You know how it is when you move to a new place, and you find reasons to think that you're lucky you ended up there and not anywhere else? Even though most of the reasons are ones your brain invents for you. It seems no matter where you end up, you'll come up with reasons why it's the best place. Well, I've started to do it for our place.
Sarah and I just got back from Kensington Park. We go out our door (the back way), cross the quiet road, and walk about a hundred metres and we're there. We rode our bikes to give her practise. We rode on a tennis court, then later a soccer field (yes, it's called soccer here), then a baseball diamond, and then a large gravel field. There's perhaps ten playfields here; the high school is nearby but after hours these are all open for community use. There's also an outdoor pool that we have yet to explore.
We still have gorgeous weather, and tonight in the last golden rays we saw all of Mount Burnaby to the east, Mount Baker to the southeast, and a range of mountains to the northeast.
If we walk to the far side of the park, about ten minutes from our apartment, there's the Kensington Square shopping centre. The main store is a Safeway, but we're learning to avoid it. Instead we patronise a meats shop, a bakery, a health food store, and a produce market. There's a post office and drug store and a video store. There's a wine shop that only sells wines made in British Columbia (by members of the Vintners Quality Alliance - VQA). We're on our third bottle.
The next two blocks have local shops. There are two coffee shops (one Italian!), an Italian deli, a yoga studio, a hair salon, and across the street is the bike shop where we bought Sarah's bike.
If we go out the front way, across Hastings is Sarah's elementary school. There's a crossing guard there at school times. One of us accompanies Sarah both ways, but we may start letting her go on her own soon.
Also across the street is the Italian restaurant we enjoyed (we've visited twice now) and a barber and a 24-hour convenience store (that's quite clean and spacious inside).
We'll be looking for longer-term housing soon, and I'll be wondering if we can achieve the same level of convenience, but of course I'll be doing the same rationalisation for that location also eventually ...
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Photos on a Gorgeous Day
Today I went into downtown to visit the Vancouver Art Gallery and see the last weekend of the Krazy exhibit on cartoons, anime and video games. I enjoyed it a lot.
Later I did a bit of walking around. The day started overcast but by late morning there was hardly a cloud and the lighting was just brilliant. I took a few dozen pictures but these are some favourites.
(This is from a cruise ship, one of two docked at Canada Wharf.)
Later I did a bit of walking around. The day started overcast but by late morning there was hardly a cloud and the lighting was just brilliant. I took a few dozen pictures but these are some favourites.
(This is from a cruise ship, one of two docked at Canada Wharf.)
Thursday, 4 September 2008
First Pictures
Now that I have my software, I can share some of the pictures we've been taking since arriving.
Here's us on our first night. We've been in the apartment for just an hour or two. We ordered pizza. The wine was in the fridge from the last vacation renter.
Next are some pictures from Sarah's and my trip to Science World ...
And here's the exterior, at the base of False Creek, with the downtown peninsula behind. Science World is in the dome on the right.
Here's Sarah on our attempt at riding up Mount Burnaby on our new bikes. We got partway up.
This is the view downhill, down Hastings Street to downtown Vancouver. If you look closely you can see the Shangri-La tower right at the horizon.
Here's us on our first night. We've been in the apartment for just an hour or two. We ordered pizza. The wine was in the fridge from the last vacation renter.
Next are some pictures from Sarah's and my trip to Science World ...
And here's the exterior, at the base of False Creek, with the downtown peninsula behind. Science World is in the dome on the right.
Here's Sarah on our attempt at riding up Mount Burnaby on our new bikes. We got partway up.
This is the view downhill, down Hastings Street to downtown Vancouver. If you look closely you can see the Shangri-La tower right at the horizon.
iMac Therefore I Am
My iMac arrived this morning. Such a relief. Now I can catch up on my podcasts, get photos off our camera, and at the moment, it's our best source of music.
Margo is also relieved because she doesn't have to share her laptop with me any more.
I was worried. I'd been tracking its shipment from Parcelforce, a UK shipper, and saw that it arrived in Vancouver the day after we did. Then, nothing. For a long time. We even got Margo's book boxes, sent at the same time as the iMac but with less urgency.
Finally I thought to check Post Canada and try the tracking number there, and fortunately it worked. I found that my parcel had been held by customs for about seven days. When the box arrived, it had clearly been opened and re-sealed. But it looks like nothing's missing, and it booted right up when I unpacked it. I updated the location preferences and now I'm on my way.
I've got a bike and my computer. I am sorted.
Margo is also relieved because she doesn't have to share her laptop with me any more.
I was worried. I'd been tracking its shipment from Parcelforce, a UK shipper, and saw that it arrived in Vancouver the day after we did. Then, nothing. For a long time. We even got Margo's book boxes, sent at the same time as the iMac but with less urgency.
Finally I thought to check Post Canada and try the tracking number there, and fortunately it worked. I found that my parcel had been held by customs for about seven days. When the box arrived, it had clearly been opened and re-sealed. But it looks like nothing's missing, and it booted right up when I unpacked it. I updated the location preferences and now I'm on my way.
I've got a bike and my computer. I am sorted.
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
Carless in Canada
Yesterday Margo returned our rental car. We're now car-free. Margo has agreed to try life without one for a week or two. This is the first time she's not had to drive to work. And driving to her classes is actually more difficult than using transit. So it's a great time to give it a try.
We're seeing that personal transport is well served by transit. Grocery shopping is a problem we're working on. For now we're doing more, smaller shops. Margo has found a stop she can make where she can get fresh fruit and veg, meat from a butcher next door, and bread from a baker a few doors down. I think we'll find more such places as we learn our neighbourhoods.
But we'll still have need for occasional hauling, like things in bigger boxes. So we're looking into car sharing. There are at least two car sharing schemes in the Vancouver area. And when we want to take longer trips, we can rent a car.
Margo is dubious but is being courageous enough to try this out for a short while. If you have any suggestions or words of encouragement, please email her.
We're seeing that personal transport is well served by transit. Grocery shopping is a problem we're working on. For now we're doing more, smaller shops. Margo has found a stop she can make where she can get fresh fruit and veg, meat from a butcher next door, and bread from a baker a few doors down. I think we'll find more such places as we learn our neighbourhoods.
But we'll still have need for occasional hauling, like things in bigger boxes. So we're looking into car sharing. There are at least two car sharing schemes in the Vancouver area. And when we want to take longer trips, we can rent a car.
Margo is dubious but is being courageous enough to try this out for a short while. If you have any suggestions or words of encouragement, please email her.
Monday, 1 September 2008
First Ride Around Vancouver
You know, being a human and having a big brain is pretty cool. But one disadvantage is that we humans can quickly adapt to changes in our environment. And the reason I'm complaining about this is that I think our new city is beautiful and I don't want to get used to it.
I set out on my bike this morning just to ride around and explore. I took the Frances/Adanac bike route heading west. Some day I'll count the number of hills between our apartment and downtown, but it must be about five or six, none of them too severe. Except the uphill from Boundary Road, on the return - it's best not to look up when climbing that as it's discouraging.
And on this ride, there's something neat to see in all directions. Ahead, the towers of downtown Vancouver. To the right, the mountains. To the rear, Mount Burnaby. And to the left, the towers of Burnaby neighbourhoods like Metrotown and Brentwood.
I'd intended to stop for coffee on the way, and when I saw the Bean Around the World Coffees shop at Union and Gore I decided to stop there. I asked about a drink they called British Fog and tried it - it's Earl Grey Tea with a bit of vanilla syrup and steamed milk. Nice. It was also my second bike parking. I have a U-lock in a holster on the bike, and brought a cable lock as a backup, because thieves usually don't carry tools to break both types. Bike theft is pretty rampant here.
I carried on up Pender Street through the north side of the downtown peninsula. Glancing to the sides up the cross streets, the towers make the same canyoning effect you see in New York and Chicago. Traffic was quiet, today being Labour Day; I suspect it's much busier during the week.
Around Cordova I was able to go right and down to the water to join the Seawall path. This mixed-use path (pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers) goes along the shoreline around most of the peninsula.
And the beautiful beautiful buildings! Several times I had to stop and pull over and look and just go, Wow. I've seen this route before as a tourist, but this was my first time as a resident, and I know the importance of savouring the first time. I probably should have walked it, but I rarely lingered for more than a few moments, because I am a man of action, and that's what I do.
But! There are dozens, hundreds maybe, of these glass towers. Some have interesting colours, some lean out a bit, some bulge out a little, some cut in and cut out, and they are all interesting. And riding by at street level, some have water features like fountains and small pools that made me think, to live here is to live in beauty.
And on the other side, the Burrard Inlet, with the mountains, the towers of North Vancouver, and seaplanes landing near-constantly.
I made it to Stanley Park, the forest which takes up the northern end of the peninsula, and was soon turned back around facing downtown's towers from a more distant perspective. There's a new tower, named Shangri-La, that breaks the established rule - where most are about the same height, this one stands about 1/3 above all others. I wonder who's the lucky guy with the penthouse.
Soon I passed under the Lion's Gate bridge, and was looking out English Bay at the moored tankers. Then, heading south, I was soon out of the park and among the residential towers, passing Denman and then approaching the swankiest new towers in Yaletown, as the beach, and later Granville Island, passed on the right.
I stopped to get a bite to eat and decided to try to find something in the Roundhouse area, a neighbourhood I've visited in the past, built around an old railroad turnabout. I parked and settled in at the Urban Fare, a grocery and cafe that's the size of a parking garage inside and full of gorgeous-looking (and probably monstrously expensive) produce. But I managed to fill up for under $10 with a chorizo egg wrap and cranberry juice.
Then it was back on the path, ending up close to the shiny dome of Science World, and from there I got on the Adanac/Frances path heading east. And when I made it to the top of that fifth or sixth hill, I was genuinely winded a bit, though I'm glad for the opportunity to get such great exercise, and in such a fun way.
I set out on my bike this morning just to ride around and explore. I took the Frances/Adanac bike route heading west. Some day I'll count the number of hills between our apartment and downtown, but it must be about five or six, none of them too severe. Except the uphill from Boundary Road, on the return - it's best not to look up when climbing that as it's discouraging.
And on this ride, there's something neat to see in all directions. Ahead, the towers of downtown Vancouver. To the right, the mountains. To the rear, Mount Burnaby. And to the left, the towers of Burnaby neighbourhoods like Metrotown and Brentwood.
I'd intended to stop for coffee on the way, and when I saw the Bean Around the World Coffees shop at Union and Gore I decided to stop there. I asked about a drink they called British Fog and tried it - it's Earl Grey Tea with a bit of vanilla syrup and steamed milk. Nice. It was also my second bike parking. I have a U-lock in a holster on the bike, and brought a cable lock as a backup, because thieves usually don't carry tools to break both types. Bike theft is pretty rampant here.
I carried on up Pender Street through the north side of the downtown peninsula. Glancing to the sides up the cross streets, the towers make the same canyoning effect you see in New York and Chicago. Traffic was quiet, today being Labour Day; I suspect it's much busier during the week.
Around Cordova I was able to go right and down to the water to join the Seawall path. This mixed-use path (pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers) goes along the shoreline around most of the peninsula.
And the beautiful beautiful buildings! Several times I had to stop and pull over and look and just go, Wow. I've seen this route before as a tourist, but this was my first time as a resident, and I know the importance of savouring the first time. I probably should have walked it, but I rarely lingered for more than a few moments, because I am a man of action, and that's what I do.
But! There are dozens, hundreds maybe, of these glass towers. Some have interesting colours, some lean out a bit, some bulge out a little, some cut in and cut out, and they are all interesting. And riding by at street level, some have water features like fountains and small pools that made me think, to live here is to live in beauty.
And on the other side, the Burrard Inlet, with the mountains, the towers of North Vancouver, and seaplanes landing near-constantly.
I made it to Stanley Park, the forest which takes up the northern end of the peninsula, and was soon turned back around facing downtown's towers from a more distant perspective. There's a new tower, named Shangri-La, that breaks the established rule - where most are about the same height, this one stands about 1/3 above all others. I wonder who's the lucky guy with the penthouse.
Soon I passed under the Lion's Gate bridge, and was looking out English Bay at the moored tankers. Then, heading south, I was soon out of the park and among the residential towers, passing Denman and then approaching the swankiest new towers in Yaletown, as the beach, and later Granville Island, passed on the right.
I stopped to get a bite to eat and decided to try to find something in the Roundhouse area, a neighbourhood I've visited in the past, built around an old railroad turnabout. I parked and settled in at the Urban Fare, a grocery and cafe that's the size of a parking garage inside and full of gorgeous-looking (and probably monstrously expensive) produce. But I managed to fill up for under $10 with a chorizo egg wrap and cranberry juice.
Then it was back on the path, ending up close to the shiny dome of Science World, and from there I got on the Adanac/Frances path heading east. And when I made it to the top of that fifth or sixth hill, I was genuinely winded a bit, though I'm glad for the opportunity to get such great exercise, and in such a fun way.
Mike's Best of Europe: Food and Drink
We've seen and experienced a lot in our time in Europe, and now I can look back and make my picks of the best of them.
Best Beer: Belgium. I've had a good sampling of British and Scottish beer, though I wish I'd done some research and exploring in Munich - I'm sure there were plenty of great varieties right under my nose. (For a while, two work mates and I were talking about going to Oktoberfest - that would have been great.) But the styles that appeal to me most - malty, sweet, dark, strong - are well represented in Belgium. Give me a duvel or tripel any time and you will have a happy man. Our Christmas in Brugges was overwhelming with tasty choices and I wish I'd taken more notes. And I've enjoyed many a bottle of Leffe whilst in the UK.
Best Wine: Italy. I guess the only real competition in Europe would be France, but I don't much enjoy the Bordeaux style - it's complex but not my taste. No, I've much more enjoyed deep, dark, juicy Italian reds. I just love saying the names: Montepulciano. Valpolicella. Negroamaro. Brunello di Montalcino.
Best Coffee: Well, I can't name one country. I'd be content with a cuppa anywhere in France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, or Scandinavia. Dark, strong and fresh, in their unique way.
Best Meal: Palle d'Oro, Florence. It's no coincidence this was our first dinner in Italy. I suspect that if I went back I might find it unexceptional. But even though we were full of the joy of just being at a traditional Italian meal, the food was memorable. The ragu sauce of Sarah's bolognese was the single best tasting thing I remember in Europe. (Excepting Margo's home cooking of course. (Whew! That was close.))
Best Chocolate: Belgium. Cadbury's? Meh. Nestlé? Adequate. Toblerone? Zzzzzz. Give me rich, tasty Belgian. I also enjoy the varieties - nuts, crunches, fruits, rums.
Best Beer: Belgium. I've had a good sampling of British and Scottish beer, though I wish I'd done some research and exploring in Munich - I'm sure there were plenty of great varieties right under my nose. (For a while, two work mates and I were talking about going to Oktoberfest - that would have been great.) But the styles that appeal to me most - malty, sweet, dark, strong - are well represented in Belgium. Give me a duvel or tripel any time and you will have a happy man. Our Christmas in Brugges was overwhelming with tasty choices and I wish I'd taken more notes. And I've enjoyed many a bottle of Leffe whilst in the UK.
Best Wine: Italy. I guess the only real competition in Europe would be France, but I don't much enjoy the Bordeaux style - it's complex but not my taste. No, I've much more enjoyed deep, dark, juicy Italian reds. I just love saying the names: Montepulciano. Valpolicella. Negroamaro. Brunello di Montalcino.
Best Coffee: Well, I can't name one country. I'd be content with a cuppa anywhere in France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, or Scandinavia. Dark, strong and fresh, in their unique way.
Best Meal: Palle d'Oro, Florence. It's no coincidence this was our first dinner in Italy. I suspect that if I went back I might find it unexceptional. But even though we were full of the joy of just being at a traditional Italian meal, the food was memorable. The ragu sauce of Sarah's bolognese was the single best tasting thing I remember in Europe. (Excepting Margo's home cooking of course. (Whew! That was close.))
Best Chocolate: Belgium. Cadbury's? Meh. Nestlé? Adequate. Toblerone? Zzzzzz. Give me rich, tasty Belgian. I also enjoy the varieties - nuts, crunches, fruits, rums.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)