Mind Blown by Manikins at The Power Plant

ass="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37146 blk-brdr" src="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Ydessa-Hendeles-installation-at-power-plant-gallery-toronto.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480">Meghan and I saw this great art exhibition on the Monday of the Labour Day long weekend, but, alas, it is over now and most-likely never to be repeated.  So, even though it’s too late for me to be recommending it to you, I can't not post about it because it was one of the coolest art installations that I've ever seen.The show was The Milliner's Daughter, by Ydessa Hendeles, at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, located down at Toronto's waterfront.

A Daytime Date in Toronto’s Distillery District

Follow Up :  Hi!  I photographed and wrote about The Distillery District again, this time including lots about the story behind this fascinating place and some historical photographs.  That post can be found here, if you'd like to have a look.  Thanks for visiting my site. xo

ass="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37081 blk-brdr" src="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/gooderham-and-worts-historic-distillery-district-toronto.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480">A scan through all that I've written here this summer indicates that this site has morphed into one dedicated to places to go and things to do in Toronto. This being so, I must apologize to readers from afar, who might not be as interested in this concentration on localized goings-on as they would be about the more universal topics that I used to also include, such as thrift store shopping, decorating, entertaining, cooking and making things.This change was unintentional and can be chalked up to two things :One - the loss of our dear cat Eddie at the beginning of the summer. We miss that fellow terribly and, to be honest, simply hanging out at home on the weekends has lost much of its appeal, since his passing. He was a very social cat and was never far from us. Even when asleep, he'd often be doing so in one of our laps. Home was where our cat was, for sure, and everything reminds us of him.In the past, he would have been right there "helping" me when I made things. As for photographing vintage finds and home decor, there was nothing he loved more than a good opportunity to photobomb. He made "doing nothing" feel like more, and so, we were happy homebodies, spending long summer afternoons in the garden. Now, we've found ourselves going out much more than we used to, and therefore I have many more "out and about" things to write about.Two - I've had a nice bike that Nick bought me for my birthday about 6 years ago, that I'd hardly ridden. I was afraid to ride on the city streets, which were decidedly not very welcoming to cyclists. However, since city planners have made a concerted effort to get people riding, Toronto is teaming with bike riders. There are safe dedicated lanes for people to ride on throughout the downtown core and riding has become the best way to go. It's awesome, and I love it.Now I can get Nick to come pretty well anywhere with me if I'm willing to ride there. He's begun asking me "So, where are we riding this weekend" and I've been prepared with a list of interesting places to go.Which brings me to today's topic -- our visit to The Distillery District, a week ago Saturday.While I've taken the streetcar there in the wintertime, for the Christmas Market (previously written about here and here), I'd never visited in the summer before. It's located to the east of the city core, while we're over here on the west, so it just wasn't a place that we would previously have driven to, or taken public transit to, in the past. But biking over was a breeze.Admittedly, I'm extremely tardy to The Distillery District party, but better late than never. What a pretty place it is!

Reaching the Top of a List at The CNE

My sister and I went to the Canadian National Exhibition together this year and had a great time.When we were children, going to the Ex was an annual family outing was a highlight of our summers and something we looked forward to. It's been a good many years since the two of us have been there together, so our visit beheld glimpses down memory lane.We went in the evening without a specific plan in mind. We looked around, did a little shopping and had something to eat. Then we went on a tour which turned out to be very interesting indeed. (More on that later, when the title of this post will become clear.)As many probably know, the CNE began 138 years ago, in 1879, as a forum to showcase agriculture and technological innovation. The midway and games came later.In keeping with the fair's original purpose, there are still plant growing competitions, and butter and sand sculpting displays ...

A Look at The Walton in Little Italy

Are you ready to see the "World's Most Adorable Patio"? That's a bold statement, no doubt, but having visited The Walton recently with my friend Julie, I'd say they have grounds to make the claim.

This beautifully decorated place is located in the middle of Little Italy, at 607 College Street. (I looked at the map to see what were the exact boundaries of this Toronto neighbourhood, and I'm not kidding ... The Walton is situated smack-dab in the centre!)

It's a cafe during the day, serving pastries and light lunches prepared by catering company, The Tempered Room. Then, in the evening it becomes a cocktail bar.

A Rural Paradise in the City : Riverdale Farm Toronto

c="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/goat-area-riverdale-farm-toronto.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-36930 blk-brdr">Oh my goodness ... anyone in Toronto in need of a bit of stress relief should head right on over to Riverdale Farm. Located a short walk from Parliament Street and Carlton, it's a farm right inside the city, and what a wonderful dreamlike place it is. My sister and I went one recent afternoon and I took lots of pictures to show you.Visitors are welcome to just walk right in, free of charge. While we were there we didn't see a single person who appeared to be working there, although I understand from their site that there are times that you can watch and interact with the farmer at work. On that lovely Monday we were left to enjoy it all at our own leisure and nearly had the place to ourselves. With no petting or feeding allowed, the animals were relaxed in their natural habitat.A little background : Riverdale Farm is a 7.5 acre park, with everything you would have found on a typical family farm in Ontario during the late 1800s to early 1900s. It was created in the late 70s, on land that had been bought by Toronto in 1856 from one of the first Europeans to have lived in the area, John Scadding. The land was first used as a park and then became the city's first zoo in 1894, remaining so for 120 years until the current zoo was established in Scarborough. Following the moving of the zoo, the residents of Toronto were given the gift of this enchanting farm.Here are some historic photographs of the former Riverdale Zoo that I found within the City of Toronto Archives. There were also pictures of the zoo animals but they're too heart-breaking to repost. To put it bluntly, there appeared to be little regard taken to the well being of animals back in those days.