So we start off today's blog with our zoo adventure.  Toronto boasts quite an amazing zoo set on over 700 acres and over 5000 exhibits all of which Tess planned to see on our day's outing.  The area is designed in country of origin of the captive beasts so as long as you have strong legs you can move around the world of animals to see whatever takes your fancy.  I always wonder why creatures in zoos  look like they are on valium.  At a guess I would say boredom as I am sure I would become inane if I was locked in a cage with a big gorilla giving me the eye.   The use of pavillions brought us close to the snakes and spiders and frogs etc so we did cover, say, 4500 exhibits (well that's what I told Tess so we could go home!!).   The trip to the zoo is quite a long ride and it gave me a view of a different Toronto.  Short on the trees and masses of tenement buildings.  I guess it was illogical to imagine that the whole city would be made up of the lovely homes and tree lined streets which is the streetscape where we are living.   It really is a lovely spot.
A short ferry ride took Tess and I over to Centre Island last week....quite a stunning place and worth a look but all the amusements for the children were still to open.   It seems to take weeks into the summer before the Canadians realise the winter is actually over.  
Foodwise we find it impossible to go out for a hearty Sunday breakfast.  Plenty of coffee shops but none of them cook so it's pastries, egg rolls or the like.  Haven't seen a butcher shop and as I said before it took us over a week to find a bottle shop to purchase a bottle of wine.   We have to walk to the subway, get a train one stop, walk to the bottle shop and then reverse it.  The Government runs all the liquor outlets so maybe it's their way of reducing the alcohol intake of Canadians.  Jeez you would think they would consider all the Aussie tourists who would be out there searching for a wee drop of the grape!!
Trina had an extra class yesterday (Sunday) and again next week-end. ( She says she will add to this blog with her bit of prattle so you may hear a little more of the cake side of things).  Tess and I missed her yesterday as we always enjoy our weekends together.  We were a bit flat heading out for our visit to Riverdale Farm and the mood was sorely dampened when Tess left Nutsy the squirrel at the subway station.  She was, of course, broken-hearted and had to be re-assured all through the day that Nutsy would be having a great time with all the other toys in the lost property department.   Riverdale Farm is a pretty place on a creek with little waterfalls and they have the cows, the horses, the chooks, the peacocks, the goats etc.   We had our picnic then crossed the road to visit a beautiful little historic church set in a cemetry.  Tess insisted on being photographed on several tombstones so maybe that was her mood of the day with Nutsy missing.  To top it off she stepped in a big doggy poo on the way back to the bus.  I have to finish on a happy note because when we returned to the subway and I asked the ticketman what happens to lost property, especially a much loved squirrel, he produced same from under his bench and what joy appeared on one little girl's face.  
We have to get organised very soon for our trip to Niagara, Montreal and then Alaska.  Bye until next time xxxGlor   .......(below Tess with beloved Nutsy...                                                                                                                                                                        

(Famous Aussie cake decorator Trina Thomson spotted walking the streets of Toronto with daughter Tess)....(This is two weeks ago but now it really is summer).