How to Travel the World Without Leaving Toronto
By theprofessionalhobo ~ April 1st, 2007. Filed under: Toronto (still/again).
Toronto is the city that everybody loves to hate. Why? Well, we are the Centre Of The Universe, of course! And everybody else is jealous.
Okay, this is all a bit “tongue in cheek”, however let’s think about this: What should constitute a title so splendid as the “Centre of the Universe”? Ideally it is a place that represents (to some degree) each individual component of the rest of the universe. If that’s the case, then Toronto, being the most multi-cultural city in the world, should qualify!
When you are about to leave a city, even if it’s a place you have grown up in (as I have in Toronto), it’s amazing how you can see it through new eyes. Last night was no exception to this rule.
We went for a lovely dinner at an authentic Spanish restaurant called Segovia. From the delicious tapas to the rich décor and Spanish-speaking staff (we had a chance to practice our broken Spanish), to the live music and spanish singers & dancers, this place is the real deal. And we didn’t even have to brave the overseas flight to get there.
And who, sitting beside us, in this little piece of Spain, did we run into? Don’t try to guess, because you won’t get it: Sir John Neville.
If you don’t immediately recognize this name, 
search him on the internet. You’ll find that you’ve no doubt seen him in some movie or tv show if you’ve watched anything in the last 30 years; he has an extensive and impressive screen resume. You might also recognize him from theatres in Stratford, or as artistic director of numerous well-renowned theatres across Canada.
The point of this is not to promote Sir Neville, but instead to illustrate once again how amazing Toronto is as a city. Not only did we enjoy an amazing Spanish meal, but we did it in the impromptu company of a world-renowned actor & director.
I’ll be sad to leave Toronto, my home. I’m getting nervous about what it will be like to be relatively anonymous, and transient at that with a lifestyle of constant movement.
But despite the trip around the world you can take without ever leaving this city, Toronto still has one huge strike against it in my eyes: It’s just too damn flat here!!!
