Vancouver

June 14 ~ 16

Have never heard anyone call Vancouver "Oz" or "The Emerald City"....but they should.  The whole huge city seems made of green glass ....quite a striking sight.

Vancouver is chic, sophisticated and incredibly clean. Since I've been here, maybe 20 years ago, the city has absolutely exploded....the skyline looks like Manhattan....shops, the likes of Chanel, line the streets....cozy bistros and uber bars are packed.  And the thing I remember most from that earlier trip is just how tidy and well kept everything is.  Even the most modest of homes, sports a beautiful garden. Fortunately, that still holds true.

The weather is not cooperating again, so we attempt to see some of the indoor Olympic venues. We arrive at The Richmond Oval, where all the skating took place, to find there is really nothing to see (except this statute) as they are converting the facility into an "International  Sports Center".  (Note to self: call all destinations for current conditions, books and websites are not always up to date.)

Do a drive around and find a pretty beach, Spanish Banks Beach, totally bereft of people on this gray day.

Had a wonderful chat with a lonely lifeguard who told us places to go and places to avoid.  He was right about Chinatown...a drive-by proves it uninteresting.  Gastown, however, is pretty cool.  Stroll the shops and find the coveted "red mittens" from the Olympics.  And discover a terrific European-style bistro, Chill Winston (chillwinston.ca) on a pretty little corner.

We'll graze on appetizers again.  The Venison Carpaccio, Proscuitto Wrapped Prawns and the Mussels Tomato Puttanesca simply cannot be beat.  The sun even pokes out and a day that started with several missteps, ends on a fine note.

Stanley Park

We've found on our last few trips into Canada, that this country has the most amazing park system. Public parks and gardens are plentiful and beautiful. Stanley Park is extraordinary....save an entire day to savor it all.

The five mile loop around the park starts with the Totem Pole Park, eight installations dating from the 1920's to the present. They reflect the history and culture of the artist's family. The rise to about 50 feet.

There are beaches along the way.

A fantastic overlook view of Lion's Gate Bridge.

And after much looking around for the Seqouia Grill, we found it had been renamed The Teahouse. It's a beautiful little building overlooking the water from a perfect patio and also luckily serves fabulous food.

This Smoked Salmon Arugula Flatbread Pizza was perfect. Rick's Linguine with Clam Sauce was its equal.

Though we could have spent hours more, we needed to get downtown to the BC Ferry office to figure out the next leg of our trip, so we made the Rose Garden our last stop in Stanley Park. We are so glad we didn't miss this.

There were also many calla lillies, my particular favorite....and the likes of these I've never seen...about four foot stems.

The ferry office is located at the Harbor where much of the Olympic ceremonies took place. It is a very vibrant area now the site of offices, cruise departures and convention space.

We only get more perplexed after talking to the young ferry representative. We are exploring all the possibilities of getting to Alaska....driving....taking Tor on a ferry....and going back to Seattle to take a cruise. We are getting kind of weary of traveling though....it's been eight months...still in the decision making mode of what's next. Right now, we're just going to enjoy Vancouver for a few more days.