#TheChangingSeasons – Natalie the Explorer

Postcards from Italy

March 29, 2024April 2, 2024Natalie98 Comments

March was full of explorations, discoveries and marvellous moments at home and abroad. I returned to Italy and Vatican City for a second visit in the first half of March. Italy offers plenty of beautiful architecture, world class art, rich history, culture, culinary delights, scenic nature and more.

Let me catch you up on Italy first. I plan to write about my visit to Vatican City in another post. Here’s a sampling of what I explored when I was in Italy.

Venice and Murano

My adventures in Italy began with a boat ride from Venice airport to my hotel. The following days, I enjoyed exploring Venice through the maze of alleyways and bridges on foot and by boat. I visited St. Mark’s Square (a World Heritage Site), Doge’s Palace, the Basilica, the Bell and Clock Towers, as well as Murano known for its artistic and colourful glassware. My once-in-a-lifetime experience was a gondola ride in the Grand Canal and small waterways of Venice with two musicians performing “Volare” and other beautiful songs in Italian.

Tuscany, Pisa and Florence

After Venice, I travelled through the beautiful landscape of Tuscany, dotted with olive and fig trees. I enjoyed wine tasting paired with delectable local specialties at a vineyard in Tuscany. On to Pisa, I revisited the famous Piazza dei Miracoli and its Leaning Tower. Last time I was here, I climbed 273 stone steps to reach the top. In Florence, I admired amazing art and architecture at Piazza del Duomo (a World Heritage Site), Piazza della Signoria, Piazza Santa Croce, Piazza Santa Maria Novella and bridges along the Arno River, including the iconic Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge).

Assisi and Rome

Reaching Rome, the Eternal city, I revisited several iconic landmarks: The awe-inspiring Roman Forum, the triumphal Arch of Constantine, the mighty Colosseum, churches, huge Roman baths, and grand piazzas of Rome. I took a day trip to the picturesque medieval town of Assisi, best known as the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy. The town is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its significant art and architecture.

Cinque Terre and La Spezia

Climbing the steep steps in Cinque Terre (another World Heritage Site) with stunning views of the Ligurian Sea and surrounding hills was a memorable experience for me. In low season, I enjoyed exploring and discovering delightful places and things around every corner in the five villages without crowds.

Heading to La Spezia before returning to Florence for my flight home, I was delighted by La Spezia’s beautiful waterfront, public gardens, churches, castle and vibrant city centre. Another pleasant surprise was a free upgrade to a beautifully furnished and spacious hotel room in Florence. It was a wonderful ending to an amazing trip.

Link-Up

I like to keep in touch with my blogger friends via their link-ups whenever our topics align. This weekend I’m joining Terri’s Sunday Stills Urban Sights photo challenge, Ju-Lyn’s March #TheChangingSeasons and #WBOYC link-up co-hosted by Donna, Sue, Jo and Deb.

I’d love for you to share your March highlights and/ or photos of public art around the world in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #158 below. So, the first quarter of 2024 is done, tell me what fun plans you have for the second quarter.

November 2023 Gratitude

December 1, 2023December 5, 2023Natalie99 Comments

Goodbye November and hello December! A quick review of my calendar showed many simple joys in November. I’m grateful for a good month with local exploring and travel to the United States. Here’s an acrostic version of what November had in store for me.

NOVEMBER

Nature walks were so enjoyable that I completed 25 walks, 8 km each, or a total of 200 km (125 miles). This is in addition to my ongoing fitness routine and normal walking to get from A to B. I’m grateful for the green space, blue space and my ability to walk.

Outdoor public art hunt yielded many fun finds to add to my Outside the Box digital image collection. I’m grateful for the abundance of public art in my surroundings. Have a look at these six utility boxes painted in pattern-mixing fashion by Toronto artist Hello Kirsten.

Visiting family is something I never take for granted. While in Virginia I enjoyed vibrant Fall colours and viewed chocolate displays at See’s Candies store (not available in Toronto).

Exiting Virginia, entering North Carolina in time for American Thanksgiving holiday last week and returning home this week, I’m grateful for safe travels, sunny weekends, quality time with family and good food.

Meeting friends in Toronto for coffee catch-up and making calls to out-of-town friends brightened up my day. I’m grateful for longtime friends.

Blogging and hosting four Weekend Coffee Share link-ups meant I wrote four and read 100+ blog posts. Thank you to all who join in on the fun every weekend in my virtual nook.

Entering photography challenges was an enjoyable exercise for my brain. I’m grateful that I can play with digital images without accumulating physical prints. Which images to use, how many, and how do I want to display them on the blog? I did it my way here, here and here.

Reading mystery fiction novels was strangely relaxing. I’m grateful for the availability of e-books. My recent reads were The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci, The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Have you read any of these books or authors?

Holiday Season

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. After sunset, downtown Toronto shines with dazzling lights, beautiful Christmas trees and stunning window displays. I enjoy checking them out and hope to share some photos on my blog later this month.

Toronto’s Christmas tree from my photo archive

Weekend Coffee Share

I’d love for you to share your November highlights in the Comments or Weekend Coffee Share link-up #143 below. I’m linking up with Donna, Sue, Deb and J o who co-host #WBOYC, Ju-Lyn who co-hosts #TheChangingSeasons, and Min who hosts #WWWhimsy.

Happy December!

September 2023 Highlights

September 29, 2023September 30, 2023Natalie62 Comments

The last weekend of the month is when I do my monthly review. A quick scan of my September calendar shows blocks of time for exploring outdoors, walk dates with friends, a trip to Los Angeles for family and my blogging and photography hobbies. Here’s what I enjoyed in September.

Exploring Outdoors

I continued my health routine of cycling, walking, strength exercises and yoga. We had a heat wave in the first week of September then the weather has been pleasant for the rest of the month. I enjoyed many bike rides on my own and nature walks with friends.

We chose trails that take us to a variety of habitats (wetland, meadow and forest). Wildflowers are in bloom and the leaves have started changing colours.

On one nature trail, it was so peaceful that all I heard was the trickling sound of water in a creek, birdsong and the sound of leaves rustling in a light breeze.

On another nature walk, we paused to watch a great egret catch a fish while swans, ducks, cormorants and turtles calmly swam around. We were delighted to see chipmunks, red cardinals and other birds.

Travel: Los Angeles

I took a trip to Los Angeles to see family. We got together to chat, eat, hang out, and just enjoy company. One of the family members is doing well after cancer surgery and treatment so we celebrated together. I am grateful for the quality time we shared.

On one gorgeous morning, we went to Manhattan Beach for an 8K walk and visited the small aquarium at the end of the pier. I love that Manhattan Beach is less crowded than Venice Beach and Santa Monica. We enjoyed watching surfers and volleyball players, as well as admiring the beautiful oceanfront homes and gardens full of pretty flowers and succulents.

Blogging

In addition to my August 2023 Highlights post, I wrote three posts and shared many pictures of my adventures in Iceland. I enjoyed reliving the wonderful experiences that I had while sorting through my photos. Here are the links for September’s posts in case you missed any and want to catch up:

Photographing Public Art

As usual, I see and photograph public art when I am out and about. Here are two “Sankofa Building Project” murals by illustrator Troydell Wallace on display at the Brick Works in Toronto. For more information, visit astrosankofa.org.

Weekend Coffee Share

I’d love for you to share your September highlights and/ or photos of public art around the world in the Comments or InLinkz #136 below. I’m participating in the What’s Been on My Calendar and The Changing Seasons link-ups to see what others have been up to this month.

Happy October!

June 2023 Highlights

June 30, 2023June 30, 2023Natalie94 Comments

Greetings! The last weekend of the month is when I do my monthly review. Similar to May, June is a month well spent with family, friends, nature and travel. Here’s what’s been happening in my corner of the world and what I enjoyed in June.

Family Celebrations

On my June calendar there were birthdays, Father’s Day, my niece’s wedding, school graduations, and two visits from my aunts and their husbands (different weeks). So, every week we had something special going on. Aside from the celebrations, we explored gardens, beaches and parks along Toronto’s waterfront.

We enjoyed a few free art exhibits. One of them was the intriguing Stitched in Ages by Moya Garrison-Msingwana, also known as GANGBOX. Each of the five figures in the exhibit is dressed in upcycled Canada Goose materials and is artfully positioned within a small park to reflect the importance of the human impact on our environment and wonderment of exploring in nature.

We admired some of the world’s greatest sports cars and classics at the 13th annual Yorkville Exotic Car Show. Admission is free and proceeds support Melanoma Canada. The outdoor red carpet event was well attended and well organized with at least 100 stunning cars on display. It exceeded my expectations. Here are a few cars that I’ve seen at the show.

Fitness & Friendship

My June fitness calendar includes cycling, walking, indoor strength training and yoga. Some of my nature walks were with friends to catch up on what’s been happening and to appreciate nature’s beauty together. We enjoyed walking in ravines (for shades and hills), near wetlands (for aquatic life) and in gardens (for birds, butterflies and gorgeous flowers).

Travel: Philadelphia

I just got back from a fantastic family trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was good to revisit Philadelphia and explored some of the great sights in the City of Brotherly Love. More to follow after I find time to write my ‘postcard’.

On The Blog

I had fun sharing Toronto’s public art and seasonal flowers on my blog. Here’s the links for June posts in case you missed any and want to catch up:

For more blogging fun, I’m linking up with #WBOYC and #TheChangingSeasons.

Weekend Coffee Share

I’d love for you to share your June highlights and/ or favourite public art photos from around the world in the comments or Weekend Coffee Share linkup #125 InLinkz below.

Happy July!

May 2023 Highlights

May 26, 2023May 31, 2023Natalie116 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

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 #120 InLinkz below.

Happy June!

April 2023 Highlights

April 28, 2023April 29, 2023Natalie120 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!

What’s Been Happening | February 2023

February 24, 2023March 4, 2023Natalie106 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!

What’s Been Happening | January 2023

January 27, 2023February 1, 2023Natalie110 Comments

The last Friday of January is a good time for me to reflect on what’s been happening and what I enjoyed during the month. January has been a calm and joyful month in lots of ways.

Exploring Outdoors

I enjoyed time in nature – always a happy time for me. Outdoor cycling and walking supplemented my indoor fitness routine. Toronto has experienced relatively mild temperatures throughout January and just had a major snow storm on January 25.

Socializing, Art and Culture

I celebrated New Year’s Day and Lunar New Year’s Day with my family. Good food, good company, and twice in three weeks, what not to love? We all hope for a year of good health, peace and joy.

I also met up with friends for a few fun outings. Outing #1 was to the Bentway Skate Trail which is under the Gardiner Expressway, a major road in Toronto. On display at the skate trail is artist Shellie Zhang’s Beacons installation of five colourful flame-like features that light up at night.

Outing #2 was a nature walk and coffee catch up in the downtown core where I photographed Thing’s End sculpture by artist James Carl. I love the crafty title, the unique design of a rubber band and the soft blue colour.

Outing #3 led to discoveries of public art in Chinatown.

Chinese zodiac animals and a bronze guard

Blogging

My blogging and hosting the weekly Weekend Coffee Share (WCS) linkup has been going well. Thank you to all who have shared updates, comments and/ or photos from around the world. Here’s the links for January’s posts in case you missed any and want to catch up:

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

Reading

This month I enjoyed discovering four new books and three new-to-me authors (Mandel, Patchett and Picton). While all four books are very good, the most delightful is The Knighton Women’s Compendium. It was published on January 4, 2023, set in Australia, and told from a child’s point of view.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Knighton Women’s Compendium by Denise Picton

What’s the best book you read in January?

Weekend Coffee Share

Please note that starting in February, I’ll end the WCS linkup on Sunday at 5 p.m. Toronto time. The start date and time stay the same. This change should not affect regular participants since all add their links on Friday or Saturday and before 5 p.m. on Sunday. If any blogger wants to join in after the linkup is closed, feel free to leave me a comment with the link to their WCS post or a pingback. Thank you.

Happy February!

Amazing Walks and Art in November

December 2, 2022December 3, 2022Natalie102 Comments

Hello and welcome! I’m glad you’re here. It’s week 48 in 2022 and I’m hosting Weekend Coffee Share (WCS) linkup #98 which includes the Photographing Public Art Challenge (PPAC). Feel free to link your WCS or PPAC post to this post. Come on in for a coffee or tea and let’s chat.

This weekend is a good time for me to reflect on November and my 2022 focus on Health, Home and Leisure. The first half of November was filled with wonderful bike rides, hikes and walks thanks to well above average and record-setting warm temperatures (daytime high 25C or 77F on November 5). The second half of November brought wet snow on November 15, cooler temperatures and the start of festive events.

Here’s my monthly recap for November.

1. Health

I hiked in High Park and along Grenadier Pond a few times. High Park has all sorts of trails to explore. Flat and easy trails as well as long hills, steep staircases, winding trails through woods with more challenging terrain. On each hike, I used all my senses to connect with nature and immersed in the beauty around me.

2. Family

My family and I picked a beautiful sunny 18C (64F) day to stroll along the water’s edge from Kew Beach to Woodbine Beach and Ashbridge’s Bay. A few days later, we had our first dusting of snow that signaled the transition from Autumn to Winter. I took a few ‘fresh snow’ pictures before it all melted.

3. Friends

A friend and I enjoyed wonderful walks at Evergreen Brick Works. Evergreen Brick Works was a clay and shale quarry for one hundred years. The 16.5-hectare (40-acre) area is now a thriving green space, with ponds and many varieties of nature trails to explore and wander. We love seeing turtles, fish, grey herons, ducks and beaver dams in the wetlands.

Evergreen Brick Works connects to Moore Park Ravine so we walked in the stunning ravine as well. Tall trees tower above and envelope us while leaves crunched beneath our feet. We feel fortunate to have such beautiful green space right in the heart of the city.

Evergreen Brick Works and Moore Park Ravine

4. Photographing Public Art Challenge

Here’s a sampling of public art at Evergreen Brick Works.

*Sunrise* (left) and *Ishkode* (“*Fire*“, right) murals by Tannis Nielsen, 2021

My favourite is Legacy (the mud beneath our feet) sculpture by Dave Hind. It’s 10′ x 10′ made by reclaimed steel, aluminum and wood. A.P. Coleman’s legacy as the geologist who put the North Slope of the Brick Works quarry on the map is represented in a sculpture depicting a pair of his boots.

*Legacy (the mud beneath our feet)* sculpture by Dave Hind, 2010

5. Blogging

Photography – I posted square images with a brief caption on four Wednesdays in November. It’s my way to support Becky at The Life of B blog while participating in her Walking Squares and other photo challenges. These posts have the #photography tag in their titles.

Weekend Coffee Share – On November 11th, I started hosting both Photographing Public Art Challenge (PPAC) and Weekend Coffee Share (WCS) under the weekly WCS linkup. I’ve included the links for November’s posts in case you missed any and want to catch up.

December schedule – Please note the following:

December 9: Linkup #99
December 16: Linkup #100
December 23: No linkup
December 30: No linkup

I’ll repeat this announcement on December 9th and 16th since some bloggers don’t participate every week. I’ll be taking a break in the last two weeks of 2022. After the holidays, I’ll resume the Weekend Coffee Share linkup on January 6th, 2023.

I’m grateful for all the good things that happened in November. Happy December!

Linked to Ju-Lyn’s #TheChangingSeasons.