A Trip to the ROM - and the 360

I had a day at the ROM recently.  I didn't go to see anything particularly special - just to wander wherever my feet took me.  I let mom have the camera, and so we have one of her favorite subjects: Madonna and Child. 

There is a surprising variety of them at the ROM, in the European section, along with some really fabulous altar pieces and, for later eras, a lot of glass work and furniture that's worth staring at and pondering.

I also had occasion that week to have a sunset dinner at 360, the rotating restaurant at the top of CN Tower.

There was a throw-away line in an episode of Frasier once where it was insisted that one should never eat in a restaurant that floats or revolves.   I really wouldn't go that far, but the price would've been extremely high if not for the view (tickets for the view, alone, would've otherwise cost half the price of the meal itself).

The service was OK, but tended to fawn on the men at the table and ignore the women -- while the men's glasses were always full, I and the other woman at the table had to seek out our own refills, they mixed up the two women's entrees as if we were interchangeable, and generally gave us service I would certainly not have tipped for while the guys had to practically shoo them away.  That one has kinda stuck in my craw since then.  I'm not bitter.

It was weird and off-putting to have to go through a metal detector on the way in, and to be forced into a pre-dinner photograph that none of our party wanted to do while on the way to the elevator.  Yes, yes, terrorism and tourism, but there has to be a better way than seriously annoying your very-much-overpaying guests. 

The food was fine.  I had a seasonable vegetable medley in pasta shells which was good four bites out of five (it was weird, but every now and again I got something really foul tasting in it - the first couple times I thought something was up with me, but no, there was some unidentifiable veggie cubes in it that just tasted off - picking them out made the whole thing better).  The others in my party enjoyed their food, ranging from prime rib to roasted duck.  Desert was delicious.  The wines were appropriate if not stellar.  It was worth it as a one-off occasion, which is likely their bread and butter - I mean, who would dine at the top of CN Tower on the regular? 

Flow

Things have been very wet since March.  We really counted on those April showers to bring some May flower and all, but, frankly, it's June and it's still raining at least every other day.  We're a bit tired of it.

The Toronto Islands are closed, and I'm betting they won't be opening at the end of July considering the rain has barely let up at all.

I took most of these photos at the beginning of May, when I returned to Toronto from a visit to Ohio — and twice had my return flight cancelled due to problems with rain and construction at Pearson.

the "wetlands" area of the Spadina Wetlands 

looking south, from the Spadina Wetlands area toward Toronto Island

looking west, along the quay at the Toronto Music Garden

one of the benches, which only ducks use these days

Marina Quay West, at the southwestern area of the basin;
there are normally a few more steps visible leading down

Waterfront Campus

This past week I had reason to be further east along the waterfront than I normally go these days, between Jarvis and Sherbourne at the George Brown College waterfront campus.  I took a few snapshots of the swanky building and its views.

The area surrounding the campus, particularly to the north, leaves a lot to be desired.  It's grimy and industrial feeling.  In the last half-dozen years, a huge number of condo buildings have been started along this section of Queens Quay, but most are still under construction, so the roads are muddy and deeply pot-holed from the constant construction equipment passing over them, and the noise is oppressive.  The Redpath refinery is just next door too, leaving the constant sticky-sweet smell of heated sugar in the air.

Looking northward

But, inside, the building is very nicely deigned with panels of coloured glass, and large open areas of wood, polished concrete, and windows:

A study area, looking down from the fifth floor.

The views out the back of the building are great, looking out over the harbour and the island (if you don't look eastward, where it is industrial wasteland and gentlemen's clubs):

From a rear stairwell.

Overall the building is very nice indeed, and as the area develops to the point that the construction equipment finally goes away, it's going be a great gem in a newly-developed and vibrant area.