not the rideau canal ...
and not the Vikingarännet, but ...
sometimes it takes the thought that you might never experience snow again, to appreciate the winters we grew up knowing.
When the snow and cold did appear here in January, after an unseasonably warm Christmas, I know I embraced it. Determined to get out and breathe fresh, cold air into my lungs, three weeks ago I began checking out Toronto's outdoor ice rinks.
I began with Harbourfront, bypassing an overcrowded Nathan Phillips Square and City Hall. Harbourfront is a wonderful rink, situated on Lake Ontario, but my criteria for ice rinks is to be within walking distance. Or, if driving, within a twenty minute drive with no parking fees. In other words -- free skating without a major time investment.
As much as I enjoyed Harbourfront, it took me an hour to walk each way; three hours in the cold is a bit much, especially if walking through downtown streets. It might be okay if it was a walk through nature -- once in a while.
The next week I checked out the rink at the Beaches. I go inline skating there in the summertime, and it is an easy 20-minute car ride. This is a nice rink, with a great location on the lake. Not good, if the wind is coming off the lake, but the week I went it wasn't, and this one I will go back to on a regular basis.
Last week I walked up to a rink in Rosedale. Probably a 30-40 minute walk, but a good rink at Ramsden Park, across from the Rosedale subway station. This one will be good for meeting friends at, as it is a good central location, and they have separate rinks for general skating and shinny. Shinny (or pick-up hockey) is big here in Toronto (never heard of it in warmer Windsor), and most rinks have it heavily represented in their schedules.
And this week -- this week, it is damned cold outside with bitter winds, so I am chickening out. Instead I have gathered together ingredients for a fine ham soup. I'll make the broth tonight, and before work tomorrow I'll cook up the soup for a week's worth of warming meals.
Next week: there are a still a few small rinks downtown -- Barbara Scott at Carlu, Riverdale, and Ryerson -- I may check out. Adventures in Torontoland.
sometimes it takes the thought that you might never experience snow again, to appreciate the winters we grew up knowing.
When the snow and cold did appear here in January, after an unseasonably warm Christmas, I know I embraced it. Determined to get out and breathe fresh, cold air into my lungs, three weeks ago I began checking out Toronto's outdoor ice rinks.
I began with Harbourfront, bypassing an overcrowded Nathan Phillips Square and City Hall. Harbourfront is a wonderful rink, situated on Lake Ontario, but my criteria for ice rinks is to be within walking distance. Or, if driving, within a twenty minute drive with no parking fees. In other words -- free skating without a major time investment.
As much as I enjoyed Harbourfront, it took me an hour to walk each way; three hours in the cold is a bit much, especially if walking through downtown streets. It might be okay if it was a walk through nature -- once in a while.
The next week I checked out the rink at the Beaches. I go inline skating there in the summertime, and it is an easy 20-minute car ride. This is a nice rink, with a great location on the lake. Not good, if the wind is coming off the lake, but the week I went it wasn't, and this one I will go back to on a regular basis.
Last week I walked up to a rink in Rosedale. Probably a 30-40 minute walk, but a good rink at Ramsden Park, across from the Rosedale subway station. This one will be good for meeting friends at, as it is a good central location, and they have separate rinks for general skating and shinny. Shinny (or pick-up hockey) is big here in Toronto (never heard of it in warmer Windsor), and most rinks have it heavily represented in their schedules.
And this week -- this week, it is damned cold outside with bitter winds, so I am chickening out. Instead I have gathered together ingredients for a fine ham soup. I'll make the broth tonight, and before work tomorrow I'll cook up the soup for a week's worth of warming meals.
Next week: there are a still a few small rinks downtown -- Barbara Scott at Carlu, Riverdale, and Ryerson -- I may check out. Adventures in Torontoland.
posted by Kathy O'Brien at 6:27 pm
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