On Sunday we actually got to sleep in for a bit, which was handy as we’d been up until about 12:30 in the morning. The sun still beats through the window but maybe this time I was able to ignore it and sleep through until 8:30.
Originally we had planned on going to Toronto Island during the day but we kind of forgot about that and went to the Royal Ontario Museum instead. Glen was keen to look at their gem/stone and Egyptian collections. This is the third time we’ve visited so we’ve almost made good use of our memberships. The place is so big, and museum fatigue so easy to come-by these days, that we’ve only seen a very small part of what the ROM has to offer.
The gem collection is pretty big (though not as big as the Natural History Museum‘s in London) and there are many, many different samples. Most of them are behind glass but a few are open-aired displays (though they’re still untouchable). And there are touch screens in front of each cabinet that let you choose a mineral/stone and see what it’s called and its chemical make-up. The interpretation is pretty good in that it provides a lot of information, describes how it’s all classified, how they get their colours and shapes. I didn’t read much of it though.
There’s also an area with the precious stones (and about fifty security cameras), which shows diamonds, gold, tourmaline (there was one that had a watermelon’s colouring) and a bunch of others. I liked it in here more as it was easier to absorb, with only one of two main pieces, a few descriptors and then on to the next thing. The whole gallery, however, is a great resource for anyone interested in minerals and gemstones.
The chemical symbol for gold is Au, from the first two letters of the Latin word aurum, meaning “glowing dawn.”
We next went to the Egypt gallery and had a very quick look through there. We’d spent about 45 minutes in the gems and then 15 in Egypt. Ding-ding-ding! Museum fatigue. A couple of interesting things in there though. The mummified cat display and all the things that were found with it, kind of like a do-it-yourself cat mummification kit. There was also a display of other mummified animals including a baby crocodile and a hawk.
And, according to the sign, women in Egypt had a much higher standing than just about anywhere else in the world up until the 19th century. They could own property and dispose of it as she wished, give testimony in court, initiate divorce proceedings and exclude her husband or sons from her will. So what happened? I thought maybe it had something to do with monotheistic, patriarchal religions taking over. Surely someone can help enlighten me.
We went home for a bit and then out to Yonge-Dundas Square to check out the Japanese festival that was going on there. Yonge-Dundas has something on all the time, it’s a good venue, nice and central, but after you stuff about twenty to thirty stalls there, and the people come, you’re not left with much room to move. The festival was supposed to be a celebration of Japanese culture and food.
We bought some yakitori and then Glen joined a queue for kara-age that would have taken about an hour to get served. I walked around while Glen waited, saw there were only really a few other food stalls, and a couple of cultural things (but they weren’t all that interesting) and then came back to the queue. Glen had moved about a metre in ten minutes. I grumbled, said he didn’t need kara-age, and we left to find curtains.
There were cultural performances happening on stage but I only saw a bit of one before getting annoyed with there being so many people around. Anyway, we went. Tick.
We found curtains in Sears and they were on sale (YAY). I can’t believe it’s taken us quite so long to get them. The places we checked didn’t have anything suitable but after you’ve been through the main department stores with little result you start to lose hope. Thankfully, Sears came up with the goods. We were definitely ready to go home after buying them. Both Glen and I have been feeling really tired lately so our stamina isn’t quite up to its usual standards.
When we got home, we put the curtains up (they look great and they block the sun nicely), then either read our books or had a nap. I fell asleep, that’s for sure.
In the evening, we were booked to see The Misanthrope by Moliere at an outdoor venue in the Far East of Toronto. I woke up about 4, felt like crap, ate some food, and then we began our journey to the East. It would take us an hour and we had to go to the end of the subway line then catch a bus. Adventure! We got off in what looked like a regular suburban street and entered a place called Guildwood Park, which is actually right on the end of Lake Ontario.
Unfortunately we’d just missed some sort of festival with stalls, or perhaps it was a market that runs every Sunday in summer, so got the tail end of people packing up. Guildwood was established by some rich Canadians in the 1930s who wanted to make it into a place for artists to work on their…art…and be of service to the community. Dotted around the grounds are bits of ruins which actually came from old bank buildings in Toronto when they were torn down in the 50s/60s.
It’s a beautiful park and the view out across Lake Ontario is wonderful. It’s so immense it looks like an ocean. We couldn’t see the other side.
The play was staged in the park. There’s a stage with Corinthian columns and arches and steps, and plastic chairs are put out in rows for people to sit and watch. I was a bit worried that people would bring picnic blankets and picnics but luckily they didn’t and so we didn’t look out of place. The play was well attended and parts of it were funny. Some of the actors stronger than others but it was a good production. The moralising at the end of it is a bit 17th century, and I was a little surprised it didn’t end on a happier note.
It rained a little bit while we were there and there was fifteen minutes or so left of the performance. But luckily it wasn’t heavy and it passed quickly so the play didn’t have to end abruptly.
Glen and I were both really glad we went (and the tickets were free too, thanks to Houseseats.ca), a great atmosphere, a different experience and a chance to discover a place we otherwise would never have seen.
This morning, surprise, surprise, I wasn’t woken up by the sunlight streaming in through the window, or even by Glen’s alarm. Instead, I awoke when Glen returned from the gym. (Don’t worry, I went soon after.) Who knew curtains could make such a difference?
I’ve spent the day at home and have managed to get a few things done. I’ve done some writing for my business blog and various other bits and pieces. The Thermomix arrived (and I cut my finger on the blade while cleaning it. It’s now bonded to me) and I’m wondering what to cook first.
Helen the raptor/peregrine called out as she flew by my window. And that’s about it. Glen’s working a bit later tonight so I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere. The rest of the week is looking busy so one night in isn’t bad.
Travels with Dan 
What do you say, eh?