Vancouver, British Columbia
Playing trains with Eve
The rain is back, heavier than ever, meaning any plans we had for outdoor exploration are put on hold. We head instead to Granville Island, the foodie centre of the city. It’s not changed much from our vague memories, full of food, kids and craft markets, and we potter around taking it all in, buying coffee and, at Simon’s suggestion, going for a sake-tasting session before a very enjoyable lunch at Edible Vancouver.
With the weather so bad, and Eve needing a nap, Coman and I take our leave from Bee and Simon for a few hours, returning our trusty hire car to the airport with an extra 1500kms on its clock. We take the Skytrain back to the city and with a few hours until we are due to meet we head all the way to the Waterfront, and go sightseeing in the historic quarter called Gastown, re-taking photos and remembering the sights from previous visits – the Steam Clock, Gassy Jacks and various lovely shops and bars.
Bee, Si, Eve & me
However, a turn down Quebec Street to head through Chinatown towards the Olympic Village, showcases a hitherto unseen side of Vancouver. Out of nowhere junkies and crack-heads seem to appear, the stench of piss and misery making an unwelcome change from the rain. We hurry on, past the Telus Science Museum and arrive at the Craft Beer Market, where Bee, Si and Eve join us around 6pm to sample a paddle of local beers.
Suitably refreshed we walk on to a Middle-Eastern restaurant called Nubo for a lovely dinner before Simon takes Eve home, leaving the two of us and Bethan to “hit the town”, it being a Saturday night. We wander up to Main Street, with its street art and profusion of bars, before settling for a cocktail and Barneys and a cab back to Bethan’s – tiredness proving a bigger draw than painting the town red.
