!
And I cant wait to see pics as I only took one or two.

And thanks Katie for the bags and books. We won the African Safari book and as we are leaving in six weeks it will come in most handy!

Marilyn #2 & Bill

First, about New Brunswick.
RE>Lower Cape Albert, NB<

Perhaps using a more accurate name might help research. It is Lower Cape, and it in in Albert County. That splitting of the community name from the county name might help seaarch engines.

In New Brunswick there's more reference to the county, as in "Let's drive down to Albert County" than I've seen elsewhere in Canada, except in realtion to Prince Edward County, in Ontario.

Lower Cape is next door to fame; when you see those famouse flower-pot like earth sculptures fromed by the tides at Hopewell, New Brunswick... well, Lower Cape is just behind the photogapher, if he is facing downriver.

Those are sure old great grandparents -- they probably took boats on the river, leaving and arriving at wharfs built my greatgrandfather, and travelled over bridges he built. He was born in 1844 in Ireland, and moved to Albert County sometime later, and raised my grandmother and her two sisters mostly in Hopewell Hill.

Albert County, for the curious is on the more or less east side of the Petticodiac River, from Moncton down to the Bay of Fundy and Fundy National Park.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT
Fine people and fine food, and a fine Fodor's tote bag.

Much of my time was spent learning about high school, 2008, on behalf of our son, who starts in a few weeks.

Excellent advice from several teachers, and the boy has already been working today on getting his brain into shape for the school year. Today's practise math question, in honor of last night, related to how much the gas costs to go to Montreal with his mother. And we've looked up Gambo on the Newfoundland map, and held a geographiy-based discussion of driving from Gambo to Toronto.

So, and educational night even for a kid who was not there.

BAK

BAK

My thanks to those who took the time and trouble to make last evening such a memorable experience. My thoughts duplicate others who have posted in the last few hours. A pleasure to meet each and everyone of you. Lovely to hear of your travel experiences. Thank you for the kind comments about the Eurotrip trip report. I was inspired by many of you and I return the compliment collectively to last night's group and the Fodor chat group for their inspiration.

Thank you Marilyn and Richard for hosting in the loft. It was a wonderful way to end the evening. By the way, a great location for supper. I hope to return to the Hot House in the near future.

Please put my name down for next year.