Favourite 2013 travel photos. Vancouver, BC. June 2013
Lions Gate Bridge
Author: Greg
The best Vancouver lunches
Food trucks, high end cuisine and great hole in the wall places to grab a bite to eat. Vancouver had it all. Although it took me until the last two days of our trip to get to the final two places on my “must eat” list, they were well worth the wait.
Meat & Bread – As my conference wrapped up on Friday at noon, only a small detour back to the apartment got me to Meat & Bread. Each day they serve four different sandwiches, including a sandwich of the day. I really didn’t ponder the menu because there was only one sandwich I came for – the porchetta.
I saw this place on Food Network a few weeks before the trip and there was no doubt about what I would order. Here’s the porchetta being carved as I waited in line to order:
Peak 2 Peak
Favourite 2013 travel photos. Whistler/Blackcomb, BC. June 2013
My kind of Alibi
I have a soft spot for beer bars. I’ve been to a few really great ones recently – Bar Volo and the Rebel House in Toronto, Elysian Fields in Seattle, Wynkoop in Denver and La Taberna Lúpulo in San Juan to name but a few. So when plans for Vancouver came together, I got a lot of recommendations that the Alibi Room was not to be missed.
What great recommendations.
We sat down and I was presented with a two page menu of beer on tap. The selection was overwhelming (and exciting!). Knowing I was going to be sampling a few beers, I started by selecting the Phillips Brewing Wheatking Hefeweizen and Upright Brewing Engelberg Pilsner. Both wonderful, it was a great start to a sampling session:
First impressions of Old San Juan
There is a patina to Old San Juan that is unmistakeable. I haven’t been anywhere that was reminiscent of the seven square blocks that was our home away from home. Some combination of the heat, the tropical rains that would appear for brief interludes and the age of this part of San Juan create a beauty that is very unique. The architecture, food and people left a mark on both of us and it was a perfect backdrop for a honeymoon.
Over five days we took a visit to El Yunque rainforest, did a Puerto Rican cooking class overlooking the Atlantic Ocean (where I started a love affair with fried plantains), endlessly wandered cobblestone streets, ate great food lovingly prepared and had more than our share of mojitos. We also spent time sitting in the interior open-air courtyard of our hotel reading, listening to the rain, drinking Spanish wine and reminiscing.
It was a great first trip as a married couple. More pictures and stories to share in the coming weeks…
Eight years
Tonight I will marry the woman who means the world to me, the woman with whom I am beyond fortunate to share my life. We’ve had eight years full of experiences. We became aunt and uncle to two very amazing kids. We’ve seen our respective careers change. We’ve supported each other as we pursued accounting designations a few years apart. Although it is only tonight that we will we be exchanging formal vows, we’ve lived the “sickness and health”, and “better and worse”. Like everyone, we have had our share of ups and downs and I can honestly say there’s no one with whom I’d rather share the highs or have in my corner for the lows. My love has opened my eyes to a wealth of new experiences, constantly encourages me to learn more and seek out my passions and fills my days with laughter.
These recent weeks have had both of us reminiscing on our relationship with many of our fondest memories relating to travel. Together we set foot in Europe for the first time in 2006. Before we could make it to our hotel after landing in Brussels, a lost passport incident had us detained by police for a few hours. Making it through that together ignited an unyielding passion to travel. We’ve hot-air ballooned over northern California, relaxed in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland and first discovered mojitos in Amsterdam after a Mexican family opened their restaurant and ex-pat party to two hungry and tired Canadians. We have cried in a Canadian war cemetery in Normandy, tailgated before a Bears game in Chicago and stood on top of our first mountain in Switzerland. We’ve eaten jerk chicken in Montego Bay, sampled the finest espresso in Milan, and picnicked on French cheese and wine alongside the Seine. We have stood together in stunned silence at the beauty of Lake Louise, sipped tequila in Mexico, and sailed through the magnificent fjords of western Norway. We’ve perched ourselves on the edge of the Grand Canyon, driven the Sea to Sky Highway in British Columbia and taken in an afternoon Yankees game in the Bronx. Fifteen countries and well more than 100,000km later, neither of us would trade our travel experiences for anything.
Us in Reykjavik, Iceland. August 2012.
In a few hours, in front of our families, I’ll declare my affection and devotion to my partner in life and my best friend. Rings will be exchanged, good wine and food will be shared, and many, many, many stories will be told in celebration. What’s first for us as an officially married couple? A trip of course. Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, and another stamp in our passports.
Seems like a perfect way to start married life.
Bucket list meal at Vij’s
When the opportunity to visit Vancouver turned into an upcoming reality with the purchase of plane tickets, the first thought that crossed my mind: I have to have a meal at Vij’s. My love and I have a passion for seeking out and finding great food on our travels, and we knew Vancouver was going to be an exceptional food city. But a stop at Vij’s was tops for us. The “best of lists” for Vancouver and our love of Indian cuisine was only partially behind it. The main reason was the restauranteur himself, Vikram Vij. His inventiveness, commitment to local ingredients and to preparation techniques honed over time, and his personal dedication to this restaurant (he greets guests personally!) meant that we knew we would be in for a special evening.
The experience begins in line waiting for the doors to open at 5:30. There are no reservations, all guests are equal, much like you were visiting him at his home. Drinks and snacks are offered while you wait for the restaurant to open. Can you tell we’re a little excited?
Vancouver public art
Vancouver is rich in public art. Eight days in the city (with a few of those for professional commitments) only allowed me to scratch the surface and take in a few pieces. What I did see made me smile, and in a few cases made me reflect. Here are a few highlights.
Probably the piece I was most interested in seeing was the Terry Fox Memorial outside of BC Place Stadium. Like many Canadians of my generation, he was a hero to me. His resiliency, determination and sheer stubbornness in the face of immense obstacles, let alone his athletic achievement (the equivalent of running a marathon a day for 143 consecutive days), inspired awe. Seeing this memorial in Vancouver was a highlight of the trip for me:
Street food, Vancouver style
Great food, enjoyed outdoors, is one of life’s true pleasures. Since the weather on our Vancouver trip more than cooperated, we got to try a number of different food trucks that inhabit the downtown area. First up on my list was a stop at Japadog only a few hours after we landed. Probably the most widely famous of Vancouver’s street food, this place smells great from a block away:
There’s a long list of hotdogs from which to choose, all having some form of Japanese twist on the traditional tube steak. It’s a difficult decision, especially if you think you’re only going to be able to squeeze one of these in on a trip. I settled on the Kurobuta Terimayo dog that is an amazing all-pork dog dressed with Teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo and seaweed. The verdict: unusual and delicious:
Day trip to Whistler
With our body clocks saying it was noon, we picked up the rental car in downtown Vancouver on Sunday morning at 8am feeling fresh and ready to head up into the mountains. A couple of outstanding coffees acquired (conveniently right next door to Avis), we pulled out of the city in a sexy Fiat 500 with a sunroof. Fifteen minutes outside Vancouver, we’re on to the Sea to Sky Highway and more than an hour of views like this:
Bluenose Traveler 