Off to Toronto

Photos: September 8, 2016

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.

Looking Down

Looking Down, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

A travel day - taxi to subway, subway to Union Station, Porter shuttle to ferry terminal, ferry to Toronto Island (3 minutes), plane to Montreal, taxi home. And so good to be home.



Flying from Billy Bishop airport is stress-free. No long lineups at security. I got to the airport early and enjoyed my free cappuccino and cookies. The little touches make flying feel like  a human experience rather than feel like roundup of cattle that get herded through.

Day 155: Up and Away

Day 155|: Up and Away, originally uploaded by susanvg.

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.

Day 82: Another Perspective

Day 82: Another Perspective, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I flew from Toronto back to Montreal today on Porter airlines - in one of its turboprop planes. The sky was perfectly clear and the view to the ground was only obstructed by parts of the wing and propeller. The snow is receding quickly as the sun's rays get stronger. The ice on parts of the rivers and lakes is breaking up. This was taken close to Montreal. Looking down, you can see the patterns of city life - straight streets and houses lined up like soldiers. The river has a more organic shape, widening and narrowing along its path.

Views like this change your perspective and remind you to stand back and look at the bigger picture. So often we are involved in the little details of life, get bogged down in the daily trivialities and forget to focus on the big things that really count.