I should add GRAVITY to the equation. Niagara Falls is familiar to many of us, mainly through images in books and movies – like Harrison Ford in The Fugitive, Marilyn Monroe in something or rather (an old B&W movie) and the scene on that bridge between Canada and the US in The Untouchables. It’s also one of the world’s honeymoon destinations.

Niagara (split across a border) is a glitzy town too, and according to some National Parks people we talk to, shows the worst of what can happen to a national park through self-interest and desire to make money.

And this is the impression when you walk through parts of the town – on both sides of the border, even though the Canadians consider their’s is the best view of the Falls (they’re right).

Fun parks, MacDonalds, noise, restaurants by the hundreds, hotels big and small and thousands of tourists – everything designed to distract and extract money from one’s pocket.

But nothing prepares you for the real Niagara Falls – their sheer force, their roar as the waters of the Great Lakes pour over the 53m drop, and the mist that soaks and, depending on the wind direction causes a permanent rainfall. The larger Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side are about 790 m wide, while the American Falls are 320 m.

We come to the Canadian side.

I’ve chosed a room with a breathtaking view, right into the Horseshoe Falls and decide on the spot – Niagara Falls is definitely worth making the detour to experience close up.

If you’re like me and you’re curious about how geological features came to be, check out the info in Niagara Falls – it’s all about the power of water over rock – the mightiest, most persistent and enduring force on this earth, maybe?