summer | Toronto Diaries

Not only have we embarked upon our first summer in Toronto, it was also the first time we had friends coming over from Amsterdam during this enjoyable season :-). (Although dog sledding and skiing were unbeatable Canadian experiences). And that meant, experiencing Toronto in a new way! The last weeks we’ve spent our free time in parks, on little beaches (blogto.com/sports_play/2011/07/the_top_five_beaches_in_toronto/), at the Toronto Islands, on patios (patios.blogto.com/) and at the pool. What a life hehe. I love summer!

And there are more great ways of enjoying this time of the year. What about watching the Torontonian baseball team playing in their stadium (and sunny weather equals an open roof: tanning at the same time… Uhhhh YES please!!). Let’s go Blue Jays, let’s go! And they play almost every day (toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=tor).

Last winter we already visited the Niagara Falls, and we’ve been in the region around Niagara-on-the-Lake before too. But visiting the winery of Peller Estate (peller.com) last week was an absolute highlight. Delicious (ice)wine, food and surroundings, WOW!

I always love to explore cities by bike. And not only the Dutchies enjoy cycling through Paris and New York, cycling is hot!! In Toronto we have Bixi bikes, a perfect way to get around for only 5 dollars a day. After this experience I even subscribed for a year, because I like the Bixi bikes more than my own city bike LOL.

For more than three weeks I was almost acting like a tourist in my ‘own city’ Amsterdam. Touring around on my bike felt so familiar, but yet so different because I was just visiting and somehow I realized more than ever how much I like this city! Three weeks full of seeing friends and family, lunches, dinners, birthday parties, baby showers, housewarmings, celebrating the coronation of the king, and spending hours on the terrace. Not too bad.

But… Being back in Toronto feels SO good! And the best part is: S U M M E R is in the air!! Who wouldn’t be happy if the sun’s shining after a long and snowy winter?! All terraces and patios are open again, the parks are green, the beach is waiting for us… Let the summer begin!

Funny enough, at the same time temperature rises, Toronto has the (ice) hockey fever. The Toronto Maple Leafs are for the first time since 2004 back in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Almost every Canadian on the street, man or woman, young or old, is wearing a blue or white Maple Leaf shirt with names on the back like Lupul, Kessel or Van Riemsdyk. Even the entire staff of our supermarket is dressed as a hockey player. And of course the CN tower is blue coloured for this special occasion. All together, is it a BIG happening that takes places in the Air Canada Centre, right under our house! Half the city is watching outside the stadium, and therefore it is inevitable to stay indifferent about it. While writing this, the Leafs have just lost the game… I’ve never expected to be disappointed about a lost ice hockey game (during summer time!). Am I getting Canadian? Hehe..