What a special place... Toronto was amazing, a city I would happily visit again. It was a huge contrast to Quebec City, but strangely this big city felt very much like home. A few of the other Australians agreed, something about Toronto carried a lovely resemblance to Perth and Melbourne. Toronto is a very multi-cultural city which is defined by different 'districts' and areas which made getting around very easy... especially on the dashing Basil. Everywhere I went the people were very friendly, I do not recall one unpleasant experience. It is a hugely eclectic mix of people from all walks of life. The thing that struck me most about Toronto.. and I enjoyed it quite a lot was the dominant 'hipster' culture that rules many of the main streets. This trend has nurtured a massive array of independent boutiques, second hand shops and charming cafes. Not to mention very, very well dressed young men :p and women to come to think of it!! Despite being there for two months, I didn't get to explore everything I wanted to, being such a big city there are so many secret little places that you only really discover when you know the city very well. A little annoyingly, I discovered a magazine called 'Toronto Life' last night which was filled with amazing areas I had no idea existed... too bad I only found it when I was leaving! But all is well, the things I did get to see will stay with me forever. Kensington is one of my favourite places in the world, it is the perfect place to spend a whole day relaxing, browsing and people watching. I felt right at home in this neighbourhood, it was such a friendly, warm place... a little sanctuary for hippies! It's streets are lined with second hand stores, vegan cafes and bicycle shops. I was in heaven. The beaches of Toronto were also a highlight for me. They are very different from the beaches in Australia, but they carry their own little charm. I spent many of my days sitting on an abandoned dock watching the white swans bob buy in Lake Ontario. Toronto Island was also amazing. It was very amusing strolling down the nude beach and exploring the forrest which led to small patches of private beach. The water was freakin freezing but Richard and I are tough and we swam anyway. It was worth it, it was very fun :) The ferry ride, the island cafe and the sunsetting over down town Toronto were very memorable moments at Toronto Island. By the end of our two months in Toronto the weather cooled down significantly, fall came with all of its beauty and then it got ridiculously cold and miserable and yes... I'm going home to Australia at the right time! Thank goodness for warm and sunny Perth :)
Oh yes, and Amaluna! It was a very busy city for our lovely cast. We hit 200+ shows, we filmed the DVD which will be out next year and we did the photoshoot for the new programme. I had my first sick day, we had racoons living in the tent, we had blackouts, a new Amazon, a new artistic director, fixation, hilarious bloopers and many, many smiling faces, on the stage and in the audience. We ended the city very eager to go home for the two weeks and will be back in action at the end of November in Vancouver. Bye!
