Kensington Market downtown Toronto

For generations, people of diverse origins have lived and worked along the narrow streets of this colourful and distinctive neighbourhood.

In the mid-19th century these streets were laid over the Denison family estate.

The tightly knit blocks of businesses, homes and community institutions evolved as successive waves of immigrants, attracted by the relative affordability of the area, added their cultural imprint to the city.

The district was first occupied by British workers, then by Jewish immigrants who converted the Victorian houses into small small family-run stores by adding makeshift ground-floor shops.

As a result, the area was known for decades as the Jewish market.  After the Second World War, new Canadians from Italy, Portugal, Western Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia were drawn here, each in turn adding to the vibrant life of this culturally diverse marketplace.

Below, beyond the park and houses of the streets of Kensington Market, the financial district of downtown Toronto and the CN tower.

The synagogue is next to the park, part of the rich history of this place.

Tolerance and integration have been vital to the development of this cosmopolitan community, which is distinguished by constant renewal.

Filled with scents and sounds from around the world, Kensington Market recalls the history of the Canadian urban immigrant experience.

In a short time, we met some wonderful people from different parts of the world, it really is fascinating experiencing life in one of the most diverse cities in the world.

Toruk – The First Flight (Cirque-du-Soleil) part 1, the arrival

We arrived at Union Station, the busiest transportation facility in Canada.  Over 250,000 passengers traverse through here every day which is really quite something.   It opened in 1927 and was designated a National Historic Site in Canada in 1975.  It was also designated a Heritage Railway Station in 1989.

http://transit.toronto.on.ca/regional/2302.shtml

Continue reading “Toruk – The First Flight (Cirque-du-Soleil) part 1, the arrival”

Edward Gardens, Toronto

A refreshing walk, a beautiful day, the girls absolutely loved this place as they were able to explore comfortably at their own leisure, the fallen and the falling leaves were a true joy, the smell in the air of the changing of the weather, the crisp and fresh air was totally rejuvenating…

Nature definitely speaks to us, we just need to be attentive and receptive to its message!

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To paint or not to paint…I suppose it was going to happen…it should not even be a question!

Any mention of painting drives them crazy, by ‘them’ I mean my crazy, creative, courageous girls.  They love it, and to be honest, it’s always a lot of fun, they make it a lot of fun.

However, today, I thought I would do a little experiment and see how Sara (the 2 year old going on 16) would react to a particular situation.  What would she do if I placed my head (this beautiful brown, perfectly shaped object) in her way while she is painting?  What would she do?  How long would the reaction take?  Would she react at all?  Would she talk to me to gain some sort of consent?  I was nervous, it was tense and let me tell you, I could see her thinking about it, what was she to do, how should she deal with this object?  I could feel that she was poised to attack, just as a predator leaps on their prey!

OK, so I know this is a bit dramatic, because it actually is a little dramatic, the fact is, Sara took very little time to react, she basically looked at me, smiled at me, and then she slapped my head with both her hands and created a unique, let me repeat, a unique piece of art, and since this day, she wants to see the photos all the time. Sara keeps asking me in the most adorable way…’Baba, can I paint your head again, I like it, I really like it!’  The last photo will give the answer I always give her when she asks, it ‘will’ happen again, she will paint!
  
  

Halloween…kids will be kids!

Just a few photos of the girls spending some time with their family and not really taking part in Halloween per se, but in their view (and their elder cousins I should add!) a fanatastic opportunity to collect a stash of sweets, candy, chocolate, the sticky chewy stuff, whatever you want to call it, that makes them go a little crazy…all free of charge, which is always welcome, sharing not an option…so grateful it only takes place once a year, but all good fun, and Sara (my Sara that is) is just totally adorable, I don’t even think she was aware what her cousin sisters stuck behind her…one for her wedding day photo I would suggest!  You need to guess the others?