Saturday in Toronto before the concert

I have been to Toronto, oh gosh, ten times in my life?  Maybe more, maybe less, but I feel like it is at least that.  Three times since I resumed the blog in 2023, and I know that there were at least a couple in the in-between years of the blog and at least a couple more pre-blog.  Anyway, as a whole, it's not really new to me.  That said, I do tend to stick to the same parts of the city, and there is a lot of it I haven't seen.  And a lot of it I never will - there are sure to be plenty of residential areas that are that and nothing more, not worth wandering and visiting.  But a lot is familiar - the street names at least, even if it seems newer and newer highrises are going up.

Anyway, I did start out my Saturday morning in Toronto in such an area.  My hotel

was a block off the main drag of the gay village,

so I ambled over to a Starbucks I knew was there, grabbed my decaf latte, and got to walking around the broader area a little. 

I had a leisurely morning to enjoy.  Allison was planning to meet me after 10:00, so there was no rush.

Once she picked me up, we caught the metro and streetcar over to where we could take a ferry over to the Toronto Islands. 

Yes, friends, a new part of the city for me to see.  Hooray!

It's a short ferry ride and a very popular one at that.  Still, we got to stand along a rail and get some good shots of the skyline as we headed over.  

Once on the islands, it was hours of walking all over, enjoying the great weather

and overdue, welcome, deep conversation.  And, of course, there were the sights.  Monarch butterflies abounded. 

A cormorant sunning itself. 

Something in the mustelid family scooting across the boardwalk.  And views of the city, both through the setting of a marina of boats and unobstructed. 

Just such a nice day, broken up with a light lunch at the Riviera Lakeside Patio

and a coffee from the Runaway Cafe.

Allison and I caught a ferry back and began walking back to my hotel.  We stopped into the Eaton's Centre, into Eataly

and Simon's and Uniqlo.  Once back at the hotel, we freshened up and relaxed, and then headed a handful of blocks north to dinner.  It has been AGES since last I had Ethiopian food, and it made for a fairly inexpensive, filling, and not-too-rich meal sitting outside at Ethiopian House, the sounds of the city all about. 

A meal in our bellies, it was time to head to the show....

my reward

Hello from the Centre of the Universe.  Yes, I am in Toronto.  And after a long day of travel here (I used miles so I had a connection through Newark), my reward is a simple dinner and a cocktail at the hotel bar.

Look, I may have had to explain a Boulevardier

to the bartender, and the Turkey avocado BLT was basic (but the fries were good),

but it was a welcome meal at the end of travel.  My reward for trekking across the continent and partway back.

More to come in days ahead!

playing hooky on a Wednesday

Ah, Friday night.  We've been to Maestro, we've come home and done some shopping online (thank you, gift cards!), and now, before I head to bed, I should get a blog entry posted.  Why not?  Should be fun!

The reduction in my workload to 90% has meant a lower salary, yes, but it also means more time off.  Given how summer is so so so so so very quiet at work, it was an easy thing to play hooky on an August Wednesday because Van had nothing planned.  Hooray!  A chance to go out and see the city somewhere and do something fun.  Conrad, by the way, was in Chicago, else we would have included him.  Anyway, even after 13 (13!!!!) years in SoCal, there is still so much I haven't seen, and one major attraction on that list was Griffith Park and the observatory.

So it was that very late on Wednesday morning, this handsome chap

and I

were in a car heading into LA and up into the hills separating the coastal bowl from the San Fernando Valley.  Past the Greek Theatre

(I'd love to get to a show there) and climbing up.  Parking was a small trek from our destination, but think of the step count!

Anyway, we enjoyed the observatory itself,

the fine structure inside and out, the Art Deco aspects of it,

the landscaping around it. 

We admired the views of the city on a hazy (not smoggy) day

and even of the Hollywood sign. 

I thought it was pretty cool to see.  We were struck by the variety of languages heard around us, which we took as a healthy sign of not just the diversity of LA but also of the tourism to the city.  I'd like to get back up there, especially now that I know that Conrad hasn't been.  One day!

We drove back down the backside, the north side, and found ourselves in the Toluca Lake neighbourhood for lunch, sitting in a corner booth at Paty's. 

A classic feel to the place, and if the food wasn't anything new or exciting, it certainly was satisfying.  The Trousdale sandwich for me,

turkey and Swiss with cole slaw on it, grilled.  Yum!

I still have some time unaccounted for this year, and that's good.  I'd like another hooky day or two, with Van or with Conrad or with both.  We shall see.  But what a nice summer midweek that was!

date night in South Pas

Hey, that was a pretty good run of posts to start off July, right?  Not sustainable - life just doesn't offer that much to blog about every single day, but it was good while it lasted.  But after a very quiet week at work and at home, I'm back!

Van and I moved our standing weekly television date night to Thursday this week and dropped the television component.  Instead, we headed over into South Pasadena to grab dinner and drinks.  Nice evening for it.  We've had a hot midweek here - the temperatures out at work got up to 101 on Wednesday - but it was just good and warm by 6 or so yesterday.  We also don't have the air quality issue that is plaguing a lot of the country and Canada.  Yikes!  Those poor folks.

Anyway, it wasn't too far to drive over and park near where South Pasadena sets up its Thursday farmers market.  Good market.  I need to get to it.  It wasn't our actual objective last night although Van did buy himself some flowers. 

Instead we ordered at the window at South Pas Smash (and sorry, they don't have a website fully up and running to link to).  A smash burger for Van, a fried chicken sandwich for me. 

Good, simple.  I still don't get smash burgers as a thing (why smush the patty and force the juices out when you can have a nice, thick burger?)(I know it's to get more of a crust to interior ratio, but I still don't get it), but oh well.  I'd be fine going back and doing that again.

After the food and a brief wander through the market, we popped into Sid's Bar.  We hadn't know it was a live music night, and we were relieved we got in and got a table and drinks before so many others showed up.  Nice bar, not too lounge-y, not too hip (but definitely hip).  A dive bar for cool kids and older cool kids, if you will.  But they made Last Words, and that was good. 

The folks at the next table were curious, so I let them try mine, and they ended up ordering one for themselves.  Nice place.  Very loud!  Not a Conrad bar.

The evening was drawing in as we left,

and it had cooled off nicely.  We headed back to the car, drove the short distance home, and got Olive fed.  Once she was done eating and Van's flowers were in vases, I was fading, and as had been the case so often this week and last, I was lights out before ten.  Not our usual television date night, but a lovely little date night in any case.