512. Recent Life | Nordstrom

This photo below was taken last weekend while walking with my dog around the harbourfront. I was thinking that would most likely be our last walk there for the year (as it's nicest there during the summer when it's warm) and I was right. A week and a half ago we had the hottest few days of the year and now suddenly the weather has plummeted and it seems summer is officially over. Luckily I'm leaving in a few weeks on vacation to somewhere where it's still quite hot. I am both excited and stressed because I still have a lot to sort out before then. Mostly with my renovations..which I'm trying to schedule to have happen while I'm away, which also means I'd have to pack up literally EVERYTHING and move it out during that time. It also just hit me how fast this year has flown by. I know I say this every year..but this year especially! They say as you get older, the years seem to go by faster and faster as each full year becomes a smaller percentage of your whole life so far, so it seems shorter. I'm not the best at explaining but hopefully you understand what I mean lol. Or maybe it just seems this way because I am no longer in school. When I was still a student, it would seem like the school year took forever to end.







Yesterday I visited the new Nordstrom here in Toronto (Eaton Centre). We have Saks Fifth Avenue which opened at the other end of the mall earlier this year. They are quite similar but I think the shoes, bags and clothing section at Saks is better. Nordstrom seems to have a much larger cosmetics department though. I didn't buy anything as I'll save all my shopping for when I go on vacation ;)



The Gucci boutique










Sugarfina candy!






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My New Website!!

Hi everyone!

I have mentioned in the past that I was working on a new website and finally here it is: Palacesquared! Go take a look and let me know what you think! By the way - I suggest looking at it on your computer monitor..the mobile version isn't that good.

It is named after Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia. When I was 15 I visited Europe for the first time with my dad. Russia was one of the countries we went to and ever since that trip, I really LOVED travelling (and Russia). I had been on several trips prior to that but I was so young I barely remember anything..I think that first Europe trip is as far back as I can remember in semi-vivid details. So I thought that would be a fitting name and I also wanted to make it sort of similar to this blog (with the -ed) at the end. In case you didn't know, this blog is named after the Left Bank of Paris ;)

Palacesquared is focused on luxury travel where I will post my top destinations and experiences from around the world. Mostly it will be a place for me to keep track of all the places I want to visit. I posted my travel bucket list up. Whenever I am able to cross something off, I will document it there as well. You can read more on the About page. I have so many places I want to visit and I just keep adding to the list, the more I work on this website.

So I got my own host/server and created the website on Wordpress. Wordpress is a lot more complicated than Blogger at first, but after some time I got more used to it and it is so much more worth it. I wish this blog was on Wordpress as well but I'm hesitant to switch over (for several reasons).

Some pages of the site are still not ready and I don't have too much content yet (only 20 posts at the moment which actually took me so long to do) but I'm really happy with the way it's going.
I've spent so much time working on it over the past few months. Well, on and off..but I am more focused now. At the moment it's a fun side project for me and I really hope I stick to it. Anyways, please let me know what you think!

River Cruising: The Perfect Cruise Experience

River cruising is one of the best introductions to cruising. Shorter journeys, ever-changing views, small intimate ships and the opportunity to see several beautiful countries all in one trip. If you are a first time cruiser, there is no better way to fall in love with cruising than on a beautiful river cruise. I have taken traditional/large cruises a few times when I was younger and have always wanted to do it again. River cruising is definitely very appealing to me. I would love to go on one someday (particularly through the Amazon), as they seem to offer more unique experiences than large cruise ships. This post is sponsored by Bolsover Cruise Club, on why a river cruise should be your next vacation!

Shorter duration: River cruises tend to be much shorter than a traditional cruise making them the perfect type of cruise for beginners. If you’re unsure about whether you’ll enjoy the motion of being on a cruise or just whether or not cruising is for you, a river cruise is the perfect type to try.

Visit several countries in a few days: A river cruise gives you the opportunity to visit a few different countries in a short period of time. It also has a very relaxed atmosphere. You get to see all the countries you’d like to visit without having to constantly switch your accommodation.


Amazing views: River cruising is a wonderful way to see the world. Sailing through waterways surrounded by stunning landmarks, natural scenery and incredible buildings, you’ll be able to see parts of the world as you’ve never seen before while enjoying their incredible beauty from the comfort of your ship.

Smaller ships: As river cruises have to go under locks and small bridges, they have to be much smaller in size. This is one of the best perks to river cruising; much smaller and more intimate ships. With much less passengers, you can avoid huge crowds, easily meet new people and not have to walk far to go back to your suite.

Casual: Some people avoid cruising as they don’t enjoy attending the formal nights and the strict dining arrangements. With river cruising, the overall vibe is much more laid-back and casual, with open seating at meal times and casual dress at all times.


With river cruises to some of the world’s most enchanting cities including Budapest, Amsterdam, Moscow, Prague, Siem Reap, Kolkata, and more...a cruise at Bolsover Cruise Club guarantees you can visit some of the most amazing places in a short space of time. For an exciting way to see the world, book a river cruise!

(Photos: Viking River Cruises, Aqua Expeditions, AmaWaterways)

511. Recent Life

It seems summer is quickly coming to an end. I used to dread this time of year because of "back to school" but now that I'm no longer in school..I still get sad but not quite as much. Actually I'm looking forward to Fall/Autumn now because of the beautiful foliage and a change of wardrobe. I'm also very excited as I have several things coming up which includes some travelling and my condo renovations (which I am both excited and very stressed about). The renovations are an extremely long and expensive process but it'll all be worth it in the end I'm sure! I wish I could fast forward past this stage of planning and waiting.

I've also been quite busy these days working on my new website. I have been procrastinating on that a lot (seeing as I first created it back in 2014) but recently I put more time into it and want to make sure I stick to it. I will introduce it here in an upcoming post so I guess that way I will be more motivated to keep it active lol. Apparently it takes 3 weeks of regularly doing something to have it become a habit, so that is what I am aiming for.

Here are some random photos from the past few weeks:


If you are from Toronto as well, visiting the CNE is probably an annual tradition for you as well.






Caught a bit of the air show on the final weekend


While I was researching a topic for my new website I discovered this Thai style of ice cream where they make it in front of you (on cold plates) and serve it in rolls. I knew they had a place like this in New York but then I discovered Toronto recently opened a place for these as well..called Arctic Bites! I was very excited to try it out. The place was small with a huge line up but the ice cream was delicious. I got this black sesame one with grass jelly but I think next time I'll try a fruit flavoured one.




A dinner at Harbour Sixty



The largest shrimp I've ever seen


& my favourite dessert..the Baked Alaskan! It's everything I love in a dessert wrapped into one (toasted meringue/marshmallows with hazelnut ice cream inside, served with fruits) served in the coolest way.





I had this for lunch with my mom the other day and she told me it is a popular dish in the Yunnan province of China. They bring you a platter of ingredients, noodles and a boiling hot stone pot of broth. You put everything in there yourself as you eat. The origin of the name is pretty interesting, and the name is literally "Crossing the Bridge Noodles". The story is that a man was studying hard for his exams on a small island far away from home. His wife would bring him noodles but every time she crossed the bridge to the island, the soup would already be cold and the noodles soggy. She came up with an idea to fill a large earthen pot with boiling broth, with a thin layer of oil on top as insulation and keep the broth warm. The noodles and other ingredients were kept in separate containers to be mixed together when she arrived for him. & that is how the name, "Crossing the Bridge Noodles", came to be.



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510. Casa Loma

When Anouk came to visit, I suggested several places for her to visit but didn't include Casa Loma at first. As she is from Luxembourg, I didn't think she'd enjoy it as much since she lives in and around towns with much more impressive and grander castles. Casa Loma is the only castle in Toronto. It was the former home of businessman Sir Henry Pellatt and Lady Mary Pellatt. The castle was constructed in 1914.

We ended up going on her last day here. I wanted to visit as well since I haven't been there in years. I actually don't remember the last time I visited - it must have been more than 10 years ago. It's nice showing visitors around my city. Makes me feel like a tourist as well and appreciate my city more! We had a wonderful time here and I'm so glad we went. By the way, here is Anouk's post from the day which I suggest checking out..her photos are very beautiful!













One of the guest rooms, furnished in Asian style decor. I was thinking maybe they had different themes for each guest room based on who was staying there.

I liked the Asian style room as well as this one - the Windsor Room. This one was created for the Royal Family. Henry Pellatt had hopes they would one day visit and stay here.



Some really worn down furniture


Then we went to the very top tower of the castle to take in a magnificent view. There was a line up to go up and the only way up (and down) was a narrow spiral staircase.



Then we had a lunch break. I don't remember there being a restaurant here last time I visited...

After that, we took a quick walk around to explore the gardens. We were so lucky with the weather that day. I remember the forecast called for thunderstorms but luckily it was wrong and we had beautiful sunny weather (although it was ridiculously hot)




Hermes! I used to be quite interested in Greek mythology. Hermes was one of my favourites.





Lastly, we visited the garage and stables where we had to walk in a creepy underground tunnel to get to.

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