Recently I returned from a trip to Toronto, Ontario. Many people asked me why the heck would I book a vacation to Toronto. Many of the issues and concerns put forth by concerned parties I completely agreed with: arrogance and impatience of city dwellers, snarling traffic and road rage, humidity, urban sprawl, and the smog of the concrete jungle. But these points were merely collateral damage of a beautiful, vast, energetic, and diverse cosmopolitan city in Canada. The stereotypes we Westerns have projected onto Torontonians unfairly are not just.
Previously, I had visited Toronto in 1998 where upon I visited the Royal Ontario Museum, strolled around Queen Street West, and wet my whistle in a few dive bars. But that was eons ago. Toronto now encompasses a population of over 2.5 million. I tried to fathom that quantitative number by how large the population of Manhattan, New York, is--1.5 million (2010). In 2005, when I visited New York I was quickly overwhelmed by the populous and yearned to crawl back to my tiny colony of Vancouver.
Driving into downtown Toronto was no easy feat. Without a proper navigation system that instructed me with plenty of warning, I would never have been in the proper lane or making my exit at 130 mph. Toronto drivers do not signal, but constantly tailgate, speed, a double/triple-lane change to make exits. A driver that missed her exit almost drove into my driver side and had the nerve to glare at me as if I was in the wrong. My experiences driving down the I-5 and in California was thorough preparation for driving in the urban jungle.
Surprisingly, once safely stationed in the metropolitan, Toronto is very easy to navigate by public transit, biking or walking. Prior to the trip, I did some research as to what were the best of the bests of the city. I wanted to avoid most of the usual tourist traps and landmarks. The recommendations suggested to me by a wonderful big T dot O dweller far exceeded my expectations.
During the first weekend of my trip, I started near Exhibition Park just past Ontario Place. I walked past the Toronto Mounted Unit building to take a public transit east towards the Toronto Inner Harbour. Gorgeous weather was a perfect backdrop for the harbour front.
The first stop was the Paws Way Centre which provides education, awareness about pets and showcases heroic stories of cats and dogs. Beside the building is a sloped, hill-like art structure that looks like a skateboard ramp. Instead children seemed to use it as a slide and I was so very tempted to try it out myself. I continued walking over the Amsterdam Bridge overlooking beautiful Lake Ontario. From the top of the bridge I could see a beautiful view of Toronto Islands.
I continued to walk along the harbour front promenade and there were several tall ships offering tours in the harbour. Apparently, there is also a ferry one can take to Toronto Islands. I happened upon a atrium mall that showcased historic black and white photographs of Victorian Toronto. One photographed showed a horse that dived into Ontario Lake.
Feeling parched from the summer weather and desiring a tasty beverage, I stopped at Second Cup for a toffee chocolate frappucino. Cold and iced beverage in hand, I sat on the dock with my feet up soaking in the rays and the view.
What visit is complete without visiting the patriotic Hockey Hall of Fame? My main goal was to find some great souvenirs for my cousins. After cruising the rows of typical mediocre trinkets and finding no great Gretzky or Lemieux souvenirs, I went to the St. Lawrence Market. This indoor market has so many food merchants and interesting shops that one could be lost of an entire afternoon. Resisting many bakeries, cheese mongers, butchers, chocolateers and tea merchants, I went north in search of food.
I had noshing on my mind. What better way to satisfy instinctual desire than with sushi? Fuzen did not disappoint. I am definitely spoiled with so many Japanese restaurant selections in Vancouver (not too mention Asian cuisine). Fuzen offers a generous menu selection and many fusion rolls for any palate.
After bringing ye ole blood sugar back up, it was off to the Distillery District. This historic area highlights Victorian industrial architect with modern and contemporary tones. This district has so many galleries, boutiques, cafes, and shops. I was delighted to see art installations. The main draw to this area, in my humble opinion, is Soma. I was assured that Soma's spicy Mayan hot chocolate was like no other on earth. As a chocolate snob, I cannot refute this to be the case. This elixir is infused with ginger, Madagascar vanilla, orange peek, chili and spices. Wow... As the beverage cooled, the flavours infused even further. The spicy chocolate after taste was delicious. Even so, I was very tempted by another elixir entitled Dark Side of the Mug. But that shall be pursued on another adventure.
Once the last of the lingering sun rays disappeared into the night sky, it was time for some serious dining. Unsuccessful in booking a last minute reservation at the 360° Restaurant in the CN Tower (probably for the best), we opted to dine at the new contemporary hotspot Hush. Slick decor and chic ambiance without the pretentious attitude. The menu offered the usual fare with great portions at reasonable prices. Service was excellent.
Yearning for dessert, we wandered around Queen Street West which was packed with throngs of young adults and tweens. This avenue was alive with coffee shops, ethnic restaurants, bars and jazz joints, and sex shops.
Finally, tiredness started to set in and feet started to ache. I finished a lovely Saturday in downtown Toronto sipping tea and nibble Belgian chocolate cookies gazing at the south skyline over looking Medieval Times. Hark, art thou a wind turbine? Indeed.
The sights, sounds, smells of this bustling metropolis definitely seems like a city that never sleeps. I looked forward to Part Deux of the Toronto Tour Experience.
