Tag Archives: Toronto

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.

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Central Park Toronto style?

Sightseeing, ,

I never would have believed that I could come close to the sense of relaxed wellbeing I associate with the Greek Islands as a city dweller!

Originally a sandbar, the Toronto Islands were Ojibwa sacred land – a way has yet to be established to honour this history in today’s Canada.  Toronto’s city fathers acquired title to the land from the Federal Government  in 1867 to provide Toronto with its own playground to rival New York’s Central Park.

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Why Canada? (A quote from ideaCity)

Why Canada?, ,

Canadian novelist and cultural commentator Douglas Coupland was at a restaurant on Queen Street East a few weeks ago. He was invited to answer the question “what is the sexiest thing about Canada?”

His response was

That we have a future!

Although Canadians often seem quite critical of themselves and their country, living in Toronto I genuinely do have a very strong sense of a country with a future!

Holidaying at home

Leisure, our home, , , , ,

We are enjoying a glorious, sunny Victoria Day weekend here in Toronto.

Probably the one thing we haven’t done since we arrived is to just ‘chill’ around our home.  After too long doing too many wonderful things, we decided we needed a rest cure.  What I can’t quite get over is really being able to feel as if we are on holiday whilst staying at home!

Yesterday’s long, lazy brunch at Quigleys on Queen Street gave way to an afternoon on the Balmy Beach, which more than lived up to its name!

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A cool breeze comes up off the water as the never-crowded shore plays host to beachcombers, a guitarist on the rocks, canoeists, games of volleyball. . . In the background  there is a gentle but ceaseless flow of promenaders along Boardwalk. Further back again, in the shade of trees now summer-green, cyclists and roller-bladers make speedier progress along the  Martin Goodman trail.

Paul in hammock on our balcony

This morning we breakfasted on our balcony, looking out at the trees and gardens of the street behind our house.  Paul is now ensconced in the hammock. Later we will head for the beach again, taking an evening pic-nic with us. Tonight the skies over Ashbridge’s Bay will explode with multi-coloured stars in Celebration of Canada’s historical and current ties with Britain.