Viva Cuba

Dog and bicycle taxi, Havana (c) Allyson Scott

When my wife Jody and I were at home researching our trip to Jibacoa, we checked out a variety of travel advisory websites for tour guide recommendations, and wrote down the contact info for a man whose name kept recurring: Humberto Mesa. Once we were at our resort and had hooked up with the lovely Aurora and expert traveller Lorraine, we had to laugh when Lorraine whipped out her cell phone and speed-dialed the same Humberto, arranging our day trip to Havana for us in the blink of an eye.

Humberto picked us up at our resort in a small Renault that had seen better days, and he laughed as we ogled some of the beautifully restored, colourful American cars waiting for other guests. “From the outside they look good. From the inside, no good.”

Classic cars on the road to Havana (c) Allyson Scott

He went on to explain that most of the cars had no shocks, no air conditioning, and were prone to breaking down – understandable given their mechanical history and availability of parts. Sure enough, we saw several overheated cars with overheated tourists on the side of the road awaiting tow trucks. We sailed past in our boring but reliable car, excited to see what Havana held in store for us.

#endlesssummer

View from our room at Breezes Jibacoa (c) Allyson Scott

For two people who love to travel as much as Jody and I do, going a year and a half without so much as a camping trip was a long haul. Unfortunately we had one newly adopted dog who was too neurotic to board, and one elderly dog who was too sick to leave. When she broke our hearts in April, we knew we had to get away to do some mending.

Cuba never held much interest for me, as I thought it was just an inexpensive, resort-heavy party destination. However, we needed a cheap vacation after spending thousands of dollars on veterinary bills, and Jody’s research led her to the Breezes resort in Jibacoa.

It was perfect.

Pool area at Breezes Resort in Jibacoa, Cuba © Jody McDonnell

#endlesswinter

Seagull on frozen Lake Ontario, Toronto (c) Allyson Scott

The winter that simply won’t end sent yet another blast of snow our way.  The large snowflakes fell in beautiful clumps that made photography a real challenge – keeping the camera dry, keeping the lens clear, getting the focus to settle on something other than an airborne snowflake – but it was worth the effort.  A trip to Sir Casimir Gzowski Park at the lakeshore reminded me of all the beauty this harsh season can hold, provided I actually leave the house.

Seagulls beside frozen breakwater on Lake Ontario, Toronto (c) Allyson Scott

Walking in Markham

Gate to Reesor Pioneer Cemetery, Markham (c) Allyson Scott

Driving north on Reesor Road in Markham, I caught sight of some abandoned buildings that exerted a magnetic pull on my car.  Two feet of snow still blanketed everything, but I couldn’t resist getting out and trudging through the drifts to take a closer look.

Derelict schoolhouse, Markham (c) Allyson Scott

Derelict farm, Markham (c) Allyson Scott

Adventures in Trespassing – Part Two

Suburbia in winter (c) Allyson Scott

Note to self:  if you want to have a more successful spontaneous exploration, plan ahead.

It’s one of the snowiest winters on record, I’ve just gotten my camera back from the repair shop, and with some errands north of the city yesterday, it seemed the perfect time to do some winter landscape shooting.  I can’t count the number of times beautiful scenery has whizzed past the window when I haven’t had time to stop (or couldn’t figure out how to exit/park/not get killed on a highway).

But the fates were having none of it.  I shot some wintry suburban streets at the start of my trek (stock photo want lists ingrained in my head), but outside the city all the side roads I chose through Newmarket and Aurora seemed to lead to more cookie-cutter construction. And dead cornstalks, lots of dead cornstalks.  There were no happy accidents to be had.

Feeling a bit dejected, I stopped by my parents’ house for the cure-all cup of tea, and they suggested I head over to a nearby farm with an old-fashioned skating rink.  I vaguely recalled a family trip there twenty years ago, but didn’t really know what we’d find when my mom and I pulled up to the locked gate.

And there began my happy accident.

Cedarena sign in Markham (c) Allyson Scott

Throwback Thursday: NYC

Statue of Liberty and Hudson River seen from Battery Park, New York (c) Allyson Scott

New York’s been in the news a little more than usual lately, what with their new mayor finding his snow legs (we can only dream of such minor squabbles over snow removal here in Toronto), and Jimmy Fallon about to move The Tonight Show back to its 30 Rock roots next month.  It’s made me nostalgic for the one and only whirlwind experience I had in the city, which may not have been an ideal approach, but gave me a taste of the Big Apple.

I flew down to New York in March 2005 on business, to art direct a one-day photo shoot. A tight expense report allowance dictated the cheapest accommodation possible, a blessing in the end because I could afford to add a couple of personal days on my own dime.  I was single at the time, and my mother was happy to join me and make it a girls weekend. That’s my mom in a nutshell – game for anything!

Little did she know what she’d gotten herself into.

Hotel room at The Marcel in Gramercy Park  (c) Allyson Scott

After the Storm

Caution tape and storm damage (c) Allyson Scott

We didn’t take the storm warning seriously.  That is, until the thunderous sound of tree limbs hitting the ground around our home at 3:30 a.m. brought us sharply awake.

Storm damage in our back yard (c) Allyson Scott

Espresso Withdrawal

Customer at Broadview Espresso coffee shop (c) Allyson Scott

After trying eleventy billion coffee shops in the GTA, we found one close to home that in combination with a dog walk through Playter Estates became our daily ritual.

Not only does Broadview Espresso make a consistent cup of coffee, the offerings in their bakery case are plentiful and all equally delicious.  There are regulars who convene for a klatch in the Muskoka chairs outside, and there is just enough seating indoors to perch yourself in a corner and read something from their library nook.  No WiFi, so you are unlikely to find your personal space invaded by laptops on all sides.

An unfortunate dietary turn of events has outlawed caffeine, gluten, and enough other staple foods to make coffee house excursions inadvisable.  Best to enjoy one’s cup of herbal tea laced with bitterness at home.

I miss you, Broadview Espresso.

#savetoronto

Protester at Toronto City Hall (c) Allyson Scott

The cold had a real bite to it today, but Torontonians were too angry to stay home.

I arrived early, and funnily enough one of the first people I saw was a former coworker of mine named Mark, holding the great sign above.  We had a brief chat to commiserate about the ridiculousness of the situation, and how long the laundry list of offences had to get before Canadians would say “enough is enough”.  Some people managed to maintain a sense of humour to offset their anger:

Protester at Toronto City Hall (c) Allyson Scott

The crowd was sparse at first, and I feared people wouldn’t be able to make it to the protest on a work day, but within minutes they were pouring into the square on their lunch hours.  There was no mistaking the overriding sentiment.

Rally at Toronto City Hall to oust Mayor Rob Ford (c) Allyson Scott

Adventures in Trespassing

House under construction in Leaside (c) Allyson Scott

Out for a dog walk one October afternoon, I  came upon this house in the process of being demolished.  We (sadly) pass a multitude of construction sites in our neighbourhood on any given day, but this one was unusual because the bungalow facade still stood.  My sentimental brain began creating a narrative for this place – how many families were raised within those walls, how many kids played on that front lawn, and how many hands opened that gorgeous front door that now stood sentry over nothing.  I felt the need to record the loss of yet another original Leaside bungalow, and hustled home to grab my camera.

The left side of the house had a high wooden fence separating it from a strip mall parking lot, and the front of the site was tightly surrounded by tall metal fencing through which my camera lens barely fit.  The best view was from the parking lot, and I was happy to discover a few plastic chairs (like the one above) available for borrowing.  It was a challenge, however, to balance the chair on the hilly ground and then try to balance myself on top of it.  The view was worth risking a broken limb, however:

Partially demolished bungalow in Leaside (c) Allyson Scott

I was too excited by the array of photo ops to care about the fact that I was about to sidestep a law or two getting closer.  It’s a busy street, with people passing on foot and workers milling about on another construction site across the street, plus I feared the neighbour may see me and call the police.  Little did I know that less than 24 hours later I’d be inside that neighbour’s home, enjoying a tour and full verbal history of this house and our community!