Toronto, Day 2

So before I get to the events of day 2, here's a pic of one of the many street cars that can get you around the city quite easily (electronic cars that run along lines above the street, and run on tracks on the street. Something that was interesting is that many of the street cars stop in the middle of the street. So you cross the street, then stand on the median, which has a bus stop. If there isn't a median, the street car will still stay in the middle of the street. That means, when it stops, you have to cross at least one lane of traffic heading the same direction as the bus. While this might seem incredibly dangerous, apparently it works well, because drivers are required to stop (and not pass to the right) when a street car is stopped. Still, I'd prefer my life not be left in the hands of people I hope follow the law.








Oh, and they have black squirrels in Toronto!













On to Day 2!


















I woke up pretty early on Sunday morning and decided to head downtown and go out to Toronto Islands. I started my day by going to a little kitschy restaurant called Aunties and Uncles. It was in the same neighborhood I'd walked the previous night, and was definitely an improvement over my dinner. The place had a little patio, and inside, looked like it was straight out of a resell shop that was made to look like a 1950's home. Here was my breakfast. Everything was pretty standard except for the potatoes, which were more potato-salad-ish, and had a strong mustard/dill flavor to them. All in all, they were pretty good, although I'm not sure that breakfast was the best meal for them.

Now that I was sufficiently nourished, I set out for downtown. I started walking toward the south end of campus, but realized I'd need to get on a subway to more efficiently get downtown. I attempted to purchase a day pass for the subway and streetcars, but they only accepted cash. Guh...alright, gotta go find an ATM. Which was more difficult than I imagined. There was a walk for some charity going on, so I had to navigate the thousands of people. Additionally, I was in the hospital district, which, due to it being Sunday morning, was incredibly dead (read: nothing was open). Lastly, it seems hospitals have no need for ATMs. I found one store that had an ATM, but it had no use for my American debit card. I kept walking, further downtown, as it was starting to rain. Wonderful. I finally find a Nova Scotia Bank with an ATM, I get my money, and find the nearest subway stop to finally get my day pass.





In the meantime, I came across some pretty cool stuff. Here's an art museum:











Apparently, Canadians are a little more honest about what their products are ACTUALLY used for. God helps me if I'd seen a sex shop (I mean, Sex Education Product Store).

I made my way down Queen Street West, which is supposed to be one of the "alternative" areas of the city. Whatever that means, on Sunday, it was dead. Few stores were open and few people were out and about. This seemed to be a sign that I needed to find something else to do. So Toronto Islands it is!




The Toronto Islands are a series of islands that used to be connected to the mainland (well, at least one of the islands was). There's an airport there, as well as an amusement park, and other various things to do. I sadly did not make it to the clothing optional beach, which of course means no nude pictures. To the left, is one of the ferries that goes to the islands. As you can see, it's all Maple Leaf-ed out. As you'll also see, it was a particularly cloud-filled morning, but because there was a chance of rain every day I was there, this seemed the best time to go out there.








Here are some more pics:




































So the above pics were taken mostly from a rock groing (yes, I only say it because I like the word). It was quite nice out there, even given the weather. It was very peaceful and there were numerous geese, ducks, swans, etc. Sadly, there was also this:









This is actually one of my favorite pics I took...something about nature juxtaposed with the urban backdrop. Toronto bills itself as a city within a park. While a bit overstated, it's sights like this that seem to validate that claim.











Here's a few more pics before we leave the islands:


































I made it back from the Islands and made my way back thru Downtown and back to my dorm to regroup and figure out what to do the rest of the day. This seems like a good place to stop this post as well. More to come...