A visit to Wychwood Farmers Market was a feast for the eyes. Beets in every colour, fresh bright greens.
There were many kinds of mushrooms
And prepared food - everything from these unique sushis to gluten free baked goods. Chocolate, cookies, sausages, - everything fresh.
Even flowers were featured. And then a visit to Baker and Scone.
I met my sister-in-law along with her husband and my son and we had a delightful meal together. I learned some of the back story about the film; we updated each other on family and reminisced about past events.
Then back to the airport for a flight home. Billy Bishop airport (on Toronto Island) is just off downtown Toronto. Now there is a tunnel under the short stretch of water; in the past one had to take a two minute ferry ride. The views as the plane taxis to the runway are quite something. An amazing couple of days!
Wow what a day! Full of emotion, of beauty, of joy, of strong connections.
The day started when my friend and I met up with my son at the AGO to see the Lauren Harris exhibit. My son loves art; he had done a project over 20 years ago when he was in grade six on Lauren Harris. We were both most familiar with the work he did when he was part of the Group of Seven.
His early work surprised me - impressionist paintings of Toronto including a number that depicted the poverty and poor housing in the Ward district of the city, an area that was razed to make way for the newer City Hall.
While we were more familiar with his paintings of Canada's north, it was still inspiring to be among so many canvases and to see his development as he found his voice as an artist. This one of Lake Superior is a small example of his use of colour and light.
a quote on one of the walls:
It was an ever clearer and deeply moving experience of oneness with the spirit of the whole land. It was this spirit that dictated, guided and instructed us how the land should be painted. (Lauren Harris)
His paintings have become an iconic view of the Canadian landscape. I was so glad to have seen this exhibit.
My son and I parted until later and my friend and I met up with our mutual friend for lunch and then a walk through Cabbagetown and the Cabbagetown Craft Festival - many booths filled with hand made jewellery, items made of textiles, food (bottled salsas, chocolate, spice mixes...), soaps, ceramics, wood objects and more. I kept my wallet carefully zipped away from my temptation to buy. I only had a carry-on suitcase and I did not want it any heavier!
There are some lovely buildings in Cabbagetown (we saw a sketch of the one next door to this in the Harris exhibition). The area was originally inhabited by poor Irish; in the seventies it started to be gentrified and is now quite a desirable neighbourhood, though there are also public housing projects.
And a delightful "Little Library" - too bad I didn't have my pile of books that I am about to donate to the local library book sale.
But the highlight of the day after the wonderful beginning described above is what came next. I knew we had "general admission" tickets. My son and I waited in line to get in to Roy Thompson Hall. Once in we were directed to the section indicated on our tickets (section but not specific seat). My son noticed my sister-in-law first in the very same section (two rows ahead of where we sat). Not only were our tickets comps, but they were intentionally in the same small section as her (and the director of the film, the actors, others who had worked on the film...). This was beyond my wildest dreams. We sat there wide-eyed, practically giggling. The wonders of six degrees of separation and the internet to make this happen.
To top it off was the film, itself: A United Kingdom. Here's the trailer.
I loved the film and would recommend it to anyone. It is a true story (somewhat condensed due to the necessity of film). These were remarkable people who made history not through war and aggression but by standing up for what was right.
And to be able to hug my sister-in-law afterwards (as tears streamed down my face), to have dinner with my son afterwards and to know he had managed this for me - what a gift! It doesn't get much better than this. Sometimes the stars align.
A whirlwind visit to Toronto, planned at almost the last minute. I boarded a plane and off I went. My son drove as he was going to be staying a little longer. Here we are pulling away from Montreal.
This idea for thee trip started with a conversation with my son about the Lauren Harris exhibit at the AGO which he wanted to see and it was closing soon. I thought I would like to see it, too. Another piece in the puzzle was a posting by my niece about a film. It looked like it was the one based on her mother's book, Colour Bar, though the name of the film was different. So I did some research and discovered it was being premiered at TIFF at exactly the time I could manage a short trip to Toronto, but it would be next to impossible to get tickets.
My son went into action. He posted on Facebook that he wanted to take his mother to the film - could anyone help him get tickets. Through the miracles of social media where one person knows another he informed me that he had two complimentary tickets waiting for him at the box office. So I was off to Toronto to stay with friends, to visit the Lauren Harris exhibit, to see the film and to try to see my sister-in-law (who lives in London but who was in for the premiere and was going to be busy with official business around the film). Head in the clouds!
It was wonderful to be with my friends. One I had just seen at CAMMAC (that's how we know each other) and the other I had last seen when they both stayed with me for the Baroque Festival. Dinner in a lovely Italian restaurant was delightful. Time to chat, time to catch up, time to catch my breath.
Toronto is not that far from Montreal (about 500 km or 350 mi) but the architecture is quite different. Houses in the older parts of Toronto tend to be very close together, often to the point that it is a tight squeeze between them. Another common characteristic is the front porch. In Montreal, row housing is more common in certain areas with outdoor staircases. I featured some samples here.
As we walked in this neighbourhood we came across one house which was not typical of Toronto. A simple home had been decorated like a frosted wedding cake. They were trying to transplant their Greek heritage. But frankly it was over the top! It was topped with statuary like fancy frosting. There is no accounting for taste.
Today I had lunch at the restaurant in Osgoode Hall in Toronto. What a treat! This is the restaurant of the Ontario Law Society. The decor is from another era. The great hall in which it is located is lined with legal books. Dishes, necessary to the restaurant perch on the shelves beside them.
Large stained glass windows are located above the shelving letting light into the room. It is not uncommon to see lawyers in their robes, dining here as the courts are also located in this building. We took the opportunity to wander around part of the building, enjoying all the architectural details. The Great Library is a jewel - with an ornate ceiling and beautiful etched class windows.
Here is a wood carving from the Barristers' Lounge - my hommage to the Year of the Dragon. I certainly hope to go back and explore more. It is an amazing historical building.
Oh- and the food was fantastic - lobster bisque, Arctic char, a crepe filled with bananas and served with ice cream with pistachios, wonderfully brewed coffee - a feast.
I like the geometry of this overpass. Many triangles give strength. I well remember Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome which was the US pavilion. Its many triangles created the dome. The structure still stands on St. Helen's Island, though a fire destroyed the shell. It now contains a museum devoted to the environment.
Porter Airlines makes flying pleasant. They have small planes which fly from Billy Bishop Airport on Toronto Island. This is the view from the window as I was approaching the check-in area. I've written about Porter before.
A free shuttle takes you from downtown to a ferry on which a three minute ride takes you to Toronto Island. No long lines as the planes are small and security, while thorough is not unpleasant. The lounge is comfortable, with free wi-fi, a "business centre" with computers for use by anyone and a cafe area provides free drinks, coffee, teas, cookies and other snacks. You feel like a person, not like cattle, which is more the case in larger airports.
Sitting in my hotel room I heard sound outside my room. This pigeon was strutting back and forth on the railing of the balcony, puffing himself up. Not sure who he was putting on this display for.
I had originally thought of taking this photograph without the pigeon - I liked the reflections in the windows I was facing. Maybe the pigeon did too.
Not the greatest picture (taken from the window of a restaurant across the street) - but an interesting concept. On the wall is video from Montreal. On this side are passersby from Toronto. The Montrealers can see the people from Toronto. Over the next few days there are activities scheduled - from charades to tai chi. More info from Facebook
I go to Toronto a few times a year and each time I am astounded by the number of tall buildings. Montreal is not a small city (over 3.5 million in the Greater Montreal area) but because of our "mountain" there is a limit on the height of buildings. Toronto seems to like to build high. Across from our hotel they are building a 50 story condominium. Not only is the height sky high, but the prices are too. Toronto is a business city. Montreal is a little more laid back.
In Toronto you see a lot of food carts - most are selling sausages of many varieties. This one stood out, both for its name and its offerings. We don't have these in Montreal - there is no selling of food on the streets, other than on terrasses as part of a restaurant. Part of the fun of going to a different city is to see how things are done differently.
Our stay in Toronto has been a time of catching up with family and friends. Tonight we meet with our fellow travellers and tomorrow early we take off for Greenland. We'll be spending 10 days on a ship with wildlife, photography and cultural experts. I'm pushing myself a bit out of my comfort zone. We'll be spending part of our days in the Arctic on zodiacs. We're repacking our bags, putting the clothes for the heat at the bottom of the luggage and preparing our carry on baggage with warm clothes for arrival. Once in Greenland we will be boarding zodiacs to get to our ship, so warm, waterproof clothes are needed. As we won't see our main luggage until we get into our cabin, we need to have our warm clothes ready to put on. Although temperature on land is forecast to be a pleasant 17C (about 62F), temperature travelling in the zodiacs will be quite different. So my hand luggage includes a hat, gloves, neck warmer, waterproof pants sweater and jacket. This adventure will take us part way up the coast of Greenland, across to Baffin Island (in Canada) and up north as far as Resolute Bay. (74°42'N. ). Then we get flown to Edmonton and on to the next leg of our adventure. I'm apprehensive but mainly excited. I plan to write every day – photograph a lot – after all, we'll have 24 hours of daylight and will probably be posting everything only when we get to Edmonton. I'm expecting to see many beautiful sights. I hope I'm up to the challenge of getting the photos.
I came across this statue in Queen's Park and was struck by the sense of aggrandizement. I didn't stop to read the name - I've seen this kind of statue before. It's almost always a man, larger than life, placed so we have to look up to him. It's one way people strive for immortality. As I walk through Toronto (as in other cities) there are buildings named for major donors. Here too is a quest for leaving a lasting legacy. While it is interesting to see from a historical perspective, I wish there was more celebration of ordinary lives. Social history intrigues me more than learning about monarchs and wars and the indescribably rich.
We took the subway up to meet Paul's father for dinner. At the Bayview station we came upon some interesting art work. At first it looked like splotches of black on the tiles. Viewed from the right spot the splotches formed images – a dog, an insect, a ladder.... The work is by Panya Clark Espinal. According to a plaque, 24 images were projected onto the architecture. Viewed from the spot at which they were originally projected, you can see the form; viewed from another angle – just playful splotches.
The distorted image on the right is the dog.
Perspective is everything.
City smells – traffic and smog and other malodours. The sky wears a hazy coat. The fresh Arctic air is beckoning – not long now.
This year is coming to an end and I thought I would stop and reflect on the experience.
There have been days when it has been difficult to take photographs - those days when the monotony of every day life doesn't seem to provide opportunity for finding something unique. Like others, I would go scrambling around my house looking for something I had not yet shared and a story to go with it.
I found myself often, in Walter Mitty style, drifting off into stories as my eyes focused on an interesting sight (sights I might have overlooked in the past). Yet sometimes it was only as I sat poised to write that the story actually made itself clear to me. I have enjoyed the writing which has somewhat surprised me.
As the year went on I felt more and more comfortable trying on different genres of writing, from fact to fiction to poetry. I don't think I would have gone public with some of this writing in the past. The encouragement of my audience and the sense of having an audience made me more willing to share and dare to write in new ways. I thank all of you who made that possible.
I have built relationships with new virtual friends and feel both through your responses to my photographs and work and through reading and viewing your posts I have grown to know you and treasure what you bring to my day, visual feasts, surprises. Through your eyes I have learned new ways of seeing. Through your words I have savoured your use of language to express ideas and feelings and have had much food for thought. I never quite expected to care so much about people I have never met.
My life has been made richer by opening my eyes to see the unique in the ordinary, to look beyond the surface and by making each moment an adventure in seeing. I have found stories I thought I had forgotten and learned from what I saw as my interest was piqued to look for more information to share.
I have been thinking of my participation in 2010. Here are my thoughts - I will continue to photograph, though I don't think I'll pressure myself to do a daily photo. If the day is such that nothing presents itself, there will be no more 11:30 pm treasure hunts through my house. I will try to write at least once a week. I cannot give up this experience or the network of incredible people this has led me to.
And for now - as the days get shorter, my camera will always be handy -25 days to go.
This giant doorway at Union Station in Toronto speaks of another era - a time when train travel was an adventure to faraway places. It was the railway that tied our country together. People got dressed up for their voyages and stations "spoke" of the importance of the event. Now commuter trains are a daily reality for many but the long distance trips play a lessor role as airplanes have taken over. Today we left Toronto by train; no-one wore their "travel clothes." There was no formality.
The theme for this month is doorways and windows. Exits and entrances. I rarely write highly personal information in my blog. But November 18 represents a life altering change in my life. My first husband died 27 years ago. His exit was the beginning of a new life for me as I walked through the doorway into single parenting and singleness. I had to learn to really stand on my own feet, to become (as my father once put it) fiercely independent. It was a long journey as I grew to be who I am today.
This is always a day when I take stock of my life, where I take some time to reflect on the trip I have taken. Sometimes we are forced through doors into unexplored territories. The challenge is to make these unexpected voyages into adventures where we expand our horizons and grow through new knowledge. While the trip so far has had its share of fear, discontent and discomfort it has also been replete with new friendships, joy, discovery and opportunities. Many more doors to go through, many more trips to take.....
Toronto spreads and keeps spreading. What always surprises me is just how far from the centre there are still office towers and tall apartment buildings. A number of them are mirror-like, interesting to see but a hazard for birds who see what seems to be the continuation of the sky. I found a number of articles all stating that up to 5 per cent of birds are killed this way.
At one point I had one window in my house that was tinted so I could work without the sun glare. In daytime it was like a one way mirror. From the outside you could not see in. At one point a young cardinal kept coming back to perch on the window ledge, occasionally pecking at its image. Unbeknownst to him, my two cats were watching him from inside, no farther than the thickness of the glass. After a couple of weeks he stopped coming. My cats had to find another source of amusement. No birds were killed taking this photograph!
There has to be a story behind this, but I certainly don't know what it is. We pass this house in Toronto frequently when we are there. Each time I gawk at the odd assortment of statues on the lawn. I try to imagine what went behind the choice but have yet to come up with a plausible answer. Anyone out there? Would you group these together on your lawn? I would love to know the story.
I spent much of the day at the Art Gallery of Ontario admiring both the art and the architecture. The original structure was enlarged by Toronto born architect, Frank Gehry and I was curious to see what he had done. I am not crazy about what it looks like on the outside - too much mirror and steel, but inside was full of the warmth of wood, with an organic staircase spiraling up, beautiful flowing wood benches where you could sit and admire the work (and they were comfortable too). This galleria was beautiful. It felt a bit like being in the hull of a ship under construction. The only art in there were wood pieces of sculpture.
I loved the way Gehry incorporated windows into some of the galleries. It was almost like looking at an ever changing piece of art.
As to the art, I lingered over the Impressionists and spent a lot of time in the Canadian art galleries. The Group of Seven is extremely well represented. Their landscapes speak to me. There were discoveries, some contemporary art that puzzled me and some conversations with other visitors to the gallery. And finally, in a state of visual overload, I went back out onto the street.
Yet another trip to Toronto - this one planned. I flew on Porter Airlines, a small regional carrier that gives wonderful service. As I sat back in the leather seats, I was served a complimentary glass of wine in an actual glass. The planes are all turboprop, so they don't fly as high as the jets, which means, the view on a cloudless day is quite lovely. Shortly after takeoff, I took this picture looking down on the north-west part of Montreal Island.
As it happened my seatmate was also in education so the wine (and sandwich) was accompanied by good conversation. Flying in to Toronto I caught this shot.
