I've discovered biking is one way to make my own breeze so pursuading my loved on to join me we biked over to explore Riverdale farm, an urban rural oasis. Its also the site for a Farmers Market, each Tuesday, just a few blocks away in Cabbagetown, an historically preserved suburb with charming Victorian houses and lush little front gardens all bursting with flowering hostas, hollyhocks, blackeyed susans and white hydrangeas.
After a cucumber sandwich and cup of tea!! seated under venerable old nut trees with chooks roaming around our feet we headed off along the paths to the farm buildings. So charming. So quaint. So lovely to see moos and baas and chooks and to smell the sweet scents of farm manure and veggie garden mingling in the humid air. Half way round it started to rain... and it didnt stop! Taking my own advice, that we don't melt in rain, we finished our tour, though in a slightly less leisurely fashion!
Back astride our Canadian Tire steads we had the most wonderful, envigorating, childhood invoking ride home, soaked to the skin, splashing through tepid puddles in the tropcial downpour that didn't abate until we entered our driveway. I loved every minute of it. And yes its searingly tropical in Toronto in July and August. Who Knew!.
The following day we were back on the streets under full sun and came upon this unique display of Fiat Bambina's, all in mint condition lined up on the waterfront. Their owners lurking pridefully at the kerb.
Bambinas line up on the waterfront.
We toured the Antiques market at St Lawrence Market for heavens knows what, the outdoor adventure stores for a bike basket for McGregor and rode the waterfront for a couple hours until the water beckoned and the heat ramped up to unbearable. Stopping at a little dollar shop I provisioned for swimming (though the beige bikini doesnt look too hot in photo's) and we hopped on the first ferry which happened to be going to Hanlons Island. Riding with my basket full of brand new towels, (we hadn't quite prepared for swimming when we left home at 8.30 ish) we found a nice little beach, almost to ourselves on the back of the island just past the nudey ones and watched the yachts racing and swam in the clear waters of Lake Ontario.
The Toronto Islands and view back to the city
Many locals wont swim, too many years of being told of the toxins and pollutants. If we grow an extra toe or some nasty lumps... that will be our penance for enjoying a cooling dip or two.
Much later in the afternoon we stopped at the Rectory Cafe and had a very late breakfast/late lunch in the dappled shade. My crab cakes were divine and Pip's scallop and shrimp pasta was too. We drank a bottle of Blanche de Chambly, a wheat beer made in Quebec. Very yummy.
Island paths, views to Toronto, antique life jackets line the roof of the ship, Pip ready to disembark, the old ferry full of happy bikers!
It's great to get out on the old ferries and see the city from the water. Its a good reminder that Toronto is very pretty in a modern clean city kind of way when you see it from afar. That tower is so reminiscent of our own Sky Tower too!
Sweet Tea Vodka, the little chair I bought in PA and Basmati rice from Indian store.
Sadly our dear neighbours Happy and Susie moved out this week. Happy is already in Saskatoon and Susie will leave later in the month. We will miss them both and their dogs. The same age as my son Matthew, it was lovely to have young ones around and we had a lot of fun together. Susie came back last night to watch the final of the Bachelorette with me....yep ..that's right..... Bachelorette.....(it was the Bora Bora vistas I lusted after though both chaps were very scrummy too!) so we bbqued corn with basil and lime butter and kabobs of beef beforehand and I poured my new tipple (discovered at Louie's in Pittsburgh) Sweet Tea Vodka with gingerale over lots of ice, garnished with mint and lemon...its a bit like a Pimms, in that non-alcoholic yummy drink way. Later we had ice cream sandwiches... homemade chocolate chip cookies sandwiched together with a large skwodge of Maple Walnut ice cream. Yikes. I need pepto bismal and an omprazole afterwards. OOOPs.!
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