Toronto walks - Little Italy, Dundas West, St. James Cemetery and Cabbagetown

Taking my camera out on a saturday morning, I went for a long walk starting in Little Italy on College street, walking westwards till Ossington. During the day, Little Italy is rather quiet compared to the nights. There are nice deli's where I got some Italian Pasta, pesto and spicy salami. And of course a gelato, the real ice cream, not this fancy creamy cookie dow, marshmellow or fudge stuff, way-to-sweet american style ice cream, but the real, simple italian ice cream! That reminded me a bit of Arco, where we got ice cream every day after climbing!

At night, Little Italy transforms into a hip dining, going out area, with lots of patios, but not very italian. During day, there are some italians on the street, although I think it's more portugese these days. From Ossington, I walked west on Dundas, almost until Dufferin. There are many portugese and brazilian shops, it looks very genuine. I stopped for coffee in a great little cafe. I crossed back to College just before Dufferin, and walked back to Bathurst, making many notes for possible cafes to visit in the future.

A week later, the camera took me east. I started walking through the quiet St. James cemetery, on Parliament street. It reminded my of the Biedermeier cemetery I had visited some time ago in Vienna. It was very quiet, yet in the middle of the city, with graves from the 19th century, Irish crosses, angles, and pillars. The atmosphere made me very melancholic.

My walk continued though cabbage town, an area with nice Victorian buildings, small front gardens behind nice iron fences - a very nice and quiet neighbourhood. From there it's just steps along Wellesley street into the gay quarter, where everything is colourful, you can find great pastry stores, organic meat stores, and crazy pubs. I had an awesome poppy seed pastry, thank god that place isn't around the corner!

Toronto walks - Distillery district and Liberty Village

In the past few weeks, I have enjoyed walking around in Toronto with my camera. It's nice to see the city through different eyes. you notice so many details, from cool graffitis, and pipes, to the ever present CN tower. It reminds me that Toronto can be beautiful, it's just a different kind of beauty than mountains; it has more interesting beauty, more surprises and more discoveries are to be made on the way. The list of passing by cafes and bars, I want to visit someday, is ever increasing!

I went for a walk through the distillery district last saturday morning before going to the St. Lawrence market. I like old industrial buildings, but the whole thing is a bit too touristy.

Liberty village is more residential, and sadly becoming a posh and hip place, where I can't afford the rent anymore...would be practical to live right next to the climbing wall. Before going climbing last friday, I walked around the area and took some photos:

Out of the dark...

6 month ago, this day, this hour the world was still in order - or so we thought. A small operation, a somewhat longer healing and rehab process, and we would climb again the mountains of the world. No one knew about the time bomb ticking on Mike's body - it was to explode only hours away, 6 month ago. And everything changed.

I am hanging onto memories, writing, crying, smiling....

Mike playing with his new camera, Bayview Escarpment, Jan 2010

After tobbaganing in Ottawa with Mike's friends Eliza + kids, Ottawa, Jan 2010

Successful 14 pitch climb in Arco, Italy, May 2009

The next Uri Geller? Maybe not...Leipzig, Germany, Jan 2009

Posing after climbing at Sierra de Montsec, somewhere between 6-8 pitches, in between rapelling and traversing....I don't know if we were ever on route, Catalunia, Spain, May 2008

Jamon! At Javi's place in Vitoria, Spain, May 2008

Making strawberry-rhubarb pie - delicious! at Annastraat, Groningen, spring 2008

Staatsoper in Vienna - standing tickets for 3 Euros! Vienna, February 2008

Mike shows me his home: the Rockies, Moraine Lake, august 2007

Hiking up the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain, 2200m up, a beer and sausage on top and train down. Grainau, September 2007.

Mike in his canoe - a great trip in the Gatineau park...and yes, it is warm enough in Canada to swim. Gatienau Park, July 2007

Regional German food and a half liter of wine for lunch - visiting Christoph in the Pfalz, Germany, May 2007.

Sorting out single socks....Groningen, winter 2007

Trip to Amsterdam, walking around the Grachten, fall 2006.

Homer! Halloween at Inga's, Germany, october 2006.

Canoe and cycling trip to zuidlaren, Holland, july 2006

On Schiermonnikoog, Holland, may 2006

Always trying something new and interesting - African food and coconut beer, Amsterdam, april 2006

On top of St. Peter, Vatikan, during our trip to Rome, February 2006.

1m of German sausage! Christmas Market, Heidelberg, november 2005

First picture together, Landschaftspark Nord, Duisburg, Germany, november 2005.

Mike, you live on in our memories

Algonquin weekend

Last weekend, I joined the Lautens' group annual camping trip going to Algonquin Provincial Park northeast of Toronto. Our campsite was booked at Rock like, ca 48km inside the park. What I didn't expect that we could actually drive onto the campsite, so it was luxury camping (only we didn't quite bring that luxurious food than our neighbours). Due to organizational difficulties (the Canadians have a lot to learn!), it was all a bit chaotic. At least we got a mini-van for the us 6 german-french folks - or so we thought....I went to pick up the car at around noon on friday, and it wasn't there...Well, so we got two regular cars, and after some debate we did not pay more, but lost at least on hour of time. In the end, Clem and I missed the turn off to highway 400, got into traffic, were scared by the rest that the registration office closes at 7pm (it closed at 9, grrr), went over several speed limits to make it there by 7:15....At least putting up my new tent with two people took less 10 min, we got a fire started, BBQed sausages, peppers and onions, and enjoyed some beers at the campsite.

I can never sleep in when I am outside, so waking up at 7:30am was already late for my standards. I could still take some pictures at the empty and steamy beach.

Then, we spend the morning drinking lots of coffee and waiting for the rented canoes to be delivered by 10am. They arrived by 1pm, so we only had an afternoon canoeing. It was the best thing of the trip, getting away, stopping, swimming, canoeing, swimming, canoeing....it was beautiful! At the end, we all got a bit tired when the wind picked up. Then back on the camp site, Irina changed the tire of our care, it had an almost flat tire....and that meant driving with 50 km/h to Huntsville (95km) on the next day. This evening, we all cooked pasta, had more beers, and watched the stars at the beach. I actually tried sleeping at the beach, but it got so windy that I went back into the heat of the tent. Definitely, a 4-season tent and down sleeping bag is too warm....

The next morning, I got up early again, and went swimming at 7am. It was awesome! The water was surprisingly warm, just getting out again was hard. Then again drinking more and more coffee with Mathieu until the others woke - and we couldn't canoe any more as the canoes were picked up early... The drive to Huntsville was slow. And instead of thanking us, that we drove as much on the right side as we could, those Canadian SUV drivers honked at us while overtaking. As if we chose to have a flat tire....Luckily it all got fixed within 10min and for free at Canadian Tire! But it rained cats and dogs, so that we just had some all-day breakfast and drove towards Toronto. It took us 5 more hours for around 220km to arrive there. Guess everyone left cottage country due to rain at the same time. I have hardly ever been that tired, and was almost not capable of working the next day (actually, I fell asleep over the polymer chemistry book I was reading).

It was a weird weekend, kind of a disaster regarding driving, cars and organization, but beautiful for the canoeing (once we got them). Next time, one day longer, then traffic might be less bad....We didn't see wildlife at all (squirrels at the campsite don't count, I assume). That's what you get for car camping. I really would like to go backcountry camping, with the canoe from one camp site to the other. There are supposed to be lots of moose in the park.

craft beer festival

First of all for all those Europeans who think North American beer is bad - it's not true. The microbreweries make pretty decent stuff, which now actually ranks among my favourites!

Two weeks ago, I went with some folks to the Craft Beer Festival at Hart House, a beautiful 'old' building on campus. They served BBQed meats and tofu, and a huge veggie and fruit buffet in the patio. We managed to make a good basis for our eight beer tastings. There were 20 breweries, with in total 58 beers to select from....Luckily, some were well known (Mill Street Tankhouse and Organic and Creemore I got at home, Steamwhistle, Wellington, Big Rock, Wellington), so I went for some unkown ones.

Here's the list of my favorites: 1) FestivAle from Beau's All Natural Brewing (organic, it has something of Altbier, but is only seasonal and not sold at LCBO :( ), 2) Lu-Tread Lagered Ale (same brewery, got it in the fridge), 3) Pale Ale (Black Oak Brewing), 4) Equinox du Printemps Maple Scotch (Microbrasserie Dieu Du Ciel, strong stuff, Belgian style but has a nice sweeter flavor at the end). I would absolutely recommend to avoid Nickel Brook Green Apple pilsener: tastes like artificial apple flavoured chewing gum....The canadians still have to learn from the Germans (and Austrians), which combinations of pop is mixable with beer (for the record I love Stiegl Grapefruit Radler - there's nothing more refreshing on a summer day....if you can get hold of it outside of Austria, get it!). I tasted Mill Streets Lemon Tea beer the other day, gotta say an old fashioned Radler or Russe is better...

Quebequois beers are generally similar to Belgian beer, strong and yeasty. In general, I prefer flavourful ales. Now, I am trying to get some of my favourites in the store. Not so easy, at least got some Beau's Lager in my fridge right now - guess what I will get now :)

Climbing is dangerous....

This sunday, we got painfully reminded that climbing is a sport with risk. We had headed out to Mt. Nemo, successfully down climbed the decent gully, and set up our gear in front of a 5.9 route. Marc then went up leading the climb, pretty confident. The first bolt was clipped well, he went up to the second bolt, and just one move ahead he slipped - all we could hear was a big bang, and Marc turning upside down, falling on Amy and hitting his helmet on the rock. It was surely shocking. The helmet had cut into the skin of the fore head, there was blood dripping. He had hit is head pretty hard, and got a concussion. Luckily, the party next to us had a first aider....We didn't even bring band aids. Well, instead of climbing, we spent the afternoon waiting in the hospital, luckily all four laughing and joking again.

In reflection, what went wrong? It's hard to tell. One good thing, we all wore helmets, and I am sure to never climb without one. Was there a foot mistake involved that the foot got caught in the rope and made him flip? The rope was running straight in between the legs of the climber, maybe it would have been better on the side? Was there too much rope given out? It's hard to say, given that he was just below the 2nd bolt, which was quite high up, with distance and rope stretch it would be a ground fall any ways. Did we choose the wrong belaying spot? We chose a spot which was about 2 feet away from the wall, as directly below the wall, it was uneven, covered with blocks of rock. It might have been better to be closer for the first 2-3 bolts, as the rope runs closer to the wall, there's generally less rope given out, and thus a tangling of the foot could have been avoided. Was the climber too relaxed and over confident? Should we have started with an easier route (albeit on gear)?

The whole thing makes me reflect. It's hard to find a balance between being over cautious and fearful to overly confident. We have to be aware that our sport is dangerous but it should not block or heads and drain away our power for the climb. There are definitely two points I want to mention: 1) always climb with a helmet, even on sport climbs, when everything seems safe and easy. 2) A first aid course, and carrying a first aid kit with you. The kit is on my next shopping list to Mec, and now I will be looking for dates for the course.

yellow + red = orange?

It didn't quite work out: there was no Germany:Netherlands final as the Germans got beaten by the Spanish. Up till then, they had really played well. It was fun to watch the England and Argentina games, lots of goals, and entertaining offensive football. Too bad indeed, but at least we got an entertaining game for the third place against Uruguay. The final was - once again - boring, too much kickboxing and too many fouls, and going into extra time that wasn't really worth watching. Fitting to the match, it started raining after the regular time. We found a cool spot to watch the game, School Cafe, where thousands of dutch supporters gathered in the cafe, in a beer tent and on the streets like we did. And drunken dutch fans were screaming 'stroopwaffel' as support...I had almost given up that there are dutch in this city as I could only see yellow and red on the streetcars while getting to Liberty Village.

It's over...no more soccer on TV for the next two years. What are we doing with all the free time? Well, my boss will not be too unhappy that it's done, as the majority of the games were during working hours. Alternatively to working, I should pick up a good book again.