SEATTLE & ALASKA #2: POPULAR PIKE PLACE MARKET & WALKING THE WATERFRONT

Posted on August 8, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

On a sunny day, Seattle is a wonderful city to see on foot. Following our light rail ride into the city, we spent the day exploring Pike Place Market, the waterfront, and Pioneer Square Preservation District.

It was a beautiful July Sunday that coincided with the final game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, so we knew it would be crowded at the market. What we didn’t know was that a large screen would be set up just outside the market for viewing the game. We took a deep breath, put on our imaginary patience caps, and braved the crowds.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Along with the rest of the crowd, we wanted to see the fish mongers throwing fish at Pike Place Fish. They have become famous for tossing fish back and forth, a silly but iconic feature at one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the United States. Seeing it brought back memories from 1987 when we first saw the shenanigans.

Founded in 1907, Pike Place Market offers everything from seafood to fresh flowers to artisans selling their crafts. We weren’t interested in shopping, but it was fun roaming through the market and doing photography

The flowers were so fresh and colorful! For that matter, the flowers all over downtown, from the hanging baskets to waterfront planters were one of my favorite things about Seattle. It added so much color and charm to the cityscape!

Seattle did a fabulous job connecting Pike Place Market to the waterfront down below with its winding ramps. There were also stairs and elevators available as an option. And the waterfront was such a pleasant place to walk and enjoy the views of the harbor.

Walking to the far end of the waterfront development at the ferry terminal left us just a couple of blocks away from Pioneer Square. We headed up the hill and discovered another crowd gathered at the square in front of a jumbo screen watching Spain beat Argentina for the World Cup.

As it turned out, utilizing this map was very helpful in planning our day. We arrived at the Symphony Station, just a short walk to Pike Place Market, and then departed by train from the Pioneer Station to return to our hotel. We were able to see everything we wanted to, leaving just the Chihuly museum (located adjacent to the Space Needle) for the following day.

Coming up next: Seattle & Alaska #3: Chihuly’s Gorgeous Glass

SEATTLE & ALASKA #1: SUNNY SEATTLE

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

It had been thirty-nine years since Bruce and I visited Seattle, so we looked forward to seeing how the city had changed. A small group Alaskan land tour was booked with Odysseys Unlimited that would begin with a flight out of Seattle to Anchorage, so we arrived a few days early.

Seattle has a reputation (rightly so) for being very rainy; the average rainfall is about 39 inches of rain per year. And if it’s not raining, it is often cloudy. The city experiences about 201 cloudy days per year compared to 93 partly cloudy and 71 clear days. We anticipated the former rather than the latter, so we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70’s!

Top on our list to see was Chihualy Garden and Glass, but we arrived on a Saturday and decided to wait until Monday to visit when it would be less crowded. Besides, with the museum’s dynamic pricing, it would be less expensive, too.

Opting to stay near the airport rather than downtown for an easy getaway on Tuesday morning, we found a hotel just a short walk from the Link light rail station, which was convenient for riding a train downtown each day.

A great way to get around downtown Seattle is by their free shuttle bus, which stops every 15 minutes at several locations and hits all the popular spots. Even on a Saturday in July, we were able to catch a ride with no problem. (Of course, it helped to get off the train in China Town, at the least popular end of the bus route, and then hop on the shuttle there rather than at the Space Needle.) We did the complete round trip shuttle ride, so we could get the lay of the land and see how much we remembered from our 1987 visit. (Other than the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, not much, as it turned out!)

Just a couple of blocks away from the shuttle bus is a food hall on 5^th and South Weller Street, a great casual location to grab a good quick meal. We selected Los Costenos based on its Google reviews, and we enjoyed it so much, we returned for a breakfast burrito on Monday morning, before visiting the Chihualy museum.

As you can see by these shots of China Town and the Space Needle, it was indeed a sunny day in Seattle!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Next up: SEATTLE & ALASKA #2: POPULAR PIKE PLACE MARKET & WALKING THE WATERFRONT

AN AWESOME DRONE SHOW IN OUR LITTLE TOWN

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

We have lived in Griffin for over seventeen years, and I must give this place a lot of credit. It has come a long way since 2009! Check out the inGriffin link, and you will see the efforts our town has made to make it better for our residents and attractive for tourists.

For America’s 250^th anniversary (and Spalding County’s 175^th), Griffin and Spalding County pulled out all the stops and put on a heck of a celebration. Following a full day of downtown events, there was a live band and food trucks at the downtown park.

It was too hot for me to attend the daytime events, but we arrived in time to catch the last set of music and stake out our spot for the featured event: a drone show. A drone show in our little town? I still couldn’t believe I would actually get to see one here in Griffin, Georgia, population less than 24,000.

Ever since the amazing Sky Elements appeared on America’s Got Talent, drone shows have been the hot new trend. Still, I’m guessing that most people have yet to see one in person, especially the residents of Griffin. Me neither, and I couldn’t wait!

As I planned the evening out for my husband and our friends joining us, I imagined the entire county would be showing up for this event. Where would I find parking? The traffic heading into downtown will be horrendous! Not wanting to put them through the hassle of driving around looking for a parking place, I thought I would get as close as I could, drop them off, and then head out in search for a place to park.

Plan in place, we drove into town, and made our turn onto Broad Street, headed for the first lot on my mental list. What? No traffic? And look! Parking places!! Everywhere! My heart skipped a beat with excitement! I got bold and drove all the way down to the far end of the lot, which was just across the street from the festivities and the best viewing area for the show. I figured if the first row was full, I would just drive down the next aisle. But there were spaces available! Where was everybody???

We grabbed our chairs, crossed the street, and set up in the small parking lot adjacent to the recently renovated Town Hall building overlooking the park. We had an elevated view looking down over the park and a perfect vantage point for the drone show. What a cool scene! People were enjoying the band performing classic rock and R&B hits, and there were several food trucks. The adjacent streets were blocked off, so people could mingle and set up chairs to watch the show. At one end, a couple of fire trucks had pulled out of their station to block off the street. One had its ladder raised with a HUGE American flag hanging down from it and lit up.

A short time later, I gazed out over the scene, and then I saw the drones hovering on the horizon. Let the show begin! The crowd cheered for every new design they formed, and it was an awesome sight! Kudos to the drone pilots, especially for Fly, Janet Fly, honoring Janet Harmon Bragg, born in Griffin in 1907, and the first African American woman to earn a commercial pilot’s license.

What a beautiful, joyful show for our little town! I felt a sense of pride and community spirit at a time when those feelings had been lost during these crazy, divisive times in our country.

Note: I had planned on writing about a couple of spring trips; however, both were canceled (long story). But stay tuned; more travel tales coming soon!

MY CHOCOLATE LABEL (WRAPPER COLLECTION: AN UPDATED TALLY

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

As I wrote in the “About” section of my blog, I enjoy adding to my chocolate label (or wrapper) collection when I travel. More importantly, however, I enjoy tasting each an every one!

The last time I updated my tally here was in 2023, so it’s time to do it again. My collection includes chocolates from 46 of the 72 countries I have visited to date. Unfortunately, the other countries I traveled to either didn’t produce their own chocolate or I wasn’t able to locate any.

In my tally, there are countries listed that are not in all caps. These are countries I have not visited; however, friends and family have and were nice enough to bring home some chocolate for me!

CHOCOLATE LABELS

TOTAL COUNTRIES: 62 TOTAL BRANDS: 359

*Counted duplicates if brand was from different countries

(Cadbury: Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, England, Egypt

France, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Singapore,

South Africa, U.S.A.)

ALL CAPS: Countries I have visited (46)

ARGENTINA-Cadbury, Cofler, Bonafide, Rapanui, Mamuschka, Get Real

AUSTRALIA– Cadbury, M&M, Darrell Lea, Margaret River Chocolate Company, Paton’s, Federation Chocolate, Cocoa Farm, Coles, Blue Day Chocolate

AUSTRIA– Delikatessa, Suchard Velma (milk- excellent), Zotter, Rosenhauer’s Weiner, Anzinger’s Wiener, Choceur (Aldi)

BELGIUM– Leonidas, Godiva, Cote d’Or, Callebaut, Wittamier, Neuhaus, Swartenbroeckx, Pierre Marcolini, Chocolat Café-Tasse, Corne, Starbrook Airlines, Galler, Dolfin, The Old Chocolate House, Roose’s Chocolate City, Chocolatier Mondose, Bouchard L’escaut, Hamlet, Chocolatier Sukerbuyc, Isis, Daskalide’s, Davinia, Delhaize (Store brand; Inspirations Lait Praline is excellent), New Tree, Cachet, KC Chocolatier, Lucrotsaert, Union Edel Chocolade, The Chocolate Line, Jacques, Chocoholic Chocolatier, Stefs Chocolatier, Kathy Belgian Chocolates, Noble Chocolatier, Chocolates Keerman, Chocolate Happiness, Chocolaterie De Burg, Baru, President’s Choice Choc-O-Lait

BOSNIA-Takovo

BRAZIL– Arcor, Garoto, Milka

BULGARIA– Cboie (milk-good), Miemeh

CANADA– Cadbury, Roger’s, Terranostra, Purdy’s, House of Brussels, Neilson (very good-creamy), Chocolate Arts, Canada True, Laura Secord, Metro Irresistibles, Chocolate FX

CHILE– Ambrosoli, Costa (Costamilk- excellent), Privilegio, Cofler, Dominique, Rapanui, Dominique

China-Cadbury, Giant Panda

COLOMBIA– Chocolatina, Colombina, Santander (70%- excellent)

COSTA RICA– Gallito

CROATIA– Kras (milk- excellent), Rial, Zvecevo, Fantasy, Kandii (milk- ok), NTL-Smijesak

CZECH REPUBLIC– Clever (milk- store brand- good), Nestle, Figaro (milk-excellent)

DENMARK– Toms, Eilles

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC– Chocal, Del Oro

Egypt– Cadbury, Mandolin

ENGLAND– Cadbury, Thorntons, Nestle Aero, Green & Black’s, Magnum (38% milk-excellent), Montezuma’s

ESTONIA– Kalev (milk- excellent)

FINLAND– Frazer, Royal, Anthon Berg, Panda (milk- good- bought in Porvoo grocery store), Pirkka (milk- good, creamy, inexpensive), Brunberg

FRANCE– Cadbury/ Poulain, Bernachon (my favorite truffles- excellent), Valrhona, Yves, Thuries, Casino (milk- excellent- bought in Eze grocery store-inexpensive), Nestle, Govenor’s Table, Suchard, Varda, Cemoi, Monbana, Monopix Bio!, Grand Jury, Paries, Selection, Eroski, No Name,

GERMANY– Feordora, Maurinus, Mauxion (milk- good), Milka (milk- good, Noisette (hazelnut-excellent), Ritter, Heilemann, Mozartkugel, Hachez, Divine, Bellarom, Trumpe, J.D. Gross, Alpia, Bohme, Moser-Roth, Schwermer, Sarotti, Peters, Rausch, Café Hansen Confiserie Bernkastel, Fin Carre, Eszet Schnitten, Ja!, Coppeneur, Rudesheimer Confiserie Laden, Hussel, Lidl, Omira, Trumpe, Choceur, Eilles, Lindt, Schokoladenseite Bernkastels, Heidel, Gepa, Pischinger, Vivani(not good), Riquet (very creamy), Alnatura, Disney (Euro), Edel Rham

Ghana- Golden Tree Kingsbite (bad!)

GREECE– Oscar Chocolates

GRENADA- The Grenada Chocolate Company

HUNGARY– Tibi (milk & dark- good), Boci (milk- excellent), Jackpot (milk- bad), Szerecsi (milk- excellent), Stuhmer (milk- bad), Piros, Tejesokolade

ICELAND– Noi Sirius, Omnom, Goa, Freyja

India– Amul

INDONESIA– Silver Queen

IRELAND– Cadbury, The Queenstown Story, Galaxy, Butlers Irish, Guiness, Irish Beanie Bar (Shamrock Gift Company), Fin Carre (bad)

Israel– Elite

ITALY– Novi, Duca degli Abrazzi, Perugina, Domori, Benedictine, Larzaroni, Icam (milk- excellent), Caffarel, Sorini (dark w/ chili pepper- very good), Bacio, Venchi, Witor’s (truffle-excellent), Dolciando, Dolci Pensieri De Calabria, Loacker, Boella & Sorrisi, Solidal, Altromercato, Dulciar, Equochocolate, AnticaDolceria Rizza, Choco House

JAMAICA– High Gate

Japan– Meiji

Malaysia– Cadbury, Tango

MONACO– Chocolaterie de Monaco

Mongolia- Golden Gobi

Montserrat- Montserrat

MOROCCO- Aiguebelle

NEW ZEALAND– Cadbury (milk- excellent- My favorite milk chocolate!), Death By Chocolate

NETHERLANDS– Koetjesreep, Verkade (milk-excellent 36%), Baronie, VanGaudae, Mousset, Le Marche, Zuiderzee Museum, DeHeer, Price

NORWAY– Freia, Nidar

PERU- Lacta La Iberica Milky, Spa. Buendia, Nina

Poland– Cadbury, Inda, Goplana, Solidarnosc, Terravita, Pionir, Alpinella

PORTUGAL– Jubileu, Casa Grande

ROMANIA– Heidi (milk-good), Novatini (milk- bad), Primola (milk- good), Poiana (milk- good), Milka

RUSSIA– Cadbury, 9 other brands (names unknown)

SCOTLAND– Mackie’s

SERBIA– Simka (milk- very good), Stark

Singapore-Cadbury

SLOVAKIA– Orion (milk- good), Figaro (milk-GOOD!)

SLOVENIA- Gorenjka

South Africa– Cadbury

SPAIN– Lacasitos, Blanxart, Continente, Nestle, Chocolate Sole, Valor, Kinder, Bodega Guadalest, Zahor, La Heredad, Marcos Tonda Tonda, Elgorriaga, Trapa, A La Taza, Spar, Lindt, Antiu Xixona, Froiz, Clavolemp, Chocomino, Subixa, Sabu

SWEDEN– Sockerbageriet, Marabou, Ikea

SWITZERLAND– Nestle, Lindt, Frigor, Alprose, Goldkein, Villars, Frey (Excellent!), Equal Exchange, Swiss Delice, Munz, Trader Joe’s, Teuscher, Kraft Jacobs Suchard, Sprungli, Alter Eco, M Classic (Migros Supermarket), Denner (Supermarket), Bachman, Max Chocolatier, OK, Minor, Choco CH (bad; too sugary), Chocolates Halba, Camille Bloch, CoOp (Supermarket), Swiss Lion Takova, Le Chocolatier Suisse, Frisch Schoggi, Le Chocolatier Suisse, Compliments (Canada- IGA Supermarket- good!), Swiss Alps

Trinidad– Charles, Hacendado

TURKIYE- Elvan, Ulker, Eti

Ukraine– Roshen

United Arab Emirites- Galaxy

U.S.A. – Richard Donnelly, Scharffen Berger, Starbucks, Twin Oaks, Revival, Endangered Species Chocolate Company, The Chocolate Gallery, Euphoria Chocolate Company, Redstone’s, Choxie, Hershey’s Cacao Reserve, Chocolove, Munson’s, Theobroma, Nestle, Alaska Wild Berry Products, Fairway, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Chuao, Carbolite, Wilbur, Wolfgang, Moonstruck, Lucky’s Market, Claude’s, Old Kentucky, Whetstone, Trader Joe’s, Colt’s, Stowe Mercantile Kitchen, Muth’s, Tom & Sally’s, Hammond’s, Dinstuhl’s,World Market, Byrne & Carlson, Laura’s, Theo, Dagoba, Rebecca Ruth, Mary Jane’s Chocolates, Patric, Life’s So Sweet, Goo Goo (Standard Candy Co.), Laughing Moon, Cacao, French Broad, Peterbrooke, Equal Exchange, Seattle Chocolates, Art of Chocolate Cacao (SantaFe), Trello Cioccolato (Pittsburgh), Enstrom (Colorado), Culinary Tours (Food City-Imported from Belgium), Art of Chocolate Cacao (Santa Fe), See’s, Sayklly’s

VIETNAM– Marou

TERRIFIC TORONTO #6: ITS IDYLLIC ISLANDS

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

The Toronto Islands were on our must-see list from the moment we started researching the city for our trip, but the idea was cemented following our harbor cruise that included the islands. They were beautiful, from what we could see from the boat, and we wanted to explore more on foot.

Although there are water taxis that will get you to the islands faster, what’s the rush? We took the less expensive and relaxing route by hopping on a ferry at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. Depending on the arrival destination, ferries leave as often as every 15 minutes, and the cost for a round-trip ticket is only $9.11 for adults, $5.86 for students, and $4.29 for seniors. No extra charge for your bicycle. Hot tip: Be a contrarian, avoid the longer lines, and don’t take the Centre Island ferry like most tourists do. We opted for Hanlan’s Point and then enjoyed the beautiful walk that ultimately took us to Center Island for the trip back to the city. When we returned on our last day, we saw the west portion of the islands and took the Ward’s Island ferry.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Toronto thought of everything when it came to signage on the islands for tourists. One of the signs provides the distance between each of the three island ferry terminals (Centre Island, Hanlan’s Point, and Ward’s Island) and the amount of time it takes (on average) to walk between them. Of course, if it’s your visit, I doubt you will want to walk directly from one terminal to the other without stopping to take pictures, wiggle your toes in the sand, and dip one into frigid Lake Ontario. It does help with planning, though, so it was much appreciated. From where we landed at Hanlan’s Point, we knew it would be a 3.9 km walk to Centre Island. Taking inevitable detours, this alone indicated we would want to return another day to see Ward’s Island, since I knew my torn knee meniscus wouldn’t be able to handle the extra minimum of 2.9 km of walking. (I’m happy to say my surgically repaired knee could take that on now!)

Another sign described each of the islands, just in case you couldn’t make up your mind which to see. “Hanlan’s Point is renowned for its beautiful sandy shores and is home to Toronto’s only clothing optional beach. It has been a gathering space for 2SLGBTQ+ people for nearly a century and is believed to be Canada’s oldest surviving queer space and one of the oldest continuous queer spaces in the world.”

“Ward’s Island offers a unique glimpse into the island’s residential community with charming houses and a relaxed, vintage-like atmosphere. Stroll through peaceful streets or explore the sandy beach.”

Centre Island has plenty of tourist activities, including an amusement park, restaurants, and a beach with a pier.

There are other islands in the chain, fifteen in all, but these are the main ones that are easiest to access on foot. Although the total population on the islands is 700 (300 homes), many leave in the winter when the lake freezes over.

Come along with us as we disembark the ferry at Hanlan’s Point and see the islands on foot:

The view from the terminal looking back on the city is worth the price of the ferry ticket! Wait long enough, and you will see a plane coming into the airport for a landing. You can see it in front of CN Tower.

Gibralter Point Lighthouse, the second oldest surviving lighthouse in Canada, was completed in 1809.

Our final day in Toronto at Ward’s Island and Centre Island:

The Centre Island walkway to the ferry terminal divided a beautiful park.

So long, Canada! Until we meet again! Thank you for being so warm and friendly– and not assuming we are all in support of our current White House occupant.

My favorite memory: The woman in front of us in line at Loblaw’s at Maple Leaf Gardens. She saw us counting what remained of our Canadian currency and discussing how much, if any, we would have left after our purchases. We were trying to use up our Canadian currency; however, I think she thought we were worried we didn’t have enough money. She turned to us and asked if she could pay for our groceries! I quickly explained our situation and politely declined, thanking her with enthusiasm and gratitude. (After all, it was a stack of Canadian Cadbury bars I was purchasing to bring home, because the American stuff is awful. We were not in need and weren’t going to go hungry.) Thank you, from the bottom of my hear!

TERRIFIC TORONTO #5: WALKING THE WATERFRONT & A CAPTIVATING CRUISE

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Toronto has done an excellent job redeveloping the waterfront of Lake Ontario from industrial to residential, so it is very pedestrian-friendly for locals and tourists alike. We thoroughly enjoyed it, including Sugar Beach, complete with colorful Adirondack chairs!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

One of the beautiful features of the waterfront is Toronto Music Garden, a lovely park and garden fronting the inner harbor. The park design is inspired by Bach’s First Suite for Unaccompanied Cello, with each dance movement within the suite corresponding to a different section of the garden. Renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma worked with landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy to interpret in nature the music of Bach’s first suite.

A must-do if you visit Toronto is taking a narrated harbor and islands cruise, especially if it’s a sunny day. Once you have cruised around the islands, you will want to see them in depth. I recommend doing the cruise early in your Toronto visit to get a good overview and then returning on another day to the waterfront and hopping on a ferry to the islands. We enjoyed walking around the islands so much that we returned on our final day to see what we missed the first time! More about the islands can be seen in my final post on Toronto, but here is a preview; our ferry ride to the islands:

Coming up next: TERRIFIC TORONTO #6: ITS IDYLLIC ISLANDS

TERRIFIC TORONTO #4: DISTILLERY DISTRICT, SHOE MUSEUM & ALLAN GARDENS CONSERVATORY

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Former home of Gooderham and Worts Distillery, the Distillery District is a mixed use 13-acre district of restaurants, shops, and housing in heritage buildings dating back to 1832. Architects did an excellent job converting the whiskey distillery, and it’s a nice place to walk around and hang out on a sunny day.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

I’m not much into shoes, mainly because my AAA foot width and even narrower heal makes it difficult to find shoes to fit. I’ll bet I own less shoes than most women. I just did a Copilot AI search, and multiple surveys have the average American women owning about 19 pairs of shoes, with some surveys reporting 27 pairs. That lower number of 19 is still double what I own, and Bruce owns even less.

So, why would we go to a shoe museum? Besides the four-and-a half-star rating on Trip Advisor, Bruce suggested it might be fun to see. Curious, we tied the laces up on our running shoes (the only shoes that fit me well and are comfortable), and off we went to Bata Shoe Museum. It was fun; we got a kick out of it!

Upper class paduka, from India, 18th century

EJ? Elton John, of course! When asked about this pair, he suggested they were not excessive enough to wear on stage saying, “My Dear, I wouldn’t have been seen dead in them on stage, I wore them shopping!”

This pair of boots was designed by Nevena Christi for Don Knobler, the eccentric Dallas Mavericks superfan, who famously wore his custom cowboy boots courtside to games.

In 2020, Canadian footwear designer Aurora James and founder of her own footwear and accessories brand, Brother Vellies, turned to cowboy boots after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade guaranteeing reproductive rights. For her “My Body My Choice” collection, she reimagined her Doodle Boots leveraging the long history of incorporating narrative into cowboy boot design. She launched them in 2023 on International Women’s Day. Good on her!

Converse released these “Run Star Motion Platform Pride” sneakers in 2022 in celebration of Pride Month. The company has released a Pride collection every year since 2014.

Kenzo Minami design for Reebok’s “I Am What I Am” campaign.

Paris Pooch Paw Protectors for a Pampered Poodle, 1950’s

Another enjoyable activity for us when traveling to any city is visiting public parks, gardens, and conservatories. We walked over to Allan Gardens from our hotel and meandered around its 16,000 square foot conservatory, which was quite nice.

Next up: TERRIFIC TORONTO #5: WALKING THE WATERFRONT & A CAPTIVATING CRUISE

TERRIFIC TORONTO #3: MANY MARVELOUS MURALS

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

For mural and graffiti artists, Toronto is THE place to visit. We had never seen as many murals in such a small geographical area as we did in the Kensington Market and Graffiti Alley neighborhood. There were several scattered around the city as well.

Kensington Market, and old neighborhood, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2006. A hub for artists and writers, the multicultural neighborhood has become a tourist attraction, especially for walking tours. A big draw to the neighborhood is the abundance of murals painted on every surface imaginable.

Nearby, in Toronto’s Fashion District, is Graffiti Alley, located on Rush Lane. Another hot spot for tourists and walking tours, we were amazed at the murals we saw there!

Join me on our self-guided, meandering walking tour where I photographed many, many more marvelous murals than what you will see here!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Ok, so this isn’t a mural, but it’s still a colorful work of art!

More murals scattered around town:

A tile mosaic mural:

Coming up next: TERRIFIC TORONTO #4: DISTILLERY DISTRICT, SHOE MUSEUM & ALLAN GARDENS CONSERVATORY

TERRIFIC TORONTO #2: SUPER ST. LAWRENCE MARKET, DOG FOUNTAIN, AND NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE

Posted on January 11, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

My regular readers know how much we enjoy visiting markets, so you won’t be surprised we visited one in Toronto. St. Lawrence Market, a public market, is a popular tourist destination. While we were there, tour groups came through, and buses were constantly dropping off and picking up tourists.

First established in the early 19^th century, the first market was damaged in the Great Fire of Toronto of 1849, so it was replaced. In 2012, National Geographic named St. Lawrence Market the world’s best food market.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

As a dog lover with “AQUADOG” as my license plate (AQUA, because I am a competitive swimmer with U.S. Masters Swimming), I got a kick out seeing Berczy Park’s Dog Fountain, a short walk from St. Lawrence Market. Opened in 1980, the adorable, dog-friendly park replaced a parking lot, and the fountain was added in 2017. Dogs appreciate the gravel area for doing their business, and they can get rehydrated at the ground-level fountain trough. The two-tier fountain features 27 painted cast iron statues of dogs that spit out the fountain’s water. Sitting atop the fountain wall is “Pam McCat,” named after the councilwoman who spearheaded the construction of the park.

What a hoot! The dogs are all looking up at the bone perched at the top of the fountain, and the cat couldn’t care less about the dogs. She’s keeping her eye on the two yellow birds perched on the arm of a lamp post ten feet away!

While photographing the pooches, I noticed they were looking a bit battered. That is all in the process of changing; the dogs are getting a new coat!

This building, in the process of being renovated, is at the end of Dog Park. Love the painting!

Nathan Phillips Square is another popular spot for busloads of tourists because of the “TORONTO” sign and fountain surrounded by downtown skyrises and Toronto City Hall.

We visited the square to photograph the huge sign, both during the day and at night. At 10 feet tall and 72 feet long, it gets a lot of attention! Originally constructed temporarily for the 2015 Pan American Games, the city decided to keep it permanent after it became a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike.

Seeing the sign at night was beautiful. Lit by LED, the lights can create an estimated 228 million color combinations. We only saw one, but it was well worth the walk from our hotel to see it!

Next up: TERRIFIC TORONTO #3: MANY MARVELOUS MURALS

TERRIFIC TORONTO #1: A FIRST LOOK AROUND TOWN

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

One week after returning from our 23-day tour of southern France, Northern Spain, and Portugal, we flew to Toronto. We had never visited the city, so we planned on a relaxing eight-day stay, rather than rushing around and trying to see it all in just a few days.

We packed very light. Between the two of us, we shared a rollaboard and small backpack and didn’t check any luggage.

It was very easy and convenient to take the train from the airport to Union Station, and then transfer to a city train into the city center at College Station. From there, it was a two-minute walk to our hotel, Holiday Inn Downtown Centre, which was very convenient—the reason why we chose it. Hotels are very expensive in Toronto, so that was another consideration for our boring hotel choice!

When we travel on our own, if breakfast isn’t included where we are staying, we make sure to book at a hotel with refrigerators in the rooms, so we can pick up yogurt and fruit at a grocery store for our breakfasts. Conveniently, the most amazing grocery store we had ever seen was just down the street: Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens. Former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, the arena was cleverly converted into a beautiful super (duper!) market. We never would have realized the history of the building if it hadn’t been for a very nice lady who overheard us and knew we were tourists. She offered to show us around and then took us down the aisle that was once center ice to show us where it all began.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

As you can see, Loblaws had so many great ready-to-eat options, we ended up shopping there for dinner on many nights, too!

Just a few doors down from our hotel in the other direction was another market of a different sort: Bulk Barn. One step inside, we knew we were in TROUBLE. Take a look at the selections on their website, and you might agree—especially their chocolate selection! We visited the store more than once, that’s for sure! We also purchased several spices that we wanted to try in small quantities to bring home with us.

All settled in at the hotel, groceries in the refrigerator, and ready to roll, we set out to get our first look around town. What impressed us was how nice walking downtown was for us and how safe we felt.

The following are miscellaneous pictures of this and that, as well as some reflections of architecture photographed during our time in Toronto. There will be a lot more themed photos in posts to come!

Coming up next: TERRIFIC TORONTO #2: SUPER ST. LAWRENCE MARKET, DOG FOUNTAIN, AND NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE