One of my passions as an inveterate world traveler is the discovery of interesting, small museums. I found several in Toronto, but one really stood out from the rest - the Bata Shoe Museum. This elegantly appointed boutique museum was founded by the Bata family in the early 1990s. Mrs. Bata began collecting shoes over fifty years ago, resulting in a collection of nearly 14,000 shoes and artifacts dating back literally thousands of year.

The museum's focus is its collection of Native American shoes from North America. From mukluks to moccasins I was mesmerized by the fine craftsmanship, including intricate stitching and multicolored embroidery on a variety of animal skins. I was fortunate to get a behind the scenes tour in the temperature controlled storage facilities and hear fascinating stories about the collection from the museum curator, Elizabeth O’Grady.

Elizabeth guided us through several current temporary exhibitions gleaned from museum materials, including an assortment of royal footwear from 16th century France. I even ogled a pair of Napoleons’ socks. When I saw the tiny multicolored silk shoes from dynastic China that were less than 4 inches long, it was a real shockers. Since I wear a size 10 …

Some may refer to Toronto as a “melting pot”; Torontonians prefer to call their city a “cultural mosaic”.

The largest and most heavily populated city in all of Canada, Toronto is as well known for its racial and national diversity as it is for its friendliness and cleanliness. The diversity of the city and its inhabitants is most notable in the myriad of cuisines offered by the large number of restaurants, sprinkled throughout the city. And keeping in mind the fact that most who have immigrated to Canada from other countries are encouraged to hold onto their traditions, beliefs and values, you can be assured that whatever cuisine it is that you seek, it will be in its most authentic form.

For sushi lovers, one of the hottest spots is in the financial district on Bay Street called Ki. You have the option of watching your food be prepared by the chefs while perched at the sushi bar, or you can be seated in the dining area, which is surrounded by two ponds that look onto Bay Street.

One of Toronto’s most famous landmarks and the pride and joy of the city’s …

Travel Expert-at-Large Nelson George's vlog takes you on a trip through Toronto.