Luck of the Irish

I wish it was last Friday. A lot.

At this time last Friday, I was sitting at a quaint little table listening to a bad 80's band in a great Irish bar - Fionn McCools.

Why was it great?

1. They served Smithwick's - in Smithwick's glasses.
2. They served Smithwick's - in Smithwick's glasses.
3. They served Smi... you get the point.

We had dinner here, too! Baked Brie with Peach Chutney, Fish Chowder, Fish & Chips, Shepard's Pie, oh my! So YUMMY! We loved Fionn McCools so much, we had dinner there on Saturday night, too. Of course, we chose a different location. And, they had Smithwicks.

We met a guy who built Regional Jets for Embraer. He told a story about going to the local hardware store to buy bolts for an aircraft rush order when they were out. Nice. Real Nice. He is scared of flying. (I should note here that he did NOT drink Smithwicks, and he was Scottish.)

R, R, and T made friends with the bouncer. Apparently, in this bar, people like to jump off the roof. I'm not too sure that wasn't some Irish Folklore, but the guys believed him.

This whole block (Fionn McCools, St Clair Street, Toronto) is filled with Irish bars - 4 of them. WOOT! We tried to go to several others, but they sucked. Bottom line, if they don't serve Smithwicks, they aren't Irish.

I'd highly recommend Fionn McCools. I wish we had one in Texas.

Spring in Toronto

On Saturday, the weather in Toronto was glorious! We couldn't have asked for a better day - a crisp 60 degrees with lots of sunshine. We found the deal of the day on the Toronto Transit Commission. For $8.50 CA, two adults can travel ANYWHERE in the city for an entire 24 hours. We walked, used the subway, and rode the trolleys. I can't emphasize enough what a great way this is to see the city.

Our lunch consisted of two doses of "fast acting" Immodium AD and East Side Marios 1/2 price appetizers. (Did I mention while visiting Toronto, "Don't Drink the Water?!?") After eating lunch, we headed to nearest subway station off of College Ave. The entire walk was filled with tulips, paper lace, daffodils, and young tree buds. It was really nice being surrounded by the colorful landscape.

Easy Catch?

While driving around Pittsford, New York on Thursday, we stopped at a fish hatchery located in Powder Mills Park. We were actually looking to see if all went awry on Friday's fishing trip, could we score some trout from the park?

This was really quite fun. We bought fish food for a quarter. Once grain at a time, I threw two full handfuls of fish food into the troughs. Fish would jump over each other to get the food. They were hungry.

When it really got exciting was when I asked one of the "Men" to put food in their hands and see if the fish would eat from their hand. That's when I heard Ethel (our rental car) start growling from the parking lot; our time at the fish hatchery was over. Scared of fish. HA!

Walking Tour of Pittsford, NY

On Thursday, we spent a great deal of our day exploring the Rochester, NY area.

Getting started around Noon, we went to find food. The day was glorious and sunny right until the sky above opened up and dumped very large rain drops on us and our lunch plans? Sadly, our lunch was finished inside.

We finished lunch to have sunshine bestowed upon us once again. We decided to walk and explore the area around the Erie Canal in Pittsford, NY which is quite a delightful and quaint area.
We spent most of our time in The Village of Pittsford where Starbucks meets the Stepford Wives live in 1827. In all seriousness, it's quite a romantic little village with eclectic shops and unique restaurants. I'd recommend it in the Spring or Fall when biking, walking, or hiking along the canal provides the greatest opportunity to explore.

Criticism

I've been criticized for not updating my blog frequently enough. To which I say - BLEH!

In the beginning, I began this blog to chronicle interesting travel tid bits with the intent that my adventures might lend help or aid to others taking steps where I have previously been.

So, for our latest jaunt to New York and Toronto, I'll be posting a picture once a day with a story to accompany it.

Now, I'll expect lots of praise for accommodating all of you - you know who you are.

:)

Preview of The Anglers

We like to call this picture "The Teaser"

Hi to Sydney,Jacob, Bailey, Brenna, Mom, Dad, and Kevin