The first thing I noticed about Toronto was how green it was! Lilacs in full bloom with tree lined streets, beds of bearded iris and corner stores selling hanging baskets of geraniums and flats of snapdragons or marigolds. 
The next thing I noticed was how many churches there were and old ivy-covered buildings made of bricks as I wandered the University of Toronto camps near Queen's Circle. 
Toronto has a fairly large population from India & Pakistan with many shops and restaurants like this on Gerrard Street; tikka houses, fabric and sari shops - even paan shops! 
Leslieville with it's wonderful mid-century furniture stores, bakeries with home-made cupcakes and this lamp store was one of my favorite areas.
Toronto has a fairly large population from India & Pakistan with many shops and restaurants like this on Gerrard Street; tikka houses, fabric and sari shops - even paan shops! Leslieville with it's wonderful mid-century furniture stores, bakeries with home-made cupcakes and this lamp store was one of my favorite areas.
Allen Gardens was still very beautiful (and free) - the glass conservatory filled with trees and flowers, a koi pond, fountain and a friendly gardener like Mr. Greenjeans on Captain Kangaroo.
This was Monteith Avenue where I stayed in a little B&B - I love these old heritage houses.
The CN Tower is the beacon one looks for to check your bearings - it evidently has amazing views and a restaurant up there! I took this in front of the Ontario College of Art on McCaul Street. I'd gone to check out the Henry Moore sculptures at the Ontario Art Gallery but it was closed till November while a new wing by Canadian architect Frank Gehry was being added.
A few days later I visited the Art Gallery of Hamilton with my brother Miles to see the iconic painting Horse & Train by Canadian artist Alex Colville but it was in the vault till November so I had to settle for a wonderful book about his work and a giclee print . I first saw this image on the cover of a Bruce Cockburn album called Night Vision and fell in love with it.
When the Henry Moores were unable to be viewed I remembered a sculpture by him called The Archer in front of the "new" City Hall a few blocks away and I was not disappointed. The City Hall is a great building I think with fountains in summer and and ice skating rink in the winter.
This was Monteith Avenue where I stayed in a little B&B - I love these old heritage houses.
The CN Tower is the beacon one looks for to check your bearings - it evidently has amazing views and a restaurant up there! I took this in front of the Ontario College of Art on McCaul Street. I'd gone to check out the Henry Moore sculptures at the Ontario Art Gallery but it was closed till November while a new wing by Canadian architect Frank Gehry was being added.
A few days later I visited the Art Gallery of Hamilton with my brother Miles to see the iconic painting Horse & Train by Canadian artist Alex Colville but it was in the vault till November so I had to settle for a wonderful book about his work and a giclee print . I first saw this image on the cover of a Bruce Cockburn album called Night Vision and fell in love with it.When the Henry Moores were unable to be viewed I remembered a sculpture by him called The Archer in front of the "new" City Hall a few blocks away and I was not disappointed. The City Hall is a great building I think with fountains in summer and and ice skating rink in the winter. Who could possibly resist this wonderful mug on my way out to the Queen St. East beaches?
It was a wonderful trip to visit my friends and see my family - Leonard Cohen was amazing in concert by the way!
It was a wonderful trip to visit my friends and see my family - Leonard Cohen was amazing in concert by the way!
1 comment:
Always so neat to see "our" city through a different set of eyes
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