this doggy went to market

 

Toronto, Ontario

5.13.2016

to park or not to park?

that is the question:

 whether tis nobler to suffer the fines of outrageous misfortune,

and to bear those ills rather than to park where we know not of?

 

From atop the red double-decker sight-seeing bus, I didn't have to worry about parking.

Toronto, Ontario

5.13.2016 



loose moose

 

The Loose Moose Bar was touted as the place to go in Toronto. That proved true on a Sunday afternoon when the Toronto Raptors where playing Miami Heat in the semi-finals -- the place was packed.  It was apparent that I was several decades too old for the crowd so I went next door to Canyon Creek where the ambiance was more subdued and the decibel levels lower.

 

Loose Moose

Toronto, Ontario

5.14.2016



Osgoode Hall fence

 

From Queen Street it looks like a typical iron fence but once inside the parklike grounds of Osgoode Hall, the intricate and ornate supports for the fence are noted.  Osgoode Hall is a Toronto heritage site representing the judicial institution in Ontario and is an excellent example of Neoclassical style -- but the fence was my favorite part.  The Fence and Gates were erected by the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1867.  To enter the grounds one must maneuver through the "kissing gates"-- two panels in a V shape with a small opening at the narrow end.  If another person where passing through the in the opposite direction, at one point they directly faced each other, providing a kissable moment.  A more mundane story calls them "cow gates"; however, there weren't many meandering cows in downtown Toronto in the mid-1860s! 

 

Osgoode Hall

Toronto, Ontario

5.16.2016

distillery dodge

 

Leave it to me to find a rusty, old truck in trendy Toronto. The Distillery District housed Canada's largest distillery from 1832 to 1991.  Then the brick and stone buildings were turned into shops, galleries and restaurants.  The leftover Dodge was kept as an industrial art installation.  The brick background is a contrast to the weedy pastures where I usually find old trucks!. 

Distillery Historic District
Toronto, Ontario
5.14.2016

peony

the audience

 

The Audience is a set of two original sculptural art installations placed on the northeast and northwest corners of the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays. The exuberant fans, created by  Canadian artist Michael Snow, greet visitors with variations of fan behavior.  During my visit to Toronto, I resembled the photographer, with camera glued to face.  I became an exuberant fan of Toronto.

 

 

Rogers Centre

Toronto, Ontario

5.16.2016



you are here

 

With this morning's sunshine, droves of people in tour buses descended upon Phillips Square to have their photo taken (often with a selfie stick) at the Toronto sign.  Installed in 2015 for the Pan-American Games. the sign proved so popular that it's now permanent.  There are red  footprints indicating the best places to stand and people are encouraged to share at #share3DTO (if you're into that!).

 

Phillips Square

Toronto, Ontario

union station

 

We arrived in Toronto at Union Station after taking the express train from the airport.  Today I traveled from Union Station on the subway.  Union Station opened in 1927 and boasts of a Great Hall.  Unfortunately during my visit the Great Hall was undergoing revitalization and was filled with scaffolding and draping.  It was a major disappointment. 

 

Union Station

Toronto, ONT

 

 



flatiron building

 

The flatiron building wedged between Front Street and Wellington Street is a historic landmark of Toronto.  The Gooderham Building was completed in 1892.  Today it is surrounded by skyscrapers of the Financial District.

Toronto skyline

 

The Toronto skyline is dominated by the CN Tower, highest in the western hemisphere, and the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.  The city is impressive from a boat ride on Lake Ontario.  The flight paths of the Billy Bishop City Airport, ninth busiest in Canada, descend over Toronto to land on an island.

 



king street

 

After a relatively uneventful trip, we arrived in Toronto about dusk.  A stroll in the Entertainment District found a delightful Italian restaurant La Fenice.  We sat and watched the activities along King Street.

 

King Street

Toronto, Ontario