New eyes

Our six month frolic through Europe has come to an end yet continues to shine bright in my memory. We've eaten our way through the holidays and visited with family and friends who were sorely missed during our absence and have settled back into the routine of school and big city life. At least, the kids have. My return to a hectic routine waits patiently for me at the end of August, beckoning me towards its stifling embrace.

I am in serious post-Uzès withdrawal. Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy to be back to my husband and the familiarity of home but I miss my charmed life where everything was less than a five minute walk from my front door; the Saturday market, the baguettes next door, the café's outdoor patios. I loved taking different routes through town and discovering new shops/doorways/courtyards I hadn't seen before.

Since my return, I have made a couple of important realizations. One, that what I really miss is the thrill of experiencing something new--awakening my senses with new sights, sounds, smells, and two, that I miss blogging.

So, I have decided to be a local tourist. In other words, to see Toronto with fresh eyes and try and experience it as a short-term tourist would, the way I experienced Uzès, and then blog about it. If you're a potential tourist, hopefully I'll be able to show you what a great city Toronto is, and if you're a local, maybe I'll be able to open your eyes to something new.

"The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes."

Marcel Proust