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Toronto: The City

A couple of months ago I went to Toronto to spend one last weekend with my darling friend Leah before she got married.  Yes, I am just getting around to blogging about it.  Now that Toronto and Salt Lake are both smothered in snow and ice and winter I thought the citizens of the Great Frozen North and the Rocky Mountain West would appreciate some photos of good old Canada in warmer, happier times.

The first stop was the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto has an entire museum dedicated to shoes.  I love Toronto.  Leah was a terrific sport and let me wander around the exhibits for hours, ogling the shoes and reading all the plaques.  Did you know Cosimo de Medici, founder of the Medici political dynasty and de facto rules of Florence for generations  had 1322 pairs of shoes?  One-thousand-three-hundred-twenty-two pairs of shoes.  I may dedicate my blog, theShoeologist, to him.  I think it would be fitting.  None of my photos turned out very well, what with the low lighting and lots of reflective surfaces.  But there were shoes starting from the beginning of time right down to last year’s couture runway heels.  It was fabulous.  I was in shoe-heaven.

Humber Bay is a butterfly reserve across the water from Toronto.  Leah and I spent a lovely afternoon walking along the garden paths, seeking out butterflies, and discussing whether that gorgeous runner was Ryan Reynolds or not (final word was “not” due to a tattoo on his back, thank you Google).  Oh, and there were some gorgeous views of the Toronto skyline too, ahem.

Leah and I wandered through Kensignton and I browsed their amazing thrift stores and giggle at some of the local, erm, “fashion” choices.

Rows of cowboy boots, I really wish I had the suitcase space to bring home a couple of pairs.

Oh, hello.  A suitcase to fill with treasures!

Maybe I should settle for a scarf instead; or an entire trunk full of them.

We walked through Little Jamaica and shared a box of peanut juice (it’s like liquid peanut butter, and shockingly delicious).

Chinatown was full of all sorts of strange-looking fruits, vegetables and other unidentifiable substances.

We spent several hours in St. Lawrence Market, which is similar to Pike’s Place in Seattle.  They had bakeries and sandwich shops, fruit and veggie stands and salted meat places and souvenirs up the wazoo.  The best part about this, however, was the people watching.  I think Leah and I sat on a bench for two hours just watching everyone who came past (this is what happens when you walk 15 miles in two days, your feeties need a little break.  And then they need chocolate.)

What?  I thought there was chocolate inside!

I do love me a man in uniform.

O, Canada!

*I swear Leah was here the whole time…why there is no picture of her I’m not really sure.  Come back tomorrow for photographic proof that Leah was there at the CN Tower, Toronto Island, and Niagara Falls.

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