We found ourselves staring directly down where the ebb and flow of the river of DVP cars breaks into separate streams. Usually on my rooftopping journeys, I imagine that I will never get to see that particular view again, and hence try to make the most of my time. This would be no exception.

I did, however, make a second sojourn to retrieve a forgotten memory card; this time, we were greeted with an eerie rolling fog coming in from the west, which, coupled with the already settling smog, made the city all around (save for the east), fade into beautiful, if somewhat ominous, layers. This fresh perspective from the same view served to me as a reminder that no matter how cold and harsh the city may sometimes appear (especially as a pedestrian), that the city is eternally new, and that appearance is at the self-same time everything, and nothing.

The east alone seemed rather clear, as the sun began to set on our second trip before we caught a glimpse of the same, yet fundamentally changed view...

I always love viewing the intricate layout of Union Station from above; there is something so simple about its lines, hiding its complexity...

In a similar manner, the gentle flow of traffic always seems to draw me into a lull, following the various arches and arcs of our monstrous motorways - from a distance, seeming so simple...

Even Bay street seemed to have cleared by this point, allowing the background of the city to become the foreground, a unified story of urbanity, rather than the noisy clatter of seemingly unknowable individuals...

The cranes had stopped their motion for the day, and loomed above their towers like great prehistoric beasts...

Our unexpected mission ended very peacefully. And yet, rather than resting on our laurels, we were drawn back again this past weekend, as we thought our nook a perfect spot from which to view the air-show...

The Royal York still stands proud and at the forefront from this view, reminding us that it was, at one point, the tallest hotel in all of the British Empire...

Back again to the busy Eastern harbour, in all of its industrial glory. And looking far beyond all of this industry, the greenery of the Bluffs and calmness of the lake remind one immediately of what all work and no play makes of us...

Although it may sound overly-simplistic, Toronto seems to make more sense from this critical distance. Perhaps this is due to a greater sense of totality achieved by the simple ability to look down, as the sinewy, organic paths lead 'round, and what is distant merely sinks into layers. Rooftopping, not in spite of, but precisely because it involves real estate, does not escape it's most critical rule: location, location, location.

(To see the rest of the images from this view, as well as high-res. versions of those pictured above, you can check out my flick slide-show below.)