Exploring the City

Over the weekend, Sebastian and I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, hop on our bikes, and explore the city! We didn’t have a plan in mind, just peddled off and went wherever we happened to end up.

While biking east on Lakeshore, we came across the new waterfront park. Toronto has had plans to redevelop the waterfront for a while now, since it looked horrible and industrialized. I had no idea that they already completed some of it! It was such a wonderful surprise. I’m so excited to see the rest of it when it’s all done! Being near the water is such a luxury and it’s pretty sad that it’s not being utilized the way it should be right now.

We admired the pretty tiny waterfalls, the new splash pad, and splashed around in the cold water.

… Then went on to take photos of our footprints. Because apparently, we’re cute like that.

We biked around some more and ended up in St. James Park. I actually had never been to before, which kind of seems ridiculous since I’ve been living in the city for over a year now. (I’ve officially decided that we’re coming back here for a picnic just because it’s so beautiful.)

One thing that I’ve truly come to love about living here is that there are so many hidden gems everywhere. That awesome burrito place, that hole-in-the-wall café that makes their own lemonade, and the parks that make you feel like you’ve left the city even though you’re smack in the middle of it.

…Then we found this tree branch that was perfectly parallel with the ground! It looked so crazy that I instantly wanted to climb it.

…Then I came to the realization that a) I am incredibly short and b) I am far too weak. Unlike Sebastian, who is a giant in comparison.

The AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) currently has a Picasso Exhibit running until sometime in August, and I’ve been wanting to see it ever since it first started – so when Sebastian suggested we go there, I pounced on the idea! (We did the audio tour, and I snuck this picture of Sebastian without him knowing:)

“I paint the way some people write an autobiography. The paintings, finished or not, are the pages from my diary.”—Pablo Picasso

We saw paintings like this 1925’s Le Baiser, or The Kiss, from his Surrealist period.

And this moving piece, entitled “Massacre in Korea”, which is seen as a criticism of American intervention in the Korean War, and was influenced by Goya’s, The Third of May 1808.

I think what I was most surprised with was how Picasso could so easily go back and forth between different styles of art. From expressionism to cubism to realism, experimenting with different ideas and techniques, switching between different mediums - paintings to sculptures to a combination of both. He was a true genius, and he knew it.

If you ever get the opportunity to come to Toronto, I definitely recommend hitting up the AGO! The museum itself is a work of art and worth exploring.

I can’t wait for the rest of the summer where we can explore even more of the city and discover all sorts of new things.