OMG! Propellers!

Ok... I knew the plane was small. Only 20 seats. But I was expecting at least a turbo prop. But, no. For me, at least, there's a big leap from intellectually knowing it's a small plane to the reality of HOW small a plane it actually is. Yeah... this small.

 There were only 5 passengers (including us) and 2 crew members (both in the cockpit), so there were a lot of empty seats. Well... 15 or so.

 For those who are nerd-inclined, this is the breed of beast.

It was bumpy, since we were barely skimming the clouds, but we survived. The pilot took my picture with the plane. Yes, the pilot.

 Now we're sitting in Pearson International Airport awaiting the departure (and probably also the arrival) of our magic carpet to Munich. Still, I'm glad I changed the reservation. I don't think I would have been able to make a 1-hour connection. It was a long walk from the boondocks to the international terminal.

When we finally got to the gate area, we passed through this interesting structure... kind of like through the belly of the whale. I'm not sure what, if anything, it symbolizes. It felt kind of like being swallowed by the airport.

 Eating is always a good way to fill the time when one is waiting. I decided to actually try poutine. When in in Rome and all that. This one had pulled pork and carmelized onions added, making it gourmet poutine.

There was apparently a juried jewelry competition in Toronto with superstition as the 2012 theme. Some (or perhaps all) of the entries were on display. This piece reflecting "knocking on wood" was the first to catch my eye.

 There was also an adorable voodoo doll.

And this more conventional piece is meant to represent worry stones.

We still have a few more hours to kill, but I think we've seen pretty much all there is to see. We're not allowed to leave the gate area, so our explorations are limited. At least tomorrow, after our own personal "shortest night of the year" will bring lots of opportunity for new sights and adventures.

'Til then.