Toronto, How I Miss Thee

As you probably know by now, (and if you don't, what parts of my blog have you been reading?? Kidding!) I used to live in Toronto, going to school and working in the public relations industry. While I love my home in Newfoundland, now that I'm back in St. John's, I realize that I do miss Toronto an awful lot.

When I first moved to the Big Smoke, I was going to school and living in Etobicoke, so I didn't get a chance to explore downtown Toronto a whole lot. But when I moved downtown after finishing school and lived in an apartment with some friends, that was like a different life altogether.

At the time, I was on the job hunt looking for work, with not much to do and little money to spend. While there were days I stayed home and watched a lot of television, (it was then I discovered and became obsessed with the Food Network -  a healthy obsession, I like to think) all that free time gave me a chance to explore the city and get to know it better. I learned street names and subway stations, districts of the city and where popular attractions were located.

Being away from Toronto has shown me how much I really do miss things like:


I miss living with my roommates in our brick townhouse in the heart of downtown Toronto. My friend Heather and I had gone through our public relations program together and our friend Brittany and later, new roommate Kristel, both strangers in the beginning, became fast friends, and are still friends of mine today. It was really nice, being able to come home at the end of our days, make dinner and talk about what had happened at work, and then watch some tv together, play video games, or just chat. I miss those days, girls. :)

I miss walking to the St. Lawrence Market on Saturday mornings with my buddy Paul and having pasta, buying fresh produce and stocking up on perogies. Being able to buy your produce from somewhere other than the grocery store is something that's rare in St. John's. I know we have a couple of little farmer's markets in the city and surrounding areas, but they're nothing like the St. Lawrence Market.





You must know by now that I love cupcakes. I mean, seriously love. So when in a big city like Toronto, there were bakeries and sweet shops that sure, sold cupcakes. But then there were cupcake shops, dedicated to just cupcakes.





Those were the places I used to visit fairly often...so much so, that the staff at one of them began to remember me. I knew then I had a problem. A cupcake-addiction problem...but it's fine, all things in moderation, right? I miss the cupcake shops I'd visit the most, like Prairie Girl Bakery, or Dlish Cupcakes. Both their cupcakes were so delicious.

I know my Toronto friends might think I'm crazy, but I miss riding the subway. (okay, I certainly don't miss the delays on the TTC, but I do miss riding the train sometimes.) I miss getting on the train and letting it take me to wherever I was going, listening to the stops being announced, seeing the people on the train with me, wondering where they were headed. Every once in a while, I'd run into someone I knew on the train (which was rare, since I didn't know very many people in Toronto) and that would always delight me; that in a city of millions, it's still a small world after all.

I miss the atmosphere of the city; so busy and noisy and full of lights and massive buildings and strings of traffic. Those are things that, no matter how much I love St. John's, it just doesn't have, like Toronto does.





My time in Toronto had a big impact on my life and the person I am today. I was out on my own in a city that, while I had visited numerous times on family vacations, was still strange to me. It was a big change. But it was one I had craved and one that I had needed for a while. And because it had such a positive impact on me, there's not a day that goes by that I don't miss that city and all it offered me.

While I do miss Toronto, and still wish I could be back there sometimes, when your home looks like this, it's hard not to feel happy that you're from such a beautiful place like Newfoundland.

Saturday Mornings at the Market!

One of my favourite things to do in Toronto these days is visit the St. Lawrence Market. Saturday mornings are my time to go and explore what local farmers, artists and entrepreneurs have to offer people like me who have wandered down for a look.

I usually like to buy things like fresh veggies and fruit, or delicious baked goods, but I'm also a sucker for things like the perogies at the Polish stand, or the fresh cut tulips that I can buy for super cheap.

A couple of Saturdays ago, I ventured down to the St. Lawrence Market with my good friend Paul, who had never been there before. I decided to take some snaps of the market to commemorate our visit, as well as show off some of my favourite places to visit!

Our first stop was the North building, which houses more of the vegetables and fruit and out of town delicacies, where I could pick up some lovely peppers, carrots and onions for a soup I was planning on trying to make later that day. As you can see, there were lots to choose from, and they only cost a couple of dollars for a whole bunch! Much better prices than the supermarkets!

Then it was off to Moyer's Candy Apples stand, where they sell the most delicious Caramel Chocolate apples. As I was heading to Newfoundland for a visit a few days later, I knew I had to pick up some of these apples to bring home to treat my family and friends...they're too delicious to keep to myself!

We then went across the street to the main building, where meats, cheeses, fish and pasta and more permanent stalls are housed. I knew another thing I would have to pick up was some fresh pasta and pasta sauce from St. Lawrence Pizza and Ice Cream. If you ever get to go to the Market, you MUST stop by this place on the upper level. The pasta is out of this world and the sauce....absolutely amazing. I've never tasted anything like it!

Downstairs is another one of my favourite spots, European Delight, where they serve fresh homemade Polish food like chicken and veal schnitzel, sausage rolls, and my favourite - perogies. Their potato/cheddar/bacon perogies, fried up with some bacon and onions....a favourite Saturday lunchtime meal!

After a successful day of shopping, and too many groceries for my poor little arms to walk home with, I decided it was time to call it a day. I had

perogies to eat and soup to attempt to make! Paul and I walked home content with our great day at the St. Lawrence Market!

If you're in Toronto and you've never been, I highly recommend you check it out! Who knows? Maybe you'll bump into me there one Saturday morning. :)

Oh, and that soup I wanted to make? I think it was successful. Take a look!