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!
I hope my blog friends and readers in the United States who celebrate Thanksgiving had a nice Thanksgiving on November 23 and a great holiday weekend. Canadian Thanksgiving is on the second Monday of October.
This week has been a traveling week for me so I’ll keep this post short. I discovered these two painted utility boxes while I was out cycling and walking on the Waterfront Trail in Toronto. Even though the art designs are not my style, the bold and bright colours made me smile when I saw them.
Both boxes have different murals on four sides. I hope they also bring you a smile. Click on any image to see its bigger version and the doors. They are my entry to Dan’s Thursday Doors photo challenge and Min’s #WWWhimsy link-up.
Outside the Box #1
This big utility box was painted by Toronto muralist FPMonkey (Julia YH), who often expresses ideas with a surrealist and fantastical flair. Much of her work has elements of Chinese and overall Asian culture from which her roots are. Her design on this box looks like a dragon is swimming in Toronto Harbour.
Outside the Box #2
This utility box was painted by a muralist who goes by the name Eats Verbs. On the left side of the door, there are vertical letters that look like ‘MERGS’ to me. The bold red exudes energy and demands attention.
Weekend Coffee Share
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 #142 below.
I was outdoors most days in the past two weeks and enjoyed the last bit of autumn leaf colours. Maple, birch, oak, ginkgo, and staghorn sumac trees put on a spectacular show.
Here are a few of my photos from various bike rides and walks in downtown Toronto. They are my entry to Denzil Nature’s Autumn Colours and Terri’s Leaves of Autumn photo challenges.
Autumn Leaves
Red and yellow maples
Yellow leaves on the trail and trees
A range of autumn leaf colours
Bright red staghorn sumac
A scenic walk with lots of leaves on the ground
A ravine walk surrounded by yellow leaves
Maple leaves glow in the sun
Public Art
Since Remembrance Day, November 11, is on this weekend, I’m sharing the Toronto sign with a poppy insert in front of Toronto City Hall. The sign looks nicer when it is lit up at night. The pool in front of the sign has been emptied to be turned into an ice skating rink for the winter season.
Toronto sign with a poppy insert on the last letter O
Toronto sign with art designs on the sides
Weekend Coffee Share
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 #140 below. I’m also linking up with Min’s WWWHIMSY.
As mentioned in my previous post, I will be taking a blogging break the next two weekends. This means no Weekend Coffee Share linkup on August 11 and 18. I will be back with a fresh post on August 25.
Today I am sharing my photos of four traffic signal box murals that I found on my walk along Simcoe Street in downtown Toronto, between Richmond Street West and Wellington Street West. I tried to photograph the front and the back or the side of the box to show the overall design of each box.
These boxes are my entry to Dan’s #ThursdayDoors photo challenge. Have a look and let me know in the comments if you have a favourite.
Outside the Box
Traffic signal box mural by Xulin Wang, 2020, front view
Traffic signal box mural by Xulin Wang, 2020, back and side views
Traffic signal box mural by Dean Martin, 2018, front view
Traffic signal box mural by Dean Martin, 2018, back and side views
Traffic signal box mural by Roshni Wijayasinha, 2018, front view
Traffic signal box mural by Roshni Wijayasinha, 2018, back view
Traffic signal box mural by Ana Diosdado, 2018, front view
Traffic signal box mural by Ana Diosdado, 2018, back and side views
Weekend Coffee Share
I’d love for you to share simple joys from your week and/ or favourite public art photos from around the world in the comments or Weekend Coffee Share linkup #130 InLinkz below.
The last weekend of the month is when I do my monthly review. July has been a hot summer month filled with fun local outings and travel. Here’s what’s been happening in my corner of the world and what I enjoyed in July.
Lake, Parks & Gardens
I did many bike rides along the shore of Lake Ontario and took breaks in parks to stay cool. The lake views never get old and the mature trees provide wonderful relief from the direct sun and summer heat.
I also took garden walks with family and friends. Roses, daylilies, hydrangeas and many more flowers are in bloom. They keep the pollinators busy at this time of year.
Art & Culture
I am fortunate to have easy access to beautiful public art and many wonderful cultural events in Toronto. In July I enjoyed the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair that showcased 400+ emerging and established visual artists.
Toronto Outdoor Art Fair – Artists’ booths are in the white tents.
I also visited the 6ix Art Outdoor exhibit that featured twelve unique statues, standing over 8 feet tall, painted by some of Canada’s most talented multicultural artists. Have a look at the twelve statues at the 6ix Art Outdoor exhibit below and let me know in the comments if you have a favourite. Click on the arrow to see the slides.
“Paper cuts and bouquets” by Gosia Komorski
“Gingerly growing, a tender root blooms” by Caitlin Taguibao
“Corazon Abierto” by Clandestino Art
“Je suis toutes les versions de moi” by Alex Garant
Untitled by FatsPatrol
“Senescence” by Natasha Kudashkina
“Manitou Nemeen” by Que Rock
“Nature movements, Organic flow” by AlFalfa
“Horangi” by Jieun Kim
“Ring of Fire” by Jacquie Comrie
“Playing Tiger, Sittin’ Dragon” by Yen Linh Thai
“Kesariya Balam” by David Anthony
6ix Art Outdoor exhibit
Travel: Chicago
I took a four-day trip to Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. I have been to Chicago before. It was great to see my family there and to revisit some of Chicago’s attractions. The hot weather followed me from Toronto to Chicago so we spent time near bodies of water and in parks.
We enjoyed the Chicago Architecture River Cruise while admiring Chicago’s numerous architectural styles. We also walked to Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile, Grant Park and Millennium Park. More on that when I have time to write my ‘postcard’.
I wrote about Toronto’s new Love Park and my adventures in Philadelphia. Here are the links for July’s posts in case you missed any and want to catch up:
For more blogging fun, I’m linking up with Donna, Sue, Jo and Deb at #WBOYC and Ju-Lyn at #TheChangingSeasons.
Weekend Coffee Share
I will be taking a blogging break in mid-August for two weeks. Please note the following linkup schedule in August:
August 4: Weekend Coffee Share #130
August 11: No linkup
August 18: No linkup
August 25: Weekend Coffee Share #131
I’d love for you to share your July highlights and/ or favourite public art photos from around the world in the comments or Weekend Coffee Share linkup #129 InLinkz below.
Greetings! Summer officially arrived in the Northern Hemisphere on June 21 and brought with her a solid week of sunny days and warm temperatures in my corner of the world. I was happy to be outside cycling, walking and exploring every day.
What’s in Bloom
June is a wonderful time to visit Toronto’s parks and gardens with so many plants in bloom. I’m sharing the bigger or high volume blooms in this post and save the smaller blooms for another post. Here are just a few that I’ve seen on my visits.
Poppy – They come in several colours. I love these blush poppies with delicate petals.
Peony – Gorgeous peonies in pink, red, white and yellow bloom from late May through June.
Allium – The ‘Gladiator’ allium with violet-purple florets bloom throughout spring.
Iris – The yellow iris flowers are like a pop of sunshine.
Rhododendrons – The pink, red or white flowers form beautiful bouquets.
Snow-in-Summer – These white flowers look amazing this year (no snow in summer please!)
Bistort – The bottlebrush-like spikes of small pink flowers are impressive when they are planted en masse.
Lupin – The pea-like purple lupin flowers on upright spikes are beautiful amid green foliage.
Wild Rose – These roses in pink, white or red bloom all summer long and offer fragrant aroma.
I greatly appreciate Nature’s gifts and the gardeners’ work efforts. The beautiful blooms bring me so much joy and gratitude.
Pride of the Waterfront
One more ‘bouquet’ in June… Here’s the fabulous Pride of the Waterfront Display by Cliff Hassanally. This exhibit consists of over 1000 pool noodles and took over 100 hours to assemble.
Pride of the Waterfront Display by Cliff Hassanally, 2023
I’d love for you to share what’s in bloom in your corner of the world and/ or favourite public art photos from around the world in the comments or Weekend Coffee Share linkup #124 InLinkz below.
Greetings! Today I continue with part 2 of my self-guided art walk in Toronto’s Riverside district in downtown east to see the Women Paint Riverside ‘Currents of Change’ Mural Corridor. Part 1 of my walk is here.
About Women Paint Riverside Mural Corridor
Women Paint Riverside Mural Corridor is an open air gallery of twenty+ murals that celebrate Toronto’s waterways and the traditional keepers of those waterways. All of the murals were created and completed by women and gender diverse artists from various backgrounds in September 2021.
The Mural Corridor spans three city blocks. It took me about 1.5 hours to complete the walk, including pauses to read the information boards and photograph the murals.
Part of the walk included Joel Weeks Park where I found a sculpture titled Echo, designed by sculptors Mary Anne Barkhouse and Michael Belmore. The sculpture features four bronze squirrels surrounding a super-sized stone acorn that sits on a granite plinth.
Echo by Mary Anne Barkhouse and Michael Belmore, 2014
The Murals: Part 2
From Joel Weeks Park, I continued my walk along the Mural Corridor. I was able to photograph most of the murals, except a few that were blocked by parked cars or other objects.
Protect the Don by Merryn Connelly-Miller
Water and People by Haenahhh
The Cycle by Wandy Cheng (behind the fire exit stairs)
“Create space for life, keep space for waterways” by Claire Browne
Nokomis by Shawn White
Lilies of the Water by Julia Prajza
Riverside Sports mural by Monica Wickeler
Close-up of Riverside Sports mural by Monica Wickeler
“Come As You Are, Uniquely You” by Curtia Wright
Welcome to Riverside mural by Jessie Durham
My walk ended at the Riverside Bridge on Queen Street East. The text inscription across the top of the bridge is one part of a three-site Time And A Clock public art installation by Toronto-based artist Eldon Garnet.
The text “This River I Step In Is Not The River I Stand In” is based on a quote from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man“. Basically, change is the one constant in life.
Time And A Clock art on the Riverside Bridge by Eldon Garnet, 1996
The second part of Time And A Clock installation appears as words embedded in the four corners of the Broadview Avenue and Queen Street East intersections. The third part appears on four metal banners at 872 Queen Street East.
Weekend Coffee Share
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 #123 InLinkz below.
Natalie the Explorer 