#day off – Love, the driving force: a journey of discernment

Greektown

Getting off at the Chester subway stop, I started my tour of Greektown. What a lively area of the city! Lots of shops and restaurants and people on the go.

I had been craving a gyro for lunch and decided to stop at Messini Authentic Gyros. Delicious! For $10 I had a massive (and delicious!) gyro, fries, and a drink. (I took the photo below with my phone and it doesn’t accurately capture the generous portions!)

Thoroughly satiated (and with enough leftover to take home for dinner!), I walked along Danforth, checking out the shops and sights.

One store I wandered into sold an assortment of Greek books, music and DVDs. I passed bakeries and supermarkets, all selling Greek products. I had a great time checking out Treasure Island Toys. Even though it really is too early in the year to be thinking of Christmas, I couldn’t resist the Christmas storefront window display.

Despite the wet and chilly day, I really enjoyed exploring Greektown. It’s definitely on my list of places to return to soon!

Little Portugal

When I’d had enough of Kensington Market, I let my stomach guide me further west along Dundas Street. I was on the hunt for a much dreamed of Portuguese custard tart. Having had been lucky enough to sample a few of these beauties several years ago, I have been craving them ever since! Luckily, I didn’t have too far to go. Dotted along Dundas are a few outlets of the Caldense Bakery. I stopped inside to sample a tart and warm up with a coffee. I enjoyed the tart so much that I decided I couldn’t keep the gustatory pleasure to myself so I picked up some up for the sisters.

I continued along Dundas, further into the heart of Little Portugal. What a charming neighbourhood! It was such a treat to see Portuguese signs and advertisements in store windows. It really was like being transported to Portugal (not that I’ve ever been!!), minus the warm weather and sandy beaches. There were many restaurants and cafes that I would like to return to and test out. I also passed many boutiques offering formal gowns and evening wear, should I ever been in need. I should have picked up a sparkly number for the jubilee celebrations!

I finished my exploration of Little Portugal at Dufferin Street and navigated my way to the subway. After a longer than anticipated walk up to Bloor, I happily collapsed onto the subway seat to rest up for the last leg of my Saturday journey.

Kensington Market

I recently had a free Saturday to do some exploring in Toronto (my first since I arrived!) and I took full advantage of it. Despite the somewhat gloomy wet weather, I set off for parts unknown. First stop: Kensington Market. I had heard many great things about this neighbourhood – the eclectic shops, multicultural cuisine to be tried, and interesting artwork and architecture. To get there, I had to battle with the TTC and subway closures. After a combination of subway, shuttle bus, and hoofing it, I arrived at my destination.

I popped into the interesting shops, including the Blue Banana Market, which has a diverse assortment of wares. Kitchen gadgets, handmade hats, scarves and socks, children’s toys, gourmet foods, novelty items, candles, bath products. The list goes on. Even though I emerged empty-handed, I was toasty warm and ready to check out the other sights.

As I wandered the streets, I came across a series of fantastic metal art adorning a front lawn, including a Vespa scorpion and other unlikely creatures!