“The Gun Store” – Images from the confrontation between police and protesters at the G20 Detention Centre, Leslieville, Toronto (now Revival Film Studios)

“Calm Before the Storm” – Shots from Toronto’s security corridor pre-Black-Bloc violence

“Got Honey?” – House, Collingwood, Ontario

“Sky High” – Clouds…I couldn’t resist, Toronto

Be it on my iPhone or my hard drives, I have way too many photos of clouds. I can never resist the urge to shoot the sky. It’s always there; but it’s always different.

 

“Crunching Numbers” – Shattered courtesy calculator at bank ATM counter, Chicago

“Chicago, CHI…CA-GO!” – Looking off of Michigan Ave, Chicago

Like New York, Chicago is one of those city that I always knew I’d visit and that when I did I would love it.

It did not disappoint.

Since I took my ‘real’ camera this is one of the few cameraphone photos I did take. You can view the images here.

“Remnant” – Outline of a demolished house stains a building wall on King West near Niagara St, Toronto

I always enjoy finding these ‘building stains.’ It’s as though the demolished structure has gotten the last laugh and is thumbing it’s nose at the progress which deemed it expendable.

 

“Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi.” – Friendly graffiti, Milky Way Alleyway, Parkdale, Toronto

“Gracie’s Transformation” – Golden Retriever goes from refined relaxing to being totally mortified

“A Second Helping of POUTINE!!!” – MORE of the best late-night post-bar food EVER, @POUTINI Queen West, Toronto

“POUTINE!!!” – The best late-night post-bar food EVER, @poutinis, Queen West, Toronto

“Support” – Tree art, AGO, Toronto

“Referential-ness-ness” – Watching Michelle watch Mark Lewis watch a building very slowly in his film North Circular (2000), AGO, Toronto

You can watch the film North Circular HERE.

Watch it.

Take a picture of yourself watching it.

Then post that photo back here.

“Early Call” – Toronto sunrise as seen from FUEL Studios

“Morning Rush” – Tray of Dark Horse lattés

“Stucco Switch” – There’s no need to tape, 9 Davies Ave hallway, Toronto

“Goodbye” – Sunset over Toronto

“Pondering” – House cat considers what to do next with her day

“Let Me In Too” – Cat on windowsill looking in

“Longing” – Leica looking out the car window

“Rain ‘n’ Orange” – Fruit market, Bloor and Spadina in the Annex, Toronto

“Perserverance” – Maple leaf clings to a windshield in the rain

“Driving In” – Toronto skyline Driving in on the Gardiner, Toronto

“Untitled” – Sunset from Highway 8, Kitchener

“Where’s Q-Bert?” – Tile floor, private home, Lawrence Park, Toronto

“HARD HITTING JOURNALISM” – Front page of the Toronto Sun

“Three Guys in a Toboggan” – Arabic stop sign in Marrakech Morocco

“Desperate Ingenuity” – Make-shift charging station, Hotel Du Pacha, Marrakech, Morocco

There is a serious design flaw with travel power adapters. The engineers who design them don’t seem to comprehend that the things that will be plugged into them (mobile phone chargers, camera battery chargers, etc…) will have weight to them.

Add to this the fact that all the outlets in Morocco are installed at least one foot above any surface that could be used to support the weight of an adapter/charger combination, and keeping it physically plugged into the wall becomes nearly impossible.

I managed to jury-rig this ‘support’ system for our mini-powerbar with a Mr. Noodles and a can of Clamato I snagged from the KLM lounge at Pearson – both of which and made it all around Morocco and back to Canada without being consumed.

“Most Uniquely Decorated Restaurant EVER!” – Elizir, Essaouira, Morocco

Walking into Elizir is like walking into the apartment of an eccentric collector; and to a certain extent you have. Owner and chef, Abdellatif Rharbaoui has decorated (some may say cluttered) his restaurant with art and nik-naks as objects d’art on every surface and in every corner.
 
The food was incredible, with the Squid-Ink Rissotto being my personal favourite. Abdellatif also introduced my girlfriend and I to a Moroccan red wine that was absolutely fantastic. If production levels increase, the Atlas Mountains could give the Andes a run for their money as the next new world IT terroir.
 
Check it out at http://www.elizir.com/  

“Coolest Lamp EVER!” – Elizir Restaurant, Essaouira, Morocco

“Chillin’ On The Flip-Side” – Roof-top patio overlooking the Atlantic at the Madada Mogador Hotel, Essaouira, Morocco

After an 8 hours drive across the Moroccan desert – through
road-construction dust-storms in a car without air conditioning, my girlfriend and I finally arrived in Essaouira (ESSA-we’re-ah) to the cooling breeze of the Atlantic. We were welcomed by the friendly staff of the Madada Mogador with a pot of mint tea and a seat on their rooftop patio.