Another tea adventure, this time to The New Dundee Emporium, not too far from Waterloo.

It was just my mom and I, as my girl had school and they did not offer a kids tea. We left early, which was lucky, as the main road we were going to take had construction and the detour took about 15 minutes. But, when we arrived the town has a rustic charm and is quite beautiful.

Every year my mother and I spend a night in Stratford, so we can take in a show or two. Last year we missed out, as we just could not find a show we wanted to see. This year we decided to see something different and booked tickets to see The Changeling. A Thomas Middleton and William Rowley play, contemporaries of Shakespeare; for me it was like Shakespeare meets Games of Thrones. 

Our second day of our Anniversary weekend, my husband and I started the day with a tea latte, coffee, a croissant and a donut from the Loblaws at the Maple Leaf Gardens. We then went to the Art Gallery of Ontario. On a Sunday, right when it first opens, the AGO is quiet. It leaves you room to explore, to stand in peace. 

One of my favourite moments was walking into the deep blue European collection room and seeing the statue of Christ (Corpus by Gian Lorenzo Bernini) through the doorway, in a stark red room. It was so arresting. I had to stop, and stare, I was mesmerized. 

Or the haunting red room with a few sketches near the front of the room, but a lone painting on the back wall with a single chair facing it. The painting is The Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens; a terrifying seen of the murder of young male children, according to the Gospel of Matthew.

I also enjoyed walking through the Group of Seven collection. It is like watching the concert of your favourite band playing, and being asked to go backstage to meet them in person. It is an experience I will never forget. Breathtaking!

Tom Thomson, Morning Cloud