Toronto – Natalie the Explorer

Doors Open: The Second City

June 2, 2023May 31, 2023Natalie63 Comments

Last weekend May 27-28, 2023 was Doors Open Toronto weekend when over 140 buildings and sites opened their doors and invited the public to explore some of Toronto’s most architectural, cultural and socially significant sites for free. This year’s theme is City of Sound.

I chose to explore The Second City Toronto, one of the newer buildings to avoid crowds and lineup, and the sound of laughter is appealing. I made the right choice visiting The Second City. There was no queue. Visitors could explore the front stages, back stages and take pictures. Knowledgeable volunteers and staff were on site to answer questions.

The Second City Toronto

The Second City Toronto is the biggest improv comedy theatre and training centre in Canada. It has nurtured performers whose wit and friendly faces have dominated the comedy landscape on both sides of the border for decades. The list of famous alumni includes John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas, Dan Aykroyd, Andrea Martin, Robin Duke, Gilda Radner, and many others.

This year, The Second City Toronto celebrates 50 Years of Funny in June and invites visitors to explore its rich history and see the original flooring where John Candy made history.
City of Toronto website

Here’s my The Second City Toronto photos. For more door photos, visit Dan’s #ThursdayDoors.

John Candy Box Theatre with the original flooring at the front of the red barn doors

Chairs and bench in The Second City Lounge

I had fun exploring The Second City. As I left the building, I saw this attractive sculpture. Ah, how I’d like to have infinite energy!

Weekend Coffee Share

Have you heard of The Second City or John Candy? Who is your favourite comedian?

I’d love for you to share what’s been happening, simple joys from your week and/ or favourite public art photos from around the world in the comments or Weekend Coffee Share linkup #121 InLinkz below.

May 2023 Highlights

May 26, 2023May 31, 2023Natalie105 Comments

The last weekend of the month is when I do my monthly review. What have you been up to in the past four weeks? Here’s what’s been happening in my corner of the world and what I enjoyed in May.

Family & Fleurs de Villes

My sister visited our Toronto family for ten days. The weather was mainly sunny during her stay. We did family activities together, including multiple outings, BBQs and a Mother’s Day celebration. The ten days flew by. I’m grateful for the quality time we shared.

While my sister was here, we walked the Fleurs de Villes Voyage floral trail on a beautiful sunny day in the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood. We oohed and aahed over more than thirty incredible floral arrangements. It was my sister’s first time to a Fleurs de Villes event and she really enjoyed it.

I include a slideshow of ten of the floral designs below, five outdoors and five indoors. To me they are art and since the event is free, it’s public art. Click on the arrows to move through the slides.

Champagne floral sculpture
Canadian Mountie mannequin
Chinese floral lanterns
English Garden
London Phone Booth
Germany mannequin
Japan Cherry Blossom mannequin
Spring in the Netherlands
Scotland mannequin
Spain mannequin

Fitness & Friendship

It’s been lovely to get outside and enjoy spring. I continue my cycling, walking, strength training and yoga. After having so many beautiful bike rides and walks this month, I feel like a multi-millionaire. Spring is in full swing which means everywhere I look there are newly blooming flowers.

Some of my 8K walks are with friends. We choose a different route for each walk and since we are in a big city called ‘A city within a park‘, we often start and end in a park. I greatly appreciate our friendship and the green space to absorb the peace and natural beauty of the outdoors without leaving the city.

Travel: Montreal

Last weekend I traveled by train to Montreal for a three-day visit. As I was in Montreal more for family than tourism, most of my time was spent with family. I took walks every day and enjoyed being in this dynamic city.

In the following gallery, top left, clockwise: Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, a National Historic Site of Canada; The Cathedral dome seen from Dorchester Park; Murals in Montreal Central Station designed by Toronto artist Charles F. Comfort and carved by Sebastiano Aiello depict Canadian life, cultures, industry and passages of the national anthem.

Gallery: Buildings and Murals in Montreal

On The Blog

The weekly Weekend Coffee Share and Photographing Public Art Challenge continued to thrive in May. Thank you to all who have shared updates, comments and/ or photos from around the world. I wrote my three ‘Postcards from Portugal‘. Here’s the links for May’s posts in case you missed any and want to catch up:

I’m contributing this post to #WBOYC and #TheChangingSeasons link parties.

Weekend Coffee Share

Happy June!

April 2023 Highlights

April 28, 2023April 29, 2023Natalie119 Comments

The last weekend of the month is when I do my monthly review. What have you been up to this past month? Here’s what’s been happening in my corner of the world and what I enjoyed in April.

Portugal

Week 1 of April was the second half of my adventures in Portugal that I started in the last week of March. I had good weather throughout my trip, with daytime high temperatures ranged from 20C to 27C (68F to 81F). My itinerary included Lisbon, Cascais, Sintra, Evora, Fatima, Tomar, Coimbra and Porto.

I used local transportation systems to get around, walked to explore every day, visited several incredible UNESCO World Heritage Sites, met other travellers, savoured Portuguese cuisine and enjoyed Port wine tasting in Porto. I returned home with wonderful memories and many photos. I’ll publish my ‘Postcards from Portugal‘ starting next week.

Homecoming

Week 2 was a fantastic homecoming week. The highlights include Easter weekend with family and catching up with friends. During week 2, Toronto set new temperature highs (26C-28C) a few days in a row. Suddenly we had summer weather in mid-April. I enjoyed seven consecutive fun outings that include bike rides, walks with friends, bird and turtle watching, and seeing spring flowers in bloom.

Sakura

Week 3 highlight was the viewing of cherry blossoms or Hanami Sakura. The warm temperatures in week 2 encouraged cherry trees to bloom early this year. The cherry blossoms are spectacular but peak bloom lasts only about a week. Such fleeting beauty. I feel grateful to see these delicate flowers every spring.

April 16: Individual blossoms are clearly seen

April 20-27: Gorgeous cherry blossoms at peak bloom

Lumière

Week 4 highlight was an evening walk to see public art at the Lumière: The Art of Light festival. This free outdoor light exhibition allows visitors to explore Trillium Park and experience sixteen light art installations developed by Ontario artists. The theme Renewal of the exhibition celebrates the change of seasons from winter to spring.

To see some of the light exhibits, use the arrows to move through the following 8 slides. For more information about the artwork and artists, click here.

Umbra Transit
Ghost Canoe
The Flora Arcana
Aerolian Soundscape
Fiddlehex
Allochory
The Numerology of Mushrooms
Disco Wall

On the Blog

The weekly Weekend Coffee Share linkup and Photographing Public Art Challenge have been going well in April. Thank you to all who have shared updates, comments and/ or photos from around the world. Here’s the links for April’s posts in case you missed any and want to catch up:

For more blogging fun, I’m linking up with Sue’s #WBOYC and Ju-Lyn’s #TheChangingSeasons.

Weekend Coffee Share

Happy May!

Outside the Box | People

April 21, 2023April 19, 2023Natalie145 Comments

This week I resumed organizing my digital images. Today’s batch includes five utility boxes designed and painted by three Toronto-based artists. I organized these images under the Outside the Box | People theme and listed them by artist’s last name below.

Gary Taxali’s Designs

Gary Taxali is a Canadian contemporary fine artist and illustrator known for his iconic retro style pop art and illustration. The following two “Good Fun” boxes have subtle differences between them.

Gary Taxali’s design, Box #1 – Front view

Gary Taxali’s Design, Box #1 – Side view

Gary Taxali’s design, Box #2 – Front view

Gary Taxali’s design, Box #2 – Back and side views

Colin Tea’s Design

Colin Tea is a Toronto-based artist who is also known as Colin Turner Bloom. The design is meant to transport those passing by into the tranquility and beauty of nature.

Colin Tea’s design – Back and side views

Madeline Yee’s Designs

Madeline Yee is a Canadian illustrator and animator. The designs on two back-to-back boxes feature people activities in the neighbourhood.

Weekend Coffee Share

I enjoyed checking out the designs on these boxes and discovering Toronto-based artists. I usually look up the artists after my walk to learn more about their art portfolios.

Did you like any of the above designs? For more door photos, visit Dan’s #ThursdayDoors photo challenge.

In Pictures: 7 Fun Outings

April 14, 2023April 16, 2023Natalie91 Comments

It was my first week back from Portugal and back to the familiarity of home. I resumed my exercise routine, chatted with family and friends, booked coffee and walk dates, restocked the refrigerator, did laundry, and caught up on emails and blogs.

It was also a week with plenty of sunshine and unusually warm temperatures. The daytime high temperatures reached 29C (84F) on Wednesday and 31C (88F) on Thursday. I was happy to cycle to some of my favourite places in the city. I also took daily walks, met friends and together we enjoyed spotting spring flowers and watching birds and turtles.

Seven Fun Outings

Here’s a selection of my nature photos from Toronto, taken in the past seven days.

1. Friday bike ride along a string of parks with beautiful views of Lake Ontario

2. Saturday walk: Soft pink glory-of-the-snow and grape hyacinths cover the grounds

3. Sunday bike ride and walk: The big trees look like giant hands

4. Monday bike ride and bird watching along the Don river

5. Tuesday walk: Purple and butter yellow crocus flowers open up in the sunshine

6. Wednesday bike ride and hike with a friend: We saw about 50 turtles sunning on tree logs

7. Thursday walk with another friend: We adored these puschkinia, hellebores and white star magnolias

One Mural

To continue my floral theme, for the Photographing Public Art Challenge (PPAC) this week, here’s a mural painted by Alexandra. It was on the side of a flower stall in Rossio Square in Lisbon, Portugal. Obrigado means thank you.

Weekend Coffee Share

How was your week? I’d love for you to share what’s been happening, simple joys from your week and/ or favourite public art photos from around the world in the comments or Weekend Coffee Share linkup #114 InLinkz below.

For more pastels and white, visit Terri’s Sunday Stills April colour challenge.

What’s Been Happening | March 2023

April 7, 2023April 6, 2023Natalie72 Comments

I’ve been away for about two weeks and have some catching up to do. Reflecting on the month just passed, here’s what’s been happening and what I enjoyed in March.

1. Sisters Time

My sisters and I had a fabulous reunion in the first week of March in Charleston, South Carolina in the United States. We had fun catching up, exploring and discovering Charleston together. I am grateful for the wonderful quality time we shared.

2. Friends Time

Last year I started my Tour of Indie Cafés and enjoyed discovering a dozen cafés with family and friends. I decided to do a second tour with a selection of new-to-me indie cafés this year. A friend joined me for a 8K walk then we kicked off the 2023 tour at Neo Coffee Bar known for their coffee drinks, tea and pastries.

2023 Tour of Indie Cafés: Neo Coffee Bar

3. Winter Stations

I cycled to Woodbine Beach for a beach and art walk on a gorgeous sunny day. I enjoyed viewing the Winter Stations public art exhibition with the theme Radiance. To see the winners of the 2023 Winter Stations competition, use the arrows to move through the following 7 slides.

Delighthouse by Nick Green & Greig Pirrie
the (Home) by Scott Shields Architects
Winter-net by University of Waterloo Department of Architecture
3 Surfaces Pavillion by S-AR
Ripple Hut by Toronto Metropolitan University Department of Architecture Science
Life Line by WeatherstonBruer Associates
Conrad by Novak Djogo & Daniel Joshua Vanderhorst

2023 winners include Delighthouse, the (Home), Winter-net, 3 Surfaces Pavilion, Ripple Hut, Life Line and Conrad. For more information on each design, click on the design name in italic. I have no photo of the eighth winner, WE[AR], as it is an interactive virtual installation. Which Winter Station design do you like?

4. Spring Arrival

In my corner of the world, Spring officially arrived on March 20 with sunny skies and daytime high 6C (43F). I was delighted to spot some pretty crocus flowers, dwarf irises, snowdrops and winter aconites on the first day of Spring. Birds are active and their vocals fill the air. I’ve been enjoying longer bike rides and long walks. Time in nature is always a happy time for me.

Croci on March 20, 2023
Marina on the first day of Spring 2023
Dwarf irises
Snowdrops
Winter aconites

5. Exploring Portugal

I recently returned from Portugal. I had a wonderful time revisiting this beautiful country. On my previous trip, I explored Lisbon, Sintra and the Algarve. On this trip, I revisited Lisbon and Sintra, then continued north with a few stops until reaching Porto. Watch this space for my travel ‘postcards’.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020, a few of my planned trips were cancelled. I am grateful for the opportunity to travel abroad again. I look forward to enjoying more travel adventures this year.

Weekend Coffee Share

Happy April!

Visiting the Arid House

March 10, 2023March 13, 2023Natalie110 Comments

This weekend, on Sunday March 12, daylight saving time begins in my corner of the world. I am looking forward to more greenery and warmer temperatures outdoors. In the interim, I cycled to Allan Gardens Conservatory and visited the Arid House, one of five greenhouses in this indoor botanical garden.

Exploring the Arid House

The Arid House is located on the northwest side of the conservatory. It is home to a large display of unusual cacti and succulents including collections of agave, opuntia, haworthia and aloe.

Walking through the Arid House, I enjoyed examining the plants, their shapes, sizes, and colours. Their fun names made me smile. I was mindful of where I was standing to take pictures as many of the plants have thorns.

Golden Barrel Cacti and Haworthia (Zebra plants)

The Arid House was nice and warm. I felt rejuvenated and relaxed after being with the plants. I headed home feeling pretty good about my choice of outing for the day.

Welcoming Public Art

Last week I stopped over at Philadelphia International Airport while on my way to meet my sisters. I discovered the beautiful Over the River and Through the Wood mural created by Philadelphia artist Constance Culpepper. I found the mural soothing and cheerful.

*Over the River and Through the Wood* mural by Constance Culpepper

Welcoming images at Philadelphia International Airport

“My painting is a place where everyone is welcome. Explore, smell the peonies, drink a cup of tea, feel the grass between your toes, look up at the clouds in the sky, take a seat. Maybe here, you can discover something or someone anew.”
Constance Culpepper

Weekend Coffee Share

How green is your corner of the world? What do you think of the mural? This post is my contribution to Terri’s #SundayStills March colour challenge and Jo’s Monday Walk.

Murals in Chinatown

March 3, 2023March 6, 2023Natalie128 Comments

A few weeks ago I cycled to Toronto’s Downtown Chinatown or West Chinatown, then walked along Dundas Street West to photograph murals that I’ve seen on another visit.

The history of Toronto’s Chinatown stems back to the late 1870s. Although the West Chinatown (Dundas Street West/ Spadina Avenue) is more well known, there are also East Chinatown (Broadview Avenue/ Gerrard Street East) and other Chinatowns in the Greater Toronto Area.

Here are five huge murals in Chinatown, located on the south side of Dundas Street West, between Beverley Street and Spadina Avenue.

1. Mural at Number 397

Located at 397 Dundas Street West, this mural features people and young children. I took photos of it in four sections. Unfortunately I was unable to find the artists’ names.

2. The Great Wall Mural

Located at 421 Dundas Street West, this mural was designed and painted by Blinc Studios artists Allan Blender, John Nobrega, Rick Sauve, Brian Broders, Jesse McCuaig and Ming Lau in 2013. It features the Great Wall of China and is the longest of the five murals. I’m sharing six sections although the mural has about a dozen of them.

3. The Forbidden City Mural

Located at 433 Dundas Street West, this mural was designed and painted by Blinc Studios artists Allan Blender, John Nobrega, Jesse McCuaig, and Elaine Teguibon. It features two fierce lions outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.

4. Milky Way Mural

Located at 449 Dundas Street West, this mural was designed and painted by Blinc Studios artists Allan Bender, John Nobrega, Azadeh Pirazimian and Jieun June Kim in July 2017. It features the Chinese fairy tale of the Herd-Boy and the Weaver-Girl.

5. Dragon Mural

Located at 493 Dundas Street West, the Dragon mural was designed and painted on a metal surface by Blinc Studios artists Allan Bender, John Nobrega, Jesse McCuaig, Azadeh Pirazimian, Chris Brown, Frannie Potts and Mohammad Jaberi in 2016.

Weekend Coffee Share

It was a fun walk to see the murals in details. The list of artists shows that it was a team effort to paint them. The finished murals look beautiful, coherent and impressive. They’re my contribution to Terri’s #SundayStills Out of this World photo challenge and Jo’s Monday Walk.

Which mural do you like?

What’s Been Happening | February 2023

February 24, 2023March 4, 2023Natalie105 Comments

The last Friday of February is a good time for me to reflect on what’s been happening and what I enjoyed during the month. February has been a calm and joyful month that is ending with an exciting travel plan.

Health & Fitness

I continued my outdoor cycling and walking which supplemented my indoor fitness routine of cardio, strength workouts, meditation and yoga. I was pleased with how often I was able to cycle this winter. I enjoyed time in nature – always a happy time for me.

Up until this week, February weather conditions have been mild with above normal temperatures on most days. On Wednesday, an overnight winter storm brought about 15 cm of snow. With a few days left of this short month to go, this would be Toronto’s only significant snowfall for February.

Thin ice in marina (left); Light snow on boulders (right)

Family & Friends

My sisters and I made plans for a reunion next week. If everything works out, we’ll be together for the first time since the pandemic started. I’m looking forward to this exciting trip and quality time with my sisters. Stay tuned for my destination reveal in March.

I enjoyed three walks with family and friends to explore public art exhibits and free cultural events in February.

Walk #1 was the Icefest 2023 Dreams and Fantasies ice sculpture trail. The daytime high temperature reached 8C (46F) so we arrived early to see the sculptures before they melt. We all oohed and aahed over more than thirty incredible ice sculptures. For my complete Icefest23 image gallery, click here.

Walk #2 was to the Art Gallery of Ontario where we saw the remarkable bronze Couch Monster elephant sculpture by artist Brian Jungen. Check out the information board or the link provided to learn why he called this creature “couch monster”.

*Couch Monster* sculpture and information board

Walk #3 was to Toronto Sculpture Garden to see the Afrophilia sculpture installation by artist Frantz Brent-Harris. These sculptures in their vibrant orange and red reflect the energy and attitude of young Black people. This installation celebrates a culture of self acceptance.

*Afrophilia* by Frantz Brent-Harris, 2023

What public art have you discovered recently?

Blogging

I continued hosting the weekly Weekend Coffee Share linkup and Photographing Public Art Challenge (PPAC). Thank you to all who have shared updates, comments and/ or photos from around the world. Here’s the links for February’s posts in case you missed any and want to catch up:

For more blogging fun, I’m linking up with #TheChangingSeasons hosted by Ju-Lyn and Brian, and #WBOYC hosted by Donna, Sue, Jo and Debbie.

Reading

Aside from reading up on my travel destination to prepare for my trip, I also read or listened to four excellent books and discovered four new-to-me authors. Thank you to all who shared the best book you read in January. I read three of the books you shared. Here’s what I enjoyed reading this month:

February by Lisa Moore
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (on Barbara’s bookshelf)
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (on Donna’s bookshelf)
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (on Jennifer’s bookshelf)

What’s the best book you read in February?

Weekend Coffee Share

I’d love for you to share what’s been happening, simple joys in your week, and/ or favourite public art from around the world in the comments or via Weekend Coffee Share linkup #108 InLinkz below.

Happy March!

Dreams & Fantasies #Icefest23 #WordlessWednesday #Photography

February 22, 2023March 5, 2023Natalie36 Comments

For Wordless Wednesday and Sunday Stills Out of this World – Let your photo(s) tell the story.

Elegant Carriage to travel the Ice Sculpture trail

Gallery: Dreams & Fantasies #Icefest23 @BloorYorkville

Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday? I’d love for you to share the link to your Wordless Wednesday post in the Comments. I will visit your post and leave you a comment (provided the post contains no words, just pictures).