Toronto is a big place in many ways – it’s the commercial heart of Canada, a cultural hub, a place full of greenery, and a city of immigrants. I’d been keen to visit for as long as I can remember. And so, Ella and I set off to do just that. We dropped off our rental car at the airport (the city’s road traffic is breaking records, the bad kind), and used public transport to make our way downtown. Our guide for our visit was none other than the magical Roopa, a great friend from many years ago.
First we explored the upmarket Distillery District. On the site of the former Gooderham and Worts Distillery designated as a national historic site in the 1980s, the area is packed with cafes, restaurants, and shops. Very cool atmosphere and a great place to spend an afternoon.
I’d heard that Toronto’s restaurant scene was up there with the likes of London and Tokyo, and it didn’t disappoint. We made our way back to western Downtown, not far from Chinatown, and had an excellent meal at a new restaurant called Isabel.
Toronto’s downtown streets on a week day were bustling – full of activity in the evening.
A long time Toronto resident was describing a trip they took to Montreal and how, despite being a beautiful European-looking place, they missed the grit of Toronto. The “grit” perhaps referring to a strength or toughness that those in the suburbs don’t carry. Toronto’s downtown does seem to have a hard edge to it, but one that seems dramatically enhanced by awesome artworks on every corner.
And not far away from any part of downtown there seemed to be a green refuge and some sort of hipster eatery.
Toronto has the unofficial title of Raccoon Capital of the World. The influx supposedly began in 2002 with the introduction of the easy-to-rip organic refuge bags. The city’s raccoon population now reaches over 100,000 according to one source. A 2015 story: a raccoon died on a pavement one day and the rubbish collectors were slow to clean it up. Over the next few days, as a form of ironical protest, residents stood the animal up and began decorating it with various items, laying down bouquets of flowers, and erecting a shrine-like portrait of the dead critter. Here is our night-time sighting:
Of course, no trip to Toronto is complete without a visit to the CN Tower. Quick stats: 553m tall, tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, built in 1976, “CN” stands for Canadian National (the railway company that built the tower). Impressive structure and awesome views of the city.
We left the city by train from Union Station, a beautiful old building (below), and headed off to Kitchener/Waterloo. A huge thank you goes to Roopa for her generosity and her time!
