Albert Camus
Last week I travelled by train from Montreal to Toronto to visit my eldest daughter who has recently relocated there. I had never been to Toronto; yet living in Montreal one tends to hear a lot of commentary on that city and little of it is positive. My own experience proved otherwise, what I saw I found beautiful, especially the kilometers of waterfront. But what captured my heart was the friendliness of the people. People on downtown streets, in stores, strangers in the elevator were so often friendly, upbeat and helpful.
We didn't do a lot of sight-seeing. Mostly we hung out at her condo, putting the finishing touches on her new place, hanging paintings, organizing storage etc. We also cooked, baked together, watched a couple of movies and often sat on her vast 25th floor balcony watching the city below.
If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you know how I crave solitude, quiet and times of retreat. I would never have guessed that high above the center of one of North America's busiest cities I would have found that mystical space where quiet, solitude and security meet.
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| Toronto at night Sandra King-Allikas |
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| Early Morning Rain view of Toronto Sandra King-Allikas |
As evening encroached we would wrap ourselves in quilts and watch as the lights began to illuminate the night city. The view was vast and uninterrupted for miles and miles. I loved the comfort of her very private balcony combined with the sense of being elevated and removed from the noise, the problems and the reality of everyday life. It was not unlike the sensation when I sit at the edge of a seemingly endless body of water, or that of being perched high above a landscape that dips and rises until it finally meets the horizon. It was perfect, an oasis in the city.
Isn't it interesting how we can find exactly what we're looking for in the most unlikely of places?
Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.
Wishing you a magnificent day,
Sandra
