CASA LOMA

Hi everyone! Yesterday was our second official 'Adventure Thursday' (click here to find out about my new summer mission) and my friend Alex and I decided to visit Casa Loma. For those of you who aren't familiar with the city, Casa Loma is a castle in Toronto that was built during the early 20th century by one of the country's richest men. Unfortunately, building castles is an expensive business and poor Mr. Pellatt went broke a couple of years after its completion. Now the castle and its beautiful gardens are open to the public.

Dress: Guess (find a similar one here)

Sandals: Monastiraki Flea Market, Athens (find a similar pair here)

Bag: Marche aux Puces Clignancourt, Paris (find a similar one here)

Sunglasses: Original Wayfarer, Ray Ban (find them here)

Watch: Couturier, Tissot (find it here)

Belt: My dad's closet (find a similar one here)

This week, the temperatures in Toronto and the surrounding area have been record-breaking and yesterday was no exception. To beat the heat, Alex and I both opted for flowy summer dresses. I wore my black v-neck dress from Guess and the leather sandals that I bought in Athens last summer. When in doubt, you can never go wrong with a little black dress. I added a bit of visual interest to my outfit with my Tissot watch and a braided leather belt that I borrowed from my dad's closet. As usual, I carried my trusty leather satchel. I have a whole collection of cute purses just sitting in my closet waiting to be used, but I always end up reaching for the same bag. I've been taking it with me everywhere for the past two years and it's been rained on and spilled on and dragged through all sorts of situations. I can't help but feel naked without it!

After grabbing our tickets, we started to make our way through the floors. I can't believe that you can get married in the castle - what a pretty location! One of my favourite parts of the house was the tower. The view of Toronto was so stunning and there was this really cool middle level that was full of wooden support beams. It looked like the inside of a ship or something. I also really enjoyed the observatory, but mostly because it had a lovely view of the gardens. After we finished looking around the house, Alex and I made our way outside. The gardens definitely took the cake! They were so lush and green - at least something was benefiting from the heat wave :)

I'm so glad that we chose Casa Loma for our Adventure Thursday! Sometimes when you live somewhere for a long time, you forget to go and visit all of the cool things nearby. It's important to play the tourist in your own town so that you can experience all of the local attractions! I've lived just outside of Toronto for my entire life and I'd never once been to Casa Loma - how silly is that?! It reminded me of all the cool estates and castles that you come across in Europe :)

What adventures are you guys up to this summer? Give me a shout in the comments and let me know!
To read about last Thursday's adventure, click here. 
Talk soon,
Vi