Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader
Front St. Toronto ON
RECAP
Some people have commented that my weekly post is too long, so they don't finish it. That's okay, it 's my diary of what we've been up to.
In summation, it is the season of street fairs/festivals here in Toronto, so we did Mexican and Polish on the weekend. We ate delicious tacos and mediocre pierogis.
The weather was so gorgeous, John golfed three times.
I went to Kensington Market and to Chinatown a couple of times, for some blog fodder and the great prices in Chinatown. I loved Mary Brown's Chicken which was a ✅for me as I never got a chance to try it in St. John's Newfoundland.
A couple of wedding parties, waiting their turn.
While we were enjoying ourselves...
Paczki (Polish Donuts)
MONDAY MURAL from Little Portugal a few weeks ago.
We went for pizza on the Danforth.
John did another another Costco run.
Meals included lots of leftovers.
SATURDAY I was thrilled to be mentioned in Deb's Sunday Salon.
We caught the streetcar for one stop to Humber Loop for the 501 to University Ave. We were trying again for the Mexican Festival.
We grabbed some very spicy tacos for lunch, 3 for $16. 2 - pastor and 1 - birria. Really good but then, I think they would have been good at any of the vendors.
More walking around.
City Hall is always busy with weddings, we saw some yesterday. It makes a perfect photo opportunity when there is a festival.
Strange sight and very weirdly, we both recognized the very good looking canon in the front. We had seen him crossing the street the other day when we were on the bus. These are not a common sight in Toronto.
There is a Catholic Norbertine community, known as the Premonstratensians, that serves in the Greater Toronto Area, including the Norbertine Fathers from St. Michael's Abbey in Orange, California, who established a presence and offered Latin Mass services in Windsor, Ontario, which is outside Toronto but within the regional area. There is also a connection through the St. Norbert's Parish in North York, which is named after the Norbertine order.
Enjoying the music.
Gorgeous piñatas.
Great entertainment.
Again the 501 on Richmond was waiting at the light for us as was the one stop streetcar on the way home!
SUNDAY and we headed over to Roncesvalles for their Polish festival. It runs from Queen St. West to Dundas St. The first block was taken up by amusement rides for the kiddies. The sun was shining making it hot (high of 27 C) and it was crowded.
Roncesvalles (/ˈrɒnsəsveɪlz/ ⓘ RON-sə-svaylz), also known as or Roncesvalles Village or Roncy Village, is a neighbourhood of Toronto, centred on Roncesvalles Avenue, a north–south street leading from the intersection of King and Queen Streets to the south, north to Dundas Street West, a distance of roughly 1.7 kilometres. Originally known as "Howard Park", most of this area was formerly within the boundaries of Parkdale and Brockton villages and was annexed into Toronto in the 1880s.
Culturally, the area is known as the centre of the Polish community in Toronto with prominent Polish institutions, businesses and St Casimir's Catholic Church located on Roncesvalles Avenue. The businesses along Roncesvalles have formed the Roncesvalles Village Business Improvement Area and hold the largest Polish Festival in North America, which takes place every September.
Lots of local entertainment set up and down the street.
You can see some of the local homes in the area. Many are now split into apartments.
Emily May Rose! I've featured many of her raccoon murals. Click on her name in the labels/tags below this post to see her works.
Paczki (Polish Donuts)
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Very disappointing pierogies! Definitely not made by anyone's babcia!! Bland, not very warm, no onions (advertised). Oh, well, the cost went to charity.
John was golfing in the afternoon. I headed out at noon and decided on Kensington Market and Spadina. I wanted to find an historic plaque for a post and get some salad stuff in Chinatown.
Along Spadina.
I turned down Baldwin for a bit.
Back on Spadina.
Typical neighbourhood homes, although condos are popping up.
Knit bombed tree in Kensington.
A knit bomb, or yarn bomb, is a form of street art where colourful knitted or crocheted fabric is used to cover public objects like trees, poles, or benches. Also known as guerrilla knitting, wool bombing, or urban knitting, this movement aims to bring beauty and joy to drab surroundings, though it is illegal without permission in many areas.
I picked up a sourdough bread at The Blackbird Bakery $7.
Back on Front St.
I divided a plant. I also divided my snake plant.
More crazy prices!
I did get this photo through a gap in the fencing, there are workers in them.
On King St. this row of restored fronts has had the fencing removed. I wonder if I have any photos of the original buildings? I did work across the street from these for several years.
I did some housekeeping, cleaning out the fridge and the en suite bathroom cabinets, removing the basket and putting in the shelf I bought. I also took a mental inventory of what was needed.
Chinatown, back on Spadina.
New face of Spadina.
Chinatown - as always, John will say "why don't we shop there more often?!?"
4 tomatoes $1 large head of lettuce $1 strawberries $1.
Yes, they are American, but I figure at $1 CAD/ 0.73¢ US, they are not making any money!
I bought three more of these on Tuesday and froze them.
TUESDAY signs from around town.
I decided I needed to find that plaque I didn't find yesterday and get more strawberries!!
I took the streetcar at Union. I tapped my payment card on entering Union Station and headed down to get the Spadina streetcar. I saw three POO (yes, their new name Provincial Offenses Officers), really fare inspectors standing there. They often inspect POP (proof of payment) as passenger disembark at Union, so thought nothing of it. I got on the streetcar (didn't tap, as I did coming into the station) and noticed that two of the officers (non-white) also boarded. I was the only white person on the car. The officers split up and started checking. The couple to my left, Syrian, had used a debit card that didn't show payment on his system, he just asked them to tap again... Yikes, I googled, and yes.
Yes, you must tap your PRESTO card, PRESTO in Google Wallet, or debit/credit card on the streetcar when boarding, even if you have already tapped to enter the subway station, to pay your fare and receive a two-hour transfer. Your tapped payment method serves as your proof-of-payment for the journey.
The other inspector went to a group of elderly Indian gentlemen, #1, 2, 3 had tapped on streetcar, #4 hadn't and was told he had to, and he let him just tap, no fine. So I'm screwed, I'm thinking. Nope, both inspectors start chatting in front of me. Did they think the other had inspected me? They got off at the next stop and I tapped after they left!
I found 3 submarine rolls for $1 in this sandwich shop that also had amazing prices on their sandwiches, in the heart of Chinatown.
Look at the sandwiches and those prices!
I finally tried Mary Brown's Chicken Mary Brown's Chicken is a Canadian fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken. It originated in Newfoundland and I didn't get a chance to try it there as it isn't gluten free.
It was delicious and definitely beats the Colonel.
On Widmer they still haven't finished the front facade yet!! I posted about them in July, and in 2024, and 2021!!
The towers are done and the Rui hotel has opened.
I did get this photo through a gap in the fencing, there are workers in them.
On King St. this row of restored fronts has had the fencing removed. I wonder if I have any photos of the original buildings? I did work across the street from these for several years.
Outside the TIFF Tower, I left my cute red shoes in the photo! Picture of the tower here.
I also got a garbage bag for the charity pile that was growing.
This order was $268, but we needed toilet paper, 2 - eggs, bread, crackers gluten free, protein shakes, kale salads, celery, and the beef bulgogi was back in stock.
WEDNESDAY John golfed. I found my costume at Winners!
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What the actual...? Dollar store.
I ordered a few more embroidery kits, I hate not having something to do with my hands when I am watching shows/videos on my laptop.
THURSDAY we took the 10:30 shuttle and then the subway to Danforth and Greenwood, our old stop. We were mesmerized by the changes in the neighbourhood. There are new condos, a lot more Ethiopian restaurants highlighting the changing demographics.
We had interrupted our visit a couple of weeks ago as we got soaked.
When we first moved here in 1991, on our first day of work, we had gone to Greenwood Station, not realizing there was another entrance closer to us. After work we stopped in here to pick up sauce for dinner. I can't believe it is still here!
This mosque has been here since 1974, but it was a tiny storefront until a major renovation in 2007, allowing it to become one of Toronto's largest and oldest Masajids, serving a growing Muslim community.
A tribute to the two young girls killed in the Danforth rampage July 2018.
John has been dying for gluten free pizza at Libretto's, we usually go to another location, but since we were doing Danforth we added it. I had the fungi pizza but realized I usually have the vegetable one.
FRIDAY I decided to stay home and tackled that mountain of laundry and I was rewarded with flowers!!
John used the golf simulator in the afternoon.
John did another Costco run.
We've decided we should go more often for our typical staples like milk - $2.89 vs $5.39 (Longo's) vs $5.50 downstairs. We went through 2 litres this week.
Yogurt $4 Costco vs anywhere from $7 - $9. It was $8.29 at Metro this week!
We figured we should also stock up on coffee and John bought the Costco Kirkland brand as it is 120 cups for $49 - $10 discount = 0.33¢ a cup.
Last week John bought our usual 80 cups for $55 - $11 special = 0.55¢
COOKING
Saturday breakfast apple fritters. Dinner leftover au gratin potatoes/cauliflower/broccolini and ham
Sunday breakfast scrambled eggs. Dinner chicken divan
Monday leftover chicken divan, salad and fresh bread. Dessert strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate shavings and fingers.
Tuesday ham quiche salad
Wednesday leftover quiche salad
Thursday out for lunch leftovers
Friday steak sweet potato fries salad bulgogi (beef), rice, kale salad
Yes, it is technically beef.
WATCHING
I finished season 13 of Call the Midwife, now I have to wait for the latest to be shown.
I started Burden of Truth is a Canadian legal drama television series. Corporate attorney Joanna Hanley returns to her small hometown of Millwood, Manitoba in order to represent a large pharmaceutical company against a group of sick girls, but starts to see that these girls need her help. Burden of Truth was filmed primarily in Selkirk, Manitoba, which serves as the fictional town of Millwood. Filming also took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and at the Portage Correctional Centre in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, to showcase the province itself.
First episode deals with vaccines.
We finished The Godfather of Harlem.
Blood Sisters I thought it was rather trite and slow at the beginning, but then there were some good twists.
The third book in the Century trilogy came this week, Edge of Eternity, so I am devouring it.
That measurement thing was funny. Lots of good food this week for you all. I've always thought blogging was an extension of our diaries regarding updates, with the exception of events you participate in such as Paris in July or Summer Reading Challenge, etc. If a post is too long I scroll through until I get to what interests me such as books or movies or menus.
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