Meet "Bata Shoe Museum"

Since we were kids, we used to love to go to Bata to get our shoes, especially before Christmas and Easter, and we grew up and this brand remained a mark in the shoemaking world.

And moving here, and while walking on Bloor Street, I noticed a beautiful building, and was surprised to know that it's a shoes museum, Bata shoe Museum.. So I was very curious to see it up close and personal.

So I walked in, got my ticket and started discovering this four floor museum with a collection of Hundreds of shoes (from a collection numbering over 10,000) and lots of history.

The Museum celebrates the style and function of footwear in four impressive galleries. Footwear on display ranges from Chinese bound foot shoes and ancient Egyptian sandals to chestnut-crushing clogs and glamourous platforms. Over 4,500 years of history and a collection of 20th-century celebrity shoes are reflected in the semi-permanent exhibition, All About Shoes. Three other galleries feature changing exhibitions, so there's always something new to see, and the exhibition now is "Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneakers Culture"

The exhibition explores the history of the sneaker from the 19th century through to today. It showcases the history of sneaker culture and features over 120 sneakers representing the past 150 years.

Rare sneakers from the archives of adidas, Nike, Reebok, PUMA, and Converse... The exhibition also includes the latest designs from fashion designers, including Christian Louboutin, Pierre Hardy, Lanvin and Prada, as well as exceptional limited editions such as the Nike Dunk Supremes and LeBron James Stewies.

The exhibition was designed by the famous industrial designer Karim Rashid, and the exhibit’s look is very modern in style and vibe with blasts of colour against the predominantly white environment.

Wish they had more space to be able to exhibit more shoes because you leave and you ask yourself "did I see enough shoes? Can they squeeze the spaces to fit a lot more from the huge collection they have?"

But still it was very interesting to check the museum and will be definitely looking for their next exhibitions.

Meet "The Distillery District"

While my friend Ziad was visiting me from Montreal for few days, he suggested to go for a walk at the Distillery District, Since Ziad used to Live in Toronto and he knows all the good places.

And simply I can say, I loved it.. loved the shops, the restaurants, the bars, the galleries, and the community feel in this pedestrian only village. It feels like you are living in the village right in the middle of the city.

If you’re into art, you will love it here, on top of unique dining and lots of entertainment all year round, where there is something for everyone’s tastes and interests, as the Distillery features more than 70 cultural and entertainment establishments in the restored red brick, Victorian-era buildings of the renowned Gooderham & Worts Whiskey distillery, that once played an important role in the growth and wealth of both the city and the nation.

The distillery began operation at 1837, and the business grew and prospered in the 1850s until the 1914, where the war and prohibition nearly killed the distillery.In 1990 the Distillery closed but found a new life and it was reborn between 2001 and 2003 to quickly become a vital part of the city and one of Canada’s top tourist attractions.

We jumped from one galley to another, we had lots of chocolate at SoMA chocolatemaker, and end it with a nice lunch and few beers at Mill St. brewpub.

If the Distillery District was closer to the subway I would have definitely considered moving there, but in my first winter, and not knowing how cold it can get outside, I preferred to be the closer to the subway, but was happy to have such places in Toronto where I can go, for culture, food and fun.