Harold and Maude do Toronto

July 22

Stopped at Canadian Customs to show my passport, declare I had no firearms and was not bringing anything into the country for anyone else.   Wait, I thought, does that count the two bottles of California wine I'm bringing for Rob in Toronto?  No, decided the wine was for me. Purpose of my trip?  Passing thru....

 

I had been hearing about Bobbie's friend, Rob, who lives in Toronto since they were pen pals in high school. They visited each other but we were in Arizona at the time and never met Rob.

"If you're anywhere near Toronto, you must call Rob.  He will give you a great tour of the city."

He's this hip young (47) guy in the entertainment industry who writes for TV and radio and does research for documentary film makers.

I could just imagine he would be thrilled to have a grey haired old lady drive up in a camper van and give him a big hug in front of his friends. So of course, I headed directly to Toronto!

Turns out he is a sweetheart of a guy who insisted on coming out to pick me up at the RV park (thereby ruining my surprise).

My first time in a FIAT with a real Italian driver.

Rob's passion is pop culture and movies so he had a laugh when I told him that I would name this blog Harold and Maude do Toronto after the classic movie starring Ruth Gordon.

We started at a park near the shoreline of Lake Ontario...

Queen Anne's Lace wildflower

The Toronto streetcar system is the largest in the western world in ridership, length of track and number of cars.

It's 2.6 million residents depend on it.

Toured thru historic neighborhoods with Rob narrating local culture and politics.

The Italian neighborhood is his turf.

Bought bread at a great little bakery, Tre Mari.
Three Seas

Having  lunch at his favorite pizza place, he kept slipping in and out of Robert DeNiro.

He also does a great Walter Matthau and Peter Lorrie.

Toronto has the largest population of Italians outside of Italy. When Italy hosted the World Cup in 2006 (Tyler and I were there), St. Clair Street transformed into one big party. Viva Italia!

Highlight of the tour was Rob's twin Victorian on the right, which he bought in 1999 and has been restoring. 

It's in a wonderful Willow Glen like neighborhood with a canopy of trees over the streets.

Inside has a great period kitchen with a Kelvinator refrigerator.

How many people do you know who have a picture of the Pope on their fridge?!

Family photos line the walls. 

His roots are here and I envy him that. His Dad was a barber and Rob spent happy days with him here in the neighborhood as a kid.

After the mostly white bread cities of the midwest it was refreshing to find the diversity of Toronto with so many ethnic neighborhoods. Almost 50% of the population are immigrants.

Felt like being home again in California.

The city is doing its best to keep up with housing in many areas of high density towers.

Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the 4th largest in North America, behind Mexico City, NYC, and LA.

China town

Huge indoor market downtown where I bought veggies to stir fry with my last onion.

Liquor  Control Board of Ontario

An important stop

Only the Brits would name a gin "Boodles".  Can you seriously tie one on with this?!

old City Hall

To drive Toronto is to go thru two centuries of architecture.

This flatiron building up against skyscrapers reminded me of the Coppola building in North Beach, San Francisco.

Bobbie refers to Toronto as a "clean San Francisco" which reminded me of what was missing...homeless people downtown.
Rob says they are here but more visible out in the burbs.

The St. Lawrence Market downtown was a great place to load up on veggies. It's a former gaol (jail), but not in Rob's lifetime.

So that's it, my day in the big city with my new best friend!

      Molte grazie, Rob, for a day not soon forgotten......