At the beginning of 2017 I was inspired by Makelight to choose a word to guide me through the year, instead or as well as New Year’s Resolutions. At first I was hesitant and it took me a while to come up with something I felt summed up what I wanted to achieve. However, once I found that word there was no stopping me!

My word is Explore.

To me, Explore means meeting new people, learning new things, visiting new places and just keeping an open mind.

Today I’m talking about exploring Casa Loma.

When I arrived in Toronto in mid May I wasn’t expecting to be greeted by an abundance of Spring flowers and a fairy tale castle but that is exactly what happened!

Inspired by the castles of Europe, Casa Loma was built by the affluent Sir Henry Pellatt to create an air of a grand lifestyle and to show off his wealth and power.

From the large porch at the front of the building you can walk to the back of the castle to the terrace, a place to sit and relax and enjoy the view.

A set of stone steps leads to the formal gardens.

Bowls of Spring flowers were in abundance.

Looking back at the castle.

The view of Toronto and the CN Tower was spectacular.

There was a hint of Sleeping Beauty about the place. You could imagine a Prince having to cut his way through the trees and bushes that separated the City of Toronto down below from Casa Loma, positioned high above the City.

Inside the Castle there are grand rooms, many of them with these telephones. This one is in the huge conservatory.

This is the study where Sir Henry worked. Reportedly, there are secret passageways from this room to his bedroom suite above and a vault below.

Sir Henry had an 800 foot long tunnel made leading to the stables and the potting shed to avoid having to cross the road to reach them. The tunnel is open to visitors wishing to explore these buildings.

A collection of vintage cars is now housed in the former Stables.

Casa Loma was completed in 1914. Ten years later Sir Henry Pellatt lost it to bankruptcy.

This fascinating and beautiful piece of Toronto’s history was a joy to see. It is so worth spending a morning or afternoon there.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this.

Stay cosy!

Yvonne x

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Originally published at www.onepurlrow.co.uk.