Category Archives: Toronto

Death by Chocolate

Food, Toronto, , , ,

Cafe Maroc cake platter
Spring rolls, burgers and chips and cake (all chocolate!) at MoRoCo

 

Took in the ice festival in Yorkville today and, as the ice sculptures began to drip in the thaw, indulged ourselves at MoRoCo – afternoon tea with a difference; definitely not English tea-room style.

Slightly tongue-in-cheek,  definitely camp, but in the best way, it felt distinctly decadent and definitely fun (if decidedly expensive, but we are talking Yorkville prices)! The sipping chocolate alone was ludicrously rich, and the shared platter of cakes was to die for (good thing our cholesterol and sugar levels are healthy!). The spring rolls, served hot, contained, chocolate, banana and just a hint of peanut butter in a fine pastry case, served with a caramel dip.  The ‘ketchup’ for the shortbread ‘chips’ (light as anything) was raspberry coulis.

 

Hot town, summer in the city . . .

Art & culture, Festivals, Leisure, Toronto, , , , ,

Beaches Jazz vignettes;

three guys wield corn-cobs in impromptu funky dance routine, ‘come buy’ . . .
salseros so tuned to each other that they almost dance as one . . .magic harp, now vividly blue, now pink – the coloured light cuts through the falling night . . . a watery halo behind darkly silhouetted trees as the moon clambers through the clouds . . . young couple dance close – in what the singer aptly describes as a ‘jazz love-in’ – but one hand rocks the stroller, connecting with their wide-eyed infant.

Continue reading Hot town, summer in the city . . . →

Canada Day 2010 (1st July)

Festivals, Leisure, Toronto, Why Canada?, , , , ,

We celebrated our second Canada Day in Canada as landed immigrants yesterday! (Yes, I know we didn’t move here till October, but we were here this time last year on our prospecting visit and to go through the formal landing process). It definitely felt like a milestone.

Continue reading Canada Day 2010 (1st July) →

The Danforth in Art

Art & culture, Community, Toronto, , , , , , , , ,

‘What is this place?’ This was the question posed by Art of the Danforth during the last week of April.

Organized by an independent group of locally based individuals, this new community art walk between Greenwood and Woodbine is rooted in a belief in the power of art to cut across divisions and draw people together.

East Danforth’s population includes an above average percentage of artists and Art of the Danforth certainly showcased some amazing talent. But it also provided a potent reminder that creativity and art belong to all of us.

(Excerpt from an article I have just written for Local Magazine)

We have both been very involved in Art of the Danforth as volunteers since November – it’s been fabulous to be part of something like this that really is conducive to neighbourhood regeneration through the arts. And we’ve met so many amazing people!

Here are my photos from the event that I uploaded to Flickr  – you can see more on the Art of the Danforth Group Flickr page or read about specific artists and installations on the Art of the Danforth website.

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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!