"The present we know is only a movie of the past"
Niagara
December 2001
The most famous waterfall in the world and the self styled honeymoon capital of the world.
The river Niagara flows at over 35 miles an hour; it's a huge resource generating hydro electricity for Ontario and New York. It is a part of the great lakes water systems and the river flows between Lake Eerie and Lake Ontario.
There are two falls, the American Falls and the much larger Horseshoe Falls in Canada, which is 180 feet high and something like 6,000,000 cubic feet of water passes over it every minute.
People really do try to cross it on tightropes or crash over it in barrels and jet skis and canoes often losing their lives in the process.
The most famous of these was Blondin who in the 19th century made numerous crossings on a tightrope, once carrying his manager on his back but he also did it blindfold and even carrying a small stove and cooking an omelette en route.
It was a woman, Annie Taylor, the 'Queen of the Mist' who made the first trip over the falls in a barrel.
Interestingly the settlement here was first populated by English sympathisers fleeing retribution after the American Revolution
Less well known is that it was also the site of a famous and bloody battle between the Americans and the combined Canadian and British forces when America tried to invade and occupy Canada in 1812.
Changed days then for our visit.
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