Articles tagged with: Snapshots of Toronto
Toronto, Here We Are Again
Labour Day in North America always takes me by surprise, mostly because it is months after the rest of the world celebrates International Workers’ Day on May 1st. But in a country where holidays are given sparingly, a three-day long weekend always calls for a short trip.
Tourists in Toronto
After visiting the Niagara Region, we stopped in Toronto. I know the city very well now but it’s always fun to revisit a few favourite places downtown: Chinatown (where you can get excellent jiaozi and baozi), Kensington Market (for the funky artsy feel) and Yonge Street (for the shops and the crowd).
School's Out
On one side, my experience with university in Canada is pretty good. First, I hope that eventually I will be able to complete a Canadian degree, even if the goal seems to be very far away. Second, it helps me keep a balance with my crazy work environment. Culturally speaking, it is also interesting to see how things are taught on this side of the Atlantic Ocean: perspectives, especially on economics, history and politics are quite different from Europe’s.
Toronto By Night
There is something very comforting in walking around in a city after sunset. Contrary to popular belief, most of them don’t turn into cut-throat places and it’s not like you risk your life at every block. Quite the opposite actually: people tend to be more relaxed after a stressful day.
And when it comes to night skylines, Toronto has it all.
St Lawrence Market
Most of the market is nest inside a two-storey brick building, between King Street East and the Esplanade. We went there on Saturday morning, and boy it was busy! About half of Toronto seemed to have gathered around the baker, and the other half was queuing for meat, fish or appetizers, such as fresh olives, red pepper and feta cheese or artichokes.
Toronto Harbor
I grew up in Nantes, on the West coast of France. The Loire river crosses the city and I lived close to the banks. We were also a 45 minutes drive from the coast, where I spent pretty much all of my summers. I learned to swim before I could walk and believe it or not, I was an okay surfer and windsurfer. All in all, I believe this explains my fascination for water. I like the sea best but lakes and river will do as well. Hell, even glaciers!
Night And Day In Toronto's Chinatown
Of course, when in Toronto two weeks ago, we ended up in Chinatown — again. Looks like I can never really escape my Chinese roots — wait a minute… I’m not Chinese!
Nonetheless, I feel at home in crowded Chinatown. The smell of the food, the colorful signs and displays, the multicultural atmosphere make me feel good. Plus, it’s a great place to take pictures.
Kensington Market In The Spring
Two weeks ago, for the Easter long weekend, we once again drove to Toronto. The weather was gorgeous: 25ºC in Canada in early April is definitely not the norm.
Kensington Market was much more friendly than last time we were there before New Year — translation, there were actually people in the street this time. With the many terraces (all packed), the restaurants opened on the street and yes, street entertainment, it proved to be a great place to hang out for a few hours.
