Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader
12 June 2026
OLD PHUKET TOWN THAILAND
BEAVER QUEST WIP RECAP TO DATE - 31/51!
SATURDAY
Always a day of rabbit holes, some mentioned below. Another one was checking the menu of an Indian place we saw.
Another rabbit hole - checking some tax information for a friend of John's. Done. 🐰
Find our VIA travel vouchers became an email clean up. Which meant an addition to our coffee wishlist.Then reading blogs added more 🐰🐰🐰as I checked out books and recipes.
Then chores, sweeping, washing floors, dishes, laundry. Bleached some dish towels. Got rid of a candy tin, some old dishtowels (how many rags does one need?).
Then chores, sweeping, washing floors, dishes, laundry. Bleached some dish towels. Got rid of a candy tin, some old dishtowels (how many rags does one need?).
Looked at some dining options for Montreal.
Other sights encountered on our quest. It was fun to run into others doing the quest!
The Old Post Office, the English beaver should have been here, but I heard that it was damaged.
We decided on this pub, P.J. O'Brien's, it has been here forever.
Calamari for me, it was very good, but I would have the calamari salad. John enjoyed his fish and chips.
That got me wondering 🐰if there are any Canadian AI platforms. Yes, there are a few, that I will have to check out. I did try Gemini (not Canadian) and didn't like its layout.
St. Lawrence Market.
PSSSST there is a beaver hiding here.
All meals come with salad, bread and spumoni!
This building features a large public sculpture titled "Eagle" designed by artist Dean Drever, which was inspired by the documentation of a ceramic pot and bird effigy circa 1300-50 made by the Iroquois who lived nearby during that time.
What a surprise!
John got the car washed and picked up some pantry items on special at Metro.
SUNDAY
I'm not sure what we did, other than John using the golf simulator.
MONDAY
John headed off to golf. I went to College Park, I wanted liver for dinner, but neither Farm Boy or Metro had any, so settled on pork chops.
So stupid. Who would complain??? They have been here for years!!
The colorful vendor signs at TMU's (Toronto Metropolitan University Yonge - Dundas campus) World Food Market (12 vendors) were removed because they violated the City of Toronto's Sign By-law.
Following complaints, the City investigated the market. Officials found that the existing signage did not comply with local bylaws and lacked the required permits mandated for commercial properties. As a result, the market was forced to strip the colorful banners and logos from the food stalls to achieve compliance
Between Pride and FIFA, the city is busy!
Sheraton Centre - I was here last week, when I checked out City Hall's FIFA displays across the street. I didn't notice these.
TUESDAY
Barricades and road closures on Lake Shore Boulevard West are in place to manage traffic, secure pedestrian safety, and accommodate event staging for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
I had prepared a walking map for our Beaver Quest hunt today. It is a scavenger hunt so clues are hard to come by, I've used all resources at hand.
Other sights encountered on our quest. It was fun to run into others doing the quest!
We couldn't find the first beaver that was on our list, I had a wrong address, but we got a bonus one just a few doors away!
The Adelaide Street Court House, or York County Court House, is a historic former courthouse located at 57 Adelaide Street East in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It served as a court house from 1852 until 1900. It currently houses Terroni restaurant
Checking out the Italian restaurant, now in the courthouse, I got this!
The Old Post Office, the English beaver should have been here, but I heard that it was damaged.
On Front St. this pub is ready for soccer!
This circular sign is a Heritage Toronto marker illustrating the natural shoreline of Lake Ontario.
There is a sculpture on Jarvis St.
This is the Whitfield Building I showed last week, I wanted to get a photo of the frontage on Front St.
The Whitfield and Pearlman & Goldberg Buildings were constructed in 1918 and 1941, respectively, and are related the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood's period of manufacturing and industrial development. The Whitfield Building at 33 Sherbourne Street was constructed to serve as office space for the John Whitfield Company, which operated the Dominion Chain Works immediately to the south at 174 Front Street East, and has subsequently been occupied by various office and light manufacturing uses. The Pearlman & Goldberg Building at 178 Front Street East was constructed as office and warehouse/factory space for the Pearlman & Goldman Company, which traded in hides, wools, and furs, before serving as the warehouse and factory for the Samuel Harris Company, which sold fabrics for the automobile industry.
Designated for its contextual value, it stands as one of the last remaining physical reminders of the industrialization phase of the original 10 blocks of the Town of York.
This is how this block looked before. Pearlman building to the right of the gas station.
We decided on this pub, P.J. O'Brien's, it has been here forever.
Nestled away on the corner of Colborne Street and Leader lane, behind the King Edward Hotel in Toronto's historic St Lawrence Market neighbourhood is P.J. O’Brien, it looks like a charming and authentic Irish pub. Why have I never been here??? John says he was here years ago when we first moved to Toronto.
Well, it was on my list for this summer so ✅done.
It feels like an Irish pub inside and the food was traditional Irish comfort food, delicious.
Okay, so we didn't have authentic Irish beer...
Toronto police are deploying the largest number of officers in the service's history and working alongside international officers to secure hotels, fan zones, and transportation hubs for the FIFA World Cup 2026. A heavy presence will be maintained across the downtown core, including the historic Omni King Edward Hotel (which is frequently a base for official visitors and teams), and other high-profile locations. This was very evident as we headed to lunch. Royal Edward was surrounded by police.
I have confirmed that Bosnia is staying at the King Eddie.
Since I am using a 9 piece collage, this one includes Panama, missing from the last collage, and does have the last two we found today.
WEDNESDAY
Delicious scones from Cob's Bread on Front St, bought yesterday on our Beaver Quest.
Strawberry and passion fruit, lemon and blueberry.
I worked on yesterday's Beaver Quest post.
John golfed, it was hot and humid, but he was happier with his game this week.
I went downtown and had a vague plan to check out a couple of things.
I took some photos to update a future murals post.
The city is busy and the Blue Jays were in town, I'm walking along Bremner, where the stadium, CN Tower, Convention Centre and Ripley's Aquarium are located.
The Railway Museum is also here, in the Roundhouse Park. It features an open air, free park for kids with a miniature train and full size trains. The real roundhouse is still here and contains a brewery as well.
I visited the museum and wrote a post called Train of Thought. It also features a mural.
The Heritage Toronto plaque honours the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP). It commemorates their crucial role in early Canadian civil rights, noting that they organized the first trade union in Canada formed by and for Black Canadians.
These maps feature black-and-white infographic designs showcasing Toronto’s street network, landmarks like the Toronto Islands, and historical rail corridors.
I've decided it is too humid to continue on and turn around.
Another Luminato display.
I always wondered that this was, and finally went into the building to find out. I actually thought it was a actual piece of working train equipment.
This sculpture is titled Caboose Ball and was created by artist Lars Fisk in 2021.
It is constructed from steel, wood, MDF, glass, and coal.
The piece was commissioned by Cadillac Fairview for the 16 York St building in downtown Toronto.
The artwork is part of the City of Toronto Private Developer Percent for Art Program. In cities like Toronto, the Percent for Public Art Program acts as a planning tool embedded into major development approvals. Private developers constructing large buildings designate 1% of their gross construction costs to fund artwork integrated on-site or nearby on public land.
There must be a team staying at the Delta as it had a large police presence today.
I made another batch of spaghetti sauce and froze it. I even did a load of laundry!
THURSDAY
Once again, AI tells me I am right!!
That got me wondering 🐰if there are any Canadian AI platforms. Yes, there are a few, that I will have to check out. I did try Gemini (not Canadian) and didn't like its layout.
We started prep for our weekend trip to Montreal. Watering plants, tidying up, started packing.
We caught the 11:20 for some more beaver hunting and lunch. Well, one beaver, it was hot out.
.
Should have been my blog title!
Plensa on Adelaide. Click here to see more Plensas.
St. Lawrence Market.
Spaghetti Factory, we hadn't been here in at least 25 years!!! It hasn't changed, other than prices!!
PSSSST there is a beaver hiding here.
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Spaghetti with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese
Our signature Mizithra is a deliciously salty cheese that is grated over our spaghetti and drizzled with browned butter
FIFA began in Mexico today. Fan Fest (Fort York) was in full swing. Taken from the bus.
FRIDAY
We left very early (8:35) for the 11:38 train to Montreal. There are road closures for FIFA, the first game here in Toronto.
We were downtown in the usual time, but you could see where they were getting ready to close streets off. There was also a huge contingent of police getting ready to be on site.
We went into Union Station and got breakfast at Nord Lyon.
It is Friday so Union Station is quiet as every one works at home. Those that don't, some companies told employees they could work at home during FIFA due to the traffic.
We then checked into the Via business lounge and I spotted the activity outside.
And the Bosnian fans were out, there was a large tour group staying the the Royal York.
AROUND TOWN
YES, good riddance to anything Rogers!!!! Now cane we go back to calling it the SkyDome?
Former Toronto Blue Jays owner Ted Rogers stood tall outside Gate 6 at the Rogers Centre for 13 years. As of Monday, he stands there no more.
My photo 2013
The 12-foot bronze statue of the late Canadian businessman was removed this week as the Blue Jays prepare to install a new statue honouring World Series icon Joe Carter later this summer.
As the team continues to celebrate its 50th MLB season, Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro revealed that Carter will be commemorated with a statue outside the ballpark, which will recognize one of the most iconic World Series moments, let alone in Canadian history.
COOKING
On Saturday, as I linked my post up to The Intrepid Reader and Baker, she mentioned a cook book by Elizabeth Hewson. Our library didn't have it, but she does have a website with lots of recipes!!
MENU
Saturday - ham, Brussels sprouts
Sunday - roasted chicken quarters, potatoes and Brussels sprouts
Monday - pork schnitzel and colcannon
Tuesday - lunch out - egg sandwiches
Wednesday - chicken divan
Thursday - lunch out - leftover chicken divan
Friday - Montreal - steak frites
WATCHING
Nuremberg Nuremberg is a 2025 American psychological thriller historical drama film. Based on the 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai, the film follows U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) seeking to investigate the personalities and monitor the mental status of Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) and other high-ranking Nazis in preparation for and during the Nuremberg trials. Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O'Brien, Colin Hanks, Wrenn Schmidt, Lydia Peckham, Richard E. Grant, and Michael Shannon have supporting roles in the film.
We tried The Marked Woman and 1992 and bailed on both.
We totally enjoyed the three episodes of The Witness. The Witness is a television true crime miniseries retelling of the 1992 killing of Rachel Nickell and the aftermath for her husband and son. The series is based on a memoir Letting Go by Alex Hanscombe.
Mercy is a 2026 American science fiction thriller film starring Chris Pratt. The plot (set in LA 2029) involves a detective (Pratt), who is accused of murdering his wife, and must prove his innocence to an artificial intelligence judge. The way of the future...
Crime 101 is a 2026 crime thriller co-production between US and UK film starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry. It is based on the 2020 novella by Don Winslow. The film also features Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte.
Crime 101 follows a highly disciplined jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) operating along the California coast, an obsessive, hangdog detective (Mark Ruffalo) tracking his every move, and an undervalued insurance broker caught in a high-stakes web of ambition, capitalism, and mutual survival.
Thieves Highway
I've downloaded 32 episodes of MasterChef Australia.
I finished season 1 of Traitors Australia. I liked the outcome.
READING
Hunter (Ross Greenwood) really intrigued me. I wasn't sure if I was reading a police procedural or a story of a marriage falling apart, with a lot of tongue in cheek along the way. I will be reading more of him!
I started reading The Gilded Hour. I didn't realize it was a series. I had to give up on it, it wasn't holding my attention.
The year is 1883, and in New York City, it’s a time of dizzying splendor, crushing poverty, and tremendous change. With the gravity-defying Brooklyn Bridge nearly complete and New York in the grips of anti-vice crusader Anthony Comstock, Anna Savard and her cousin Sophie—both graduates of the Woman’s Medical School—treat the city’s most vulnerable, even if doing so may put everything they’ve strived for in jeopardy.
I was incensed by the corruption of police, the anti-contraception wave. Although living in Toronto I'm not sure why police corruption surprises me...
There are several things about this book that I really liked: the New York setting, the main character Anna, who is a surgeon and feminist, the other offbeat people in her life, the informative historical detail, especially about the perilous situation of women held hostage by those determined to restrict their rights.
I started Survivor on the train, easy read.
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