Toronto, Canada. October 2017 (12 photos)
This is part 1 of my Canada 2017 photo series.
When planning my trip to Cuba (don’t worry there’s more to come from Cuba), I was uncertain about what to do after visiting Cuba. After a few weeks of thought, I decided I didn’t just want to return to Australia the way I came. Instead, I’d rather be travelling a bit more, but I had to do it in a way so as not to run foul of the US embargo rules against Cuba. So I decided to take a detour and chose Toronto as my first stop after Cuba.
I checked out of my hotel in Havana around 5am. I had a taxi booked; one of those 1950’s vintage taxis. On a dark road somewhere in Havana, the inevitable happened. My taxi broke down. My driver dutifully took out a wrench and screwdriver and for 20 minutes tinkered with the car. After a few false starts, the car started again and I got to the airport without further delay. Car owners in Cuba really have to be resourceful given the lack of parts and support.
Anyway, I arrived mid morning to Toronto after a flight of about 3 hours. Fortuitously, I was able to check in early to my hotel even though I hadn’t requested it. Dropping my bags off, I immediately took a quick walk…
These dogs all seemed mesmerised by something.
Ahhh, the holy grail of bones.
Quite fortunately, this place which was recommended to me was close by. It was good to have a wide choice of lunch options once again.
After a bit of emergency shopping, I headed out to Ward’s Island just to stroll around…
…and enjoy the sunset views.
This was a lovely sojourn in Toronto.
A temporary moment of serenity after 2 weeks in Cuba and before the final destination of my month long trip.
One week in…
New York City.
…
This is part 1 of my Canada 2017 photo series.
This is part 3 of my North America 2017 photo series.
This is part 13 of my photo series of my 2017 trip to the USA, Mexico, Cuba, and Canada.
Etcetera Etcetera Etcetera 
Magnificent! I think it would be wonderful to visit there. Naturally, I adore that fountain! LOL! Beautiful photos of the sunset.
This fountain is in Berzcy Park, designed by landscape architect Claude Cormier. The fountain features 27 cast iron dogs, one scared-looking cat, and a lone bone. I thought it might appeal to you. 🙂
You were right! LOL! 😀
🙂 🙂 🙂
Oh my goodness, I love that water fountain!!! Gorgeous photos!! 🙂
Thanks, Norma. It’s a fun looking fountain. I wonder how real dogs react to it. 🙂
Lol at first I thought those dogs were real. They are certainly very life-like. Lovely composition with these shots. Brilliant sunset and it looked like such a peaceful stroll that day. Looking forward to the New York series. Hope you tried some pizza while you were there, or at least some good food 🙂
Oh yes, from afar they looked real but I got suspicious when they weren’t moving. 🙂
There are certain foods you have to eat locally. Pancakes in Canada. Pizza in New York. I visited several of NYC’s finest pastry shops too. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Lovely to hear you had a bit of adventure with food. Maybe you had an out of the world almond croissant or two. You haven’t mentioned them much of late 🙂
Almond croissants seem to be the domain of french or french-influenced bakeries. Overseas, I try the specialty of the bakery shops I visit. No harm in diversification. LOL
Toronto is a great city, but what on earth is that bone fountain all about? I shall have to ask my Toronto blog friend about it.
I’m not sure it has a meaning, Jude. I think it’s just a fun/whimsical piece of public artwork, designed to grab attention. And it does. 🙂
That fountain is awesome! I do really like Toronto!
I’m glad I was there before the cold truly arrived. I need to go back and see more to Toronto and Canada.
Canada is so beautiful….especially in British Columbia and in the Canadian Rockies north of Calgary…. you would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. 🙂
Everything is so far away when you live in Australia. Those places are on my list.
But you have Asia at your fingertips. Lucky devil!
A long fingertip – 4 hours just to get past Darwin from Sydney, but yes it is relatively more accessible. Loved Cambodia just as you loved Laos.
Beautiful! Can’t wait to see your images of my home town! I’m here now visiting my dad who just had surgery. Still bitter that you missed the Midwest. 😉 And, as it so happens, still bitterly cold in the Midwest!
Thanks. Hopefully nothing too serious and everything is going well for your father post-operatively. Some of that Jones Beach respite might be called for.
Chicago will have to wait until next time, when it’s warmer. Don’t want to have to buy flannel – it’s unnecessary to me in Sydney.
He had double bypass surgery last Tuesday. He is doing well. Definitely will find some peace at the shore. The Windy City, and I, await.
I’m sorry to hear that, but it’s better than a triple bypass. I hope the recovery runs smoothly.
My kind of town… Chicago is. 🙂
Thank you so much.
Stay strong.
That dog fountain is hilarious. Beautiful photos of Toronto!
Now to find a bunny statue! Thanks. I was there before it got too cold. That would have been a shock to the system coming from Cuba.
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(=’.’=)
(“) (“) In the meantime…
🙂 🙂 🙂
That’s wonderful light. I didn’t know that dogs were so visually oriented. I’d kind of assumed that only a very strong smell would make them all point in the same direction. Clearly not.
It’s a fabulous fountain. The dogs all look so life-like. The dogs in, on and surrounding the fountain are all part of the artwork. I guess that bone at the top has magical appeal.
Won’t be fooled again.
Those dogs are all hand-painted. I had to get close to realise they were all part of the sculpture. A sign of a good artist.
Before I read your description I thought maybe the fountain was a tribute to the book, “Fifteen Dogs” which was about a pack pf dogs in downtown Toronto who are given the gifts of speech and foresight, a literary success in 2015.(Wikipedia: Fifteen Dogs is a novel by Canadian writer André Alexis. Published by Coach House Books in 2015, the novel was the winner of the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize and the 2015 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction) I loved the book, not everyone did.
I think the fountain was built in 2017, so it’s entirely possible there may be some influence from that 2015 book. Artists find their inspiration from all around.
Loved that blind façade! It really adds a lot of colour and makes a bland wall incredibly interesting.
It’s really well done. The middle windows are real and incorporated into the art. Or more correctly, the art is well incorporated into the building.
I’m visiting via Heyjude who was enthralled with the dog fountain. I live in Toronto and I’m very familiar with this area, but I haven’t yet seen this fountain. Your photo is the BEST I’ve seen yet! Now I want to race down there right now and see it!
Loved all your photos. Thank you for making my home city look so beautiful 💕
Thanks very much. i’m glad I could do justice to Toronto. The sunset was beautiful.
Breezy Park is a lovely little area. The fountain and the artwork at the back of the Flatiron Building are wonderful. I would have loved to have seen the fountain with the waterjets operating but that’s for my next visit.
Toronto is truly a wonderful place to visit, as you have so beautifully shown here, Lignum. Wonderful series of images and I so look forward to seeing more from Cuba.
Thanks very much, Lisa. It was a pleasant stopover for me as I hadn’t been before. Good food too. 🙂
What a clean, good-looking city, Draco! I think you were fortunate with the weather because they seem to’ve had their share of snow lately. 🙂 🙂 Love the building with the ‘fake front’ and the calmness of those sunsets.
Thanks, Jo. I understand some snow arrived a couple of weeks after I left. That would have been a shock coming from Cuba. Toronto was a serene moment on my trip.
Beautiful images of this city, Dragon. We visited Toronto a couple of times, but I don’t remember seeing this part of the city where the orange building with the white curtain are. I love the sunset shots.
I remember we enjoyed the Chinese food every much! 🙂
Thanks very much, Amy. I believe the Berczy Park area was redeveloped and reopened only in 2017 so it’s a location for the next time you visit Toronto.
I had Thai for dinner. 🙂
I could pack my bags and dash off to Toronto immediately… Your pictures are so wonderful!
Thank you very much. There are lovely views from the Toronto islands 🙂
Me too was mesmerised by the bone and dogs photo. Great pictures!
Thanks. That dog sculpture appeals to a lot of people.
I haven’t been to Toronto in many too many years, but we always loved visiting. Your photos whet that desire once again, although Chicago is much more than a partial day’s drive away as was Cleveland. 🙂
janet
That was my first time in Toronto. Yes, I can see from the map it’s a fair distance away. Thanks, Janet.
Excellent. The first half is especially sweet. Thank you for the bone. 🙂
I didn’t see any real dogs there at the time, but I wondered how they’d react. LOL
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks.
Thanks for the tour, you always provide a singular lens of your universe…
Thanks very much, Sally. Have a great weekend.
Beautiful captures of some of my favorite places in Toronto.
Thank you very much.
I have a big smile on my face LD. When I saw those dogs I had to look twice then 3 times they are so realistic and then you showed us the bone… Then onto the fabulous street art incredible. I’m amazed you were only 2 weeks in Cuba, you fitted so much in. Then the final photos of the radiant sunset, beautiful
It’s a brilliant fountain. Initially you don’t realise the dogs around the fountain are part of the artwork as well. 🙂 It was a spectacular sunset; worth braving the cold ferry ride out to the island and back again.
Lovely sunset photos.
Thank you.
Great pictures! I particularly like the colours in the last two 🙂 Keep them coming :):)
Thanks very much. I was lucky with the weather that day. 🙂
Clearly it was a great place to stop off – stunning photos – loved the photos of the dogs and the bone – too cute a display.
Thanks. I hadn’t been to Toronto before, so I enjoyed the walk around. Yes, that fountain seems to be a winner.
Wonderful sunset views Mr Draco .. That fountain is something else 🙂
Thanks, Julie. The fountain gets a lot of attention. It appeals to many people’s aesthetics.
Brilliant shots!
Thank you. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Yay, Toronto!
🙂