December in a nutshell

Greetings! In December I was at home to enjoy the local cultural events and the holiday season with my family and friends. We had mostly cloudy days with temperatures hovering around freezing point. Our first light dusting of snow appeared on the ground on December 30 morning. On New Year's Eve, the light rain washed all the snow away.

Without further ado, here's my December in a nutshell (in alpha order):

ARTS:

In December, I saw many festive holiday displays in the city centre. All the banks, shops, and department stores put on their best holiday decorations. Whether it was a real tree or an artificial tree, they were all spectacular centrepieces.

Christmas tree in Eaton Centre

I viewed three art exhibits at the Power Plant, all with free admission: (1) La Canicula exhibit by Vivian Suter with Elisabeth Wild, (2) Beth Stuart's Length, Breadth, Thickness and Duration exhibit, and (3) Karla Black's solo exhibit. I was interested in Vivian Suter's exhibit and her story since she's from Guatemala, the country that I'll be visiting in January.

Vivian Suter's La Canicula exhibit

Beth Stuart's Dipper Chasuble

Elisabeth Wild's collage

Karla Black's installation

BLOGS:

In December I published nine blog posts, bringing the total this year to 91 posts. My heart and mind was full of gratitude when I wrote my Highlights of 2018. It's been an amazing, enriching, and fulfilling year.

The 2018 Wellness Wednesday blog link up that I started this year concluded on December 12. I'm planning to continue the Wellness series on the second Wednesday of each month in 2019. The link up is open to all wellness-related posts. Feel free to join me on the first Wellness post on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

BOOKS:

I finished four thriller novels The Dime by Kathleen Kent, The Late Show by Michael Connelly, Before the Poison and When the Music's Over by Perter Robinson. The first two authors were new to me.

I'm currently reading On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland. When I reviewed the list of Stephen King's books, I realized that some of the movies I enjoyed, such as The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, were based on his stories.

Books borrowed from the library

CONCERTS:

I chose to attend three concerts in December, just enough to get me into the holiday mode without overdoing it. It was a delight to listen to the following fantastic concerts which were all free to the public:

1. The Piano Festival at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music: Thirteen pianists played their solo pieces with incredible skills and grace. It was two hours long with one short intermission.
2. The 'Tis the Season to Swing concert at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts: Steven Taetz Quartet performed thirteen songs, including six Christmas-themed songs, in one hour.
3. The annual Christmas Concert at Toronto City Hall: Toronto Beaches Children's & Youth Chorus, Toronto Mass Choir, Pan Fantasy Steel band, and Tower Brass played holiday songs in about ninety minutes. The Mayor of Toronto, Mr. John Tory, came to express his holiday greetings as seen in the photo below.

Toronto Christmas Concert 2018

FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

For our family and friends who live far away, we exchanged our season's greetings by email and phone calls. Canada Post had a labour disruption that ended with a big backlog of mail and parcels so I sent out only a couple of greeting cards this year.

Before Christmas, I met two friends for coffee, one friend for a workout at the gym, and had lunch with another two of my girlfriends. After Christmas, my family clan had our holiday dinner on December 26. This year there were twenty-five of us in attendance. It was a lively and heart-warming party with a lot of food, board games, and fun conversations.

FITNESS:

I completed seven yoga classes, thirteen workouts in the gym, five swimming sessions, and ran five times. I also walked 45 minutes or more and meditated 15 minutes daily. We had no snow until December 30 so the grounds were dry and it was easy to get around. On December 28, the high temperature was 10C (50F), which is unusual at this time of the year for us.

An empty beach in December

LEARNING:

I took my French and Spanish online lessons daily using Duolingo. I'm also reading online travel guides to learn more about Guatemala which is my upcoming travel destination.

MOVIES:

I watched two movies with my neighbours Crazy Rich Asians, Fahrenheit 11/9, and two animated shorts Weekends and Bilby. There was a re-run of Mission Impossible Fall Out that I decided not to go as I've seen it twice in November.

NEW YEAR'S PLAN:

We're ringing in the new year at home with comfort and relaxation. We had roasted chicken with wild rice and vegetables for dinner, ice cream and sweets for desserts. Now we're waiting for the fireworks, then greet the new year, and go to bed.

At year end, there's the usual tasks of closing current year's files and opening new year's files. I drafted my new goals for 2019, created a new goal tracking sheet, and a new budget sheet. My 2019 calendar now has a number of known appointments and confirmed events.

OVERALL:

December was a lovely month, with just the right amount of fitness, leisure, and social activities for me. I'm looking forward to having some fun this winter and enjoying 2019.

I want to thank all my blogger friends and readers for your comments, continued support, and connections in 2018. Wishing you a Healthy and Happy New Year!

An InLinkz Link-up

November in a nutshell

Greetings! November was a month less ordinary since I spent part of it in Morocco. I had fair weather the entire trip, with high around 20C (68F), low around 15C (59F). All the amazing sights that I've seen and the delicious food that I've tried in Morocco gave me tremendous energy when I returned home.

Without further ado, here's my November in a nutshell, in alpha order :)

ARTS:

I viewed three art exhibits: The Community Film & Arts Festival in Toronto, Hiraeth solo exhibition by Judith McKay, a Toronto artist, and an art exhibit in Morocco.

In addition, I admired beautiful Moroccan architecture in Rabat, Fez, Marrakesh, Casablanca, and ancient ruins in Volubilis. The medinas (old towns) and souks (local bazaars) in Morocco were living visual arts themselves.

Community Film & Arts Festival in Toronto

Just Being There by Judith McKay

Painting on display in Marrakesh, Morocco

BLOGGING:

November was a month with plenty of visual attractions that I captured through my lens. I published seven blog posts with many photos in each. Thank you to everyone who read and commented on my blog.

BOOKS:

I enjoyed reading four thriller novels The Twenty-Three and Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay, Glass Houses by Louise Penny, and Sleeping in The Ground by Peter Robinson. The last two authors are new to me although all three authors have won numerous awards, and several of their books have been bestsellers.

CONCERTS:

I attended six wonderful concerts performed by Christopher Slade (solo piano), Tristan Savella (solo piano), Maithena Girault and Jeannie Chung (violin and piano duo), Jean-Samuel Bez and Jean-Luc Therrien (violin and piano duo), Tomson Highway, Patricia Cano and Marcus Ali (piano, vocals, and saxophone), and Olivier Hebert-Bouchard and David Dias da Silva (piano and clarinet duo).

FITNESS:

According to my November tracking sheet, I completed nine workouts at the gym, seven yoga classes, four swimming sessions, and three 5K runs. I also walked at least 45 minutes and meditated 15 minutes daily.

FOOD:

It's a good thing I completed the above fitness routine because I certainly ate well in Morocco as posted here. The beef tagine in Fez was foreign, authentic, and absolutely delicious.

Beef tagine in Fez, Morocco

LEARNING:

I continued with my daily French and Spanish online lessons on Duolingo. While in Morocco, my knowledge of French helped me understand the signage around me and converse with local people.

I also learned words such as Medinas (old towns), Madrasas (religious schools), Djellaba (traditional Moroccan long, loose, hooded garment with long sleeves) and what they look like in real life.

Below is a photo of a Moroccan man wearing a white djellaba with a traditional Arab red fez hat, and soft yellow babouche slippers.

Man in traditional clothing in Rabat, Morocco

MOVIES:

I watched four movies Shock and Awe, Casablanca, Mission Impossible Fall Out, and Little Italy. Casablanca was a refresher before I visited Casablanca in Morocco. Such a classic movie! I did stop by Rick's Café by the way. Mission Impossible Fall Out helped me pass the time while flying from Frankfurt to Toronto. Little Italy is a cute comedy filmed in Toronto.

SOCIALIZING:

I met with my friends in Toronto for coffee once, dinner once, and lunch four times. While in Morocco, I met other travellers during my walking tours and some of us went out for meals together.

Margherita pizza in Toronto

One of the most beautiful spots to rest while sipping fresh mint tea and admiring my surroundings is in a carpet shop in the Medina of Fez in Morocco.

A magical sitting room

TRAVEL:

My trip to Morocco was fantastic, with so much to explore and experience. To say it was a good kind of sensory stimulation is an understatement. I wrote a post about my visit to Rabat and Volubilis here, and Fez here. My upcoming post will be on Marrakesh, known as a city of gardens in Morocco. Here's a preview:

Marrakesh, Morocco

OVERALL:

November was an excellent month for me. I'm grateful to be in good health, to have the ability to travel, and to have so many good things available to me at home. I'm enjoying the holiday season in Toronto at the moment.

How was your November? What good things happened? I'd love to hear your comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

October in a nutshell

Greetings! I was looking forward to spending October to explore and enjoy what my home city has to offer before I travel overseas again. It turned out to be a beautiful and fun-filled month in so many ways.

First off, autumn colours were at their peaks in October. I love the different shades of yellow, orange, and red on the trees. I got to see them every day during my walk! Then there were a few fun happenings, such as our Thanksgiving on October 8th, my blog's second anniversary on October 10th, my guest post on Sue's blog on October 18th, and a 5K race on October 21st.

Without further ado, here's my October in a nutshell:

FITNESS:

My October wellness goals, as posted here, kept me active every day. Since I was at home for the whole month, I was able to use the gym, yoga classes, the swimming pool, and consistently complete my daily fitness activities.

On October 21, I participated in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 5K race with close to 7,000 other participants. It was a chilly morning with temperature hovering at 2 Celsius (35F). We started our run at 8 AM, shortly after sunrise. I chose to run at a steady pace, not fast but evenly paced without a walk break.

I really enjoyed the race and finished it feeling strong, as if I could run a few more kilometers. Out of the near 7,000 participants, there were only 270 female runners in my age category. I'm satisfied to finish in the top 14% of my age category without sprinting.

My 5K finisher's medal and new running shirt

ENTERTAINMENT:

Concerts: I was able to attend eight excellent concerts in October, each lasts for an hour, all with free admission. Most of them were piano, or voice and piano. The amphitheatre at the Canadian Opera Company (COC) is a remarkable space, and to listen to Sofya Gulyak's solo piano concert there was a wonderful experience. Look up her name and read her impressive bio if you like.

R. Bradshaw Amphitheatre, COC

Movies: In October, I watched four movies as a weekly social activity with my neighbours. Billionaire Boys Club did not hold my interest so I left early. Skyscraper, Ant-man and the Wasp were entertaining, and Mama Mia Here We Go Again was a fun musical.

ARTS:

Art Works: I continue to be in awe of the rich art scene in my home city. In October, I had the pleasure to view several diverse art exhibits, all with free admission. I wrote about them here and here.

Purple by Vera Dernovsek

Books: In October I resumed reading books that I borrow from the local public library. Within three weeks, I finished three thriller novels, about 500 pages each, all written by Linwood Barclay. I'm now on to his 4th novel titled The Twenty-Three. I look forward to finishing it before I travel to Morocco.

Gardens: I visited two gardens in October. The Toronto Music Garden looks ready for the holiday season with the light decorations. Allan Gardens Conservatory had an artistic and beautiful autumn show. I'll write about it in my upcoming post.

Toronto Music Garden

Language Lessons: I continued with my French and Spanish online lessons throughout October. I spend about fifteen minutes on each language every day. The short duration works for me and the consistent practice helps my progress.

SOCIAL:

Blogging: I wrote six posts in October and one guest post as featured here. When my blog turned two on October 10, I asked readers for help. Thank you to everyone who provided comments. I took the feedback received from that post and got to work with some of my own ideas. So far, I made the following additions and may make a few more changes:

• Added the About Me page,
• Updated the Countries Visited page with links to the destination posts that I have published,
• Added the Recent Posts gadget to my blog's side bar - Five recent posts are listed by default,
• Added the Through My Lens gadget to my blog's side bar with one of my photos that will be updated periodically. 

Through My Lens: Autumn leaves

Extended family gatherings: We enjoyed two big family gatherings in October, one was for our Thanksgiving and another one on last Sunday when we had our cousins visiting us from overseas. Plenty of good food, fun conversations, and best of all everyone is healthy.

Trying new restaurants: I ate out twice with my family and had a fun lunch date with my friend. All three restaurants (Joe Bird, Joey, and Taverna Mercatto) offered very good service and nice seating. I'd have the tuna salad at Joey and the marguerita pizza at Taverna Mercatto again. They were very tasty.

Tuna salad at Joey restaurant

TRAVEL:

My trip to Morocco is coming up next week! The weather forecast at my destination looks good, with warmer temperatures than Toronto. I look forward to sightseeing in Morocco.

MY CONCLUSION:

October was an awesome month in my book, with the right amount of variety and at my pace. I gave it an A plus! I look forward to enjoying life as fully as I can in November.

How was your October? What good things happened? I'd love to hear your updates.

An InLinkz Link-up

September in a nutshell

Greetings! My September started on a very happy note in Paris and continued to be a fun-filled month after I returned home. The weather was still warm and became more pleasant with less humidity. I was out and about every day in September to enjoy this transition time from summer to autumn. When a new day looks like the one in the photo below, I'd like to make the most of it.

One fine day in September

Without further ado, here's my September in a nutshell:

FITNESS - My September wellness goals, as posted here, kept me active every day. I'm very pleased with my progress and will share the details at our Wellness Wednesday link up on October 10. Feel free to join us, whether you just started working on your wellness plan or having been taking good care of your health for a while.

ENTERTAINMENT - After returning home from France, I took full advantage of the rich music programs in Toronto, and resumed my weekly movie nights with our neighbours. As a result, I was well entertained with:

• One outdoor concert by the DATU band, a modern Filipino music group. Four excellent indoor concerts performed by The Bedford Trio, Amijai Shalev, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Cello Section, and the Artists of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio. The variety of musical instruments used in these concerts was quite interesting, from classical piano, violin, cello, to Filipino gongs and drums, to bandoneón which originated from Germany and became popular in Argentina, to a saw played by David Hetherington. I also like the floor-to-ceiling glass design of one of the Canadian Opera Company amphitheatres.

• Two in-flight movies (Justice League and Tomb Raider), and four movies with our neighbours (Adrift, Ocean's 8, Tag, and Solo Star Wars). I liked the action-comedy movies but didn't enjoy Adrift and Tag which were based on true stories.

DATU band

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra Cello Section

Pre-concert at the Canadian Opera Company

ARTS - In September, I enjoyed a number of artistic and creative endeavours:

• Admired arts in Paris while wandering here and here.
• Continued my online French and Spanish lessons daily.
• Wrote seven posts on my blog, and one guest post for October.
• Viewed five art exhibits in Toronto: Shadows of Flowers by Jamila Alhaib, Nordic Glass by various Scandinavian artists, art work collections titled Joint Efforts, On Any Given Day, and the fifteen finalists of the RBC Canadian Painting Competition 2018. Each of the art exhibits that I attended is post-worthy, unfortunately I don't have time to write them up so please see sample photos below.

Shadows of Flowers by Jamila Alhaib

Vuori, 2018 Glass by Sini Majuri

Hexagonal Cushions & Hanging Panel, Handwork Studio

In the Morning by Amanda Boulos

SOCIAL - September was an incredible month in that I had plenty of fun time with my family and friends, considering how busy everyone is. I'm now up-to-date with my friends' news. Aside from my cousin's wedding in Paris, I had:

• one big family BBQ/ gathering to celebrate my nieces' birthdays.
• five coffee dates with my friends.
• five lunch dates with my friends at different restaurants as posted here.

TRAVEL - I had a fabulous time with my family in France and returned home with lots of photos to sort out. There is at least one more international trip that I want to take before the end of 2018. I chose to visit Morocco in November so I'm now in travel planning mode. A new adventure awaits!

Overall, September was a splendid month for me. I look forward to making October a fantastic month, and enjoying the activities on my Autumn fun list.

How was your September? What good things happened? I'd love to hear your comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

August in a nutshell

Greetings! August seemed to have gone by in a flash. I was at home for the first three weeks then went to France. I had a fabulous time in Paris, so much fun and social eating that whatever I did at home before my trip became a blur. Fortunately, I did take some quick notes and can expand on them for this blog post.

Without further ado, here's my August in a nutshell:

FITNESS - I got all my regular exercises in while at home, i.e. walking, gym, yoga, and 5K run. This was a preemptive strike as I knew I'd be eating a lot more on my trip to France. During my stay in Paris, I didn't have access to a gym so I did more walking, taking stairs, using my body weight, yoga, and running at a nearby park.

ENTERTAINMENT - Three seems to be the magic number for most of the four entertainment types that I enjoyed in August:

• 3 visits to the outdoor farmers' markets
• 3 outdoor music performances by Amai Kuda & Y Josephine, Rufus John, and Ryan McNally.
• 1 outdoor summer Small World Music Festival
• 3 movies (Overboard, Life of the Party, and Avengers: Infinity War)

ARTS - In August, I checked out a new art exhibit titled Alternate Perspectives in Toronto. While in France, I visited the village Auvers-Sur-Oise where Vincent Van Gogh painted seventy eight pictures. I also did plenty of walking in Paris to enjoy the city's beautiful architecture.

SOCIAL - August was a really social and happy month for me. I had one family BBQ gathering, one family outing with bike rides on Centre Island, five coffee dates, and one lunch date with my friends in Toronto. While in Paris, my relatives either took me out or organized family meals with a lot of delicious food.

My cousin's wedding was beautiful. The weather was perfect on her big day. The wedding reception started with champagne, wine, or beer, assorted appetizers, followed by a sit-down, multi-course dinner, before a cheese buffet and a dessert buffet. We're a fun-loving and humourous bunch so there was constant chatting and laughing.

While I enjoyed social time in real life, I only wrote five posts on my blog in August, the lowest number of posts per month this year. Ah, something got to give!

TRAVEL - I had a fabulous time in Paris, France and plan to write in more details with photos once I sort them out. I re-visited the iconic sights in Paris like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and more. We took a side trip to Auvers-sur-Oise which I mentioned here.

Overall, August was an excellent month for me. I look forward to enjoying the rest of the summer. It looks like I'm checking off all items on my summer fun list.

How was August for you? What good things happened? I'd love to hear your comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

July in a nutshell

Greetings! July started with our national holiday and celebration of Canada's 151st birthday on July 1. I continued the fun-filled month with a family vacation and meeting with our friends in Quebec City. We had a terrific time and hot summer weather, a record-breaking heat wave, the entire week. Upon returning home, I enjoyed a socially active month, at an easy going pace, and with plenty of time spent outdoors.

Without further ado, here's my July in a nutshell:

FITNESS - I give myself a pat on the back for completing all my planned fitness activities in July. I did a combo of different activities every day to keep it fresh for me such as walking, meditation, workouts in the gym with weights, yoga, running 5K, and gentle stretches. The hotel where we stayed in Quebec City has a gym with views of the city and the surrounding mountain range. They also offer cold face towels and cold spring water which were well received during the heat wave. Quebec City is hilly so that added a new, short-term challenge that I enjoyed as well. The vibrant colours in the summer from clear blue skies, to green trees, and flowers everywhere, make it easy to be active and outdoorsy.

ENTERTAINMENT - Two or three seems to be the magic number for each of the four entertainment types that I enjoyed in July:

• 2 visits to the outdoor farmers' markets
• 2 outdoor music performances by Jordan John and Sol de Cuba
• 3 outdoor summer festivals (Festival d'Été de Quebec in Quebec City, Barbados on the Water festival, and Brave festival in Toronto)
• 2 movies (a comedy I Feel Pretty starring Amy Schumer and a thriller Beirut starring Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike)

Berries at farmers' market

ARTS - It's summer time where I live so the local parks, gardens, and the lake are lovely and lively natural art scenes. I enjoyed sitting in the shade and watching nature. For example, I watched two butterflies and several bees going from flower to flower at a park while listening to the sound of water from a nearby fountain, and feeling the light summer breeze on a sunny day.

I also enjoyed an abundance of high quality 'human-made' art in July. I captured my highlights and photos in the following posts:

• Postcard from Quebec City
• Art on King Street

King \ ST art installation

SOCIAL - Sharing meals was a theme in July for me. We ate out with friends in Quebec City. I had a lunch date with one of my friends at a new-to-me sushi restaurant in Toronto.

Blogging-wise, I wrote seven posts on my blog in July and replied to all comments. I also enjoyed reading several other blogs and shared my comments.

Sushi  and maki rolls at Gonoe Sushi

TRAVEL- I had a terrific time in Quebec City and wrote about my trip here. I already booked my trip to Paris, France in August. Since I've been to Paris before, I'm thinking to add a side trip from Paris to somewhere that is new to me. A new adventure awaits!

Porte Saint-Louis, Quebec City

Overall, July was an excellent month for me. I look forward to enjoying the rest of the summer, making more progress to my summer fun list and savouring my time in France in August.

How was July for you? What good things happened? I'd love to hear your comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

June in a nutshell

Greetings! June had an exciting start since I was in Warsaw, Poland, finishing the last stretch of my trip. Upon returning home, summer weather is here and I'm enjoying outdoor events which leave me with much less time for sitting at my desk to blog. I still want to record my month of June with several highlights as it was another excellent month.

Without further ado, here's my June in a nutshell:

FITNESS - I kept up my fitness routine both at home and abroad. For my mind, I meditate and continue taking online French and Spanish lessons, each for 15 minutes daily. When I was in Warsaw, I did a lot of walking to explore the city and used the gym in the hotel. Once I returned home, I continued with my daily 5K walks, gym workouts, yoga, and 5K runs. I'm grateful to have access to a gym with air-conditioning, especially on warm and humid summer days.

ENTERTAINMENT - I watched a spy movie titled Red Sparrow while flying home from Warsaw. Other than that, I enjoyed visiting the outdoor farmers' markets four times, attending four great outdoor music performances by Jerry Leger on June 7, Angela Saini on June 14, Mike Branton on June 21, Amanda Rheaume on June 28, and the indoor Luminato Instruments of Happiness event which was a tribute to George Harrison by 100 electric guitarists led by Montreal virtuoso Tim Brady and hundreds of Doane Uschool ukulele students.

Farmers' Market before the crowd comes

ARTS - I saw plenty of beautiful architecture and art work in Warsaw. At home, I enjoyed the indoor Spring art exhibition and the outdoor HTO Pendulum Wave festival. The local parks and gardens have also been looking fabulous with lush green trees and seasonal flowers. The Toronto Harbour is dotted with sailboats and the lake view never gets old.

HTO Pendulum Wave festival

SOCIAL - I went out with my friends for a tasty Chinese dinner. We ended up with lots of leftovers for my friends to take home because the portions were so big. Another friend and I had a nice coffee meeting to catch up on our news. I also enjoyed a big BBQ family gathering at my sister's. The evening's sweet ending was the three birthday cakes to celebrate three family members' birthdays. On my blog, I wrote eight posts in June with many photos (Maybe too many?), had one guest post, replied to all comments (Thank you to everyone who left a comment!), and submitted my comments on other blogs when I could. I say 'when I could' because sometimes Blogger and WordPress do not play nice together and my comments disappeared or I had to log in different accounts to leave a comment.

TRAVEL - As mentioned earlier, I started June in Warsaw, Poland. My short stay there was wonderful and it made me think of planning another trip in the future to focus on Poland. I hope to finish a blog post about Warsaw with some photos when I'm at my desk long enough to do it. At the moment, I'm in Quebec, about 800 km (450 miles) away from home, enjoying summer time with family and friends.

Toronto-Quebec City route

That's my short and sweet June recap. July is already off to a festive start with Canada's 151st birthday on July 1!

I'd love to know how your June was. What was most memorable for you?

An InLinkz Link-up

May in a sentence a day

Greetings! Today I'm sharing how I spent my month of May in a sentence a day. I was at home for the first three weeks in May then went to Europe. When at home, I kept up with my wellness routine, took my language lessons, and sprinkled my days with a few fun events. My travel adventure in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland was fantastic. I have some catching up to do and will write about my trip soon.

In May, my mornings were spent on recurring events as follows:

• Monday to Saturday: walk 5K, about an hour each morning
• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: workout in the gym, an hour each time
• Tuesday and Thursday: yoga session, an hour each
• Sunday: run 5K and do stretches, about an hour
• Daily: meditation, 15 minutes 
• Daily: French and Spanish lessons, 15 minutes for each language

Plus the following fun sprinkles in May in a sentence a day:

1. Enjoyed coffee with a friend by a garden full of beautiful tulips.

2. Read Tallinn travel guides and shared my April from A to Z post here.

3. Watched Annette Bening's terrific acting in Stars Don't Die in Liverpool.

4. Attended Andrew Fu's uplifting piano recital before the fierce wind storm arrived.

5. The sun returned with high 21 Celsius and Berczy Park was a nice spot to watch people and pets, both real and statues.

6. Read Riga travel guides, wrote my A to L fun post, and relaxed the rest of Sunday.

7. Researched flights and accommodations for my summer trips.

8. Viewed Hilary Rice's amazing textile and mixed media art exhibits at St. James Cathedral.

New Life by Hilary Rice

9. Read Vilnius travel guides and linked up with my blogger friends for Wellness Wednesday.

10. Went on two fun coffee dates with two of my friends and watched Paddington 2 with my neighbours while munching on popcorn tonight.

11. Enjoyed Vlad Soloviev's powerful piano recital and a date with my 'gym' friend.

12. Admired Marleen Sleeuwits' Not The Actual Site visual art exhibits at the airy Allen Lambert Galleria, one of my favourite public spaces.

13. Soaked in the sunshine and treasured time with my family on this happy Mother's Day.

14. Read Warsaw travel guides while sitting outside on a sunny Monday afternoon.

15. Caught a glimpse of the dancers in their colourful costumes at the press announcement of 2018 Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

16. Reviewed my upcoming travel itinerary and chatted with my friends from California about a reunion in the USA next year.

17. Changed my walking route and saw the Everyone is A Kid art installation made out of these cheery-looking yellow crates along King Street West.

18. Enjoyed a sunny Friday and listened to the beautiful sounds at Daniel Ramjattan's classical guitar recital.

19. Bought a small amount of euros and zloty (Polish currency) for my trip.

20. Relaxed after my 5K run to write my Spring fun list update #2.

21. Loved the sight of sailboats in the harbour and the flock of Canada geese in flight.

22. Packed for trip...A new adventure awaits!

23. Got a haircut on this beautiful summery day.

24. Enjoyed watching Hugh Jackman's performance in The Greatest Showman.

25. Flew overnight to Tallinn with a stopover in Frankfurt.

Visit Estonia sign at Tallinn airport

26. Arrived in Tallinn, Estonia with plenty of daylight to walk around the lovely Old Town and enjoy this World Heritage city.

27. A sunny and perfect day to explore Tallinn in the morning and meet my Finnish friend in the afternoon.

28. Travelled by bus in the morning and arrived in beautiful historic Riga, Latvia at mid-day with plenty of daylight and warm weather to be outdoors.

Freedom (Liberty) Monument, Riga, Latvia

29. Explored and loved Riga's Old Town and the city's impressive architecture encompassing Art Nouveau, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical facades.

30. Took a scenic bus ride along the green countryside and arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania at mid-day with sunlight until 10 p.m.

31. Walked to explore Vilnius' Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage site), its main landmarks in the morning and took an excursion to visit the beautiful red brick Trakai Castle on Galve Lake in the afternoon.

Trakai Castle, Lithuania

Overall May was an amazing month for me. Lots of sunshine and fun-filled days. I ended May while still in Lithuania, and started June in Poland.

Your turn...How was your month of May? Please share.

An InLinkz Link-up