A belated goodbye to April and hello to May since I just returned home from a two-week holiday in France. I had wonderful visits with family in Paris. I enjoyed good company, good food and drink. I also revisited Parisian iconic landmarks and did sightseeing in Strasbourg and Colmar. I will write more about this trip after I sort my photos.
Cherry Blossoms
Before I left for France, I was happy to see cherry blossoms at peak bloom in Toronto. It was a beautiful, sunny day with clear, blue sky, and light breezes which were just right to gently sway the flowers. Once open, the flowers last from 4 to 10 days, depending on the weather conditions. I am so lucky to see spectacular cherry blossoms every year close to home.
Cherry blossoms
Garden Walks
Aside from viewing cherry blossoms, I took walks to local parks and gardens to exercise and to discover what else is in bloom. I was delighted to see daffodils, forsythia, magnolias, rhododendrons, trillium, tulips and more at their best. They smiled right at me when I captured their beauty. Trillium is the official flower of the province of Ontario (my home province). To view captions, please click on the photos.
Mural
One final image to finish is a beautiful mural that I discovered in an alley by Colbourne Street. I think it is a good fit for my flower-themed post. What do you think?
Mural by Colbourne Street
Link-Up
I’d love for you to share your week’s highlights and/ or public art from around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #162 below. If you are celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday May 12, happy Mother’s Day!
A friendly reminder that there will be no Weekend Coffee Share link-up on April 26 and May 3 as I will take a blogging break. Please plan to join me again on May 10 when I will resume hosting.
This week I had so much fun being outdoors every day, except Wednesday. I explored nature by bike and on foot and went to an outdoor light-based art exhibition. I am lucky to have wonderful places to explore and enjoy close to home. Here are some of the things I saw and did. To view captions, please click on the photos.
Don Valley Brick Works Park
Outing 1: I set out for Don Valley Brick Works Park which was once a former quarry on a sunny and mild morning (12C or 54F). I cycled to the park then hiked for about two hours before cycling home.
I started from the quarry gardens at ground level then climbed up the steep trail to the quarry ridge lookout. After enjoying the views from the lookout, I made my way down a few switchbacks and over to the Belt Line Trail to walk the Mud Creek Loop.
It was a glorious and peaceful hike. I listened to the trickling sound of water in the creek, birds singing and squirrels foraging in the woods. Pretty coltsfoot flowers lined the trails and on the banks of the creek. On my way back, I watched turtles and saw a small garter snake in the grass.
Sunnyside Beach
Outing 2: I rode my bike to Sunnyside Beach then jogged a 5 km loop along Lake Ontario’s Humber Bay. It was a beautiful sunny day with fantastic views of the bay. I love listening to the sounds of water gently touched the shore and birds singing.
The Sunnyside boardwalk was under reconstruction with the old section in grey and the new section with brown wood planks. As I returned to get my bike, I visited some of the swans and found two butterflies on dandelions.
Lumière: The Art of Light
Outing 3: I enjoyed a lovely walk with a family member to see the free outdoor Lumière art exhibition at Trillium Park. The theme this year is Connections which aims to explore the various ways in which light can create connections between people, the environment, and different aspects of our lives. Here’s a sampling. To see all 17 light-based installations and their descriptions, please click here.
Gardens
Outings 4 and 5: One final gallery to finish which shows a variety of spring flowers I spotted during my garden walks. Altogether, these outings made me a very happy explorer!
Link-Up
If I invited you to go for a walk, which outing would you choose? Feel free to choose more than one.
I’d love for you to share your week’s highlights and/ or public art from around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #161 below. The next Weekend Coffee Share link-up will be on May 10. Enjoy the rest of April and happy May!
This week I was going to write about my visit to Vatican City in March. Then I had a wonderful bike and hike excursion on Sunday that changed my mind. Nature wins! There will be a Vatican City blog post in due course, but it joins a long queue of things to write about.
Spring Hike
I set out for High Park on a beautiful, sunny and mild morning (12C or 54F). I rode my bike on the Waterfront Trail for about 45 minutes. Although I passed many scenic spots and landmarks along the shore of Lake Ontario, I made no stop until I reached the south end of High Park. From here, I started my hike along the lower trail that runs along Grenadier Pond.
Trail along Grenadier Pond
I saw two hawks, red cardinals, robins, common grackles and chickadees among the trees, as well as ducks, geese, swans and turtles in Grenadier Pond.
A duck couple
A beaver dam reminded me of my beaver sighting at the end of March when I saw a beaver chewing on a small tree trunk. It is common to see beaver dams in the wetlands around here but to see a beaver foraging on land at daytime is rare.
A beaver
After reaching the end of the lower trail, I zigzagged my way to the upper trails. I love the magnificent tall trees that line these trails. They look bare in early April and will be green and leafy in the coming weeks. The small trees are already showing small green leaves.
Trail in High Park
Another section on the upper trails has trees with lighter trunks. I walked for a long time and just came across squirrels and birds along the way. What’s not in my picture is the beautiful bird songs that I heard.
Trail in High Park
Eventually I made my way down to the Maple Leaf Garden located at the bottom of Cherry Hill. This garden was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth during her visit to Toronto in 1958. In a few weeks and through to Fall, it will turn into an impressive floral display that is in the shape of a giant maple leaf.
Maple Leaf Garden in High Park
I hiked up the hill and was delighted to see a carpet of pretty puschkinia and daffodils. Puschkinia flowers have delicate white petals with blue stripes. They compliment the cheery yellow daffodils.
Puschkinia carpet in High Park
Daffodils and puschkinia flowers
I hiked down the steep hill towards Grenadier Pond and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. In a few weeks, the flowering of the Sakura trees (cherry blossoms) will be spectacular here.
Steep hill in High Park
One last look at the marsh in Grenadier Pond before I returned to where I left my bike and cycled home.
Marshland at Grenadier Pond
It was a gorgeous day and a wonderful hike. I did 45 minutes cycling + 2 hours hiking + 45 minutes cycling for a total of 3.5 hours outdoors. This excursion made me a very happy explorer!
Solar Eclipse
On Monday April 8 at 3:19 p.m. I watched the rare total solar eclipse in Toronto. The sun rays were blocked and the surrounding landscape turned dark for a few minutes; dark enough for the street lights to turn on. After the eclipse was over, it was sunny again.
Link-Up
Please note that there will be a link-up on April 19 and no link-up on April 26 and May 3 as I will take a blogging break. I will repeat this announcement next week.
I’d love for you to share your week’s highlights and/ or public art from around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #160 below.
Goodbye winter and hello spring! To mark the transition from winter to spring in my corner of the world, I am sharing two of my “bike and walk” outings. The first outing was to Woodbine Beach to explore the Winter Stations on display. The second outing was to the Toronto Music Garden to look for early spring flowers.
Winter Stations at Woodbine Beach
“Launched in 2014, Winter Stations invites the international design and art community to reimagine the lifeguard stations along Toronto’s east end beaches for the winter. The competition has seen entries from over 90 countries, bringing the world of design to the water’s edge“.
The theme this year is Resonance. Contesting designers for the competition were encouraged to reinvent previous installations and infuse them with fresh ideas and their unique artistic vision.
Here’s five of the six winning Winter Stations located from east to west at Woodbine Beach. Have a look and let me know if you have a favourite. Click on the title of the installation for its description.
Bobbin‘ by University of Waterloo School of Architecture (Canada)
The 6th installation Winteraction is interactive but simplistic in its physical form so I did not take a picture. It requires a phone to get the full experience.
It was a beautiful day with mild temperatures and sunshine. I enjoyed cycling, walking, experiencing nature and culture, all in one outing. I came home feeling happy and grateful.
Early Spring Flowers
I spotted several early spring flowers on my walk at the Toronto Music Garden this month: Crocus flowers, snowdrops, puschkinia and purple irises. Their simple beauty gave me joy. I look forward to seeing a wide range of spring flowers to bloom in the coming weeks.
Link-Up
I’d love for you to share your week’s highlights and/ or public art from around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #157 below. Have a wonderful weekend!
Hello March and goodbye February! Before I get into my February favourites, please note that there is no Weekend Coffee Share link-up on March 8 as I will be on a blogging break. I will resume hosting on March 15.
After having an adventurous January in Boston, Philadelphia and Spain, I enjoyed a relaxing February at home. I intentionally kept my February calendar as light as possible and set two fun challenges for my mind and body. I love how the month turned out and feel grateful for two consecutive wonderful months.
1. Family
My family and I celebrated Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dragon, on February 10 and Family Day holiday on February 19. We enjoyed delicious food and good company. It was two wonderful family gatherings to ring in the new year and to have fun on a long weekend.
Dragon display at Nathan Phillips Square and delicious Thai food
2. Friendship
I met up with a good friend for a brisk 8 km walk together. She was away on a beach holiday while I was away in Spain so we had fun catching up. We saw the Jimmy Mount Rushmore mural at Jimmy’s Coffee. It features four musicians, from left to right: Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jimmy Buffet and Jim Morrison.
Jimmy Mount Rushmore mural by artist Christiano De Araujo, 2014.
On our second brisk 8 km walk date, we visited the new and inspiring art installation “We Are Shaped by the Obstacles We Face“. It features a life-sized bronze statue of Terry Fox before he was diagnosed with bone cancer and three tall granite pieces in a small park.
The installation is designed to flow east-west, akin to Terry Fox’s journey, with visitors entering from Queens Quay and ending at vantage point at the southwest corner of the park. From this unique perspective, the granite pieces visually transform into a familiar silhouette of Terry Fox during his Marathon of Hope. (Look at the gap that the granite pieces create).
We Are Shaped by the Obstacles We Face by Jon Sasaki and landscape architects DTAH.
3. Being Outdoors
Just for fun, I set a challenge to cycle and/ or do brisk 8 to 10 km walk every day in February. This year February brought only one light snowfall so I scored 29/ 29. Even on cold days, I came home feeling warm, happy and grateful from my bike ride and brisk walk. I enjoyed the fresh air and nature’s sights and sounds. We are getting longer daylight hours and closer to Spring!
Winter beauty
4. Being Indoors
After being active outside, I enjoyed being cozy inside, doing strength training, practicing yoga, blogging, reading and writing. Also for fun, I set another challenge to take daily Italian lessons on Duolingo for 30 days (from January 31 to February 29) and did 30/30.
I’m currently reading Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin after finishing:
The Measure by Nikki Erlick (a thought-provoking book)
I researched and made the essential bookings for my upcoming trip. I look forward to embarking on new adventures. I’ll share more by end of March.
Link-Up
This post is my contribution to the #WBOYC link-up co-hosted by Donna, Sue, Jo and Deb.
I’d love for you to share your February highlights and/ or public art from around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #155 below. The next Weekend Coffee Share link-up will be on March 15.
Hello February and goodbye January! I ended my January with ten days of fun and wonderful adventures in Spain. I just got home and will take time to reflect on my trip and sort my photos.
Revisiting Spain
It was my third visit to Spain. My flights were all good. I had beautiful weather for the entire trip (15C to 23C or 59F to 73F). I revisited some of my favourite cities (Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville and Barcelona) and explored three new-to-me cities (Granada, Alicante and Valencia) which have also become my favourites.
While in Spain, I used public transport to get around. I walked and did a lot of sightseeing every day. I enjoyed delicious foods and drinks. I met and had fun exchanging travel stories with other travelers. I practiced basic Spanish throughout my trip. All in all, I had a fantastic time. Watch this space for my postcards from Spain in the next week or two.
Outside the Box
Today I am sharing five painted utility boxes and a mural located on Front Street. Front Street is one of the main east-west streets in downtown Toronto. The front of each box has a door handle while the back is flat. Have a look and let me know if you have a favourite.
Artist Roshni Wijayasinha, 2018.
Two boxes by artist Kirsten McCrae (or Hello Kirsten).
Artist Luise Cisneros, 2022.Aquatic Garden by artist Erin McCluskey, 2021.
Behind the Aquatic Garden utility box, I discovered a beautiful mural depicting “a way of life” of Aboriginal people by Native Canadian artist Joseph Sagaj. Zoom in to see the details of the mural. For more information on the artist and his artworks, click here.
Mural by Native Canadian artist Joseph Sagaj, 2006
I have seen other artworks by the above artists and look forward to seeing more of their creative designs in the future.
Link-Up
This post is my contribution to Dan’s Thursday Doors photo challenge and Min’s #WWWhimsy link-up.
I’d love for you to share your week’s highlights and/ or public art around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #151 below.
Happy New Year and welcome to the first Weekend Coffee Share (WCS) blog link-up in 2024! This is also the 148th WCS link-up since I started hosting in January 2021.
During the holidays, I did a blog checkup and backup. I updated the pages at the top of the blog and the widgets on the sidebar. I keep the same blog theme (Plane). Since this is my first post in 2024, I’d like to share what’s coming up on Natalie the Explorer blog in 2024.
Blog Topics
I hope to continue writing about my exploration at home and abroad and monthly wrap-up posts. If all goes well, this year my blog readers can expect to see posts from my travel adventures to the United States and overseas.
I love sharing my home city so you will see posts on places and events in Toronto as well. In each post I hope to continue sharing images of public art since I enjoy discovering public art and playing with digital photography.
Weekly Post and Link-Up
I hope to continue writing and hosting the Weekend Coffee Share (WCS) link-up weekly. Details on how to join the weekly WCS link-up is on the Linkups page at the top of my blog and in each Inlinkz dashboard. Feel free to grab the WCS badge from my blog sidebar and spread the word to promote the link-up.
Engagement
I’ll reinforce my ‘rule of engagement’ by deleting links from ‘link and run’ bloggers without notice. I read all participating blogs in each WCS link-up and leave comments. I hope to receive sincere comments on my blog. Of course, no one has to feel they must leave a comment on my posts. Just don’t link and run.
I’ll continue participating in photography challenges and blog link-ups when I have something to share and when the timing works out. I’ll do link back and always leave a comment for the host.
Blogging Breaks
I’ll take blogging breaks in 2024 and will keep you informed of my upcoming break. The first break is at the end of January. This means No WCS link-up on January 26.
What’s On in January
My January calendar is full with two family events and an adventure abroad. I’m excited about these trips and look forward to savouring them all. I’ll share more after each trip is completed.
The following untitled mural created by Billal Khan seems to sum up what I look forward to in January: Recreational activities (biking, trail walking in lower left corner of mural), traveling and coming home (airplane and CN Tower on right side of mural). I took the photo last winter.
Mural at Ontario Place by Billal Khan, 2017
Speaking of winter, I’d like to share a ‘cool’ interactive sculpture titled Frost. The two Ys create a snowflake design.
Frost sculpture at Brookfield Place
Visitors to Brookfield Place are encouraged to touch Frost. Run your hand along the sculpture and you’ll see that you cast a shadow in the field of light, the same way you leave a trail when drawing on a frosted window.
Frost information board
Link-Up
I’d love for you to share your week’s highlights and/ or photos of public art around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #148 below.
As we head into the last few days of the year, I have been reflecting on all the good things that came my way during 2023. At the beginning of the year, I hoped to maintain good health, spend time with family and friends, enjoy my hobbies and travel. The last twelve months brought many joys and one personal loss. Here’s what 2023 had in store for me.
January & February
I embraced winter and enjoyed exploring Toronto by bike and on foot. I discovered a lot of delightful public art such as the sculptures at the Garden of the Greek Gods and the IceFest Dreams & Fantasies event.
Centaur, Garden of the Greek GodsElegant Carriage, IceFest
March & April
I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States for a lovely reunion with my sisters. We explored historic Charleston and had beautiful weather for a few days.
I headed home in time for Winter Stations and Lumière, two fantastic outdoor art events. Spring arrived with sunny days and gorgeous cherry blossoms (Sakura).
My sister came for a visit in early May. We explored and loved the Fleurs de Villes Voyage trail of more than thirty beautiful floral installations. I also had fun seeing many expensive cars at the Exotic Car Show in June.
Both trips to Montreal in May and to Philadelphia in June were wonderful. They would be followed by a series of trips to the United States for family for the rest of the year.
Fleurs de Villes VoyageMontrealExotic Car ShowPhiladelphia
A trip to Los Angeles in September meant I was able to touch the Pacific Ocean water at Manhattan Beach. On October 3, my Dad passed away. My family and I felt deep sorrow for our loss and gratitude for the love and support that we received.
Los AngelesToronto
November
To process my sorrow, I dedicated time for self-care and time with family and friends in Toronto, Dulles, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina. I did 25 nature walks, 8 km each, or a total of 200 km (125 miles). These walks brought both physical and mental health benefits.
About seven weeks after my Dad died, I met him in a dream. He appeared happy with his usual beaming smile as we headed out for a walk. This dream gave me comfort and peace.
TorontoToronto
December
I enjoyed walks with friends to see the incredible Gingerbread Way, the festive Fleurs de Villes Noël floral trail, the fun Winter Village and dazzling light decorations in the downtown core.
My family and I had a lovely Christmas. I think of my Dad and his smile. I look forward to ringing in the new year.
City HallEaton CentreRoyal York hotelGingerbread WayFleurs de Villes NoëlFreedom Arches
Blogging
I’ve been active on the blog in 2023. Here are some numbers:
7th year blog anniversary in October
3 years of hosting the weekly Weekend Coffee Share (WCS) link-up
Wrote and published 48 blog posts
Hosted 47 WCS link-ups and took 3 blogging breaks
Shared about 400 images of public art at home and abroad
Thank you to all who read, like, follow, link up and/ or comment on my blog.
This post is my entry to Terri’s Sunday Stills 2023 Year-in-Review photo challenge.
Gratitude
Reflecting on 2023, I’m grateful for a year of good health, time with family and friends and wonderful experiences at home and abroad. I’m also grateful for the good memories that I had with my Dad.
Last week I met a friend on a weekday morning for a stroll through the Distillery Winter Village. It is an outdoor holiday market with one-of-a-kind shops, vendor cabins, restaurants and cafés. The vendor cabin setup is similar to Christmas markets in Europe. We chose to go on a weekday since this place gets crowded on weeknights and weekends in December.
The Distillery Winter Village
We met by the 56-foot-tall Christmas tree in Trinity Square (the tallest tree ever at The Distillery Winter Village).
Christmas tree at the Distillery Winter Village
We walked on cobblestone streets and stopped by delightful outdoor shopping cabins, a wall of Christmas vintage cards, décor features and photo ops. Click on any of my photos in the gallery below to see its bigger version and caption.
In lieu of twinkling lights at night, my friend and I enjoyed a stroll through the Distillery Winter Village on a sunny day. We took a coffee break before heading home. Thanks to the event organizers for a delightful holiday experience.
Holiday Red
To add more holiday red to my post, I’m sharing photos of two floral mannequins that I took at the Fleurs de Villes Noël event two weeks ago and a Vintage Christmas card with Santa on it. The Holiday Glam Mannequin was created by Urban Jungle Cambridge and the Winter Wonderland Mannequin was created by Phul Florals.
Holiday Glam MannequinWinter Wonderland Mannequin
Vintage Christmas card
Link-Up
This post is my entry to Marsha’s Christmas/ Red colour challenge.
I’d love for you to share what you’re looking forward to this weekend and/ or photos of public art around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #146 below. Join me next Friday to wrap up 2023.
Last week my friend and I enjoyed exploring the Fleurs de Villes Noël floral trail in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood together. We saw over thirty gorgeous floral installations, created by Toronto’s talented florists.
I exercised self-control on the blog and shared just eighteen (18) pictures in this post. I left out a number of beautifully-dressed floral mannequins, headpieces, wreaths and floral arches. Have a look at the following festive installations and let me know if you have a favourite.
Fleurs de Villes Noël
Holiday Floral Doorway created by Pistil Flowers
Winter Wings created by Happy Fairy Art
Holiday Swing created by Zuhoor Designs
Floral Telephone Booth created by Sayuri Blossoms
Floral Snowflake created by Olivia’s Garden
Festive Frame created by Vinlex Floral
Holiday Heart created by Secrets Floral
Floral Holiday Sleigh created by Vogue Weddings & Décor
Mrs. Claus Mannequin and Sled created by Botany Floral Studio
Lollipops created by Sweet Magnolia Florals
Fountain (& Bench not shown) created by Flower Crown
Holiday Reindeer created by Lux by MB
Yorkville Village Floral Entrance Arch created by Flower Crown
Ice Rink Skating Village created by Dereves Floral Inc
2024 Porsche Cayenne Coupe created by Lena’s Floral Designs
We spent about an hour walking the trail, admiring the floral designs and taking pictures. It was a partly sunny morning and a delightful outing. Thanks to the event organizers and florists who made our walk so much fun!
A gentle reminder that there will be a Weekend Coffee Share link-up on December 22 and December 29. I hope to see you then. If you’re taking time off for the holidays, have a joyful holiday season!
Share Joy created by Fresh Floral Creations
I’d love for you to share your holiday fun activities and/ or photos of public art around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #145 below.
Natalie the Explorer 