June 17 ~ 19
OMG! No literature prepared us for how cool Granville Island is.(granvilleisland.com) We thought we’d do a drive through to see what was up. Turns out, you can certainly spend the better part of a day; and actually, well into the night. We read Granville Island was a collection of shops, galleries, restaurants and a market tucked under a bridge. Well, talk about an understatement! Must be 100 shops and the best market I have ever seen. And they are all hoppin’.
The mix of businesses is really interesting. Some existed in the early 20th century, like a ship builder, when the area was a rather down and out industrial section. Others are very avant guard. And others are a mix of old crafts revived in a modern world. The Broom Shop, open only two weeks, is where a young woman carries on the craft of her ancestors. The brooms are artful and utilitarian….but we weren’t planning on buying anything…. then it struck us…..some looked just like a Harry Potter Quiddich broom. Grandson Ian is planning his new room….a Harry Potter room….had to get it. Trying to choose the one that looked most like Harry’s when the artist tells us, her family made the Potter brooms and leads us to the proper style. Turns out it’s also a good ride!
The market is extraordinary...the breads, the meats, the produce, the seafood, the flowers....I am literally a kid in a candy shop.
Can’t help myself…we buy steaks, leg of lamb, souvlaki, breads, muffins, fresh pasta, every kind of veggie and fruit imaginable, fresh herbs, flowers. Everything is exquisite. However, we find the best seafood at a shop not in the public market. Finest at Sea, Granville Island Smokery, specializes in smoked fish. Have never heard of candied salmon…one taste and we are smitten! That also goes for smoked teriyaki salmon and a smoked sable fish. There’s also a smoked halibut/eggplant spread and a salmon pate….all go in the basket. We top off the order with fresh spot prawns, a BC specialty that has a very short season. Tonight we will have a grazing dinner with the prawns sautéed in butter, wine and garlic as the centerpiece.
Queen Elizabeth Park
Another jewel hidden in a residential area is Queen Elizabeth Park, (vancouver.ca/parks) a former quarry occupying 130 acres that was transformed in the 1940’s into a stunning garden and recreation area. It is also the highest point in Vancouver….the city vistas from atop the park are stunning….the contrasts of city, gardens and snowcapped mountains makes quite a picture. 
The walk through the gardens has a definite Asian feel....it is serene, perfectly manicured and full of plants we're not familiar with...unfortunately there is very little signage identifying the species. But it is just grand.
While the gardens are free, there is a conservatory housed in a geodesic dome that has a $6 admission charge. We were planning on going, but when we entered, it looked so unimpressive that we passed….don’t know if that was a mistake or not.
We leave Vancouver in the morning and on to Whistler, just about 75 miles north. We love it here....not too crazy about where we're staying though. Called Burnaby Cariboo RV Resort (bcrv.com). There is a nice indoor pool and jacuzzi, game room and small gym. But the sites are so close together, it's rather uncomfortable. And the internet simply does not work.
Never been to Whistler....hear it's pretty terrific.
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