THE DISTILLERY HISTORIC DISTRICT

distillery ~ a factory where a strong alcoholic drink such as whisky is produced.

Longman Online Dictionary

And the very last tourist spot that we went visiting was the Distillery Historic District. No, we did not go to a whisky factory. It used to be one but is now operating as one of a shopping malls in Toronto with its own unique architecture and mood.

This is another example of how the westerners are passionate in preserving the old buildings and turning them into something more contemporary, and functional. To read more of the history of this place, click HERE.

There are numerous shops selling classy and custom-made items (read: expensive) like clothing, furniture and paintings. Other than gigantic and modern sculptures, historical exhibits of the distillery factory were also found around the place. There were restaurants and people were seen enjoying their lunch in the open, and we found a shop making and selling chocolates too.

With that, it was the end of my 5-day stay in Toronto, Canada. From the first day I arrived until the last few hours before leaving, I had been walking and exploring and should seen the essential spots of the city. I will not hesitate to come back for other part of the country if I have the chance to do so. Thanks again to the host cum tourist guide, Mr. Solleh for the itinerary well-planned. 

Goodbye Canada, for now. I shall miss you.

ST. LAWRENCE MARKET IN TORONTO

The next stop on the last day of the stay was the St. Lawrence Market. We were at the market but we were not doing any shopping but just to have a look around. It was quite interesting actually how you can learn about the local lifestyle just by visiting the market.

The building was Toronto's first marketplace established in 1803. Amazing how a fact like that could be found on a doormat. It was supposed to be a wet market, at least half of it, selling vegetables, fruits, meat and seafood, but it was not wet at all. When are we going to get a very clean market like that in Malaysia?

There are also other items especially local products that could be found here. Just walking around the place to see what was on sale provided some sort of an entertainment to me already. (For some others, it could be buying whatever that caught their attention.)

 

So what did I end up buying here? Just a small box of red and fresh raspberries which were not too sweet, not too sour and I just could go munching them on and on and on. I should have bought the strawberries and blackberries too but I had to consider the fact that it could cause me some stomach problems later What more, I was about to board the plane in a few hours time.

if you want to get original local products of Canada, this should be one of the places. Check it out when you come visiting Toronto later.

VIDEO: TORONTO ISLAND FERRY TRIP

The ferry trip from the mainland going to Toronto Island on Lake Ontario.

The trip going back to the city.

A BRIEF MOMENT IN TORONTO ISLAND

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; 

There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, 

And evening full of the linnet's wings. 

I will arise and go now, for always night and day 

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; 

 While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,

I hear it in the deep heart's core.

rom "The Lake Isle of Innisfree"

~ by Willaim Butler Yeats ~

Toronto City viewed from the ferry

image copied from Wikipedia:
Toronto Island seen from CN Tower

Toronto Island is an island which is located on Lake 

Ontario. To get there, you have to take a ferry which

leaves every 1/2 hour.

It was a Wednesday and there were not many people could

be seen. We went exploring on foot and were glad the 

weather was good.

Basically, people would come here either to relieve all the stress just by gazing into the space where the darker blue horizon of the lake water meets the brighter shade of the sky, or by sitting on the grass and rejuvenating while enjoying the peaceful surrounding.

 If you are a more active type of person, then you can always jog, swim, cycle or row your boat gently down the stream or around the island. The air was a bit cold so no one was seen swimming though.

 It reminds me of the poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" taught to the lower secondary students which aptly describes Toronto Island. (I am sure many of my students and ex-students still remember this poem.) Too bad, we are not reading it in school anymore, or else I would have an excellent visual aids for the class.

 

a lighthouse in the background

While we were walking, there would be natural 

cotton (in Malay language it is called "kekabu") flying

around in the air. I felt as if I was starring one of

the romance) movies where the actor/actress (usually

actress) would be running through small bits of flying

cotton which will then get stuck on the hair.

 

Instead of the sign 'DO NOT WALK ON THE GRASS', we found this very interesting board written with 'PLEASE WALK ON THE GRASS'. I am sure if the time is right, there would be people basking under the sun during summer time. By the way, there was a spot called "optional beach" (read: nude) but of course we did not go there. The air was cold on that day, remember?

on and off the ferry

It was a brief moment spent in an island on a lake but it had a lasting impression. I could still hear its lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore and I hear it in the deep heart's core.

WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

In the evening of the fourth day, Mr. Solleh took me on a tour around the campus of the University of Toronto. Founded in 1827, the university has quite a number of old and Gothic-designed structures which project the antique but sturdy facade.

One similar thing that I can see from the campuses of the universities abroad, such as in Canada, Australia and the UK, the area is not confined to any fences and gates where people are free to walk in and out any time of the day. The faculty buildings do nor necessarily have to be located in the main campus area - they can be found everywhere, even in the city centre. However, they have good security to get access into the premises where one has to use his/her smart card and the building must be equipped with CCTV cameras I suppose.

I wonder, if I were to be sent to study in Canada many years back, would I be sent here? From my reading, I found that the University of Toronto is not only ranked among the first top 25 universities in the world, but is also well-known for its literary criticism and communication theory. Other achievements include (too technical for me to rephrase) "... the birthplace of insulin and stem cell research, and was the site of the first practical electron microscope, the development of multi-touch technology, the identification of Cygnus X-1 as a black hole, and the theory of NP completeness." (from Wikipedia)

And that wrapped up my educational trip abroad this time and like what Woody Allen once said, "I've never been an intellectual but I have this look".

THE MAGNIFICENT NIAGARA FALLS - PART FOUR

 Niagara Falls seen from different perspectives:

SIDE VIEW OF THE WATERFALL

THE VIEW BEHIND THE WATERFALL

VIEW FROM THE TOP

THE MAGNIFICENT NIAGARA FALLS - PART 3

the entrance

people in yellow ponchos
reminded me of  DiGi mascot

The third pit stop of the package was called "The Journey Behind the Falls". Upon passing through the entrance, you would get to stand to the nearest point of the waterfall. I don't think you would like to get yourself drenched wet and it was quite scary to see the volume of water cascading from the top at such high velocity.

You could already feel the movement of the strong fall from afar. The mist and the splashing water was enough to make you feel as if you were under a drizzling rain but still the poncho-clad people would not miss the opportunity to admire the awesome view as well as to take pictures of the breathtaking scenery.

For one thing, I thanked God for the sunny day which had made our movement from one checkpoint to the other much easier. Other than that, the pictures taken with my compact digital camera had turned out quite well. Throughout my stay in Toronto, the days were mostly cloudy with intermittent rain but on that day, the weather was fine with bright and blue sky throughout the visit.

The main attraction of "the Journey behind the Fall" was of course walking BEHIND the waterfall, hence the name. There were two tunnels built under the river and these tunnels would lead people right behind two openings behind the waterfall. Another unforgettable moment which again reminded me of the adventure stories written by Enid Blyton that I used to read when I was in school. I would describe the feeling of standing there motionless,watching the waterfall as: dark in the inside, bright at the outside. A video of this journey will be posted in the next entry.

People were flocking around the area to get the best place either just to watch the picturesque scenery or to take photographs. And they did not mind getting slightly wet at all, even without the ponchos on.

somewhere over the rainbow

At this spot, we were able to observe the waterfall from another angle - the part where the river was flowing towards the end of its route and started to form the cascade. And this was the moment when I got to see a rainbow forming on top of the water and that would be the nearest spot to see a rainbow ever. And no, I could not see any pot of gold where the rainbow started to form.

 

Another attraction of the visit was the 4-D movie show entitled "Niagara's Fury: The Creation of the Falls" where the viewers were told a 20-minute story of how the falls were formed when the glacier ice melted thousands of years ago and to its present physical state. This was the first time I watched a movie standing up while holding to a hand rail. There were pictures and sounds surrounding the theatre, with water splashing and snow falling from the sky and the ground moving and vibrating underneath.

We spent about six hours there but it was one of the most incredible things that I have ever experienced. I will post more videos of the Niagara Falls after this. Don't forget to check it out later.