Vancouver 2018! Yeah!
Call it Raincouver, Vansterdam, Blandcouver, VanCity, whatever you will. Monika and I were privileged to be able to spend 3 days adventuring prior to embarking on our mid-May Alaska Cruise this spring.
The Vancouver Metro area is the 3rd largest in Canada, and contains roughly 600K residents. It also represents one of the highest population densities in Canada at nearly 5400 people per square KM. Surrounded by temperate rainforest, the neighborhoods are as varied as the history of Vancouver and each exhibit a flavor uniquely its own.
We took a BoltBus from Seattle and it was just a “meh” experience. A brief taxi ride from the bus station took us to the Downtown Sheraton. (Note – Uber and Lyft were not active in Vancouver at the time of our visit) we unpacked, relaxed, checked the weather and planned our adventures for the next few days.
Day One
After Monika emphatically vetoed the all vegan Mexican joint I suggested for breakfast, (I’ll make it there yet!) low blood sugar and good fortune led us to nearby Cafe Medina on Richardson St. I don’t have adjectives to cover what Medina does – A Mediterranean inspired breakfast menu with entrees centered around the wood fired oven, amazing Liege style waffles with creative toppings and a casual vibe that somehow effortlessly nourishes heart, soul, and body. Alchemy? Magic? Maybe both. We returned several times over the next few days and every meal was an experience.
Ready for the day, we strolled towards Granville Island and quickly agreed that we were in a great city for walking; Fairly flat, clean, and with interesting shops and polite fellow pedestrian, we crossed the river via ferry to the island and spent the morning exploring the Public Market in a riot of smells, sights, and tastes that all seemed to have just been liberated from ocean, field, and oven. We had difficult choices to make and found ourselves (as we often do) wishing for both a kitchen to cook what we’re seeing and an unlimited appetite to enjoy much more of the goodness around us. We decided on some very nice small bites to share in between wandering the craft shops – Fish and chips from one busy stall, a very nice rustic roast chicken and salad from a bistro, a few pieces of charcuterie and fresh bread, Lemon cheesecake and coffee for me, and a gelato for Monika from others.
After a relaxed stroll back to the hotel we relaxed for the remainder of the evening after enjoying a sunset from the pool deck.
Day Two
Another magnificent Cafe Medina breakfast with waffles for dessert, unusual in that we rarely dine at the same place twice when travelling – Medina is just that amazing! We headed out on foot through the City Center to Stanley Park and the Seawall in the lovely spring weather. Walking through a city is our favorite way feel immersed in new surroundings and I started to get a sense of what for me defines the character of Vancouver – Slightly European, somewhat old town and historical, but with enough of a corporate presence to feel thoroughly modern. In some of our wandering I also confirmed what I had noticed on our first day – The people of Vancouver are friendly as well as extremely well spoken and polite. Even in small interactions with a shopkeeper or people on the street I had the sense that conversation was valued rather than a social nicety – pleasantly surprising!
Stanley Park and the Seawall are easily a full day experience and this is where we planned poorly! Bring water, snacks and/or a picnic lunch as well as binoculars and something like a sarong to stretch out under a tree with! Comfy walking shoes are a must! Bike rentals are also available and would be a great way to get around given the size of the park.
We entered the park near the Lost Lagoon and Devonian Harbor Park and walked along the Seawall to just past the Aquarium. Along the Seawall, take the time to watch the ships offshore and the mesmerizing patterns of the waves as well as the various monuments and sculptures such as “The Girl in the Wetsuit”, The “9 O’clock Gun” and others. Pull up a bench, let time stop for a minute!
Heading for the interior of the park we felt we were truly in the midst of a city forest – The older growth trees are perfect for throwing out a blanket (in our case the ever present sarong) to lay back and enjoy the treetops. Tree varieties in the park include Cedar, Spruce, Fir, Alder, Maple and Cottonwood among others. Keep an eye out for squirrel and raccoon – We had a close encounter with a “bandit” foraging for lunch at one of our stops!
Do stop at the Stanley Park Totem Poles at Brockton Point to see the beautiful artistry of this exhibit.
Our day was perfect, warm and sunny with a light breeze and I’m sure we would have spent the entire day in the park if hunger hadn’t driven us out. Above all, don’t be in a rush! The park is not an attraction to be conquered but one to be savored.
After a really nicely done lunch of grilled salmon salad and pizza margherita at CinCin we adventured back to the hotel on foot while stopping in a few of the local shops to browse and enjoy a coffee and some chocolates from one of the wonderful little shops along the way. By this time, and after two days of pretty solid walking we were ready to put up our feet for a few hours before venturing out to a local favorite called The Keg place for what we thought would be a drink and light appetizers to catch the sunset. The choices on the menu and the sight and smell of some of the dishes being brought to the tables around us pretty quickly convinced us a full dinner was in order – Excellent ribeye, delightfully fresh Ahi tower, crisp salads, and freshly baked house bread coupled with a few glasses wine soon had us close to food coma status.
We followed up our feast with a walk through nearby Yaletown and enjoyed the ambiance but had to admit we were too stuffed to even enjoy a drink at one of the inviting bar and restaurant combinations- I couldn’t even coax Monika into stopping for a gelato along the way!
Day Three
Our last day! For some unknown reason I am compelled to visit every Chinatown I possibly can! Thankfully Monika indulges this need whenever possible (but not vegan joints. I don’t get it!)
We headed out early after towards the Chinatown area with an eye (mine anyways) on the savory dumplings and the fantastic steamed buns stuffed with roast pork found in every predominantly Chinese area. I was especially excited for Vancouver as over 25% of the population claim Chinese ethnicity.
The areas in and around Chinatown are not really for the faint of heart – There were many, many homeless in and around the area. Quite a bit of open drug use as well including a few people with syringes and spoons. I was on a quest for dumplings and steamed buns and so was undaunted. Monika may have been a bit daunted!
We “brunched” at the New Town Bakery and Restaurant – absolutely fantastic! Pork Buns, Chicken buns, Pork dumplings, Shrimp dumplings. Just like Mom would have made if Mom was Chinese. Highly recommend! I regret having only one appetite to give…
From there we headed for the trendy Gastown area and the one of a kind Steam Clock. This bustling area is perfect for an afternoon wander to enjoy the Victorian architecture and many small shops. I also found myself regretting that I did not leave some room to sample some of inviting restaurants in the area. The Steam Clock itself is worth much more than a cursory photo op. Spend a little time looking at the mechanism closely – Pretty impressive! Make it a point to take a wander through the First Nations Art Gallery – Really interesting display of Native American artwork!
Next, a walk through Victory Square and on to the Top of Vancouver restaurant for early afternoon cocktails and a light lunch. The lobster avocado tower and Humboldt squid were wonderfully executed as was the Sazerac I chose to start. This is place to slow down and take the time to enjoy the view as the restaurant revolves. At ~ 550 feet up it was pretty great to see the sights and landmarks we’d walked the last several days.
Thoroughly stuffed once again, we hit the streets and found ourselves browsing The Paper Hound bookstore. Bookstores have always held a special place for me and as much as I’ve reduced my collection over the years I could see myself doing serious damage to wallet and bookshelf space here. Worth a heavy browse!
Back at the hotel and pre packed for the short jaunt to the cruise ship dock the following morning we found our thoughts turning to the Jinya Ramen Bar just around the corner – we’d walked by several times and it was ALWAYS busy! A quick google search revealed ratings in the 4+ range and suddenly a reservation was born! I was kind of blasé about it – In spite of all of our walking and some sincere attempts at restraint over the past few days I still felt like what I needed a few days of salads and seltzer. I was so very wrong! Minutes after being seated at the bar with the house recommended Suntory and Topo Chico aperitif the smell of long simmered stock and the fragrant umami of gyoza coming from the other side of the counter began to work magic. I started to salivate, there was a faint rumble from my stomach, and suddenly ordering more than half of the menu looked not only desirable but achievable! We ordered bowls of ramen, seaweed salad, and gyoza. My nose didn’t mislead. The broth was hearty, balanced, delicate yet robust at the same time and slurping was indeed encouraged. Our gyoza had a magical balance of savory meat, ginger, and garlic. – Every bite into the firm, slightly toothy dough was something like unwrapping a present!
Goodbye Vancouver! I’ll be back!