Toronto

Saturday- We arrived to see a movie being filmed at the Royal Park Hotel-quite fabulous.
The door man was adorable-he had a British accent and kept smiling at me-one of those moments where two souls connect=)
We walked off in the rain, wind, and cold to our hosts house. We made it to his condo directly across from the cn tower. He went off to work while Brazil and I went off into the windy streets with our umbrellas turning in and out we still managed to laugh and take photos. We went to see a brass band at St. Lawrence Centre for the performing arts.  It was a brass band competition with different bands joining together in one place from all over North America. There is a Balkan style, British style, and New orleans style.  There was 28 people playing with instruments ranging from soprano cornet to the flugelhorn-bass trombone, and baritone.  Always beautiful to see people joining together in their passion and creating heart felt sounds. 
We met with the composer who taught us about the history and where they compete.  Smiling inside when standing in front of one who is so proud.

St Lawrence Market- 120 vendors with international cuisine, delicassies- the cheese, nuts, meats, fish, and amazing baked goods definitely caught my eye.  Such amazing history:
In 1803, Governor Peter Hunter issued a proclamation, following recommendations made as early as 1796, that all the land north of Front, west of Jarvis, south of King and east of Church street was to be designated officially as the "Market Block."
It used to be Toronto's city hall and now consists of the north farmers market, south market, St. Lawrence hall, and the market gallery.  The history of the building and area is on a timeline on the walls. It is incredible the changes from the Victorian era to now. 
The Market gallery
The original Council Chamber is the main display area where thematic exhibitions illustrating the cultural, commercial and social development of the city are presented using artifacts, photographs, architectural drawings and maps.
St. Lawrence Market is ranked one of the top 25 markets in the world and I definitely see why-the amazing variety of cheese, the fresh seafood and meats, the bakeries, and french little areas of the market.
It truly is a food paradise- Bon Appetit!
http://www.stlawrencemarket.com/

Brookfield Place

It is a landmark address deeply rooted in the commercial, cultural and social fabric of Toronto. Home to some of the world’s most prestigious financial and legal firms, and the corporate headquarters of many preeminent Canadian corporations, the 2.6 million square foot complex fosters business and commerce of global significance. Brookfield Place also stands as a prized example of Toronto’s cultural development and community spirit. Its public spaces have received international acclaim for their architectural excellence, including the award winning Allen Lambert Galleria, a favourite backdrop for some of North America’s most prominent exhibitions and special events. Visited by millions of people each year, Brookfield Place is also home to the Hockey Hall of Fame and some of Toronto’s most popular dining, shopping and lifestyle destinations.

I just loved the Marchee cafe section with cobblestone floor and adorable food stations with fresh vegetables, roasted chicken, seafood paella, fresh pastas, and salads. A little slice of Paris and adorable!

Art Gallery of ontario

http://www.ago.net/

David Blackwood prints of Newfoundland exhibit
The Inuit Modern Exhibit
Tbe Thompson collection
Henry Moore Sculptures
The Canadian art tour of the Great Seven-incredible landscape painters of the 1920s.
I deeply enjoyed the work of Lawren Harris
Check out the Great Seven here
http://www.groupofsevenart.com/

The architecture of Ago is beautiful. It is seven floors of heaven with a beautiful view of Toronto from the top. Stephanie Chow, a student from the Toronto school of music had a heartfelt piano performance- such incredible talent I felt the performance deeply seep into my spirit and it was wonderful. 
Royal ontario Museum

http://www.rom.on.ca/om.on.ca

Water: The exhibition

Water is essential to life. It connects all living things. It shapes our planet, but is unevenly distributed across it, leaving nearly a billion people without access to clean drinking water. In freshwater and oceanic environments, life is fragile but resilient; these ecosystems can thrive again with some help.

Journey around the world in this ground-breaking exhibition about the power, wonder, and scarcity of water. Essential learning for every Canadian, discover what you and your family can do to help conserve water and protect the future of our blue planet.

Fryderyk Chopin & the Romantic Piano

My favorite exhibit at RoM-it gave a real look into the childhood of Chopin and a timeline of his life.

Sitting Still: Faces of Childhood

An unsentimental look at sentimental portraits from the ROM's 19th century Canadian collection. Look closely at the individual portraits and sense the subtle play between child and artist, parent and child and sisters and brothers. World Culture Galleries
Natural History Galleries
Hands-on Galleries
Exhibition Spaces

Kensington Market

http://www.kensington-market.ca/

Cool vintage shops, graffiti that gives the neighborhood charm and embraces creativity, cute coffee shops, and healthfood stores, interesting people, the Dancing Divas store with amazing lamps, dresses, symbolic home furnishings, a hipster vibe, and great culture.