As Ontario gradually enters stage 2 of the province’s COVID-19 re-opening plan here in Canada, shopping malls and almost all other businesses are ready to join grocery stores, restaurants and “stores with a front door facing the street” in offering services to the public.  Social distancing, maximum number of shoppers at a time, limited compassion dispenses, and early hours for mature customers are still in effect, but the number of people allowed in a gathering has been increased from less than five to less than ten, so we are going to take a short trip to Toronto this weekend to check on my in-laws and spend Father’s Day together.  Tomorrow is also the first day of summer in the Northern hemisphere, and it looks like we are going to enjoy beautiful weather in Toronto. Have a wonderful weekend, and to all fathers, grandfathers and  father figures in our lives:

Happy Father’s Day! ¡Feliz Día del Padre!

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Photo at the top of this post: My dad and me (with my favourite ragdoll, Blanquita, handmade by my mom) posing for my brother in one of the garden areas at El Museo Nacional de Antropología (MNA) – the National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City (circa 1970).  This was one of my dad’s favourite places, and became sort of the weekend playground for one of my brothers and me, the younger half of our sibling quartet.  If I could recommend to visit only one of the many amazing museums in Mexico City (once the pandemic is over, of course), this one would be at the top of my list.  The gathering of archeological items for a formal collection started in the 18th century, and over the years, as it grew larger and more comprehensive, was divided several times into specialized collections, and curated in different locations.  In the 1940s, the artifacts of pre-Columbian Mexico and collections of modern day Mexican ethnography were assigned to what eventually became El Museo Nacional de Antropología (MNA) – The National Museum of Anthropology. Construction of the current facility began in February of 1963, and the MNA was inaugurated on September 17, 1964; built with state of the art technology and a stunningly beautiful architecture, it continues to be a source of national pride.    Click here to visit their website, with more detailed information on the history of the museum, collections, and events, available in Spanish and English.