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And so, after a 13 hour but not unpleasant bus journey, we arrived in our final Canadian destination, Vancouver. This was a city that promised big things - almost everyone we'd spoken to about our travel plans had nodded sagely at the mention of Vancouver and informed us of how beautiful/modern/clean/fantastic it was. Which was unfortunate as we were both disappointed by first impressions - the downtown area seemed slightly sterile and the main street where we stayed, lined with bars and nightclubs, was reminiscent of Birmingham's Broad Street. The weather didn't help - it was grey and rainy for the 4 days we were there which only emphasised the blandness of the modern monochrome architecture which made up the heart of the city; a hotch potch of new tower blocks and complexes which, under a leaden sky, created a lifeless, unfinished appearance.
Our impressions may also have been tarnished by the fact that we both had tedious yet pressing matters to attend to during our stay. I had been bothered by a recurring pain in my hip which forced me to trudge through the rain to a physiotherapist's office somewhere in the middle of the business district to be told I needed to do a myriad of exercises every day to sort it out. Rich, who had for several weeks been battling with the Swampy-esque dreadlocks that formed during his 5 months away from civilisation, finally admitted defeat and booked himself a 2 hour appointment with the legendary dreadlock gurus at Knotty Boy, who proceeded to pull at his hair until the majority of the matted strands were free. On top of that, what should have been a magical evening visiting a huge outdoor Santa's grotto, drinking mulled wine, eating candied popcorn and riding a miniature railway through the most impressive Christmas light and sound show I've ever seen only reminded me of my impending first Christmas away from home and brought on a tearful bout of homesickness.
As a result, we probably weren't looking at Vancouver with entirely forgiving eyes, but that's not to say there wasn't a lot to enjoy about the city. We spent a morning wandering around Granville Market, sampling the dizzying array of foodstuffs and foreign cuisines on offer, before sailing across the river the visit the friendly looking Inukshuk who stands waiting to welcome visitors. We had a superb meal, courtesy of our friends at Pretty River, in the Twisted Fork bistro - 3 courses + cocktails + wine = the ritziest we've felt since leaving England. The Gastown or historic district also captured my imagination, looking (particularly at dusk), like a modern interpretation of a Dickens streetscape. It was here that we first encountered the loveable Quatchi and co, mascots for the forthcoming Vancouver winter Olympics who lined almost every shop window we passed, along with some of the most impressive native art we've seen on our travels. On our final day we headed over to Stanley Park to admire the totem poles, sculptures and panoramic views of the city from across the water. So all in all, with better weather, higher spirits and lower expectations I'm pretty sure we would've formed a more favourable impression of "the Best City to Live in In The World."
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