An athlete shown working with a kettleball was the surprise  above my bed at the Le Germain in Toronto 

In the 6-by-3-foot black-and-white photo above my bed, a reclining man’s bare chest, arms and bulging triceps lifted an obviously heavy black kettlebell. Although at first disconcerted, I became fond of the brawny athlete over my head during my weekend stay at Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square. But I never learned his name.
I was in Toronto to check out the Canadian city’s hockey passion. Read about it Feb. 9.
The Air Canada Centre, just opposite the Le Germain, is home to both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors, so the hotel had those teams’ athletes photographed at exercise by shooter Matthew Plexman to display in its rooms.
My room overlooked Maple Leaf Square, where crowds were gathered on the plaza to watch the National Basketball Association’s Toronto Raptors on the 50-foot screen mounted above the Centre’s entrance. I could watch the game from my room if I wanted.
The entire width of that room was filled with a window, above a room-wide birch vanity for desk, fridge, and mini-bar. The window’s three layers of dressings, including a black-out shade, an opaque off-white shade, and a white linen drapery allowed plenty of light or none at all. One window opened to admit the fresh Lake Ontario breezes from the Great Lake three blocks to the south.
The shower — glass on three sides — had  Venetian blinds on room and hall sides. I didn’t close them because my opaque room shades were drawn when I showered so my privacy was protected from those in the offices and parking garage opposite on Maple Leaf Square.
Black slate walls and floor coverings gave a modern, almost industrial, feel to my room, but the birch wall opposite the bed held a flat-screen TV, an ice bucket and wine glasses and a hidden-away iron and fold-out ironing board.

Fill water bottles in the hotel's hallway

In the European tradition, breakfast is included for Le Germain guests and is served in a second-floor breakfast room. A coffee maker is in each room, and the hall way had a plexiglas sculpture near the elevator in which green apples resided, to be replaced as they were eaten. A sleek porcelain receptacle in the hallway held fresh sweet water for replenishing water bottles.

Among the room’s many nice touches were water glasses frosted with my room number and bedside light switches with choices of all-on, all-off and ambient selections.
One of the most charming amenities was discovered on my pillow  when I turned in on a Saturday night after a hockey game at the Air Canada Centre. One of the two little boxes held a chocolate morsel, while the other held a pair of ear plugs. They weren’t needed, though, because the room was completely soundproofed from the celebrating crowds outside.

Details: Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square, 75 Bremner Blvd., Toronto: 416-649-7575; www.germainmapleleafsquare.comm.

Despite my best intentions to challenge my fears,I didn't complete the Edgewalk around the top of  Toronto' s CN Tower. I am still trying to determine what made me chicken out at the last minute -but I had an easy out. There was a mistake made in my reservation and when I arrived I learned that they had me down for a tour, not the walk itself. They tried to fit me in, but only six people at a time can actually do the walk and despite the cost being $175, they were sold out. My alternative was to wait for someone who changed his/her mind at the last minute... and while I was there, that didn't happen. I sat in on the briefing and the suiting up for the walk, which is pretty serious since the Tower folks keep safety and security as their highest priortiy. Those intending to walk around the five foot wide rim are given flight suits and shoes if their own aren't suitable for gripping. All jewelry, even wristwatches and pierced earrings,  must be removed, glasses and sunglasses are attached to a cord that is part of the red-orange flight suit, and even barettes must be removed from hair. Long hair must be tied back.Everyone is issued a locker for their belongings. If I had been able to secure a cancellation I would not have been permitted to take my camera or Flipcam video camera out on the platform, nor bring a pen and notebook. They take no chances that anything will fall off.
A safety cord is attached to the back of the flight suit and then to a railing above the walker, who walk to circumference of the Tower more than 1,100 feet above the street.

It was a beautiful sunny day with very little wind. The walkers all seemed to have great resolve with no second thoughts, though I was almost sure a 60 something woman who was doing the walk with her 15 year old grandson was the most likely to cancel. I tried to speak to her, but was discouraged from that by management. Many people do the walk as a special occasion, I was told, doing it as a graduation gift, as the perfect place to propose marriage, or for a milestone birthday. The oldest walker was 90. Once I'd given up hope that someone would change their mind, I was given a great tour, including a visit to a viewing place several stories above the walkers. I leaned way out and tried to get photos of the group that included the mother and grandson. I could see the buildings of Niagara Falls across Lake Ontario, and that cloud on the horizon could have been the Falls spray. The group's guide to the walk wore a video camera and still camera on his hardhat to capture images of each group's walk, which are included in the price. The walk itself takes about a halfhour, but a total of 90 minutes is needed for the briefings and suiting up. I'll have more about the walk and the other wonderful opportunities there are at the CN Tower in the August  Travel section. You'll find out why I think the Tower should be considered a must for every visitor to Toronto. 

Headed for Toronto on Saturday to check out the new Edgewalk, 1,168 feet above the street on top of the CN Tower. My appointment to walk the walk is at 11 a.m. and I hope I don't chicken out. But I'll be taking pictures and shooting video, so it's all good.  The first of its kind attraction harnesses up six folks at a time and attaches them to an overhead safety rail for a half  hour walk around a five foot wide ledge that encircles the deck of the downtown tower. It's sure to include great views of the Toronto Islands and out over Lake Ontario, maybe even to the other side.  Wish me luck and comment here if there's something else you'd like me to check out while I am in town.