A Walk to Canoe Landing Park

Two days after a major snowstorm, on the first day of March, we had sunny skies with calm wind and the high temperature near freezing point. It was perfect for my 'fit and fun' walk to Canoe Landing Park.

Canoe Landing Park is an urban park created in 2009 in downtown Toronto. Its total area is 8 acres (3.1 ha). Its location is adjacent to the Gardiner Expressway, a municipal expressway, running close to the shore of Lake Ontario.

What makes Canoe Landing Park visually interesting are the standalone art pieces by Douglas Coupland, the Vancouver artist, author, and sculptor.

Here's a closer look at the art creations:

1. The Red Canoe: The canoe is large enough for people to stand in and see over the Gardiner Expressway to Lake Ontario. It's placed on a hill made from on-site excavated fill and geosynthetic reinforcements. Some 20,000-25,000 dump truck loads of fill were diverted from landfills.

The Red Canoe

2. Iceberg Benches are a pair of benches situated near the canoe. On a clear day, one can sit on the benches and have a panoramic view of Lake Ontario to the south and the high-rise buildings surrounding the park.

Iceberg Benches

3. Fishing Bobbers: A colourful display of twelve large fishing bobbers adds visual interest, especially on the white snowy ground. In the summer, when sprinklers are turned on, this area becomes a fun splash pad. Imagine running around, or in and out of the fishing bobbers with water spraying.

Fishing Bobbers

4. Beaver Dam: It's a sculptural beaver dam situated near the fishing bobbers, not a real one :) Due to the snow, my photo did not show the sticks and branches similar to what beavers use for their dams.

Beaver Dam

5. Terry Fox Miracle Mile: It's a one mile run named after Terry Fox, the Canadian athlete who ran the cross-country Marathon of Hope in April 1980 to raise money for cancer research. His life story and actions are incredibly moving and inspiring.

Map of Terry Fox Miracle Mile

6. Heart-Shaped Stone: This bronze artwork was cast from a stone retrieved by Terry Fox's brother at the end of his journey. Terry Fox was forced to end his run after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi). He died at the young age of 22.

Heart-Shaped Stone

The beautiful sunshine encouraged me to continue my walk from Canoe Landing Park to the lake front. There I saw lots of seagulls, ducks, birds, and a few white swans.

Seagulls on Lake Ontario

Swans in Toronto Harbour

Then it was time to head home. I felt great and relaxed after walking outdoors in the sunshine and observing nature. Another fit and fun walk done, another good day!

I'd love to hear your comments.

Goals for 2019

Happy New Year 2019! It's so exciting to have a brand new year ahead of us and a fresh calendar to pencil in upcoming events and activities. Today I'm sharing my overall plan and goals for 2019.

My overall plan for the year is to create nice memories with my family and friends, to stay healthy, and to enjoy life. I group my specific goals in three categories: Family & Friends, Health, and Leisure.

MY GOALS FOR 2019:

FAMILY & FRIENDS

• Do four fun family outings, tentatively in January, April, July, and August.
• Go on a trip with my sister in March.
• Visit a cousin who lives abroad, tentatively in June.
• Get together with my family clan, approximately every two months.
• Meet up with my friends as many times as possible throughout the year.

HEALTH

• Meditate 15 minutes daily.
• Find humour to smile or laugh daily.
• Walk 45 minutes near nature 6x/ week.
• Strength workouts 3x/ week.
• Yoga 2x/ week.
• Swim 1x/ week.

LEISURE

• View three art exhibits/ month.
• Blog weekly, except when I travel.
• Read three books/ month.
• Listen to three concerts/ month.
• Learn French and Spanish, 15 minutes/ day for each language.
• Watch three movies/ month.
• Travel to explore five new-to-me countries this year.
• Try at least one new food dish in each of the countries I visit.

I'm motivated to achieve my goals. I expect to accomplish more in some areas when I'm at home than when I travel. I'm open to try something new that is not on the list as well.

To track my progress, I'm using a simple sheet. It makes it easy for me to see at a glance how I'm doing and to share my monthly summary on my blog throughout the year.

Before I end this post, a friendly reminder that our first Wellness link-up of 2019 is on Wednesday, January 9. Feel free to join in on the fun and share your wellness-related post. I look forward to reading what you have to say.

Your turn...What are your goals for 2019?

Winter fun list update #2

Greetings! It's February 21st which means it's time for me to provide a second progress update on my winter fun list for the period of December 21, 2017 to March 20, 2018.

You might like to see my original list here, and my first progress update here.

My Winter Fun List Update #2:

1. Exercise one hour daily: In progress. I've been meeting my daily target since December 21. The community pool that I use was closed from January 26 for about four months. So I've been walking daily, going to the gym three times per week, doing yoga at home three times per week, and running 5K once per week.

Nothing like winter to have an urban beach to myself LOL. At time of posting, the snow has melted and gone. With temperatures above freezing point for the next several days, and longer daylight hours, spring is in the air!

2. Continue learning Spanish 15 minutes daily: In progress. I haven't missed a day since December 21. The short duration works for me. My upcoming trip to Chile in March keeps me motivated to learn.

3. Enjoy three family outings: Exceeded by one. It turned out that we had four fun family outings including one family gathering on December 26 that I wrote about here, a three-day family trip to Ottawa in January, another three-day family trip in early February, and a family potluck dinner this past weekend. For our out-of-town trips, we took the trains which were quite comfortable.

VIA train to Ottawa

4. Go on five coffee or lunch dates with friends: Exceeded by two. I was thrilled to be able to book time with my friends and make our dates happen. The wintry weather did not derail our plans. So far, I've met up with my friends for coffee twice in January, four times in February, and lunch once in January.

5. Attend seven cultural events: Exceeded by five. Since December 21 to date, I've watched seven movies (Star Wars The Last Jedi, Despicable Me 3, Dunkirk, Battle of the Sexes, American Made, Breathe, and The Foreigner), attended two piano recitals (performed by Jana Luksts and Jialiang Zhu), and visited three art exhibits (Toronto in 2050 photo exhibits, Winter art exhibits, and the Ice Breakers 2018 outdoor art installations that I wrote about here.)

Through the Eyes of the Bear

6. Start a new blog link up: Done! I was excited to see the Wellness link up launch on Wednesday January 10, and the second link up on February 7. Thank you to all bloggers who are participating, and readers who have left encouraging comments. The next Wellness link is on Wednesday, March 7. The topic is Favourite exercise equipment or gadget, and an update on our Wellness goals. We'll be thrilled if you join us then.

7. Plan an independent trip to Chile: Yes! I booked my flights and accommodations about a month ago. Now I'm ticking my list of how I plan for trips to foreign countries. I'm getting excited about the trip.

8. Explore Chile in March: Pending. A new adventure awaits! If you've been to Chile, I'd love to hear your comments.

That's my progress update for now. I'm pleased to have three exceeded, two done, two in progress, and one pending. By staying active and social, I'm enjoying the winter season. I'll wrap up my Winter fun list on or around March 18.

How are things going with you? Please share.

An InLinkz Link-up

Ice Breakers 2018

For about three weeks in January, we had our normal winter temperatures but no snow. Then on Monday, the snow flurries returned starting in the afternoon, and ended overnight. The next morning, the weather conditions were perfect for my walk to visit the temporary winter art exhibit Ice Breakers 2018.

Ice Breakers is a fairly new outdoor public art event at the Toronto's waterfront. It started last year and was a huge success. This year, the Waterfront Business Improvement Area (BIA) hosted an international competition with the theme "Constellation". It attracted over 100 international submissions. Five designs were chosen, installed, and on display along the waterfront, from January 19 to February 25.

Here's a closer look at the creations that visitors can enter, climb, run around, look through, and use to make music:

1. Root Cabin by Liz Wreford and Peter Sampson (Winnipeg, Canada): The artists sourced 36 cedar roots from a plot of land near Georgian Bay that was being cleared to create Root Cabin. Like a constellation, Root Cabin is a mystery waiting to be discovered. Visitors enter the cabin to see pink coloured cuts of wood through gaps of weathered roots. The log cabin and tree roots reminded me of nature and mountains, as well as safe sheltering from winter elements.

Root Cabin

2. Black Bamboo by Bennett Marburger and Ji Zhang (Hanzhou Shi, China): Black Bamboo is made from 90 black painted bamboo poles, freely arranged to form a framework in an abstract cubic shape. The artists wanted viewers to use and interpret it as they please. Visitors can observe from a distance, look at it as a sculpture about constellations, walk inside and feel the space, or climb on top of it. I liked how the bamboo poles looked random yet they formed a sturdy structure.

Black Bamboo

3. Winter Fanfare by Thena Tak (Vancouver, Canada): Winter Fanfare is a series of orange rotating fan-sculptures or pinwheels. It's meant to emphasize the importance of every star in a constellation, whether it's in the centre or at the edge. The artist wanted people to be able to meander through the installation, or sit on it, or run in and around it. I liked the sense of equality of this installation, and the colour orange which is about creativity and social connections.

Winter Fanfare

 
4. Through the Eyes of the Bear by Tanya Goertzen (Calgary, Canada): Inspired by the Great Bear constellation, the artist wanted to create something inviting and playful. She used molded fibreglass covered in a red, soft, fleecy material to create this installation. Visitors can enter from the back of the bear's head to see the world "through the eyes of a bear", or to consider how humans interact with nature, or to imagine what it's like to be a bear. The bear looks so much better with some snow on it. I love that red and white are the colours of Canada's flag, plus polar bears are one of Canada's many attractions.

Through the Eyes of the Bear

5. Ensemble by Joao Araujo Sousa and Joana Correia Silva (Porto, Portugal): The artists were influenced by the constellation Lyra, said to depict a bird carrying a lyre. Ensemble is a labyrinth of 350 pipes that was installed right by Toronto Music Garden. The artists hoped to bring more life to the Music Garden and show that, even in the winter, public art can be fun and engaging. I liked the sounds made when people played with this installation, or when there was a light breeze.

Ensemble

I'm loving where I live for the sunshine, the waterfront trail, the ever changing lake view, powder fresh snow, beautiful and free public art.

How about you? What are you loving today?

Winter fun list update #1

Greetings! Back in December, a few days before Christmas, I wrote my winter fun list here. Today I'm posting my progress update, and linking up with several fabulous bloggers. Please join in on the fun and/ or leave a comment so we know you stopped by.

My Winter Fun List Update #1:

1. Exercise one hour daily: In progress. I've been meeting my daily target since December 21. My current physical exercise schedule, one hour/ day, looks like this:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday: gym time includes warm up, cardio, weights, core, balance exercises, and cool down
• Tuesday, Thursday: gentle yoga at home
• Saturday: swim laps
• Sunday: run 5-6 km and gentle stretches

I know some people would say exercising is not fun. I'd suggest to replace the term 'exercise' with a physical activity that you enjoy, add your favourite play list, or grab a partner or a friend or your dog(s) to make it more social and voilà, it's fun!

Even in the winter, I go for my morning walk and enjoy nature. In my eyes, every season has its own beauty, like the blue sky, morning light, and snow at one of our urban beaches in the picture I took below:

TO sign at HTO Park Beach

2. Continue learning Spanish 15 minutes daily: In progress. I haven't missed a day since December 21. I've learned new words, and had to review parts of past lessons. More importantly, I'm having fun with this activity. I allocate 15 minutes so it's quick but I do it daily to reinforce my learning.

3. Enjoy three family outings: In progress. Two done and one is coming up in February. We had a fun extended family gathering in December that I wrote about here. We also just returned from a three-day family trip to Ottawa this past weekend.

4. Go on five coffee or lunch dates with friends: In progress. So far I've gone on one coffee date and one lunch date with my friends. Two more coffee dates have been booked. It's so nice to chat and catch up with what's on in our lives.

5. Attend seven cultural events: In progress. Since December 21 to date, I've enjoyed three movies (Star Wars The Last Jedi, Despicable Me 3, and Dunkirk), and attended one contemporary piano recital performed by the talented Jana Luksts. I plan to go to an exciting outdoor interactive art exhibition this month and more piano recitals starting in February.

Jana Luksts

6. Start a new blog link up: Yes! I was excited to see the Wellness Wednesday link up launch on January 10 as posted here. Thank you to the bloggers who are participating, and readers who have left encouraging comments. You're the best! The next Wellness Wednesday link is on February 7. The graphic is below.

7. Plan an independent trip to Chile: Yes! I did some travel readings on Chile and mapped out where and when I'd like to visit. While looking to book my flights and accommodation, I scored a flash sale on my air tickets and a special offer on my room rate. Both saved me quite a bit of money which of course will go towards more travels! I'll write about my itinerary soon.

8. Explore Chile in March: Pending. A new adventure awaits! If you've been to Chile, I'd love to hear your comments.

That's my progress update for now. I'm pleased to have two completed, five in progress, and one pending. My next progress update will be on February 21. 

How are things going with you? Please share.

An InLinkz Link-up

18 FEASTs to enjoy in 2018

Happy New Year! It's so exciting to have a brand new year ahead of us and a new calendar to pencil in upcoming events and activities. I wrote about my best of 2017 here. I hope to make 2018 an amazing year. 

As I was thinking about 2018, interestingly enough, the word ENJOY kept popping up in my mind. Then when I jotted down the activities that make me feel good or that I enjoy doing, I noticed that I had eighteen (18) items and they can be grouped into five buckets. The first letter of each bucket turned out to be FEAST. Hmm, '18 feasts to enjoy in 2018' sounds pretty good to me.

Here are my 18 FEASTs to enjoy in 2018:

Fitness

• exercise one hour daily
• eat more plant-based foods
• meditate daily
• sleep 7-8 hours each night 
• smile and laugh every day

Entertainment

• admire nature every day
• attend fairs and festivals
• listen to music recitals
• watch movies 

Arts

• visit art exhibitions
• learn a foreign language
• read something new every day

Social

• spend time with family
• stay in touch with friends 
• blog and make new friends 

Travel

• take trips within Canada
• explore new destinations
• revisit some destinations

I'll set specific goals in my seasonal fun lists, like my winter fun list here. I'll also post my updates on how I'm doing throughout the year.

How about you? What do you do for fun in 2018?

Winter fun list

Dear friends and readers,

Today's post has two parts:
  1) An update on my list of 5 simple pleasures for the holidays.
  2) My Winter fun list for the period of December 21, 2017 to March 20, 2018.

Two birds one stone means the post is a little bit longer than usual so grab your coffee or tea before you read on.

PART 1 - Update on my five simple pleasures for the holidays

1. Make donations to help those in need: Yes, we donated cash to a local community centre, and the Out of the Cold program which serves hot meals to those in need. We also donated non-perishable food items to a local food drive.

2. View the various light displays in the city centre: Yes, some of my favourites are the 100-feet tall and sparkly red Christmas tree, the life-sized silvery reindeer at Eaton Centre, and the festive lights at Nathan Phillips Square.

Christmas tree in Eaton Centre

Christmas reindeer in Eaton Centre

Nathan Phillips Square

3. Listen to choirs singing joyous seasonal music: Sure did. We were at St Andrew's church for the dramatic readings of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and choir singing.

4. Taste freshly baked goods with chocolate or ginger or cinnamon flavour: My husband baked a batch of delicious and cute-as-a-button cookies with cinnamon flavour. We've been eating them this week. I think we he'll bake again next week :)

5. Enjoy a big family gathering and dinner on Boxing Day (December 26): Coming soon. I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone, and enjoying dinner with my extended family.

PART 2 - My Winter Fun List

My winter fun list is shorter than the previous three seasonal lists (spring, summer, and fall) because I'd like to spend some time working towards my goal of living light by reducing my material possessions. I made some progress on this goal in 2017 and will continue until I'm satisfied.

For each item on my winter fun list, I have a time frame or a numeric count for me to track my rate of completion. I plan to report my progress on the 21st day of each month.

1. Exercise one hour daily: From December 21 to March 20, my target count of exercise sessions is 11 in December, 31 in January, 28 in February, and 20 in March. I'll vary my exercises with yoga, walking, swimming, strength training in the gym, stretching, and running short distances.

2. Continue learning Spanish 15 minutes daily: I've been doing online Spanish lessons throughout 2017. From December 21 to March 20, my target count of online sessions is 11 in December, 31 in January, 28 in February, and 20 in March. Knowing basic Spanish was useful when I visited Costa Rica and Spain. It will be useful again for my upcoming trip (see below).

3. Enjoy three fun family outings: We have one big family gathering confirmed for December 26, one long weekend family trip booked in January, and another long weekend family trip booked in February.

4. Go on five coffee or lunch dates with my friends: I'll wait until after New Year's to book the dates and will aim to go to some or all of my five favourite coffee shops.

5. Attend seven cultural events: I'm excited to have a series of art and entertainment events lined up throughout the winter so I can get out there and experience new sights and sounds.

6. Start a new blog link-up: I've proposed a new monthly Wellness Wednesday link-up with fellow bloggers in the New Year. The first link up is on Wednesday January 10, with Wellness goals as the topic. Easy, right? I hope you'll join in on the fun. The more the merrier, so we can share, inspire, and support each other.

7. Plan an independent trip to Chile: This includes activities such as reading travel guides, designing my itinerary, booking the essentials, etc. Having had wonderful experiences in Argentina and Peru, I look forward to exploring another country in South America.

8. Explore Chile in March: A new adventure awaits! If you've been to Chile, I'd love to hear your comments.

I look forward to enjoying the holidays with my family and friends, and completing my winter fun list with much enthusiasm. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!

An InLinkz Link-up

Cheering on at 2017 STWM

I was up bright and early on Sunday to cheer on three family members who ran the half-marathon and 5K at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM) event.

About 25,000 people from 70 countries took part in the marathon, half-marathon, and 5K. The marathon and half-marathon started at 8:45 a.m., while the 5K started at 8 a.m. We’ve had a good stretch of warm and sunny days leading up to the event, and perfect weather on Sunday with temperature at 11C (or 55F) at the start of the race and high about 21C (70F) by mid-day. The annual event raised funds for over 180 local charities, and contributed millions to the local economy.

This was the 28th edition of the STWM event and it was once again well organized. For runners, the race course was clearly set with kilometre markers and water and Gatorade stations. For spectators, there were 12 Neighbourhood Cheering and Entertainment sites along the race course. I saw many volunteers with cow bells, bands playing music, and police re-directing traffic.

If you have been a spectator at a big international running race before, you know the energy that thousands of runners generate, and the inspiration to see runners crossing the Finish line. Running a race is definitely a physical and mental challenge where first time runners want to do well, and repeat runners want to beat their own personal record and create a new personal best.

As a supporter, you'd want to find a spot where you can easily spot your family or friend who is running. It is not that easy when there are hundreds of runners passing by in waves. Even if you are not a runner, if there is a race where you live, I'd encourage you to come out, feel the energy, and cheer on the participants.

I ran the 5K course in this event a few years ago and am familiar with the race course. On Sunday, I walked up to the 200m mark before the Finish line with my plastic clapping hands. There are actually three hands attached to a handle. The outer two hands are flexible while the centre hand is fixed so when you wave, the hands make loud clapping noise and really get people's attention. I estimated my family members' run times, and found a spot with great visibility to locate them. I was there to see the first finisher of the 5K,  and my family members soon after. I definitely got their attention with my loud cheering and hand clapping!

The Finish line and Friends & Family meeting zones were right by Toronto City Hall. Runners had lots of post-race refreshments available to help them recover from their hard work. Congrats to all STWM race finishers! My family members did very well. I’m so proud of their achievements.

I'm loving life at the moment as everyone in my family is healthy. Each one of us has a finisher's medal with good run time this year. I've got mine at the Island Girl 5K in September as posted here.

What fun activities did you enjoy this week? Please share below.

5 tips to stay fit while traveling

Happy Sunday! Regular readers of my blog have read that I exercise regularly and set specific fun fitness goals for myself. I received one comment a while back wondering how I keep up with my exercise routine while traveling. With a little bit of self-discipline, we can enjoy our vacation, and still feel fit when we return home. 

Here's my 5 tips to stay fit while traveling:

1. Stretch and stay mobile:

I do stretches and gentle yoga to release muscular tension, get my air and blood flows going, and stay flexible, especially after prolonged periods of sitting like a long flight. I also walk frequently. We can do stretches and walking just about anywhere and anytime. So build in 10-15 minutes of comfortable stretching every day, whether morning, or afternoon, or evening, stay in motion, and your body will thank you.

2. Moderation is the key:

When I travel, I enjoy the local food but I do not over eat at every meal. I drink in moderation as well. For overall hydration, I drink water. I usually have a healthy snack in my bag before I head out to explore. If we stay at a vacation rental, we usually buy groceries and prepare most of our meals. Eating out would be a treat.

Going on vacation does not equate overeating and excessive drinking. Moderate your calorie intake without sacrificing the fun experience is key. For example, you may choose a light breakfast, or lunch, on the day when there is a festive, multi-course dinner. Choose wine or dessert but not both. Having light, healthy snacks throughout the day also helps curb sudden cravings. Watch out for empty calories from sugar drinks, or accumulative calories from wine, beers, plus big desserts after a full meal.

3. Keep it up:

When I'm at home, I spend about an hour per day for exercising. One hour out of 24 hours is about 4%. I didn't count my daily walking around so my actual daily "active" time is more than 4% but basically, it's not a huge amount of time to invest in my health. When I travel, I'm mostly free from chores and have more free time available for exercising. Without the time pressure, I keep up my fitness routine by working with what I have where I stay at my destination, which brings me to tip #4.

If you work out once or twice or three times a week before your trip, keep it up. Most people say "I'm on vacation", put their workouts on hold, and find it hard to get back into the fitness routine after their vacation. Traveling is a change that can really mess up our sleep (e.g. jet lag, different time zones), or diet (e.g. new food, constant eating out) so by keeping your workout routine, you reap the benefits of staying healthy during and after your trip. The bonus is you will not need to "get back" to your routine because you have always been on track!

If you find it challenging to keep up with your fitness routine, I'd recommend at a minimum to use tips #1 and #2.

4. Modify as needed:

Most of the time when I travel, I stay for free (e.g. with family), or at low cost accommodation which means I may not have access to a gym or equipment to do my regular workouts. As part of my trip preparation, I find out what's available for me to use at my destination, and modify my workout plan accordingly.

Assuming no gym equipment is available, I usually bring a resistance band and a skip rope which are both very light to pack, inexpensive, and useful. In addition, I find our body weight is an excellent tool for strength training. Examples: Jog around a local park if it's safe to do so, use the skip rope for cardio, use the resistance band for triceps/ biceps, and use my arms and legs for jumping jacks, lunges, squats, sit ups, or planks.

Remember local activities are fun exercises, too. For example, hiking at a national park, or a cycling day tour, or tango lessons in Argentina. In some nicer hotels, such as the Westin hotels, they have indoor fitness centre, maps of running routes, and workout gear lending service so if you are staying there, take advantage of their services.

5. Track your fitness activities:

When I'm at home, I track my fitness activities on a simple sheet. I take that sheet with me when I travel as a reminder and continue tracking. The calendar function on my mobile device is useful, too. Whatever works for you, use it to schedule and track your fitness activities as part of your travel itinerary. The key idea is exercising should be part of your day plan, like brushing teeth, and can be scheduled in small chunks of time.

I hope my tips help. Take on the world and take care of your health in your travels! I'll leave you with two quotes from Theodore Roosevelt:

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

"With self-discipline most anything is possible."

If you have a tip on how to stay fit while traveling, please share below.

Fall fun list

Greetings! Even though we've had a very nice, summer-like September in Toronto, I see pumpkins at the local farmers' market and know Fall is arriving in my part of the world. Today I have my fall list of twenty fun activities to share with you. On my list, you'll see a mix of self-care fitness, time with family and friends, celebrations, local explorations, and upcoming travels. Let's get right to it, shall we?

Fall fun list of 20:

1. Exercise in the gym 3x per week, one hour each time.
2. Yoga 2x per week, up to one hour each time.
3. Swim 1x per week, up to one hour.
4. Run short distance 1x per week, up to 5K.
5. Celebrate Thanksgiving and my blog's 1st anniversary with a pumpkin pie. Canadian Thanksgiving is on October 9 this year.
6. Enjoy a therapeutic massage.
7. Travel to Ireland in October.
8. Visit Dublin, capital city of Ireland.
9. Explore the landscapes along Ireland's wild Atlantic side.
10. Write my first guest post on another blog. 
11. Email my friends who live overseas.
12. Meet my local friends for coffee.
13. Watch a new-to-me movie.
14. Attend a concert.
15. View a new art exhibition.
16. Take a trip to Central Europe in November with my sister. 
17. Explore Budapest, capital city of Hungary.
18. Visit Bratislava, capital city of Slovakia.
19. Re-visit Vienna, capital city of Austria.
20. Explore Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic.

Fall is a beautiful season. I look forward to completing my fun list in the coming weeks, and sharing my progress updates here, with the first report out on October 21.

In case you're new to my blog, you might also like to see my previous lists:

• Summer fun list wrap up
• Spring fun list wrap up

I'm linking up with a group of fabulous bloggers so be sure to visit the linked up blogs below for more seasonal inspiration, or join us to share your list of fun activities this season.

An InLinkz Link-up

5K race and summer fun list done!

Happy Sunday! Hope the weather is good and you’re enjoying the weekend wherever you are. Two things are making me happy today:

First, I finished the 5K running race on Toronto Centre Island this morning with better time than last year, and received a nice, big medal for my achievement. There were 140 participants in this year’s 5K race. I finished 29th place overall out of 140, and 3rd place in my age category. The race was small in size compared to other 5K races that I’ve done, however, I’m happy that I’m still fit to run (LOL), and that I've achieved a personal fitness goal that I’ve set for myself this year. Now I can add the nice medal to my small collection of 5K finisher’s medals. My thanks to my family for coming out to cheer me on and watch me finished the race.

Second, this weekend is the last weekend before fall officially arrives in my part of the world. After reviewing my Summer fun list of twenty items, I’m happy that I’ve completed all of them, woohoo!

My Summer fun list of 20 is below:

1. Take a trip to Costa Rica. Yes, highly recommended!
2. Enjoy Costa Rica’s “pura vida”.Yes!
3. Do wildlife spotting in Costa Rica. Yes, loved the toucan!
4. Celebrate Canada’s 150 with a BBQ with our extended family. Yes!
5. Attend at least one music festival at home. Yes, more than one!
6. Chill out with my friends with an iced drink, or ice cream in hand. Yes!
7. Stroll or picnic in a park. Yes, more than once!
8. Go to Spain and explore. Yes, highly recommended!
9. Travel by train in Spain. Yes, very glad I did!
10. Visit up to four UNESCO World Heritage sites while in Spain. Yes, saw five!
11. Take a siesta to beat the heat. Yes, several siestas actually!
12. Savour Spanish paellas and tapas. Yes!
13. Watch a flamenco show. Yes!
14. Speak basic Spanish while in Costa Rica and Spain. Yes and yes!
15. Cross Spain-Gibraltar border twice. Yes, both times were a breeze!
16. Tour the Rock of Gibraltar. Yes!
17. See the Barbary macaques (monkeys). Yes, saw about 50 wild apes!
18. Play with sand and seashells at a beach. Yes, at home and in Gibraltar.
19. Look for dolphins in the the Bay or the Strait of Gibraltar. Yes, saw many!
20. Stay fit by exercising up to one hour daily. Yes! The regular exercises helped me run well today.

You might like to see my updates with pictures at:
 Summer fun list progress report #1
 Summer fun list progress report #2
 August in a sentence-a-day

Am I going to have a fall fun list? You bet! So stay tuned for my fall fun list, to be revealed by September 21.

What fun activities did you enjoy this week? Do you have a fall fun list to share?

Summer fun list progress report #2

Greetings from Gibraltar! I posted my summer fun list on June 21, and my progress report #1 on July 21. Today I'm providing my progress report #2, and linking up with several fabulous bloggers who also report on their progress. I'm in Gibraltar with very limited access to a computer. Will post my pictures from Spain and Gibraltar after we return home next week.

I thought July was an incredibly fun month, and guess what… so far August has been Amazing! I keep pinching myself and the word "Wow" pops up in my mind several times. So let's see how I'm doing with my summer fun list of 20.

Progress report #2 for my summer fun list of 20:

1. Take a trip to Costa Rica: Done as written in report #1!

2. Enjoy Costa Rica's "pura vida": Done as written in report #1!

3. Do wildlife spotting in Costa Rica: Done as written in report #1! I love the yellow and green  colours on this toucan.

4. Celebrate Canada's 150 with a BBQ with our extended family: Done as written here.

5. Attend at least one music festival at home. Done several times in June and July as written in my July sentence a day post.

6. Chill out with my friends with an iced drink, or ice cream in hand. Yes, many times. This is easy to do in the summer. 

7. Stroll or picnic in a park: Done at HTO Park, Sugar Beach, and Berczy Park in Toronto. I love the green maple leaves in the picture below. So soothing and rejuvenating!

8. Go to Spain and explore. Yes, we left home for Spain last week. We explored Madrid, Toledo and Cordoba before arriving in Gibraltar. We're heading back from Gibraltar to Spain, and have been enjoying our trip very much.

9. Travel by train in Spain. Yes, so far we've travelled by train from Madrid to Toledo, from Madrid to Cordoba, and from Cordoba to San Roque. Will take the train again to Seville.

10. Visit up to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites while in Spain: Yes, so far we've explored Toledo, Cordoba historic centre, Cordoba's Mosque-Cathedral, and the Fortress of the Christian Monarchs, as written here and here.

11. Savour Spanish paellas and tapas. Yes, they're delicious and having tapas is such a social activity in Spain.

12. Take a siesta to beat the heat. Yes, I've done this almost every day in Spain. Easy to do since the heat is very intense at mid-day and having a power nap is a great way to recharge for our afternoon into evening outings.

13. Watch a flamenco show. Pending. Hope to do this when we are in Seville.

14. Speak basic Spanish in Costa Rica and Spain: Yes, in both countries.

15. Cross Spain-Gibraltar border twice. Yes, in progress. We crossed it once last week to arrive in Gibraltar. We'll cross again to return to Spain.

16. Tour the Rock of Gibraltar. Yes, it was a wonderful excursion visiting Europe point, St. Michael's Cave, the tunnels, and zigzagging along the slopes of the Rock. Pictures to follow.

17. See the Barnaby macaques. Yes, we saw about 50 of them! Pictures to follow.

18. Play with sand and seashells at a beach: Done at HTO Beach, Sugar Beach in Toronto, and Caleta Beach in Gibraltar.

19. Look for dolphins in the Bay or the Strait of Gibraltar. Pending. We're planning to go on a dolphin safari this afternoon.

20. Stay fit by exercising up to one hour daily. Yes, proud to say I've been doing exercises daily, even during our travel. Where I didn't have access to a gym or a pool, I did yoga and stretches, and used a resistance band as substitute. Several strength exercises can be done using my body weight, with a towel in our comfortable hotel room.

I counted seventeen completed items, one in progress, and two pending. I have until September 20 to finish my summer fun list before posting my Fall fun list.

Be sure to visit the linked up blogs below for more summer fun updates. Enjoy! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Tirgan festival, Local sights, and 6K run

I’ve explored and experienced so much fun from Friday to Sunday, I just have to write about them here. I think the daily formula of 1.5 hours of fitness + 1 to 3 hours of outdoor fun is working very well for me this summer :)

Toronto Music Garden

On Friday evening, we went to the Tirgan festival to attend Kiosk the band outdoor concert at Harbourfront. The five-person band performed in Persian language, and their music was fantastic. The big crowd loved it and showed their appreciation with singalongs, and rounds of applause after each song.

Kiosk the band at Tirgan festival

On Saturday, I swam 55 laps earlier in the morning to get my fitness routine done before my relatives arrived. They have visited us in Toronto before but it’s been a while. The city has changed quite a bit since their last visit so I took them sightseeing where they haven’t been.

We spent about three hours strolling, chatting, and stopping to take pictures. Our walk included City Hall, the Financial District, Brookfield Place, and the Flat Iron building that I wrote about here. Lunch was at the historic St Lawrence Market (established in 1803), and cappuccinos at Cafe Balzac’s. A fun stop at Berczy Park to see the park's new design. The park was recently reopened at the end of June with a historic centrepiece, a large fountain that has 27 dog and one cat sculptures, and a golden bone sits atop the fountain. I enjoyed showing my relatives some local sights, and they were impressed with what they’ve seen. We returned home for dinner, relaxing and talking about possible meet-ups next summer.

Berczy Park fountain

Cafe Balzac's entrance

Cappuccino at Cafe Balzac's

On Sunday, it was sunny and warm 30 Celsius (88F). I ran my first 6K on a Life Fitness treadmill in the air-con gym in the morning. I had this idea after reading Deb’s I Can Do This post about her upcoming 6K race in Melbourne, Australia. I’ve been running 5K weekly since April and have done several 5K races before. I knew I could do 6K but never had any particular reason to do it. I’d like to try new activities that stretch me and mix things up from time to time to keep me interested. Now I can say I ran 6K on a treadmill. I felt great after the run. Success!

In the afternoon,  we went to the Toronto Music Garden for the Tio Chorinho: Brazilian Soul Music show at 4 PM. The musicians and singer stayed in the shade, and most of the audience were in the sun. We came prepared with sun hats. There are also scattered shades around the garden although you may not be able to see the band, just hear the music.

Brazil Soul Music at Toronto Music Garden

Toronto Music Garden

Marina by Toronto Music Garden

It was a beautiful day, in a beautiful garden setting by the lake front, and to listen to live music played by talented performers...Simply incredible! My pictures do not show enough of the garden’s beauty. If you’d like to learn more about the garden design and its history, please see the Toronto Music Garden web site. Such a lovely end to my weekend!

Plans for Monday to Thursday this week:

• Exercise an hour daily
• Learn Spanish 15 minutes daily
• Wrap up my joyful July in a sentence a day
• Prepare for a family long weekend getaway 

I hope you had a beautiful weekend, too. Make it a great week wherever you are!