Casa Loma, Toronto

It is a such a pity that Casa Loma is seldom suggested as a tourist destination for any of our guests. The place is a beauty to behold, constructed as a neo-romantic castle with 98 rooms and costing $3.5 million to complete in 1911 - it is a dream home.

Due to its unique architectural character in Toronto, Casa Loma has been a popular location for movies and TV. It has served as a location for movies such as X-Men, Strange Brew, Chicago, The Tuxedo, and The Pacifier. It was also temporarily transformed into "Hogwarts" for the release of the 7th Harry Potter book.

Casa Loma's back side.

My fridge magnet of Casa Loma.

Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum

Everytime we go to Michigan, our friends Bong and Dang would always mention taking the time to visit Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum. It took the visit of another couple Mils and Ompong to finally make us visit this fabulous place.

Entering Greenfiled Village is like stepping into a time machine where you are transported to the 1800's. Meanwhile, at the Henry Ford Museum you are captivated by the history of car manufacturing.

One day is not enough to savor this 90 acre magnificent place. My remembrance as always is a fridge magnet. (I got 2 actually).

Then a real photo of the place.

Tulay (Bridge)

Ang Pittsburgh ay kilala bilang "Siyudad ng mga Tulay" - at totoo naman. Sa isang hapon na inikot namin ang buong siyudad, hindi ko mabilang ang mga tulay na tinawid at hindi namin tinawid. Ang Pittsburgh ang ikalawang pina kamalaking siyudad ng Pennsylvania, at mga 8 oras na pagmaneho galing sa Toronto.

Ang haba ng pagmaneho ay hindi hadlang para bisitahin ang isang naming matalik na kaibigan na nanirahan sa kapit siyudad ng Pittsburgh - ang Duquesne. Pumunta kami doon noong 2003, at bumalik noong 2008.

Alin sa dalawang larawan ang galing
sa aking refrigerator magnet?

Pittsburgh is known as "The City of Bridges" and I could not agree more. In just one afternoon of going around the city, I lost count of the number of bridges we crossed and did not cross. It is the second largest city in the state of Pennsylvania, and about 8 hours drive from Toronto.

The long drive did not deter us from visiting a close family friend who lived in one of Pittsburgh's neighboring cities - Duquesne. We visited in 2003 and again in 2008.

Guess which one is the fridge magnet ?

Litratong Pinoy Theme : Tulay (Bridge)

Isa ko pang lahok.

Martyr's Shrine - Midland, Ontario

Today being Holy Tuesday gets me into recalling our first visit to the Martyr's Shrine at Midland, Ontario.

The Shrine honors the Jesuit saints Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, and their 6 other companions who were responsible for bringing Christianity to Canada over 350 years ago!

Upon reaching the place, you will experience stillness and tranquility. It was worth the 2 1/2 drive from Scarborough. Aside from the church/shrine, it has a 75 acre beautifully landscaped grounds and picnic tables. Recently, I heard a hostel is now available for overnight staying visitors.

My souvenir fridge magnet.

A photo of the shrine.

Fridge Magnets

This time, I like to collect them. They are inexpensive, light, decorative and come in different designs. Fridge magnets is what I mean. I usually get one whenever we are in a new place.

Niagara Falls is one of the popular tourist destinations in Ontario, if not in Canada. I can no longer count the times we've visited the place. There was a year we were there almost every other month - showing guests, friends and new immigrants the beauty of this falls.

But, I never got a fridge magnet for myself. The place became too common for me. Thankfully, in one of our "tour guide" duty, a friend bought one for me.

Of course, the real falls is a better view.