When I decided to retire at the end of December last year, I briefly thought that wouldn’t be a good time of year, as I planned to use some of my free time for biking around Toronto. But (knock on wood), as long as we don’t have the constant snow/ice/Arctic temperatures of last winter, I figure I’ll be ready to explore Toronto on bike in the cold.
So far, it’s been great. I bought some good winter biking gear from two of my favourite bike shops (Sweet Pete’s and Urbane Cyclist), replaced the lights that some lowlife stole recently(!), and since I retired just before Christmas, I’ve traveled a lot more kilometers by bike than by car.
Here, a few photos and one short video from the past week:
Monday, I took a ride to check out the spiffy new cleaned-up Union Station. Thursday, a gorgeous, sunny day just a few degrees below zero, I took a quick trip over to Ward’s Island, my first winter trip to the Toronto islands. It was great fun watching (and listening to) the ferry grind through the ice (already broken by an icebreaker), but the chunks would come together again after we passed through.
On the way to Ward’s… (Note: click icon in bottom right for full screen)
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Photos from Monday & Thursday (click for larger image; click left or right to scroll through pics)
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- “Paddling” up the Humber
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- Cement/concrete icons of Toronto from different generations
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- Newly polished Union Station looks beautiful, with the L Tower looking down
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- Villa Toronto exhibit in Union Station
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- Aura Condominium glows over Yonge St.
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- no boats in this marina
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- Looking back at the city
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- Heading to the island
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- Ferry approaching Ward’s Island
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- Ice-locked houseboat
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- Ice & water
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- Across the bay, with an ice sailing boat
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- On Ward’s Island
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- On Ward’s Island