I’ve been really struggling with how to go about this next post. I still have so much to share from our time in Toronto, and we just finished twelve amazing days in Alaska (my 50th state-see Chapter 72 once I get through the over 1,143 pictures I took). And, I don’t want to sell Toronto short because we had such an incredible time there. Minus the fact that there wasn’t one space in our apartment where Dave could stand up straight. 😂
I do want to mention that our hearts go out to everyone that was affected by the Canadian wildfires. We left the day before they happened and seeing the pictures of how bad the air quality was all the way through southern Wisconsin, and beyond, was deeply saddening. What was also saddening was the murder of two people that took place during the Salsa on St. Clair Festival in Toronto the day we left, July 11th. I’ve mentioned in other posts that I don’t hear about things like this happening in other countries as much as I do in the US and it just goes to show it can happen anywhere.
In the time that we had left in Toronto I visited High Park and the McKenzie House. We visited the Royal Ontario Museum and the Hockey Hall of Fame together. I walked over to Evergreen Brickworks and past Casa Loma. I also took the ferry over to Ward’s Island, one the islands in Toronto Harbor that I mentioned in my previous post, that has no cars on it. I also visited the Bata Shoe Museum, which was really cool. And, we watched a lot more of the World Cup. I’m grateful for the time we had in Toronto and we definitely would like to visit it again some day.
I also wanted to let you know about a new tab we created on the home page of our website entitled “Showing Up”. Something about our time in Alaska put on my heart that I want to do more during this adventure. We want to give back to the places that we have visited the way that they have given to us. In an attempt to do that we decided to create the “Showing Up” tab. Visit this tab to learn about communities, spaces and places we’ve visited that you can give to as well. The first two are from our time in Oahu, Hawaii and Auckland, New Zealand. As I continue this effort to give back I will add more opportunities to the list.
In the meantime, enjoy our pictures from Toronto!
❤️Alison and Dave
How well Dave fit in our basement apartment in Little Italy.Mackenzie House print shop. “What role did William Lyon Mackenzie play in the history of Toronto? Mackenzie House looks to explore Victorian Toronto and the contrary and controversial man who had such an impact on our city – from journalist to mayor, mayor to exile, exile to politician. This tiny, historic former row house sits surrounded by skyscrapers in the heart of downtown Toronto, just steps from Canada’s busiest intersection. Discover the Mackenzie story and gain a glimpse into the gritty Victorian era in which he lived: a time of macabre fascination, an era obsessed with crime, secrets, spirits, and death. Learn about the history of the house, the diverse people who made it their home, and the ever-evolving urban neighborhood that has grown up around it.” https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/museums/mackenzie-house/This 3,500 square-foot mural entitled “Medicine for the People” was painted by the Red Urban Nation Indigenous Artist Collective and is located in the Bickford area of Toronto. This garage is one of many brightly painted, butterfly inspired, garages along Bickford Park. This is Book Bar. It opened the end of June and I was so excited to be able to experience it while we were in Toronto. It is in a converted house and doubles as a bookstore and a bar. SUCH a cute place!This LEGO tower sculpture was built around a light pole in Little Italy and it is interactive. It was created by multimedia artist Martin Reis. The over a century old Lee’s Palace is a historic music venue in Toronto and is covered in a colorful mural by Al Runt. Fun fact: Nirvana played here in 1990.The “Owl of St. George” is on the Kimpton Saint George Hotel and was created by Toronto-based street artist Jerry Rugg. This incredible hallway is part of the Chinese Temple Architecture exhibit inside of the Royal Ontario Museum. This “Infant Buddha” statue is made of Gilt bronze and is from the 7th, century. “This diminutive Siddhartha stands on an inverted lotus pedestal. According to Buddhist scripture, immediately after Siddhartha was born, he took seven steps towards east, west, south and north, pointed at heaven and earth and with his arms outstretched, said ” The chief am I in the world.” This ceramic flask is from 675-750 CE Tang dynasty. “Homage to the Highest Power” artist unknown. 1300CE Yuan Dynasty. Ceramic “Daoist deity” 15th-16th century, Ming dynasty. Birchbark canoes. The bottom one is a “Freight Canoe made by Cesar Newashish, Attikamek from Manouane, Quebec. 1971. “Canoes this size were paddled by eight to ten individuals and carried up to four tons total weight.”“Walter Ochapowace’s horse mask, with eagle claw lightning symbol.”Plains Cree c.1900 from Ochapowace Reserve, Saskatchewan. This is a plaster cast of ancient Egyptian wall reliefs from the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri. This is a pointed limestone relief from the Tomb of Kagemni in the Saqqara necropolis, dating to the 6th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt. I hope to make it to Egypt some day to see things like this in person. Japanese Spider Crab. Their leg span can exceed 12 feet!Chasmosaurus skeleton. “All Our Relations” created by the Royal Ontario Museum’s Youth Cabinet. The Allen Lambert Galleria at Brookfield Place near the entrance to the Hockey Hall of Fame. A replica of the Montreal Canadiens locker room. Artifacts from the Chicago Stadium. Minnesota represent! Go Gophers! Rah!Dave pretending he’s on Sports Center. Minnesota North Stars helmet from before they moved to Texas. The Carolina Hurricanes celebrating their victory as the 2026 Stanley Cup Champions. The famous Stanley Cup!Some of the previous winners rings. This is from the Las Vegas Knights win in 2023.Entering the Evergreen Brick Works. “Legacy (the mud beneath our fee)” by artist David Hind.Evergreen Brick Works. “anything is possible” or “everything is possible” in French. I agree!Outside of Casa Loma. Casa Loma was “Originally built between 1911 and 1914 as a private residence for Canadian financier and military man Sir Henry Pellatt, the estate is famous for a variety of historical and modern attractions.”Making my way to catch the ferry to Ward’s Island. The view of the Toronto skyline from Algonquin Island. Algonquin Island is connected to Ward’s Island by a small bridge and has a boardwalk along the water that runs almost the entire length. The view from the boardwalk. The water is so clear!The Bata Shoe Museum. These shoes, called paduka, are from Jaipur India around the 18th century. These “jin lian” shoes from Han China in the last 19th century. “Han women with bound feet often made and embellished their own footwear.”“Manchu women did not have their feet bound and instead wore high platform shoes” These are from late 19th century China. They still look very small compared to mine. 😉These are “Chestnut Crushing Clogs” from the Haute-Ardèche region of Auvergne, France in the 19th century aided in shelling chestnuts. “Drag superstar Trixie Mattel donated these boots to the Bata Shoe Museum in 2025. Mattel wore them when filming and episode for Rupaul’s Drag Race.”These incredible shoes were part of the Perugia exhibit. The descriptions says, “At first glance, the shoe looks like it has an invisible heel. But it actually has an elevated wedge under the forepart of the shoe to create a hidden lift.” Early 1950s. Lakȟota 1880sBoots from the Calgary Stampede 1950Olsen-Stelzer boots made for Gene Autry. Mid-1930s.Mexican “Borderland Boots”“Gwiiwzens Dreamed of Spirit Horses” Made by Barry Ace, M’Chigeeng First Nation, Anishinaabe (Odawa), 2023Shoes from the “Unearthing Vindolanda” Footwear from the edge of the Roman Empire. Vindolanda is Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. This is a military boot from 140-180 CE. This is a common soldier’s “fell boot” from 85-90 CE. I’m glad I visited the Bata Shoe Museum. It was really cool to see how shoes vary cross country, culture and time. “The First Man and The First Woman” by Indigenous artist Philip Cote. “Easter Conttontail” by Bordalo II. It was really cool to discover this mural in the Little Portugal neighborhood of Toronto because it helped me recall seeing other works by the same artist in other cities we’ve visited like Lisbon, Portugal and Montreal, Canada. “Love is Here #7” was created by Toronto artist Phillip Saunders in 2023 as part of the StreetARToronto “Just Us” program, which celebrates Black love and community. Until next time Toronto!
