Some Observations

I'm sure it won't last for much longer, but, by golly, the hydrangea blooms around the city are nearly the size of grapefruits, and I am seriously loving that!

I am still mostly on the sleep, eat, and shop routine, trying to outfit the kitchen a little more to my habits. I'm not out buying a pizza peel like I have at home, but finding some measuring spoons today made me ever so happy. Oh yeah...four trips down a day for Baxter too.

Without further ado, I share some observations from the past week and a half..

A. The tap water is delightfully chilly this time of year instead of the tepid water that I'm accustomed to at home.

B. The Canadian Geese visit the park early in the morning, taking off before the crowds arrive.

C. How did these two fellows end up wearing the same shorts?

D. In Yaletown they take their pets very seriously.

E. Along Granville, there are still remnants of the former Vancouver, the sleepy city that transformed its' image during the Expo 86.

F. Because I no longer get the daily newspaper that I used to read during my meals alone, I have been reading up on Vancouver instead. A relatively young city, most of the world had never heard of it before the aforementioned Expo, however, when Princess Diana and Prince Charles opened the fair, the world began to take notice. This article from the Vancouver Sun was particularly helpful. I learned that before the fair, most of the city still looked like this which I can hardly believe is still standing.

For how long is anyone's guess because the adjacent building is slated for a tear down.

G. The blue signs you see posted on the building are notices regarding future plans for the site. I learned from my new "friend" Zoey, that the land on which this high rise going up in the photo below once housed an old bar and something else I've forgotten.

H. Having only owned a single family dwelling, with a big yard, I had no idea how much a park means to city dwellers. Every single day something is happening, whether it be yoga, volleyball, catch, people practicing setting up tents, (as we saw last evening), or sunbathing on a Wednesday afternoon.

I. If ever there were a city with the haves and the have nots, Vancouver is that city. Fortunately, where we are staying they are few and far between but go about ten blocks and oh my goodness. People just walk around them.

J. I'm quickly learning that you never know what you will find when out walking..

K. They do love their water features...

This beauty is shaped like a daisy! Note the smoke lingers, however, rain is predicted for the weekend and hopefully a change in wind direction will accompany it.

L. More water features as seen at the corner of Nelson and Burrard.

I'd gone to the bank the other morning as I mentioned and when that mission failed I just kept walking along Nelson Street towards the West End. I came across this..

M. Once you get a few blocks from the city center, you actually come across houses, although my research into the Hobbit House has mostly come up empty.

One reason for continuing on Nelson was a search for a postal box which I had no idea would prove to be so difficult. Earlier on, as in when I was at the bank, I saw one down a street but figured I would come across one soon. Not so fast Gail....

N. The West End is beautiful...note the colorful box on the sidewalk. The elusive postal box.

The streets are tree lined and although there are many smaller apartment buildings, they are not all made of glass.

Something from the British past?

O. You are never too far from the water in Vancouver as it is on both sides. Eventually I turned left onto Cardero Street and coming over a rise, I saw the water and the now familiar Beach Avenue.

P. The city apparently likes to conserve water as the grass in this huge park across the street from the beach was completely brown, much to my surprise.

Q. People are polite and the city is not so crowded that you feel super rushed. Unlike London say, you can walk along at your own pace, whether it be the seawalk or the sidewalk.

R. They do like sculpture and they use logs on the beach for perches and separation between spaces.

S. Because the crime rate is low, people seem to take a more casual attitude when it comes to children. I was super surprised to see just one woman walking along with nine little preschoolers tagging behind her, seemingly without a care in the world.

T. Film making is huge in Vancouver and the locals are mostly used to the inconveniences it sometimes causes. In the elevator notice they say that filming in the lot below begins on Monday from 7AM-9PM, and the same goes for Tuesday. They are getting things ready as I type. The notice goes on to say that the street in front of the lot will be made to looks as if a huge accident occurred with automobile parts strewn about. I'm pretty sure that is what the black stuff is.

U. Although it is dry right now, judging from the umbrellas in the thrift store I visited yesterday, it does rain a lot. I guess I will find out for myself soon enough.

V. $34.99 for a cake anyone?

Worn out yet? I can tell you I'm sleeping well at night!

yours truly,

Gail