We’ve settled into Erin’s place very nicely thank you….and, while she’s out working, we “mooch” around and have time to soak up the experience of living in the neighbourhood.
There have been pushbike rides along the sea wall out to the beaches following the very well defined bike paths; visits to Granville Island, and, numerous visits to the local shops and cafes just down the street. When in the shops, following Wendy around like a love struck puppy, I am reminded of Nick’s view of visiting exotic places. He likes to tour the supermarkets to see what “stuff” the locals have…..and I can see what he means. We even got dinner from a buffet in the local supermarket the other night. Soups, salads, dozens selections of dishes which are ladelled into cardboard containers to take home. Hmmmm.
Part of travel is seeing how others address the universal issues of food, shelter, transport and things…..a sort of “we say potato - you say potarto” sort of deal…and it makes the world much more interesting!
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This is the takeaway food section in the supermarket. It’s busy…and huge. Soups, salads, hot foods vegetables…all just off the isles of breakfast cereals etc.
Grab a cardboard box (just off centre of the shot) load it up and pay for it by weight at the checkout. Makes a roast chook from Woolies seem pretty ordinary! |
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| 5pm staff meeting on Erin’s verandah..but only half the staff! The weather has been beautiful. |
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Wendy was on Erin’s bike and I hired a bike to explore a bit further afield. It’s a great way to get around and very popular. A few hours well spent!
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| We’ve found that this is our preferred mode of transport while here in Fairview. Local, quick, cheap and novel. It’s really popular with the locals. |
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| Inside the food section at the markets on Granville Island. So much variety and produce photos can’t capture it it do it justice. |
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These are people’s homes…houseboats all on a private jetty beside Granville Island.
Quaint and such a contrast to the concrete, steel and glass across the water. |
From Erin’s we moved to an apartment at Stamp’s Landing, a boat marina about five minutes walk away with a fantastic view of Vancouver, particularly at night. Mike and Wendy have returned from their excursion to the Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer and we are spending a few days there before heading off to Victoria on Vancouver Island.
Our apartment at Stamp’s Landing is a five minute ferry ride across the water from Yale Town where we were at the Opus, and a five minute walk from Erin’s. It is very, very “quirky” but is a generous size and situated in a fantastic location. The apartment is the light coloured building with the dark, sloping roof in the right of shot.
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| The view of the marina and the city skyline in the evening from our balcony…..stunning! |
And, while we were there, we were able to catch up with Jan and Roger Goldsmith, Wendy and Mike’s cousins. They are from Melbourne and, over the years we spent many, many Christmases with them, and extended family, on the beach at Wooli.
How serendipitous, to be able to meet up half way across the world and celebrate Mothers’ Day together.
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| Aussies at play. Us all enjoying a delicious Greek meal in a restaurant at the marina. It turned out to be a “entertaining” and memorable Mothers’ Day celebration. |
And the following day was Wendy’s birthday….always very close to Mothers’ Day and we celebrated with a “slap up” seafood meal at Granville Island. She did receive a few small gifts (luggage issues and all) but the best gifts for those special days she tells me was just spending time, just….”hanging out” with Erin. Somehow “FaceTime” is just not the same.
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| Happy Birthday to you! …and I’m told the Halibut is delicious 😋 |
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| And the trip home on the little “comic book” style ferry is pretty fine as well! |
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