just us

This past weekend, Andrew and I had a bit of a getaway in Toronto. It has been a very long time since we were gone on an overnight without the kids (I was pregnant with Jesse), so when Andrew volunteered to help with a physiotherapy exam we knew we needed to turn it into a little mini vacation just for us. We left the kids at home with Andrew's folks and drove away giddy and a bit nervous (on my part) for our overnight in TO. I won't focus too much on my feelings as a mother and leaving my baby for a night. Let's just say it went beautifully and now that Jesse has passed the test, we hope there will be more frequent getaways just like this one.

We arrived in Toronto on Friday afternoon, checked into our hotel (The Sheridan) and quickly had a plan for the evening. We strolled down Queen St. for our supper destination. I love eating out in good restaurants, so I had done some research prior to leaving. I have heard a lot about the restaurant Juice for Life, now renamed Fresh, so this was our supper plan. The restaurant is vegan and is famous for its energy drinks, smoothies and wonderful vegan menu options.

We decided to go with the prix fixe menu and got to choose a smoothie, appetizer, rice bowl and cookie for dessert. When Andrew ordered his choice for rice bowl, I was a bit surprised. I didn't want to speak up and challenge his choice but I knew that out of all the options, this one would probably be the most different. Well, I probably should have said something since he did not enjoy his bowl as much as I enjoyed mine. But this is why I love him so. It's not his kind of food but he knows I love trying these kinds of restaurants and he is happy to give it a go. So, the green goddess rice bowl (with tempeh, kale, broccoli and tahini sauce) was not a thumbs up in his book. But the smoothie, spring rolls and chocolate chunk cookie definitely hit the spot.

We hit Mountain Equipment Coop and I stocked up on winter running gear. So excited to be prepared for the cold weather. Not so pumped about actually running in it, but at least I should be toasty. We took all our purchases back to the hotel then went out for a late movie. The plan was to see 'The Invention of Lying', but I got the times wrong. So, instead of waiting another hour, we decided to see Chris Rocks' 'Good Hair'. We both loved it. We knew it was a good movie because we talked about it that night and then the whole next day too. The movie is a documentary of sorts that explains the culture around black women and their need to have good hair. It would make a very good rental.

The next morning we went out for crepes. Not the most stellar photo, but it shows off the nutella and banana crepe we shared. Yummy! Now, perhaps this is a sign of not getting away from my kids often enough, but I couldn't help think how much fun the kids would have if we did a little trip like this with them. They would have loved the hotel and they all would have eaten an entire nutella and banana crepe by themselves. No, it's just being a good mother.

After checking out of the hotel, we decided to stroll through Chinatown and Kensington Market. We pasted the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) and I made Andrew pose beside his letter.

We popped into several Chinese bakeries for me to reminisce about my time in Asia. Taiwan has tons of little bakeries with sweet and savoury buns. This one was one of my favorites. I would often have one for a quick and cheap breakfast. I was still stuffed from the crepes that I just took a picture of one.

Exotic fruit.

Dried shrimp.

Not a sign that most vegetarians would agree with.

As we strolled through Kensington Market, we ran into this man. We started up a conversation and chatted for quite some time. He is clearly a Nikon fan and was wearing 4 different cameras. We got a good lesson on cameras, the history of the Nikon and some facts about the differences between his favorite brand and the camera that I had around my neck (the Canon). We saw SO many people walking around with cameras, taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful day. Of course there were the tourists with their small digital cameras, but there were lots of impressive professional cameras too. Perhaps it was being in a great location for shooting or the art college being so close, but whatever the reason, I loved it. It takes a different mindset to allow yourself to stop and take pictures. Not to worry about what people are thinking or how you look putting yourself in different positions for an interesting angle. It is my kind of city. I rarely see people doing that in my city.

As we left Kensington Market we stumbled across a little clothing store. It was full of strong incense, but equally packed with very cute and colourful clothes. I picked up this little number and can't wait to wear it.

We walked to Andrew's destination for his 2 hour stint as a mock patient for the physio exam and I relaxed at a nearby Chapters, reading photography books and being stared at by another customer's Dalmatian. We left the city and returned home to our happy children, just in time for their bedtime.