Ah Toronto...

So, I finally got to spend some time in Toronto, and oh how wonderful it was.

After going out to a dinner with family friends on Friday and drinking excessive quantities of wine, I managed to get up at 7 am and go play squash for 1.5 hours at 8 am. I felt much better after playing though, and my back even feels better (in case I failed to mention it on my blog, I injured my back playing squash on Thursday, and was in wretched pain, but over a few days of much stretching and hot-cold packs, I am doing better).

After that, I headed in to Toronto where I caught up with my best friend and her two guests visiting from France. We gave them a tour of the city, including stops in Chinatown for sugar cane juice and bubble tea, Kensington for some taquitos and vintage shopping and Global Cheese, Yorkville for some drinks on a patio, a walk around the Annex and a brief stint on Queen St. to see Osgoode Hall and all that jazz. The two biggest changes I have seen since my last time here were that the chip truck lineup outside City Hall now includes shawarma trucks, and that Kensington has now developed into Little Mexico, with a strip of Mexican restaurants that are packed with people.

After another friend joined us, we moved uptown to a very nice condo, with a wrap-around balcony and a beautiful view. It was a night of cultural exchange as we all shared our favourite songs (via YouTube), such as Achy Breaky Heart, among many other gems. The night was finished off with some shawarma. I ate half a falafel shawarma since I was already loaded with liquids.

This morning we are going to have freshly baked bagels and garlic cream cheese from Global Cheese. The rest of my purchases there were my gift for my friend and her new home. They smelled, but we tasted and they were three delicious cheeses.

For exercise, aside fro the 1.5 hours of squash, we were on our feet walking for about 4-5 hours I think. Needless to say, sleep was well appreciated by my feet. Today, I will be heading back to Oakville for Easter dinner. It will be a very early dinner since I need to fast for 12 hours before I get blood tests done on Monday morning. This will be the final stage of my health goals, so it will be worth starving for. Luckily, I will have a delicious meal of ham and other fixins before that.

On Monday, I will come back to Toronto to spend a day outside (if it is nice out) probably at the Beaches. If it is not so sunny, perhaps a visit to the AGO would be in order, or spending an afternoon inside the apartment and going out for meals :) Essentially I want to take in as much of this city before I fly out late tonight from the Island. Then it will be back to reality.