Vancouver, Part I

The adorably tiny ferry to Granville Island.
The adorably tiny ferry to Granville Island.

Getting from Key West to Vancouver is no easy feat. Yes, we could have flown from Miami or Fort Lauderdale with only one connection, but instead we flew from Key West to Atlanta, Atlanta to Salt Lake City and Salt Lake City to Vancouver. (I should note that one of my best friends lives in Park City, just minutes from the SLC airport, but was traveling the same day so I missed her in two airports, by about an hour each time. Rather unsatisfying.) At least it was in First Class (using miles, of course).

 

One note, for this and subsequent vacation blog posts: The photos may take a little longer to load as they are much higher quality than those from my phone! Apologies in advance.

 

The daunting schedule was worthwhile, however, as Vancouver is a fantastic city. We spent five days there, and I

FKGuy was happy despite the rain.
FKGuy was happy despite the rain.

cannot wait to go back. It is clean, easy to navigate, and the people are friendly and helpful. Oh, and the weather was pretty good, too. I know that the Pacific Northwest is, in general, rainy, so it did not surprise me when we woke up Monday morning to rain, and cold. I thought there was a good possibility of rain the whole time we were there (as reported to me by the ever unhelpful weather.com and wunderground.com) so we seized the moment and took a walk, in the rain.

After thirty minutes of strolling, I was freezing, so we stopped for breakfast at Forage. I had read about it being good, and it was. everything was served in impossibly tiny containers – the sugar, jam, and even the salt and pepper. The food was delicious. The omelet with wild mushrooms was outstanding, as was the toast and delightful cappuccino.

One of the many counters that left me drooling at the market.
One of the many counters that left me drooling at the market.

Once we were fortified, it was time to explore some more, so we headed to Granville Island. We took a short stroll over to David Lam Park to catch the ferry. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but these ferries are tiny. They probably hold ten people, max. As we exited the ferry, our driver told us where to get on for the return trip (about five feet from where we started).

We explored the island a bit, strolled through the market, got coffee and truly delicious chocolates, and enjoyed a few minutes of being indoors. From there, we walked around and explored the shops, the galleries and

They tasted even better than they looked. Imagine that!
They tasted even better than they looked. Imagine that!

at lunch time, had fish and chips at Tony’s Fish and Oyster Cafe. Tony’s is tiny, but the food was great and service was friendly, if a little haphazard.

We adjusted well to the local time, but we decided we could use a nap, as friends were picking us up for dinner at their house around 6:30 PM. It was a wonderful kickoff to our time in Vancouver. By dinner time, the weather was beautiful, and the sun was shining (It was only 6:30. It doesn’t really get dark until about 9PM.) we enjoyed expansive views of North Vancouver, along with excellent wines, delicious food and amazing company. Along with the perfectly seared scallops and duck risotto, we drank well: NV Krug Champagne Grand Cuvée, 2003 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal, 2001 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino, 2006 Cameron Pinot Noir Abbey Ridge, 2004 Mitolo Shiraz Savitar, 2003 Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes, and because sometimes you just have to end with cognac, Remy Martin Cognac Reserve Cellar Selection Cellar #28.

Nope, not some artsy black and white photo with a splash of color. The weather just sucked.
Nope, not some artsy black and white photo with a splash of color. The weather just sucked.

While this was the best wine evening of the trip (by a mile), it was just the beginning of the eating and drinking tour of Vancouver and Alaska. Next up: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Scoozi, Tableau, and Hapa

The fish and chips at Tony's was worth every fried bite.
The fish and chips at Tony’s was worth every fried bite.

Izakaya. Yes, we ate at all of those places (except the park) in one day. More on Wednesday.

 

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