This past June, my husband and I celebrated 9 years of wedded bliss! Well, let’s be honest, it hasn’t always been “blissful”. We’ve weathered our fair share of storms, had many disagreements and come out stronger then when we started. In a day and age where it seems all-to-easy to “throw in the towel” on marital vows, I feel like 9 years together is a cause to celebrate!
We recently moved to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and there is just so much to explore here. We have absolutely fallen in love with this city (and the suburbs). Having three kids under 4 years old, it can sometimes get busy and we don’t get a chance to explore quite as much as we would like. So when we were trying to figure out what to do for our anniversary, we knew that checking out some part of Toronto would be at the top of our list!
We had both heard so much about one of Toronto’s hippest newer neighborhoods, The Distillery District, known to be a hub for entertainment, arts and culture and amazing food! Being foodies, we definitely were intrigued to check it out for the food scene alone. But there’s something about that European charm that is so intriguing to me. From the pictures I had seen online, it reminded me alot of Gastown, a similar district downtown Vancouver. Same as with the Distillery, they are both pedestrian-only districts, which I think preserves their unique beauty and appeal. Living near Vancouver for 4 years, Gastown quickly became one of my favorite go-to places to explore. Something about old brick buildings and cobblestone streets, with all kind of unique artisan shops and one-of-a-kind restaurants that create such a magical experience!
After learning a bit about the history of the Distillery District, it was set…we were going to check it out! This district is actually rather “new” as it was just over 10 years that a group of city planners undertook the project to transform it into a pedestrian-only place, centered around arts and entertainment. They renovated over 40 of the old distillery buildings that had housed whiskey production (during the prohibition they produced acetone) for over 150 years! In the late 1800’s it was one of the largest whiskey distilleries in the world! It is incredible as you walk the cobblestone streets, you actually feel transported back in time. So many buildings have maintained their architectural integrity. It is absolutely beautiful and definitely worthwhile seeing, if you are visiting the area!
A part of The Distillery that I knew I wanted to visit and participate in, especially as it was our anniversary, was the Love Locks. This free-standing structure was made for Torontonians to have a place to declare their love for one another, similar to places around the world, like Paris, Amsterdam and Florence (to name a few) have on their various bridges. Made from steel and reclaimed distillery lumber, the rules are simple:
1. Bring your lock and significant other to the Distillery District.
2. Place your initials or a special message on the lock.
3. Lock it onto a part of the steel frame.
4. Kiss your partner.
5. Throw away the key
(And an optional 6th step is to post on social media using #DistilleryLove)
So that’s exactly what we did! Wrote our initials, the date, locked it in place, kissed and threw away the key! Ours in the one right in the middle, placed near the top of the heart frame!
Well, believe it or not, this was only the first part of our amazing night! You can find out where we ate and what we went to see over here.
Thanks for reading along!
Love & Blessings,
