Boxing Day in High Park

I've never understood people who follow up a day of getting stuff with a day of shopping for more stuff.  According to some people interviewed by CTV News, lines had begun forming in front of some Toronto stores by 11 p.m. Christmas night! Even if December 25 is not a big day on your calendar, there've got to be better ways to spend a Saturday night than lining up in front of a retail outlet.

Here, we woke to a brilliant Boxing Day and someone (we all want to take credit) had the inspired idea to go to High Park.

If you've never been, Toronto's High Park is the city's greatest green space, what I like to think of as our not-so-central Central Park.  From viewing the cherry blossoms in spring to skating on Grenadier Pond in winter, High Park is a hilly year-round destination for fresh air and beauty. And I love the fact that it's accessible by streetcar and subway.

Today we grabbed a back booth near the fireplace at Grenadier Cafe, then hiked down Deer Pen Road to visit the animals. Bison with their backs to the wind, Barbary and Mouflon sheep warming in the sun near a stone wall, emus trotting and making strange noises, a mama yak hurrying over to see who's eyeing her little one.

The park was full of joggers and dog- (and kid-) walkers; a bike vendor sold popcorn and candy floss. Back to the restaurant for something hot to drink, then home again on clear streets.  Happy Boxing Day, everyone!

Scarborough Bluffs, Toronto, Ontario

Why join the mass weekend exodus on  packed highways to cottage country when here in Toronto we're already on beautiful Lake Ontario with miles of coastline and plenty of clean, swimmable beaches?

This summer I've found myself many an evening in Toronto's east end at the Scarborough Bluffs, wading through wildflowers on top of Cathedral Bluffs with a walking buddy, having a drink in the Dogfish Pub at the marina or enjoying the breeze on the beach with the seagulls and Pat. A favorite daydream of mine: deciding which of the cute little houseboats I'd choose for myself, given the chance (haven't seen a "for sale" sign yet!). Wildlife--from red foxes to waterfowl to a feral cat colony--thrives. Just blocks from home yet a world away, we find ourselves marvelling that it's very hard to believe we're still in the 416 area code.

Though often used as a shooting location by Toronto's film industry and noted by Frommer's as unique in North America, the 14 km-long Scarborough Bluffs remain one of the city's best-kept secret beauty spots. See what you may have missed by taking a virtual tour of Toronto's miles of waterfront here. And unlike provincial and federal parks, access to Toronto's parks and beaches is completely free of charge. Beautiful!

Luminato Festival: first the happy faces

I didn't have time to catch much of Luminato 2010 in Toronto other than the Wish Come True Festival presented by FriendsWithYou, a Miami-based visual arts collective. Queen's Park looked as though a giant box of toys had been spilled: bouncy mushrooms you could crawl inside, smiling lollipops and totem-pole peppermint sticks, super-sized beach balls you could bat around and sweet little characters roaming around, followed by delighted kids. Just for Luminato, FriendsWithYou created Rainbow City, populated by the Rainbow King and his celestial friends, a happy place of magic, luck and joy. It's hard to thrill a kid these days but FriendsWithYou managed to do it with the number and sheer size of the pieces. There were a lot of adults, too, shoving those giant tether balls back and forth, loathe to leave the park.

It struck me that while happy faces filled Queen's Park this week, it would have an entirely different atmosphere just a few days from now. The park is the designated site for official protests to the G20 summit. Whatever else Toronto may be, it's never dull.