travel – Page 3 – KINETIC MOTIONS

July 10, 2017

I Planned to Salsa on St. Clair but Ate Italian Instead

Today I am writing another installment of “Being a Tourist in my own City.” Summer in the city, especially on the weekend, can often be warm, muggy and oppressive. It’s easy to laze around the house or pull up a chair in the backyard and do a lot of nothing. Instead of that, this weekend we decided to take advantage of an annual event in our neighbourhood, and on Saturday night, with only one child at home (the baby), we stepped outside and walked over to Salsa on St. Clair.

I remember stopping by this event a few years ago, as it wound down on a Sunday night. We had only checked out the perimeter and I recall that it was busy. This year, at 7:00 pm on a beautiful Saturday evening, we decided to try it again. I had checked out the event’s website and expected to find loud lively music, some dancing on the closed off street and a mix of Latin American and South American food.

We found all of that, and I also found dense crowds and long lines. I should have known better. After weeks (or was it months?) of rain in Toronto and so many washed out weekends, people were desperate to get outside and party on such a gorgeous evening. As we approached the Eastern edge of the event, I could hear the music, I could see the crowd and I could smell the sumptuous food.

No doubt the event delivered on its promises – there were blocks of music and dancing and a huge variety of food for sale. But it was impossible to move, never mind dance, and I did not have the patience to wait in snaking lines just for a taste of a tomatillo, plantain or churros. I don’t doubt the food was delicious, and the music was so vibrant that I could feel myself wanting to dance, but I (or my husband or my parents who joined us) did not have the patience nor the stamina to stay, so we kept walking.

It was slow moving, but we crossed the Salsa, from one end to the other and passed people of all ages enjoying the event. There were families with babies and young children, teenagers and 20-somethings out for a night on the town and even an older crowd enjoying the scene. We just kept on walking.

If you keep walking along St. Clair West in Toronto you arrive in one of the many “Little Italy” neighbourhoods of our great city. With our stomachs rumbling we checked out a few places and eventually decided upon a modest but sweet looking place that had a quiet patio and space to accommodate us and the stroller. Big Slice Restaurant came through with a tasty meal and friendly service. On our walk home, as a bonus, we stopped a for a treat at Punto Gelato, where everyone (including the baby, of course), enjoyed a couple of scoops of this Italian treat. I highly recommend the Caramelo flavour by the way!

To get home we chose to dive back into the Salsa again to see how it looked at night. The music was lively and there was some great dancing. The crowd had thinned somewhat, though I didn’t see too many young families or the older crowd from a couple hours before. We definitely brought the average age up while we walked through!

I am fortunate that I live in a city that has such a vibrant mix of cultures that are celebrated throughout the year. Whether it is a street festival or a parade, and whether the event is small and quiet or crowded and lively, I love them all. My family and I participate in our own special way, and I look forward to the next time I can be a tourist in my own city.

June 19, 2017

Sometimes it just gets lost in Translation – The Signs of Travel

When you travel to a foreign country you want to explore all the unique sites, attractions and neighbourhoods in that country. Sometimes you want to see the traditional tourist spots and sometimes you want to immerse yourself into the place’s culture and feel like a local. For those of us whose primary language is English we often discover that while the main language in most countries around the world is not our language, many of the signs are in both the local language and English or to make life easy for tourists there are just helpful pictures.

I will admit that I get a kick out of seeking out these helpful signs, which, while they mean well, the message sometimes gets lost in translation. Sometimes it’s not even a translation issue but culturally it may look funny because of how strange it seems. Then there are some signs that are not meant to be funny at all, there is no translation issue and for no apparent reason I just think they are funny.

I will share a bunch of those signs with you here. Some of these photos are from my travels and some are photos people have sent me or posted on social media that just make me laugh.

I will begin with my most recent trip to New Zealand with my family. New Zealand is an English-speaking country, but I think they have a great sense of humour there and they also like to be very clear with locals and tourists about what the message is.

The first memorable sign from that trip was at our motel in the town of Turangi, in the centre of the North Island. The owner of the establishment was quite clear about what was NOT allowed to be cooked:

Turangi is near a ski resort, Mt. Ruapehu, and since it was summer there (early January), of course the resort was closed for the season. We had torrential rain and the scheduled hike was cancelled, so we decided, during a heavy downpour, to drive up the mountain and check out the ski resort. We came upon the beginner area, called Happy Valley Snow Park, and with buckets of rain pouring down I jumped out of the car to capture a few great signs.

Matthew soon joined in the fun seeking out interesting signage and we hit the jackpot at the volcanic hot springs at Rotorua. They wanted to make sure we understood just how hot and dangerous the pools were….

Then we just got silly a few days later, as we boarded, then traveled on the ferry boat that brought us from the South Island to the North Island.

Actually, we saw a few really fun and informative signs throughout New Zealand’s South Island:

Another favourite spot for great signs is Hong Kong. The majority of the local population speaks various Chinese dialects, but because of Hong Kong’s long-time connection with Great Britain there is a lot of English. Maybe some of the signs have translation challenges and maybe some are very clear but make no sense to someone like me. I traveled to Hong Kong a few years ago with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law and we found a few memorable signs.

British humour is admired the world over, and I have had the opportunity to visit the UK a few times in the last 20 years. I regret that I did not take photos of most of the funny signs I saw, and the two that I have I think may only seem funny to my family. But still they make me chuckle.

It is quite normal in Israel to see signs in Hebrew, Arabic and English. Most of the time the signs make sense, but this one was definitely lost in translation. The Hebrew sign says “Sakana! Borot Bakveesh.” The problem here is with the word “borot” which means HOLES in English. However, the word “boroot” means IGNORANCE in English. Oops.

You won’t find this sign on a highway in Canada….

My brother-in-law, Leigh, has racked up the air miles the last few years for work and visited some far-off places. He showed me quite a variety of interesting signs, some too disturbing to post here. But here are a few of my favourites:

This photo is courtesy of my friend Richard, who posted it on Facebook last week. It needs no description. Thanks Richard.

I love to seek out these signs when I travel, and yes, it’s fun to have a chuckle when I find them, photograph them and share them with family and friends. I know it is immature, okay it’s flat out childish, but I like it just the same. How about you? Have you seen any memorable signs in your travels? Share them with me on Facebook, Tweet me @AliciaRichler or comment here. I look forward to seeing what you have to show me.

June 3, 2017

Could it be that New York is a City of Wretched Excess?

I love New York City. I lived in this city for only 18 months, 18 years ago, when I attended graduate school at New York University (NYU), and I miss it every time I leave. There’s something unique and invigorating about the smells, sounds, lights and action of the streets and alleyways. At the same time, I wonder, is it all really just wretched excess?

I would consider myself to be a rather understated person. I usually dress in a relatively simple manner, I wear minimal make-up, I’m not too loud (well most of the time!) and I live in what I believe is an elegant and sophisticated home. I wouldn’t use any of those words to describe New York. This is my first time in NYC in a number of years, and I have finally come to the realization that the most descriptive terms for my beloved city are wretched excess.

This trip is all about my daughter Julia, who asked me many times over the last year for a trip to New York. This weekend we are celebrating her 7^th birthday and we are doing all the various activities that Julia wants to do. A visit to the Statue of Liberty and shopping at the Disney Store in Times Square topped her list (remember she is 7), as well as a Broadway show and Impressionist art at the MET.

We covered a lot of ground on our first full day in the city, as I acted as both guide and tourist with my mother and daughter. I love the hustle and bustle of the city and the activity and commotion at every corner. I don’t think I will ever get used to the pushiness of many of its residents, with their elbows out at the ready to shove me aside as the sea of people attempt to get through a crowded intersection. Sometimes I feel like all of humanity either lives in New York or is also visiting New York with me this weekend.

After our visit to Liberty Island, a ride up to the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal, a walk through downtown to pay our respects at the World Trade Center Memorial, a stop at NYU and Washington Square Park and some of my favourite low quality but tasty Chinese food on Bleecker street, we hopped on the subway to fulfill Julia’s dream to visit the Disney store in Times Square. If you look in the dictionary under “Times Square” I believe you will see the words wretched excess.

Maybe because it was Friday night, maybe because the weather was a perfect 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit) without a cloud in the sky or maybe I’m just much older than I was when I lived here. Oh my gosh Times Square was crazy! Between the flashing lights, neon signs, 30-foot high video screens, sirens, music, restaurants, bars, stores, tourists and cartoon characters trying to take a photo with my daughter (for money of course), I was overwhelmed. I say this from a position of being an experienced world traveler and a mother of three.

As we entered the Disney store on Broadway I could see by the look on Julia’s face that she had arrived at her utopia. Merchandise from every Disney movie and TV show, present and past, every prince and princess, hero and villain, were on display, ready to be sold to the child who could beg, plead and whine loudest to his or her parents, grandparents, guardians or unknowing adult who made the error to enter this establishment.

After checking out a few more places and spending too much money on items that all three of us felt we just had to have during a moment of weakness (including a 25,000 square foot M&M’s store) we decided it was time to escape the wretched excess and call it a day. We limped back to our hotel, happy that we survived the madness of Times Square.

I will say it again – I love New York City. It’s wretched excess at its best (or worst), but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

June 2, 2017

Travel with a Smile, a lot of Patience and a Cute 7-Year-Old

“I’m so lucky I get to go to New York. And I get to miss a day of school,” my daughter Julia announced as our plane taxied down the runway and took off for New York City. This weekend we are celebrating a special ladies’ trip with three generations – my mother, me and Julia. It’s a trip I have been planning for quite a while and I’m so glad to be back in New York. The greatest lesson I learned today is to always travel with a smile, a lot of patience and a cute 7-year-old.

Travel is both exhilarating and stressful at the same time. That fluttering in your stomach you feel the night before a trip is something I always look forward to, but I could easily do without the stresses that plane travel can bring. So this morning, as my mother and I went through the paces at Pearson Airport in Toronto we decided on a mantra: travel with a smile, a lot of patience and cute 7-year-old.

A Canadian traveler headed to New York needs to complete many steps at the airport after passing through the terminal doors on the way to strolling onto the plane. I highly recommend to use web check in (we did that) and pack only carry-on bags and travel light (we also did that and avoided the bag drop-off line) to avoid the first set of lines. We swiftly made our way to security and immigration. Armed with our Nexus cards we approached the first security check, where we smiled, said hello and pushed the cute little 7-year-old in front of us.

On we went, to get each of our carry-on bags x-rayed. We took our time as we pulled out our collection of electronics (not much this time, with only a laptop and two iPads), carefully placed our items on the conveyer, smiled at the security team and walked through the metal detectors, with a smile. A serious-looking security screener pulled most of our bags aside and started to go through them. We stayed calm, started some small talk, smiled and again put the cute 7-year-old in front. The screener smiled back, closed our bags and wished us a good day.

We continued this practice as we worked our way through the Nexus area of immigration and customs where Julia even got a photo with the Statue of Liberty, as we boarded the plane and when we de-planed. We exited at the wrong place to find the shuttle to take us to our Lyft taxi, but we took our time, kept smiling and found our way. The friendly concierge at the hotel check-in desk appreciated our patience as she rebooted her computer, our relaxed and smiling faces and also our cute 7-year-old travel companion. She upgraded us to a beautiful large room on the hotel’s 30^th floor, and as we arrived in said room, dropped our luggage and finally had a chance to relax we knew our mantra worked – travel with a smile, a lot of patience a cute 7-year-old.

Our first day in New York was magical, with an early dinner at Alice’s Tea Cup, a stroll through Central Park and of course a bit of shopping. I didn’t realize until tonight how much I missed this city. I only lived here for 18 months, what seems like a lifetime ago, and I’m so glad to be back, to show my daughter my New York, and to share it with my mother too.

May 29, 2017

Doors Open to be a Tourist in my Own City

I feel privileged that I have had the opportunity to travel to many parts of the world. I have enjoyed the views from the Eiffel Tower in France, Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand. I was awed by Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Rembrandt’s The Jewish Bride in Amsterdam and Monet’s Water Lilies in Paris.

I love to travel and am glad that I have passed that love down to my children. But it occurred to me recently that we live in a world-class city, with many world-class sights and art right at our doorstep. Why couldn’t I be a tourist in my own city?

An annual event in my city, Doors Open Toronto, encourages just that – discover the amazing buildings, both historic and new, in neighbourhoods all over town. And it’s free – as in no charge. France launched this event back in 1984, and Toronto was the first North American city to open its doors, in the year 2000.

I have taken advantage of Doors Open Toronto a few times over the past 17 years, and I was excited to see a heritage property in my neighbourhood on the list this year. Spadina House is a beautiful historic home surrounded by some of the most spectacular gardens in the city. It was a perfect place to visit on a sunny May afternoon, especially since we could walk there.

The first home on this property was built back in 1818 by Dr. William Warren Baldwin, who named his 200-acre property Spadina from the Ojibwe word espadinong which means “hill.” Baldwin eventually sold 80 acres of the property in 1866 to James Austin, and over the following years the home was renovated a number of times. James Austin’s granddaughter, Anna Kathleen Thompson, lived in the house until 1982, when the family donated the property to the City of Toronto.

Currently set up as it looked in the 1920’s and 1930’s, we enjoyed our tour of the main rooms of Spadina House, showing the kids the kitchen, dining room, parlours and a bedroom. They were shocked by the simplicity of the kitchen and the grandeur of the parlour. They clamoured to climb the apple trees (we did not let them!) and run through the garden. The property was hopping, full of people who call Toronto home and many visitors too.

It felt great to be a tourist in my own city, and I look forward to discovering other properties, attractions and art in my own backyard. Have you participated in Doors Open in Toronto or one in your own city? What have you discovered? Leave a comment here or tweet me @AliciaRichler.

May 25, 2017June 23, 2017

Traveling with Children

I would consider myself an expert when it comes to traveling with children. Some people may use terms other than expert, such as crazy, insane or nuts. I think I am an expert. I have taken my three children on countless trips around the world, and I believe that their lives – and mine – are richer because of it.

Matthew took his first trip when he was just 17 days old (yes, specifically 17 days and I didn’t plan it that way). We flew to Israel so we could celebrate the birth of our first child with my husband David’s family. My parents traveled there as well. It was an incredible trip, with Passover, parties, hikes and time with family. Did it come with its challenges? Yes of course, but it was worth it.

Traveling with children grandparents on a balcony — Matthew with his grandparents in Israel, only one month old

Since that first trip over ten years ago we have traveled to Israel again many more times with our kids. We have made stopovers in Paris and Rome, taken them to see family in Seattle, Friday Harbour, south Florida, Vancouver and Victoria. We have journeyed on some smaller trips to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ottawa, Montreal and of course David’s family’s beloved country home in St. Donat, Quebec.

Traveling with children Pike Place — Matthew had his trip to Seattle at 8 months old

Traveling with Children pig at pike place — Julia got her trip to Seattle at 6 months old

traveling with children to Victoria — Nessa got her trip to Seattle at 5 months old but didn’t have a chance to meet the pig at Pike Place

traveling with children old city Jerusalem — How many kids have the opportunity to splash in the fountains outside the Old City of Jerusalem?

A few months ago, we crossed the equator and enjoyed the trip of a lifetime with our three kids in New Zealand. We even had a stopover in San Francisco and I won’t deny that there were hiccups. There was jet lag, strange food, inclement weather and a ton of driving. I would do it again. David’s brother’s family moved to Auckland, and giving the cousins an opportunity to spend time together outstripped some of the stresses, hiccups and obstacles we had to overcome.

traveling with children on a beach — Enjoying the hot sun at Piha Beach in New Zealand, overlooking the Tazman Sea

traveling with children on a mountain in new zealdn — David and Matthew are on top of the world on a mountain top in the South Island of New Zealand

Travel is in my family’s blood. David and I spent the first three years of our marriage living in three different places. There was a village in Normandy in France, Jerusalem and New York. Taking our children on small and big trips is a priority for us. This summer Matthew and I are traveling to Chicago for our sports fan weekend. Next week, in honour of her 7^th birthday, I am taking Julia to New York for a girls’ weekend.

The weekend will be all about Julia and making her dreams about New York come true. She has requested a visit to the Statue of Liberty, Impressionist art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a ride up to the top of the Empire State Building, a Broadway show and shopping on 5^th Avenue. Julia knows what she wants and as an experienced traveler at age 7 she knows she can do it.

I will post updates and photos from our trip to New York, if Julia lets me slow down and take some breaks. If anyone has ideas or suggestions of some great things to do in New York with a seven-year-old girl post a comment here or Tweet me @AliciaRichler.