14 September 2022
To avoid the exorbitant downtown hotel rates, we rented an Air B&B property in a Toronto suburb, Scarborough, about a 45 minute Uber ride from the city center. We also tested the public transportation system to get back home, a commuter train from the cathedral-like Union Station followed by a long bus ride. It cost a fraction of the Uber ride but took twice as long. The automobile is still king in North America. All in all, it was still a much cheaper set-up than staying downtown and we really enjoyed our suburban lifestyle in a quiet neighbourhood with a fully-equipped house and very helpful host.
Downtown Toronto is busy, to say the least. Then again, it is the fourth-largest city in North America. An international centre of business, finance, arts, sports and culture, it is also recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world: although English is the most-spoken language, 51% of Toronto’s 2.7 million residents speak a first language that is not English or French, Canada’s two official languages. Some 230 ethnic groups rub shoulders there. The cultural diversity is reflected in everything the city has to offer, from food to the arts through culture to fashion.
It is difficult to escape a visit to the CN Tower, the 1,800-foot icon that has anchored the Toronto skyline since 1976 and visited by 1.5 million people each year. We were lucky to have a clear day and could admire the 360-degree view from the LookOut level through floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass floor. But the entrance fee was almost as high (38 Canadian dollars a go). That’s a lot just for a view, spectacular as it was.
Next up was the historic Distillery District, where Gooderham & Worts sold their first bottle of whisky the same year Victoria became queen: 1837. Now, the distillery is an arts, culture and entertainment hub, perfect for passing a very pleasant few hours. The 47 industrial buildings are like a cobblestone-paved, pedestrian-only village of boutiques, housing fashion retailers, gift shops and cafes.
A short walk away is the culinary hub of the city, St. Lawrence Market, with dozens of hot-food stalls, fish, vegetables, fruit and much more spread over 3 levels. It is also an historic landmark, built in 1803, which in Canada-years is like two millennia. Other remnants of Toronto’s past – municipal buildings, churches and dwellings of famous people who helped make it what it has become – also exist but are more difficult to locate, submerged as they are by the towering, gleaming, glass skyscrapers of the modern times.
While we were there, the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) was in full swing but unfortunately we did not spot any stars alighting from stretched limousines in full evening dress to push past the paparazzi and flashing lights to make their red-carpeted entrance..
Our day in downtown Toronto continued with a hop-on, hop-off bus ride followed by a stroll through several of the city‘s parks and along the waterfront. By then, we were ready again for suburbia...
Our host had several other properties available for renting and so we headed off to Caesarea, a small town on Lake Scugog, about 80km away, for a long weekend. We were joined by Maribelle and Edwin, Mylene’s friends from the Philippines, who now live in Toronto.
The cabin was right on the lake with its own jetty and although the weather was not great (and even chilly in the evenings), we had an good time there; chilling in the middle of nature, preparing and eating home-made food and enjoying the sunsets over the lake. Mylene felt that it was just a little too isolated and jumped up at every creaking noise in the house at night. On the Monday morning, Maribelle brought us back to Scarborough bus station for the 4 hour ride to Montreal, our next destination.
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