New feature: links and polls!

I've added a new feature to the blog, links that will feature permanently on the right of every page. Included is a link to Eva's blog and photographs from Cameroon. Apparently a Kaela-vetted selection will appear on this site eventually, but why wait? Click on 'Evaristus' Blog' for the real deal!

You'll also notice you can vote on important issues on a new poll feature, only one vote per computer!

A weekend in Toronto: Baseball, Carnival and The Canadian way!

Hello everyone and welcome to the fabulous and crazy world of Toronto.

What you will soon find is that the blog will become inundated with beautiful pictures in an attempt to persuade as many of you to come over and see us! Fly Zoom.com or Air Transat for flights under £250 !!!! Is that an AWESOME DEAL or what, people?!!

For some reason Canadians say 'awesome' all the time and Dylan has now picked up the habit.

Firstly for all you Bowie and Dylan fans out there here is some stunning graffiti that commands the complete side of a building downtown. Inoffensive and beautifully done, but if you are looking for live music, there's lots around including a concert venue 2 mins from where we live.
Impromptu jazz festivals and live music everywhere..... But that was last weekend!



This is what we got up to this weekend while wondering the streets of Toronto

We have decided to completely immerse ourselves in the whole north American culture so we went to a baseball game.
Here is a shot of the CN tower from our seats.

Excellent seats, no queues, cheap tickets $10 and you get served refreshments in your seat!! Also absolutely no hooligans. Dylan was accidentally elbowed by a 250-pound bodybuilder who was profuse in his apology then offered to explain the game. I had to resist telling him 'Its just rounders played by boys mate, it 'aint an original game'......that would have been very uncanadian!

Dylan and I are now Blue Jay fans and had a truly excellent night.
Next we plan to see the Canadians try to play rugby with body armour.........ooops I must try to get rid of all this British sarcasm.

Saturday we followed the Canadian carnival through the streets of Toronto, in the scorching heat for about 3 miles, the steel bands were phenomenal, the costumes out of this world, the colours blinding and the atmosphere electric!

Dylan and I were a little underdressed for the occasion next year he wants us to go me in pink feathers and him as a Roman centurian!

Look at these fabulous outfits...

Occasionally a roman centurion danced by...

...or some displaced Valkeries...

...angels who had lost their wings

...steel orchestras...
...common or garden party animals...


...Peacocks Galore...

Not sure quite what this lady was but she featured as one of the few still dancing in the intense heat

Lots of kids pulled mini floats along...

Phew it was exhausting but the occasional coconut sure did help!


We opted out of the after parade party and went out for dinner in little Italy, wonderful!


Today is Sunday and its a long weekend so we still have 2 days to fill... were thinking of jumping on the ferry and going to the 'Islands' in the centre of lake Ontario for a picnic.

If this hasn't persuaded you to come visit us yet......... stay tuned for the next posting....... Chinese lantern and Dragon boat festival? Or maybe Taste of Danforth Fine food and wine festival? Or maybe a visit to Niagara Lake and Falls?

Toronto is AWESOME!
and as they frequently say when you buy a coffee to go...............'you have a perfect day now'

Chilombo

Bill Bold and the Dirty Hands

I wish I could make it Bill, maybe you could send me the mp3 of your latest work in the studio to keep me going until you get a gig in Toronto?

Peter Jr's New Garden

Me relaxing in my new Garden!
















New BBQ and Decking and Shed



Finishing touches to garden















BBQ in full operational order















Another satisfied customer having over-eaten from the BBQ

Ramblings from Toronto

They have a sculpture in this little garden that is made from clingfilm and is a big web that catches all the light.


I think this is an old fashioned steamer type boat but we were on the new fashioned ferry when I saw it so I'm not 100% sure what it is.


The same boat pulling into Hanlan's point on the Toronto Islands.


This is a the distillery district about 10 minutes down the road from us on the Esplanade. It's historic in Canadian terms and has a great brewery with a pub to showcase it's many tasty beers.


My favourite coffee shop, also in the distillery district, there was an excellent blues band on a stage outside last Sunday for no obvious special reason. I've taken to drinking coffee iced here as it's generally to hot to contemplate anything warmer than that.


We were taken out for drinks at the bar with the highest patio and ther's a pretty good view from up there.

As you can see we've been enjoying having a little more time together to get out and explore the city. Despite our best efforts the condo is still pretty empty: Chil's been scouring the city for furniture bargains but I wish that the sofa we'd bought had fitted through the door!

Congratulations to Eva on his new job at IBM!

I hope all is well with all who reads this.

New Contacts

We're (finally) online now in Toronto so up and skyping again, so you can get hold of us by:

1. Skyping us on skype name dylanbould (free!)
   
2. Calling 020-8123-8727 (UK/local rates) we will only get the call if the computer is turned on, which will probably be most of the time we are in anyway, but you can leave answerphone message
3. Text us on 00-1-647-834-2203 (Dylan) or 00-1-647-832-1807 (Chil) and we'll call you back if we are at home, we have very cheap outgoing calls

So now you've got no excuse! Of course if you just want to drop round we're at

25 The Esplanade, Unit 2008,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada. M5E 1W5.

Thanks to everyone who's sent us housewarming and aniversary cards and birthday greetings to Chil.

Happy Birthday to you!

This is an official blog Happy Birthday to Chil!

Happy Birthday to you,

Squashed tomatoes and stew,

Happy Birthday dear Chi-il,

Happy Canadian Birthdays to you!

Pictures from Toronto

This is part of the art gallery, I think, it does just look like a building fell out of the sky onto another building.

Until I moved into our new condo (map) I was living in the edgier Queen West area with plenty of street art.

Hmmm, must be a different Halifax!

The most fun I've had here so far is trying the national sport, ice hockey, which I've played twice now. I definitely need some skating lessons over the summer before play resumes in the fall. No pictures yet but I'll get Chil to take one when I've bought my own helmet, stick, pads etc...

This is the boardwalk, Lake Ontario and Toronto Islands in the distance. It's very hot here, low 30's c with very high humidity (100% humidity the other day but fortunately the temperature was only about 17c). The evenings are just perfect though, the harbour is great for a walk although you can't swim in the lake as it's apparently not clean enough which is a bit of a tease in the hot weather.


Queens Quay on the harbour. I'm looking forward to Chil coming to Toronto a week today on the 15th, there's only so much fun you can have walking around by yourself!

The view from our solarium!

Solarium you say? That's what I thought. It seems to be a long thin room, a bit like a balcony but with windows, useful for when it's -20 plus wind chill I guess...
This is the view from our new condo anyway, looking west (above) is the financial district, directly north (below) the road on the left leads almost to my hospital, about a 10 minute walk and just behind the buildings you can see.


To the east is St Lawrence market and the 'Distillery district', apparently good eating and drinking there but I've been waiting for Chil to help me explore it.

St Mike's is a big downtown catholic hospital, known as the Urban Angel, so I figure I should fit right in!

You'll notice what they call a streetcar in the foreground, a pretty efficient way of getting around.

nor-folk

Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to Norfolk.

Nanna and Nandad!

some flowers around the hindolveston allotment

a corn field at the back of the allotments

one of those thingymajigs that spin in the wind