I went one day last year back in August. I was of course woken up early by my friend SusieG and dragged out for an afternoon walk and exploration. She just had to go to the Distillery with Nietzsche and wanted me to come along as well. Who was I to say no? I guess you could say it was a fateful day in one sense, of course it took time for that scenario to fulfill itself. To be honest I had only been to the Distillery once, and that was late at night to a wedding reception the previous month. I didn't see that much the first time, other things taking up my attention, so I made up for it on this visit.
We parked on the south east side of the district. Reason she gave was that there was an old truck there. The last time she was there she saw a squirrel perched in the cab and wanted to see if it was still there. An old truck, a real shame that it had been left to rot in the weather and climate.
Alas there was no squirrel this time. So we spent our time wandering around, checking out galleries, and such. A lot of the old buildings still stand there, with cobble stone walkways that really add to the old flavour. Most of the buildings have the outside kept up from their old original style. The interiors are of course remodeled for the different businesses. I didn't take too many interior pictures, just a lot of exterior.
I definitely loved the look and style of the area. It's one of those places you have to revisit. I can't wait for next summer to spend some time there. Anyway, the buildings were perfect for photography. And like I said previously the weather was beautiful and was obliging for some great pictures.
We wandered around and eventually needed a break and some food. With Nietzsche along it made it a little difficult. We needed a patio that was fairly dog friendly, or at least a decent fence we could attach his leash too. He was still a puppy and demanded a lot of attention. We finally settled at the Mill Street Pub. A great place and a Micro Brewery as well. I have had some of their beer and it's mighty tasty. Of course there were a few interesting sights on the way to our final decision.
Once on the patio, it was a struggle to keep Nietzsche on the proper side. It didn't bother a bunch of birds flying around. SusieG was also a little bashful about being photographed close up. She was just "slumming", and didn't think she was good enough to be pictured. Of course I disagreed. My personal opinion mind you. I believe I have shown that picture before, so I won't post it again.
(just did a quick check, and yes this blog post has some pictures from the distillery district. SusieG and Nietzsche on the Mill St. Pub patio. No need to repost the pictures here.)
I also took what I consider one of my best pictures while sitting on the patio. Nietzsche is a very friendly dog. Also very good and tolerant with young children. A lady and her child stopped by our table to say hello to Nietzsche and I acted on instinct and grabbed this shot.
Instinct, sometimes you have to strike while the opportunity is there.
The fateful moment came after we left the pub. Nietzsche had found another dog to play with and SusieG and I were talking with the owner while I was taking pictures.
Of course the conversation turned to cameras, and the gentleman gave me some pointers of what I should be looking for in my next camera. He through terms out like exposure, F stops, shutter speed, and RAW digital formats. Of course at the time it was mostly gibberish to me. I knew I needed a better camera by this time. As the above picture shows. I didn't start looking or comparing right away, it just put a bug in my mind for the future.
So that's the Distillery district. There's more to see in Toronto, and I think I have a few pictures from areas that I have travelled. If not, I will go to the areas that are interesting. Until next time, keep walking, and keep thinking.
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