Our last day in Toronto

This morning we set off – simply on foot, towards Kensington Market. ChatGPT suggested that this might be something for us. And indeed: The journey there was like a walk through different worlds. First, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a Chinese neighborhood – everything was in characters, and even the conversations around us sounded as if we were far away from here.

Then, just a few streets away, a completely different atmosphere: South American, loud, lively, the food smelled spicy, and everything seemed more open, more colorful. Toronto constantly surprises me.

Many of the houses are small, some a bit run-down, but they have a certain charm. And amidst it all, again and again, the view of those huge, glass skyscrapers – so modern, so cool. The contrast is striking, but somehow it looks beautiful.

We discovered a small bakery whose bread we knew from the market yesterday. The seller was very warm, curious, and suddenly he started talking about the Bundesliga – Eintracht Frankfurt and Mainz 05. That surprised us. So far away from home – yet there was a little piece of home.

What we've noticed: We have actually not met any other Germans so far. In a way, that’s nice – it feels like we are really far away, in a completely different world.

Later, we were in a large mall. We only wanted to look around a bit, ended up buying nothing – but had a few really nice conversations instead. In a nice café, people were sitting and napping in the armchairs. And again and again, we noticed groups of girls who looked like they were heading to a baseball game. Now that I'm writing this, I wonder if that was the school uniform? 😂 I’ll have to pay closer attention next time.

There are hardly any regular stores between the houses here; instead, they are packed in malls. What we are still looking for, however: a proper grocery store. So far, nothing.

In the evening: ferry to Toronto Island. The view of the skyline – totally fascinating. I find it interesting that I find this almost as beautiful as the view of a great mountain. Now we’re sitting here on a bench, writing. Around us, many people are celebrating – we suspect they are Indian. We’re not quite sure, but it feels lively. Google says that 60% of Toronto's population were born abroad. You can tell. And it makes the city really special and lively.

The skyline is truly beautiful – everyone seems to think so. On the way back, there was a lovely atmosphere. Everywhere, people with music boxes, completely naturally. No one seems to mind. In Germany, that would be hardly conceivable.

Tomorrow we leave Toronto. The alarm clock goes off at 3 AM tonight – Mika has to register for handball camp. 9 AM German time. I have a feeling it will be a short night.

Starting tomorrow, we have a car and will drive further east. I'm a bit nervous... I don't have an international driver’s license; I didn’t even think of it. Let's see if that works out well. I hope so.