toronto day 2

the morning was bright and clear, and we were up later than usual (total luxury).

job number one was to go for a run, and we explored a few cool neighborhoods to the west of our hotel on the run. toronto has so much street art everywhere--everywhere!--it is overwhelming! it adds such richness and beauty to sheds, buildings, utility boxes, everything. we stopped at a little playground park to get a drink on our run, and this big raccoon was painted on the side of a garden shed next to the playground.


job number two after the run was eat, and we did at luna cafe, and it was al fresco and dreamy.


but job number 3 was the most important: find a way to get around toronto that didn't involve more walking because our legs were not going to walk any farther. so we figured out the toronto bike share--and it was incredibly easy--and within minutes were biking through little portugal, little italy, and chinatown.




we visited an urban farm with animals, crops, activities, in a park. it made me happy.













the park and farm are next to the toronto necropolis. (necropolis? yep. "dead city." it's an old cemetary). we went.




we biked to the st lawrence market from there.




 after wandering through the throngs of people at the market and peering at some wonderful market stands, we bought fruit and "mustard rolls" and chowed down on them on the balcony veranda. it is a beautiful permanent market; the sort of thing i imagine when i think of madison's plans for a public market  a few blocks from my house.

here is the inside, second floor:
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they even sell canadian bacon. because canada.


our little spot to eat bread and berries

 and then we rode to the nearby distillery district, which was surprisingly short on actual distilleries. instead, in the cavernous halls and cobblestone roadways of the old now-defunct distilleries, there are now things like sock and purse shops, restaurants, and even breweries. we managed to grab an outdoor table and a dozen oysters. not bad. not bad.


the distillery district is neat, pretty, interesting, but definitely a sterile crowded tourist destination for shoppers who need more scarves. the oysters were great and the company of my partner in travel was superb, but we moved on from the distillery district pretty quickly.
but not before some photos with the selfie-ready big heart, which was a real tourist magnet.

 

 we took the long picturesque way home, biking again along the waterfront, and ending at the hotel for a little rest and change of clothes. but the oysters didn't hold our appetite at bay for long, so we headed out to get into line at the very popular black hoof restaurant, a no-reservations-taken sort of whole-animal restaurant that was called "ground breaking" and "game changing" when it opened 10 year ago. the beloved spot is closing in august, and its been hard to nab a table (according to people), so we went at opening time, got a spot at the bar, and had first dinner.

first dinner was bone marrow on toast. and pickled things. and olives. and tomatoes sprinkled in n'duja spice. so so so good.

reflections in the cocktail menu. 

 

 after first dinner, we sat in a park to digest all that bone marrow. and to have a nice sit in a park. trust us: the trinity bellwoods park is an ideal urban park. i loved it there.

i also love the houses, by the way. it's all like this...


or giant beautiful brick victorians. toronto definitely has it's own vibe in the housing stock.

but back to the hedonistic tour of food feasting! at 8pm ish, we strolled over to our late second dinner at dailo, a feast of asian food and imagination that included lobster, MORE BONE MARROW, and delicacies that defy description. maybe one of the best dinners ever?

 i forgot to take a picture of my food, but it was gorgeous. so is he....