Since we hadn’t visited in a while, we arranged with Mehran and Nushin to visit them in Hemmingford when we got back from Toronto. The blueberries are just coming into season (like everything else this year, about two weeks early), so we were invited to pick a bunch. First, though, we had to have lunch,
complete with “Life”!
It was nice to have a chance to chat with our son’s in-laws.
And then it was time to go out into the fields and pick some wonderful blueberries!
I was privileged to have my own special mode of transport… named after this very blog! As a result I got tasked with ferrying the yogurt containers back to the house, as they got filled up with blueberries. It was a real balancing act to not spill (or eat) them all on the way!
I also had a chance to take a few photos of the plants around the farm. (Click to enlarge the photos).
We had a wonderful day out — thank you Mehran and Nushin!
Today Suzanne and I decided to try breakfast at Clafouti, which was just downstairs from my brother’s apartment. we had a decadently European breakfast:
There was something of a hint of 1920′s Paris in the air…
We met Esther for lunch at a sushi restaurant… (we always seem to be eating!)
And then went to an outdoor neighbourhood market. Before going back to the apartment for a little rest, we stopped by Dutch Dreams again, for some take out.
We decided to go out to a restaurant near my brother’s home, and I wanted to walk there. Esther filmed me from the apartment to the restaurant — about 7 minutes of me walking with my canes:
Once we got there, I rewarded myself with a yummy pizza…
… and a triumphant smile.
And of course, I then walked back as well. It was a good workout. Tomorrow we return home.
Suzanne and I began our day at “home” where we had our usual cereal. We then met up with Jpry and Esther, and they took us to this Chinese restaurant out in the wilds of Markham (I think), We went there because they had been there before and thought it was really good, which it was. It seems to be a traditional Chinese fish restaurant.
From there we went to the AGO to see an exhibition on Artists and the Theatre. It was very interesting, tracing the interactions of visual artists and performing artists down the ages. The AGO also has good wheelchair service, well-adapted toilets, and free admission for one “attendant”. Because it was getting hot, and because we were all feeling decadent, after the AGO we went to Dutch Dreams, an amazing ice cream parlour:
Then, that evening, we went to see Second City, the improv show. It was very funny. One of the advantages of having a disability permit in Toronto is being able to park pretty much anywhere except a no stopping zone. Suzanne was able to park our rental (a Lincoln she got through an upgrade) right in front of the theatre.
The next day we had a nice breakfast with Esther and Jory…
And then Suzanne and I headed out to see the McMichael collection of Group of Seven artists in Kleinberg. The collection is amazing and housed in a building which is nestled in the sort of forest and woodlands that the artists immortalized in their paintings. The building is also very accessible, and they provided me with a good wheelchair to get around.
I got inspired and photographed part of the forest in an impressionistic style.
It almost goes without saying that I cannot visit Toronto without going to my favourite clothing store… and I even found some clothes on sale!
We later met up with Jory, since Esther was rehearsing her new play, The Innocents (part of Summerworks from August 7 to 14), and had dinner at the Rosedale Diner.
The next day we visited Esther and Jory’s apartment. They live on the second floor of a duplex, so I had to climb up their exterior stairs. The stairs have a good bannister, so it was not dangerous at all. I really wanted to see Esther’s new (old) desk, since we had been emailing back and forth about it before she bought it. Here it is in her living room!
While Esther and Suzanne went out to do some shopping, I relaxed on their deck and contemplated the beautiful flowers growing there. Esther and Jory have a landlord who is an exceptional gardener, and he always seems to make sure that their plants are flourishing. (Click on the thumbnails to see a larger image).
When Esther returned, it was time to show off her new duds…
Later, we went to join Jory at the Free Times Café where he was hosting their Open Stage evening.
We just got back from a trip to Toronto to visit Esther and Jory, whom we hadn’t seen for a while. As is usual, our trip started with a stop at a restaurant. This time it was at the bagel shop to get some bagels for my brother. That was the condition under which he agreed to let us stay in his apartment while he was away. Suzanne has gone in to get the bagels, while I wait outside.
About 7 hours later, we rolled into Toronto, and met up with Esther at the restaurant where she works between auditions and acting gigs. It is a vegan restaurant called Fresh, and it’s very good.
