Blogs from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, North America - page 20

I feel like a bit of a cheat posting a blog for Canada because now a huge part of the map on my profile gets coloured in and I actually only spent four days in this vast land. Though, I did do authentic Canadian things, apparently. When it’s boiling hot in Toronto, everyone heads north a few hours out of town to their cottage in the woods. I’m sure it’s not quite everyone that can do that but that’s what we did. And it was nice. Not quite the wilderness experience I had been led to believe given that there is a road right to the place and a town not far away. However, about a hectare of your own forest and a hundred metres or so of your own river can never be whinged about. ... read more

The Zoomershow is for Baby Boomers in Canada who stay active and 'seize the day'. This is Canada's largest Lifestyle Expo for people over the age of 45 who still look and feel healthy and who live their lives looking for new challenges and ways to help others help themselves. This was the fifth annual Zoomershow, because five years ago someone had the idea to wrap a trade show around the notion of active Baby Boomers who are NOT retired but working towards their Golden Years with a maximum of energy and enthusiasm. Last weekend, October 27, 28 of 2012, the 5th annual Zoomershow consumed the Direct Energy Bldg at Exhibition Place and even Hurricane Sandy which was bearing down on Toronto could not keep fifteen thousand peop... read more

As I write this we are sitting in the Panorama Lounge at Union Station in Toronto, waiting to board our train home! It's been an amazing trip, and we are tired and ready to be home. Our visit to Toronto was cut a bit short, due to Katherine having a severe allergic reaction (read: couldn't breathe) to friend Susan's cats. We had planned to spend three days with Susan, but had to leave her place last night or spend the night on the balcony. Fortunately we were able to find a room at the hostel. But by that time we'd also looked into coming home two days early and booked that. Technically we could have stayed the three days at the hostel, but I think the decision to stay with the early trip back is a ... read more

After a little bit of Internet connectivity while parked in Winnipeg late Tuesday night, we moved into the hinterland. No sign of cell service (and hence Internet) until late this morning, when we began to pull into the greater Toronto area. We switched trains in Toronto this morning, heading for Montreal. The contrast between what we've been seeing outside our window for the past two days and what we are seeing today couldn't be more enormous. Essentially, we've been going through wilderness for two days, and suddenly we are into fully inhabited countriside. Yes, we moved through farmland in eastern Alberta, Saskachewan, and part of western Manitoba, but we rarely saw a farmhouse. If civilization were to disappear suddenly, and you were stranded on the track anywhere along that route, you'd be at the mercy of ... read more

What a way to spend a Sunday – walking aimlessly around the city of Toronto, sipping a drink in a bar on the 51stfloor of a building that gives a 360 view, all before heading to see Jason Mraz and Christina Perri. Waw. The concert was in an outdoor amphitheatre and was amazing! Luckily it stayed dry because they played for 3 and a half hours and our tickets were allocated to the lawn area. So we kicked back on the grass and couldn’t stop thinking about all of the amazing places we’ve been on this trip as we listened to the relaxing songs of Mr Mraz until he kicked it up a notch and got us all dancing. He is a brilliant performer and the band, with their variety of instruments, were fab! Christina Perri ... read more