Little birdie!

A fellow Toronto blogger, RedPat, introduced me to these cute, yellow birds and ever since I've been on the lookout for them! I found this one off McCaul Street, just south of the AGO. 

Although I'm still missing Toronto, things are looking up for me in Berlin. Although our hunt for a home is still ongoing, my husband and I joined a golf club this weekend (I guess you can see where our priorities lie! ) . You can keep up with all of my new adventures at Berlin 365. And don't forget to take a look at other murals from around the world at Monday Murals.

Surfer

Here's another shot I took during my last days in Toronto. Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly where it was taken, but somewhere downtowny. I don't really know what it all means, but I find it rather whimsical and the bright colors are nice on the side of that dingy building. 

I've got a few more shots to showcase here, but I will mainly be posting on my Berlin Blog from now on. Please come and take a look! And you can see more murals at Monday Murals.

Last days in Toronto

Springtime in Australia was wonderful! I especially loved the warm weather in Queensland. It's back to real life now though. I came back to Toronto for a few days before making the big move to Germany, so I got a few last shots in. I'm not sure what there is to embrace in this space, but the sentiment in nice. For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

You can also see my brand new Berlin blog here!

Bye bye!

It's off into the sunset for me! Before making the big move overseas, I will be spending some relaxing time on the beaches of Australia.

Be on the lookout for a new Berlin Daily Photo blog at the beginning of November. Although I will probably keep this blog up for awhile too since I've still got plenty of unshared shots. Until then, I may be posting sporadically on my travel blog, but it will depend on how the internet connections are in the "land down under" and how motivated I am to post! 

Ta ta for now and see you soon mates!

October theme day: Details

So this is what my house looked like yesterday just before the movers came and loaded it all up into the container. I can't believe my chapter in Canada is really coming to a close. It all seems a little unreal right now. Hope your month and week are off to a good start, for more interpretations of Details from around the world, click here.

Blown to the wind

I found this mural somewhere on Church street. I'm not sure what it's all about, but I do love the image of the woman and the boy blowing their wishes to the wind! A link to the artist's website is here. This will be my last mural posting for awhile, but not forever! Berlin also has plenty of wall art to share. Until then, enjoy the many murals at Monday Mural.

401 bridge

A look at the 401 bridge from the Don Valley golf course. This is where I played the final round of my golf league. It's pretty funny to play golf right in the middle of the city.  You really feel like you're out in nature! For more bridges, visit Sunday Bridges.

Black and white reflections

A look at the Distillery District by night. I love the lights in black and white! For more reflections, take a look at Weekend Reflections.

Blue skies over Casa Loma

I've shown you flowers from the gardens at Casa Loma and luckily I got to visit the actual Casa recently with out of town visitors. It's a huge house and there's lots to see inside. It's almost too much, but it was fun and interesting, especially since we did an "Upstairs, Downstairs" tour.

Friday is finally here. The movers are packing up our things and they will be back on Monday to load the container. The big day is quickly approaching! For more skies, take a look at Skywatch.

Verdant view

A look at the Niagara River. Isn't all that green splendid? I will really miss summers in Ontario!

Pure old-fashioned

Of course I had to make a stop in Niagara-on-the-Lake during my recent trip to the falls. I love a brick building with a painted sign on the side. I don't know if it's actually old or just looks old, but it's neat whatsoever. Happy Wednesday - tomorrow is my last day of work! For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

Electrical development

I took one last trip to Niagara Falls recently. This time I actually caught a few things I'd never seen before, including this beautiful old building. Hope you enjoy - my time in Toronto is really coming quickly to a close.

Many faiths

I found this colorful beauty at the intersection of Church and Shuter. I looked for some more information online and found that it is part of the Paint Your Faith project that encourages young people to express their spiritual beliefs through an artistic medium. For more murals from all over the world, visit Monday Mural.

Reflecting

Anyone who knows me will know where this shot was taken... on the golf course! I can't resist a good reflection, but my playing season is over as my clubs have already been shipped to Berlin. For more reflections, take a look at Weekend Reflections.

Just posing

These camels were also vying for attention and they got plenty of it! They also seemed pretty interested in posing for my camera. Lucky for me, they were good subjects.

The clock is ticking down on my remaining time here in Toronto. I'm glad Friday is here, but this weekend is going to be a busy one for me. There's no shortage of things to get done before an international move.

It's me!

This sheep was not shy about begging for some attention! Hope you're enjoying this trip around the farmyard.

Bacon?

These little piggies were also getting lots of attention at the petting zoo. Unfortunately, all I could get was a rump view! But they're cute from any angle.

Petting zoo!

Take a look at this cute little guy! He's a baby bison and I got his portrait at the Midnight Madness festival I recently attended in Caledon. I'm not sure he was so happy being cooped up in that small pen, but he did seem to like the attention he got, especially from the kids!

PS: I've still got loads of pictures from Montréal up on my travel blog.

Allegro

I found this mural on the side of the building housing the Allegro Italian restaurant in Caledon, Ontario. I didn't go inside, but I would suspect the interior must be nice as well. Hope your Monday is off to a good start. I ended up first in my flight in the golf tournament this weekend. A happy surprise! For more murals, visit Monday Mural.

Somewhere in Ontario

I love the green summers you find here in Ontario. Everything just came together for this shot, the field, the barn and the sky! I don't know about you, but I'm glad Friday is here. My golf league has its final round this Saturday and then a BBQ party. Lots of fun! for more skies, take a look at Skywatch.

PS: Happy Friday the 13th - don't forget to buy your lottery ticket.

The rooster

I recently made it downtown to see the Ai Weiwei exposition that's up in Nathan Phillip's Square. There is a representation of each of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. They are quite detailed and I'm really glad I had the time to see these works before they're gone.

Niagara fruits

I love peach, plum and nectarine season!

There's nothing like a fresh peach! And I can confirm that the fruits grown in the area are juicy and delicious! For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

Watchful bench

Here's another golf course bench for you, courtesy of Black Bear Ridge. I liked this one especially because of the owl statue watching over it in the background. This course was very challenging but in fantastic shape. Everything was so green - just like in this picture.

Streaky sky

Sorry for my lack of posts recently, but I've been having another round of technical difficulties. My camera died a few weeks ago and now my computer has died as well. Last week I had visitors and then I was out of town this past weekend, so I haven't had time to research and get a new one until now.

This is a look at sundown over Lake Ontario from Niagar-on-the-Lake. I always love stopping by there. This shot was actually taken with the point and shoot camera I bought in PEI. It does do nice sunsets!

September theme day: Pink

 

Here is my take on "pink" for the September theme day. These lovely lilies came straight from my garden. I got quite a few blooms on them this year. Too bad I won't be here next year to see how they turn out! For more pink from around the world, click here.

View from the west

I got this nice skyline shot from the west side of the city when I was exploring there recently. This was actually taken from the pedestrian bridge I showed you earlier this week. For more skies, take a look at Skywatch.

I'm glad the weekend is finally here - and it's a long one for us! We've got visitors in town, so that should give me plenty of photo ops and a chance to use my new camera - the Nikon D7000. It's a long and sad story, but my old D3000 stopped working at a most inopportune time (right when I arrived in PEI for the second leg of my Farewell Canada Tour!). After returning from that trip, I looked at all my options and decided to upgrade to the D7000 - I'm hoping it will be worth it.

Stylish bench

This original bench was also at the shoe store with the red shoes. I love the simplicity of it and also how the store uses that fantastic wood sculpture to display their wares. I found this wonderful shop when browsing through the Distillery District recently with visitors. Perhaps I'll have to go back for a closer look and maybe a purchase!

Distilled streets

Here's a fun look at some of the street signs in the Distillery District. Pretty funny, eh? Unfortunately, there are no active distilleries in the district anymore, it's mainly home to restaurants and shops. But the pedestrian-only streets are great for a leisurely stroll. For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

Confidential to my sister: Happy Birthday!!!

Fancy shoes

I love a splash of red, especially when it comes to footwear. Every woman (and man) needs a nice pair of red shoes and this pair would fit my style perfectly! For more red, take a look at Ruby Tuesday.

Making of the CN Tower

I recently took my second (and probably last) trip up the CN Tower.  I didn't notice this mural depicting the builders of the Tower the first time I went up, so I did get something out of the second trip! The guys who built the tower must have been very brave. It makes me nervous just looking down through that glass floor. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I'm gearing up for more visitors next weekend. And that means more photo ops. For more murals, take a look at Mural Monday.

Over the tracks

This brightly colored pedestrian bridge will take you over the tracks in the western part of the city. Lots of new condos and residential units have recently gone up in this area of town. So new paths and walkways had to be built to accommodate them. I rather like this one! 

Hope your weekend has been good so far. For more bridges, take a look at Sunday Bridges.

Wayne's World

Reflections from the window of Wayne Gretzky's wine shop in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Yes, the former hockey star really does have his own winery. But don't ask me how the wines taste, I've never tried one. For more reflections, take a look at Weekend Reflections.

Empty benches

I'm not sure why these benches were unoccupied. They look pretty inviting to me! These were found in the Distillery District of downtown Toronto.

Grammar crazy

If the owner of this shop is close, I guess I could just wait around to see when he/she comes back? Hopefully it won't be long, but I have a feeling I'll be waiting awhile. For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

PS: I will definitely  be starting up a photo blog when I'm in Berlin! I just hope it won't be too cold in the first months. But I do have some archives.

Super shiny!

I stopped by the Bolton / Caledon Midnight Madness celebration last Friday. Businesses and local services were out and about to answer questions and provide information. I really loved this big, shiny fire truck! Who doesn't love a big splash of red? For more red, visit Ruby Tuesday.

Big news!

A Trabbi on the streets of Toronto is just about the last thing I'd expect to see - but since I did, I took it as a sign to make an announcement here on my blog. My adventures in Toronto are winding down and I will be moving to Berlin in early November. 

In the meantime, my husband and I have been doing a "Farewell Canada Tour". We've completed two legs already and there's a third coming up at the end of this month. I will try to post some shots of those travels on my other blog as time permits. Happy Monday!

Fences and trees

Here's a look at some golf course scenery for you this Friday. I like the vertical and horizontal lines created by the trees and the fence. Hope you've got exciting plans for the weekend. I need to rest up from my visitors! For more fences, take a look at Friday Fences.

Eagle in silhouette

This year I finally got a round in at Eagle's Nest. This was actually one of the first courses I played this season, but I never got around to posting this shot. The course was really beautiful and very challenging, I'd love to go back. Too many golf courses for so little time!

Downward facing dog

I found this sign outside Vaughn Mills shopping center on a recent rainy day. I don't know about you, but I find it hilarious! I guess the artist has a different way of representing falling down - it looks more like someone doing yoga to me. Hope this adds a giggle to your hump day, for more signs take a look at Signs, Signs.

Pop of red

If you need a quick fix of red, this bright poppy will do the trick! For more red, visit Ruby Tuesday.

A legend

I'm not really sure what makes this place legendary. Perhaps some of the athletes who practice here have taken part in the Olympics? In any case, I liked the colors and the patio does look like a nice place to enjoy the views of Lake Ontario. For more murals, take a look at Monday Mural.

Hope your week is off to a good start! I'm already ready for the next weekend.

Skies reflected

I haven't posted a reflection shot in quite awhile, so I hope you'll enjoy this one! I loved the old-fashioned sign and the puffy clouds that show up behind it. Hope you've got big plans for the weekend. We've got visitors in so it's off to the Falls. For more reflections, visit Weekend Reflections.

Floral bench

Lakeridge Links has great landscaping. Who wouldn't want to sit on that bench surrounded by flowers? The only thing that mars the landscape is the big bin. But I guess it has to go somewhere!

Blast off!

I stopped for a coffee one weekend at the Jet Fuel in Cabbagetown. The drinks were delicious and the company was also interesting. It seems to be a hangout spot for bikers - the pedaling kind! I thought the sign was also cute. For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

It is what it says it is...

You'll find beer stores all around town, but I've never seen one with the name actually painted on the side of the building like this. In case you're wondering, they do sell beer there. The system is actually sort of fun. You go in and there is a big board on the wall (sort of like at McDonald's) showing all the beers available. You place your order and someone in the back prepares it and out it comes on the conveyor belt!

Besides selling beer, these stores also take back your old beer cans and wine and liquor bottles for a refund. For more murals, take a look at Monday Mural.

August theme day: Streetlamps

I found this wonderful little streetlamp outside a home in the Cabbagetown area of Toronto. I just love walking through this neighborhood, every house is cuter than the next! 

Hope your month is off to a good start. I've got some big news coming up.

Parkette bench

Here's a last look at the Portuguese Parkette. I love the way the designers have incorporated this stone bench into the landscaping. 

The parkette also included a nice little fountain to honor the pioneers. This little parkette really squeezes a lot in! I hope you have enjoyed the tour.

Walk of fame

I guess I'm sort of on a Portuguese roll, so why not continue? Here's the Wall of Fame that I was telling you about last week. 

As you can see, it only includes three people and of those three I only know one, Nelly Furtado. But there's lots of open space left so hopefully more Canadians of Portuguese descent will be added to this wall in the years to come.