(My solo road trip of western Canada – Saturday 3rd/Sunday 4th October)
Well, this is the end of a truly enthralling adventure. I am so thankful that I had this opportunity and I fully appreciate how fortunate I was to be able to take this on. Continue reading “The end of this epic road trip! Banff Downtown/driving to Calgary Airport”
(My solo road trip of western Canada – Wednesday 30th September)
OK, if you have been keeping up, a little recap since this morning:
The Sky Train, The SeaBus, Downtown Vancouver, Trees Organic and a fantastic yummy breakfast, The Seawall, Granville Island and Public Market, Railspur District, Gastown…phew!
Now I really needed something good to eat, something different, something with a bit of class, somewhere that has had excellent reviews and has a very good reputation…that will be Èast is East` thank you very much. There is a link below if you would like to see their website and menu, and if you go to the music page you can listen to some of the music on offer, just this makes me want to visit again…soon!
I walked a long way to get here, actually, by the time I had finished all of the above, and by the time I had reached this place (which I had actually read about back in the UK for one of the best places to eat when visiting Vancouver) it was just after 5pm, I did not leave this place until just before 10pm with at least an hour journey back to my accommodation. From the photos below, you can see that it was daytime when I arrived and not many people which led into the night and where the place became packed.
Why was this you may ask. Well, the decor was wonderful, the service was more than I could ask for, the food was so good, I took their signature dish which are very small portions of all their very best stuff on the menu, and when you finish that, you can order as much or as little as you want from the menu (same as before or different dishes) and the price stays the same.
But honestly, the main reason I stayed there was because on this night they has some splendid, mesmerising, soulful and classy entertainment which just made the whole visit exceptional in my view. I appreciate that not everyone may like this sort of music, but for me, this was very special.
There were three amazingly talented music artists that were playing fusion music together, there was a mix of Persian and Sufi music intertwined with aspects of Chinese music…after the day I had, there was very little battery left in the I Pad so I could not capture more than what I did below (and the sound quality may not give the credit that is due, but gives you an idea) which is a great shame as there were so many incredibly moving pieces that were being innovated as they played along…wow!
(My solo road trip of western Canada – Wednesday 30th September)
After my visit to the Public Market on Granville Island, I saw a very interesting building with a sign saying “this way to handmade local goods by Artists & Artisans” based in Railspur District on Granville Island, although this was not part of my plan, I was attracted to see what was there. It is such a cool, creative, happening place to be.
Some of the items on display were incredible, clearly some very talented people here and full credit to them for being part of such a wonderful and inspiring district. The fact that you can observe people working in the workshops and creating what you see on display for sale is very heart warming as you see how much effort and skill goes into some of these products. Have you seen rice plants by the way? The photo of me inside a ladies boutique may cause some concern, but I promise I was there to buy some gifts! This was a boutique that sold ladies scarfs that were created in a studio just outside, they are unique as you can only buy them from this one store, you cannot even buy them online.
By far, my favourite place in Railspur District was ‘The Hang Out Place’ that specialised in hammocks, the guy working (maybe not the correct word to be honest) looks very comfortable, wouldn’t you agree?
http://granvilleislandworks.com/
http://granvilleisland.com/category/gifts/188
(My solo road trip of western Canada – Wednesday 30th September)
After my refreshing Seawall bike ride, I was energised to take on the next part of the day. I had read that a very nice place to visit if time allowed was a shopping district called ‘Granville Island’. This was about a 30 minute bus ride from Downtown Vancouver and is located near the Granville Street bridge.
The Public Market is known as the jewel in the island’s crown. It is an absolutely fantastic place to visit, away from the hustle and bustle of Downtown Vancouver, the buzz here is quite different, much more welcoming, a little more laid back and some of the people were the nicest people I have met. The variety and the assortment of different foods that you can choose from is mind-blowing in this place, even when you have eaten, you will salivate when you walk past the next place…it is actually that good, I hope that the photos below do justice to what I am saying here (be prepared if you have a sweet tooth like me).
Again, the weather was just amazing, so blissful, it was just like being in some Mediterranean country, which just made the whole experience even richer and more enjoyable. The feel to this place was something quite special, so much so that when I close my eyes, I can actually feel the sun shining down on me, smell the aromatic fragrances from global foods everywhere I went and sense all the pleasure I did when I was physically there.
The variety of breads reminds me that I can never participate in a low carb diet, never mind a carb free diet! The selection of fruit was great, I particularly liked the unusually shaped grapes. I wonder if anyone can guess what the man is whisking in the bowl? The cakes were very inviting, ample variety of vinaigrette’s, I had never seen so many in one place, the assortment of honey looked very sticky and tasty, the Granville Island Tea Company reminded me of the UK and the Eccles Cakes were an interesting take on the ones I had when I was younger.
The final photo is of a man who was so full of energy that he basically oozed positive energy, he displayed so many skills by playing a selection of instruments while he performed. I captured one video before I was on my way, I thought he and his assistant did a very good job of it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
http://granvilleisland.com/discover-island/visitors-guide
