High in the Sky : A Rooftop Barbecue

We were recently treated to a lovely time over at the home of our friends, Kim and Chris. The plan was to have barbecued hot dogs, with the grilling taking place on the rooftop patio of their condo building.

We had a laugh when the concierge rang up to announce that "Miss Loulou and Mr. Nick" had arrived.

We brought some drinks -- I thought a bottle of bubbly wine (this one, from Spain) would pair perfectly with hot dogs. Hey, you only live once, and I thought that a late-lunch with friends on a beautiful summer's afternoon warranted a celebratory beverage!

Nick thought beer was more fitting with this particular meal, so he brought some Guinness as well. Not to say that we are defined by stereotypes, but the ladies went with the bubbles and the guys with the beer.

At the Gallery with Friends : First Thursdays

Julie, Nyla, Pamela and I went to "First Thursdays" at the art gallery. This party takes place on the first Thursday evening of every month (except August this year), when the AGO does things a little differently, staying open late and offering drinks, food, music, DIY stations and performance art, alongside their collections of masterpieces.

Tickets are a hot item and it sells out quickly, but thanks to the advance planning by my friend Meghan, we got some. But then Meghan couldn't make it, so we quickly found a taker for her ticket. (But, of course, Meghan was missed.)

Exploring Toronto : Some Shops and Sights on Roncesvalles

In my last post (here) I wrote about spending some time looking around a neighbourhood that we've never spent much time in before -- Roncesvalles Village. I spoke mainly about some of the restaurants that we saw and tried out, so today, I'd like to share some photos of the other things we saw there, including some great shops located on Roncesvalles Avenue.

A Look at Roncesvalles Village

c="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/roncesvalles-avenue-street-sign.jpg" alt="roncesvalles-avenue-street-sign" width="640" height="512" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29173 blk-brdr">I was recently inspired by this article entitled "25 Daily Habits That Will Make You Smarter" and have been making an effort to incorporate the ideas on the list into my day. One of the suggestions that I found particularly interesting was Number 20 : Explore new areas. The description goes on to say, "If you can't travel every day, at least try to find something new within your hometown. You'll meet different people, learn new facts, and understand something new about the world. It's a lot more productive than staying at home and watching TV."Then, by coincidence, the same week that I read that piece I received an email offering me the opportunity to explore an area of Toronto that I wasn't very familiar with and then contribute to a magazine article being written about it. I responded with an enthusiastic "Yes".The neighbourhood I was to check out was Roncesvalles Village. This area surrounds Roncesvalles Avenue, which runs north/south, east of High Park, west of Lansdowne Avenue, and between Queen Street West and Bloor Street. Most of the buildings there were constructed in the early 1900s.The street has long been known as the cultural and commercial centre of Toronto's Polish community. A number of Polish-speaking restaurants, delicatessens and shops specializing in Polish goods are located on Roncesvalles Avenue. The sign "Mówimy po polsku" ("We speak Polish") is displayed in some storefronts. (Quoted from Wikipedia, here)Nick was into joining me on the adventure, which we began with a midweek lunch. Recalling two close childhood friends, each with a grandmother (both called "Baba" by everyone) who came from Poland and who used to cook traditional dishes, I was looking forward to tasting that food again. So we began our exploration of Roncesvalles at the Polish restaurant Chopin.

Walk With Me : An Interesting Walk in Toronto – Kensington Market to King Street West

ass="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29107 blk-brdr" src="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/walking-downtown-toronto.jpg" alt="walking-downtown-toronto" width="640" height="854">↑ This picture was taken looking southward from just south of point #11 on the map below, at Richmond Street and John. ↑With the Opening Ceremony of the Pan Am Games happening in Toronto tonight, there are many visitors being welcomed in the city right now. This being so, I thought I'd do a post showing you a nice route to walk, to get between a couple of popular parts of the city that you don't want to miss : Kensington Market and/or China Town and the Entertainment District around King Street West and John Street area.Note : I inadvertently covered the name of John Street on the map, with the red line. It's the street going North to South.