Friday, October 12, 2012

A Weekend Getaway.

This Thanksgiving long weekend, my Great Uncle David invited me to spend the holiday in Vancouver. I was thrilled when I got the invite, and even more thrilled when I was able to get the Friday off to spend 4 days in the city. It certainly was a whirlwind trip, but it was absolutely fantastic and the best possible way to spend the Thanksgiving weekend!



After getting completely lost on my way to the Calgary International Airport Friday morning at 5:30am (details to come in a future post about my bad sense of direction), I flew over the Rocky Mountains and landed in Vancouver at 8:30am. A warm hug and quick catch up chats later, Uncle David and I began our weekend together by checking out his humble abode and remarking on the beautiful weather. I was excited to see the sun and its warmth in Vancouver because recently it has been bloody cold in Calgary and we've seen many a snowflake fly. Uncle David has a rooftop deck that I admire. It looks out over the harbour and along the mountains. You really can't get a better view. I can see myself spending many many hours in the summer on top of his house taking in every minute of the scenery and peacefulness. I hope that in my future trips I get to spend more time atop the deck! (hint hint Uncle David!)


After taking a walk around the University of British Columbia campus and checking out the Anthropology Museum, we finished the night off with a fantastic and delectable dinner at Cactus Club Cafe - a restaurant owned and run by celebrity chef Rob Feenie. Now, I've written before about my love for food and everything about it. So when Uncle David suggested we check out this restaurant I was so excited to take in my first meal at a celebrity chef's restaurant. A big deal for this foodie. I had a seared halibut atop noodles and a vegetable medley with a saffron cream sauce. For dessert, we enjoyed a chocolate mousse with a caramel foam and toffee bits and a drink of cappuccino. Yum yum yum!


Saturday was another fantastic day weather-wise. David took me to Grouse Mountain - the peak of Vancouver. I can't describe in words how magnificent the view of the city is from atop the mountain. You also get a great view of the different mountain ranges. The pictures don't do it justice, but at least they'll give you a taste.




After our adventure on the mountain, David ventured home for a much needed nap and I went to Robson St. and did some shopping. Can never get tired of shopping! I'm quite proud of myself - I looked up the bus schedule online and found the proper bus to get me to the shopping district and back to the hotel. Didn't get lost once! A different story can be said for my first bus trip in Calgary (another future blog post about my bad sense of direction?!) I bought a new pair of shoes on my shopping adventure and wore them on our dinner cruise along the harbour and Falls Creek that night. Another great way to get some beautiful views and pictures of the city. The city looks so majestic at night. The lights reflect off the water and create a wonderful ambiance. If only it hadn't been so darn cold!



Sunday was an action packed day! David and his friend Marg meet for breakfast and walk along the sea wall on Sundays. So I joined in on the fun. Now, I must add that the night before the new shoes I wore gave me quite the gash on my right heel. So wearing sneakers and walking approxiamtely 10 km that morning I knew was going to be painful. But it was totally worth it! That was probably the most beautiful walk I've ever taken. It was sunny out and warm, but not too warm that I was drenched in sweat by the end of it. Lots of people take in this unique walk. And not only do they walk, the rollerblade, skateboard and bike too! Which leads me to the next part of my day. I rented a bike later in the afternoon and biked around the rose gardens in Stanley Park and then back along the sea wall. Everyone rents bikes in Vancouver. I can probably direct you to 5 different rental shops within a 7 block radius from the hotel I was staying at. My bike had a cute little basket to hold my purse and leftover noodle take out from a cute noodle pulling restaurant around the corner from my hotel. I got some great pictures of the city on my stroll and bike ride on Sunday (and on the bus tour I took between the two). Did I mention that it was an action packed day?!






That night, David and I went to the lookout tower restaurant and had supper. This restaurant had a rotating floor so that while you ate and chatted, you got to see some beautiful sites of the city from every angle. I mean, I saw EVERY INCH of the city at night from up there and I didn't have to move (the floor did that for me). The food was delicious, the sites were breathtaking, and the company couldn't have been better. It's difficult to pick one thing that I enjoyed most of all the fabulous things I did while in Vancouver, but I must say that this is on my list of things to do again whenever I return.


After a busy busy busy three days in Vancouver, David and I both agreed without conversing with one another that Monday we needed to slow down. After having breakfast, I strolled out to the beach and sipped on a coffee, read a good book, and sat in the sand wiggling my toes through it. Nothing feels better then sand between your toes and the sun beating down on you. The smell of the water and the sound of children splashing around brought a smile to my face and a peace in my heart - like nothing I've felt before in a long time. The feelings are returning slightly as I write this all down...


The rest of the afternoon before my flight departed back to Calgary was spent with David on Granville Island checking out the fantastic market and people watching on the boardwalk. They had some decent buskers performing, but I think the performance from the plethora of children chasing pigeons was top notch. I found myself in tears giggling at their presistence and tactics on several occasions.

What a fun filled weekend. I'm still tired and haven't gotten caught up on sleep. That's okay though, because it was totally worth it!

PS - did I mention that I came home with a tan?! The weather was so perfect that this pale red head came home with a slight tan. Yes, sir!

1 comment:

  1. Three things:

    1. "cute noodle pulling restaurant": Honey, if you want noodles, come visit me! Hand-pulled noodles for the win! (Although I wouldn't say the restaurants are cute haha, more like sketchy. But the food's delicious!)

    2. "Nothing feels better then sand between your toes": Uhh, disagree! haha

    3. I love you and miss you and laughed at the comment you left on my "American Idol" post and read it aloud to my coworkers.

    ReplyDelete