Sarah was given the chance to travel to Toronto where she continued her studies, went on some adventures and is here to give some tips when in Toronto
So time has been running super fast over here and somehow we are getting into our final 3 weeks of college, which is kinda crazy. I feel I have truly been living the Canadian life on my time here. Here are some of the things I've been getting up to on my time in Toronto.
Classes
Classes are still going really well, Hope and myself continue to win over all our lecturers with our Irish charm. Some classes we have taken on in the last 3 weeks are Italian cuisine (Endless pasta making) and Advance nutrition (a good mix of theory and practical) which we are both really enjoying. Each Friday we cook for the Humber room a restaurant attached and open to anyone in the college. This class is great fun and the chefs are very open to allowing us to do in class specials. The options of how to spend your time over here are endless and I could probably keep typing all day about the things we do over here but this is just a brief look into what we are getting up to and how we spend our time here.
Food
Although when living on campus residence you purchase a residence dining plan card with $1000 you will often opt to eat out to avoid eating repetitive nutritionally depleted meals. Close by you have the usual fast food restaurant and chains in Woodbine mall, Thai express does a good Asian soup bowl that could feed a small family.
The campus college offer Subway, Tim Horton's, Gourmet express (student made meals), Burrito bar, etc. I learned quite quickly that eating out in Toronto was not cheap. So being a student and living on a budget means fishing for daily specials and finding the best food at an affordable price. My favourite place to eat in is Toronto's China town which is a short walk or tram ride from Spadina station. China town offers endless options of ramen, dim sum, rice bowls, sushi and of course bubble tea.
The food markets in China town also offer a great selection at a lower price, great for snacks and fresh fruits. We have also had a really interesting experience in the Mythology diner (Short walk from Dufferin Station) which we visited with our lectures from college. This diner provides a completely vegan menu, Here we tried some popular menu items such as vegan style, chicken wings, calamari, pastrami, cobb salad, poutine, fish and chips. Another food experience you must try in Toronto is Poutine, Chips topped with gravy, cheese curds and anything else from pulled pork to chorizo and chicken.
Things to do
Canada isn't all snow and bad weather the sun actually shines here a lot. These days are perfect for renting a car off Turo (be aware you need a full licence for this and if you're under 25 you will be charged a young drivers fee). One of our roads trips was to the Blue Mountains which are only about 2 hours away from Toronto. Blue Mountain has everything from skiing, snowshoeing and hot spring spas, so you can definitely spend a whole day there.
The Scandinave Spa is a must-see, but on the weekends waiting lists start at up to 5 hours, you're better off going on a Wednesday where they do a special price of only $58 and the wait list is much shorter. A dip in the freezing cold plunge pool on a snowy day is a must, but just chilling in the heated pools and around the fire pits prevents the frostbite.
While in Blue mountain we also went snowshoeing across Toronto's largest suspension footbridge. My honest opinion about snowshoeing... it's great if you really want a workout but they are not all that easy to walk in (note I did this on a day where I had the flu and almost gave myself pneumonia... not recommended). The views and trails in Blue Mountain are well worth the trip though. We drove to the lakes in Blue Mountain also which in the summer have great beaches but in the Winter they resemble what I could imagine Alaska looks like.
Note this is just 2 hours from Toronto but the sun was shining in Toronto with no snow so make sure to check the Weather in Advance to make sure you get to see all the lovely views in Blue Mountain.
Toronto Nightlife
Whether you like nightclubs, pubs crawls, country bars or just a good aul Irish bar Toronto has endless numbers of them to choose from. The subways and buses run late into the night depending on where you want to go, you will probably opt for taking an Uber (more expensive but way faster).
Entry into big nightclubs on the weekend is very expensive (up to $25) I usually opt for bars but that's just me, Dublin Calling near Osgoode station is one of my personal favourites during the week (what can I say I'm a creature of habit). Drink prices are pretty similar to at home. You can always pick up tickets for fun events and pub crawls on Groupon or on Facebook it just takes a little looking, these usually offer some free drinks, drink specials and plenty of fun.
Sarah Kehoe
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