All posts by Gina

Riding the Martin Goodman Trail

Leisure, Toronto, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Took my new bike out for a spin along the lake shore this evening – fabulous!

I am neither particularly competent nor particularly competent as a cyclist.  Additionally, I have had some issues with my back for a number of years. So we have splashed out on a power assisted Schwinn bike which we managed to catch at the half-price point at Canadian Tire (by explanation for non-Canadians, Canadian Tire are one of a number of stores that publish a weekly flyer featuring significant bargains if you are prepared to watch and wait!).  This is like having a security blanket – I know that if I get tired or feel a bit insecure I can cut the electric motor in, and it’s great for starting off!

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Shore reflections

So, for now, it’s goodbye skating, hello cycling!

There are lots of trails to explore within Toronto, as well as numerous Provincial Parks further afield. This means that, for now, I can enjoy the exercise and beautiful surroundings, without having to brave the traffic.  It would be nice, though, to be confident enough at least to ride down to the shore rather than load the bikes on the car, though I will be very glad of the battery to get me back up the hill if I ever reach this stage!

My first published article in Canada!

Art & culture, Community, , ,

is included in the March/April edition of surface & symbol, the newsletter of Scarborough Arts Council (see page 4).

As I have previously mentioned in the blog, we have been volunteering for Art of the Danforth, a community arts walk scheduled for the end of April.  When I was approached to write this article, given the nature of the publication, I was asked to try to go a bit further than the ‘what, when and where’. This gave me a wonderful excuse to talk to some of the many interesting people involved in the project!

Gorging on culture

Leisure, Museums & galleries, , ,

Another cultural feast – art and theatre to nourish the soul!

Taking in an opening at the AGO last Wednesday, we particularly responded to Anselm Kiefer’s Palmsonntag (Palm Sunday)

“a monumental installation consisting of a 30-foot-long palm tree cast in fiberglass and resin, its roots clotted with mud, surrounded by a cycle of 44 large paintings encased in glass and framed in lead. Overwhelming in scale and sweeping in content, Palmsonntag conveys the operatic scope of Kiefer’s creative enterprise that crosses through spiritual, religious and mythical cultural territory.”

There was something very beautiful about both the individual panels and the whole and the sense of spirit shone through even before one read the background!

I’ve been reading Robertson Davies, one of Canada’s literary icons, for years, but happened to be reaching the end of the Deptford Trilogy when I spotted a poster at our local library for a three night run of this one man show. It was being staged at Hart House , a beautiful old theatre at the heart of the university, just round the corner from Massey College where Davies reigned as Master. It seemed silly not to check if there were still tickets . . .

Davies’ speaks with a voice that is both acerbic and wise, as well as very witty.  As the Times put it in his obituary, he ‘encompassed all the great elements of life…His novels combined deep seriousness and psychological inquiry with fantasy and exuberant mirth.’ This one man show, put together entirely from his writing and lectures,  was both stimulating and entertaining!

There is no nonsense so gross that society will not, at some time, make a doctrine of it and defend it with every weapon of communal stupidity. Roberton Davies

The Briars

Sightseeing, ,

The Briars

I don’t think we could have made a better choice for our first weekend break out of Toronto than The Briars on Lake Simcoe – a beautiful, historical home in a glorious setting, offering fab food, memorable massages and the opportunity to do as much or as little as you feel like.

Lovely to stay somewhere that has belonged to a single family, the Sibbalds, since the nineteenth century.  It has also long been a resort in the classic North American tradition, with cottages and golf course.

Watching Canada win the Olympic hockey alongside staff and family members on a big screen in the great hall (and, on Sunday afternoon, we were the only remaining guests!) felt very personal and special. We were even treated to celebratory champagne alongside yet another excellent meal that evening.

Redolent with the family’s history, the Briars also has literary links. Both Stephen Leacock and Mazo de la Roche had cottages locally and both are buried at St George’s Anglican Church at Sibbald point – apparently the Briars is recognisable in some of de la Roche’s descriptions.

Stephen Leacock Leacock Cottage Mazo de la Roche - gravestone

For us, arriving after heavy snow on Friday, it was truly wonder-full to walk (wade) along the woodland trails, finally experiencing a real taste of Canadian winter.

On the sleigh Winter woods Snow angel

You can see the full collection of photos from out trip to Lake Simcoe and the Briars in the Sightseeing section of this site.