It stopped raining today therefore after I did my 3rd aquafit class in a row at the YMCA ( the instructor was a no show therefore a substitute hardcore land instructor took the class - and I mean hardcore!) , straight to the hot tub than I had a shower, change of clothes and headed for Dunagrave to walk along the Seawalk in West Vancouver. I caught the bus to the end of Marine Drive to 25th then alighted and walked all the way back to Park Royal.
Along the way I met a nice older gentleman and we talked all the way to Ambleside- he stopped off for a coffee but I had to push on as I had a lot of shopping to do at Park Royal! Thanks stuffed possum ( I have to constantly explain to people that you are not a mouse or a squirrel but an Australuan possum) you attract more people's attention everywhere I bring you then a real animal!
Back at Park Royal Village I made several pit stops Shoppers Drug Mart Old Navy Loblaws City Market Wholefoods and a restroom stop. By the time I reached Park Royal it began to sprinkle then the down pour of rain came and didn't stop!
Wet I was back at the hostel by 7.30 pm or so. End of another day.
Photos to follow
Crab chowder from Wholefoods - not your typical white clam chowder - I suffered that night with my shell fish allergies!
Graffiti on a tree along the Park Royal trail - how dare they!
Ambleside pier - a popular spot for non English speaking Asians to crab catch and fish off.
Gallery near Ambleside Seawalk
Dunagrave and the annual Christmas tree display
Lions Gate Bridge connecting West Vancouver to downtown Vancouver - view from Seawalk
I am starting to pick up the pace now that I am in week 2 of my holidays.
Today was another nice day but I wanted to see some exhibitions @ Science World before they end. I spent the entire afternoon at Science World to see Game Changers and The Science Behind Pixar. Loved every minute of It! Rating : 9/10 I could have spend hours in there!
I have upload quite a few videos onto Youtube and a few photos on Facebook too.
Scienceworld @ Night - this some was the original Expo 86 dome
Sustainability Exhibition
Natural Science exhibition
Ski Simulator
Game Changers exhibition
Demonstration of Birdly
Stopped off on the way back on the Skytrain at Chinatown Stadium to T & T to pick up a few more groceries. So tempted to purchase more takeaway food but resisted as I planned to get back to the hostel and male myself a soba noodle seafood Tom Yum Soup with broccoli . It was absolutely worth the time to make and sit down & eat !
Monday 7th January 2019 - Day 10
Another beautiful day today and the sun was actually out all day! I went to Lonsdale Quay by Sean is today and purchased some salt water Taft in all the flavours available, some apple cinnamon hot cross buns from Cobs ( yes you heard me Christmas and New Year's Eve are just over and Easter is still a while off yet the hot cross buns are already out - forget the gingerbread scones they are now so passe)
Also had an unfortunate snack at Lonsdale Quay - a pork and vegetable spring roll - it looked nothing like the photograph nor did it resemble what the guy before me ordered. The dipping sauce was suppose to be fish sauce it tasted like water - that's not the sauce in the photo or what the previous guy had - it was meant to be chilli sauce . I went back and the lady that served me told me you want chilli sauce you have to ask for it - it doesn't come with it. Rating: 4/10 never returning there again to eat!
After Lonsdale I went to the YMCA to do yet another shallow aquatic class at 5.30 pm. Shower then back to the HI to make dinner eat and sleep. Tomorrow it will be a vert wet day apparently - I plan to do laundry shopping and go to the art gallery as well as treat myself to KFC's Tuesday special. Maybe a movie if I can fit it in.
Refer my Facebook page for photos
Downtown Vancouver skyline @ sunset
Salt Water Taffy - look at all thr flavours
Lonsdale Quay tower which is a lookout you can climb up
Unfortunate food incident
Lonsdale Quay Market building
North Vancouver Mountains
Today start off overcast but started to sprinkle as I left the YMCA around 11.30 am.
I attended the Gentle Aquafit class from 10 am this morning at the YMCA then spent some time in the hot tub. Mr Chatterbox was there again. Afterwards I had a shower but stopped off at the hardware store on Davie Street to look at a stainless steel frypan to use whilst I am in Canada. I want to have pancakes for breakfast but there is no way I am going to use those scratched toxic Teflon pots and pans supplied where I am staying. I want one that is made in Canada and that I can take back to Australia with me.
A quick stop at KFC as it is cheap Tuesday again for their 2 piece special. I tried the spicy special this time and it was much better then the awful dark dried out original I had last Tuesday. I hope that wasn't Kentucky Fried Rat I had last Tuesday - sure didn't look like chicken! To make it healthier I made a sandwich with the fried chicken meat - ketchup whole wheat bread super green leaves and most of the skin and fried coating taken off the chicken. Drank a glass of water with a borocca with it as well.
Tonight I plan to go to Vancouver Art Galley as it is after 5 pm entry by donation.
Other then that today is a life admin chill out day ie catch up with laundry wash and dry shopping for essentials etc etc.... A day off for a change.
Laundry wash and dry done. I had to rewash all my clothes because the laundry powder would not dissolve.
After laundry it was straight off to the Vancouver Art Gallery . The line at 5 pm was enormous and right around the block - bad thing was I was right at the end of the line in the rain! A few people could not wait any longer so left the line. It took about an hour all up to purchase your ticket by donation between 5 and 9 pm on Tuesday nights therefore I donated CAN$5 as my visit was limited to under 3 hours by the time I cloaked my small backpack.
So what did I think of the exhibitions on at the moment? Firstly Guo Pei - I saw her exhibition in Melbourne so some of what I saw was a repeat. Fascinating - I can't imagine how much time each garment took to create. I did have some favourites. Rating 8/10 worth waiting to see this exhibition.
Photos below
Wednesday 9th January 2019 - Day 12
Today I caught the Skytrain out to Olympic Village Station just to go to Canadian Tire - big disappointment there was nothing I wanted there. I then went grocery shopping at Save One Foods and Wholefoods Market. Naughty girl purchased 3 chicken strips and some sweet potato chips. So I was hungry yet again. Scoffed the 3 chicken strips down whilst waiting for the # 15 bus back to Olympic Village Station but when I reached the station and jumped off the bus changed to a #50 to Waterfront - I was wondering why everyone didn't get off so I got back on - the driver told me ot was quicker to get the skytrain back to Waterfront but the bus takes me closer to where I want to get off ie Granville and Davie Streets.
Purchased that Paderno stainless steel frypan on my way back to the hostel - the one that was on hold for me at the hardware store on Davie Street.
Returned to the hostel unloaded my groceries ( and new frypan) then headed off to the YMCA to do a cardio dance class at 5.15 pm . Forgot to mention made another new friend before I left the hostel.
The class was not fun - could not figure out the difference between this dance class and Zumba they are almost identical ie fast paced and if it is your first time the moves are a little confusing! Mostly a mixture of Latin and Bollywood???
Back to the hostel for a shower and late dinner of the turkey sausage I purchased today - yum! Just like the Aussie sausages back home except better!
Thursday 10th January 2019 - Day 13
Almost half way through my holiday and the end of my second week in Vancouver is approching.
Today I was going to do a yoga class but decided to do another gentle aquatic class at the YMCA again and hang in the hit tub.
I went double pace to make up for last night's cardio dance class which I didn't really enjoy. I have now been to the YMCA 8 times and done 7 classes. I sure am getting my money's worth!
Went back to the hostel to change and have something to eat. I hardly had anything to eat today. Was a little late back as I had to purchase some moisturiser for my eczema . "Magic water" alone does not cure my dry itchy skin!
At the hostel I made myself a sandwich with a turkey mushroom and mixed herb patty I made and also cheese and mixed green leaves. I also had some fruit to go with my meal.
Spoke to my roommate for the first time. Yep in the entire week she has moved here I had not spoken to her. She watched a lot of movies and if she wasn't on her computer was on the phone or making meals for herself or sleeping in or having a shower or doing her make up. She never seemed to go out sight seeing and I finally found out why. She was about to head home after a year's working holiday spending most of her time in Toronto. She had seen everything and done everything. These were her last 2 full weeks in Vancouver.
After a chat to my roommate I took Heath out to Metropolis Metrotown by Skytrain. On the way back we stopped at the IGA on Burrard to purchase a Kombucha - can't believe Heath had never had one in all the years he had been in Australia before. Kombucha is more popular in Australia then it is in Canada!
End of the day. I shared my dill pop corn with Heath I hope his hands were clean. Now catching up with my blog before going to sleep. Sorry no new photos today.
Friday 11th January 2019 - Day 14
End of my second week overseas.
Today I didn't feel like doing anything or going anywhere. I slept in took a very long shower skipped breakfast and just had brunch of a poached salmon greens and a banana with a pineapple juice. I then picked up a towel from reception and asked for a change of sheets as I have been here for 2 weeks now before walking down to the Vancouver Aquatic Centre to have a look around and compare it to the YMCA.
I then headed down to the False Creek Ferry Wharf to take the ferry across to Granville Island as it is a nice day not to be wasted outdoors today. I still had a ticket left over from last year do used it and planned to catch the # 50 bus back downtown.
First stop on Granville Island was a look at the organic bakery which was a French bakery last year.
Next stop a look at the Edible Canada menu - Duck Poutine - sounds like something I would eat but it was CAN$20 a serve and when I took a closer look - it didn't actually contain duck at all just duck gravy - rip off! No thanks.
Onto Granville Island Public Markets and first stop Segal's Bagels to purchase a hot spinach and cheese filled bagel - the price of these have sure gone up since last year!
Next another look around for food.
Photos to be uploaded below
Granville Island @ Night
I hate donuts but made a note of this donut place I found
The most bizarre items I found in a kitchenware store
My annual favourite a hit bagel stuffed with spinach and just a little bit of fetta cheese from Segal's bagels
Tomato basil and raspberry chocolate amongst the many flavours of chocolate from Chocolates I tried
Bon Mano Bon - if you haven't tried these award winning treats you must - the mocha chocolate tots are heaven
Depart False Creek Ferry Wharf Vancouver Aquatic Centre
Arrive False Creek Ferry Wharf Granville Island 5 minutes later
Live water spitting clams
So next stop chocolate - just 1 a dark tomato basil and raspberry dark chocolate from Chocolatas not bad.
Onto some vegetables for my chowder then some seafood - scallops and cod.
Next more chocolate and nut tastings from Bon Mano Bon yum - another little container of dark mocha chocolate for my work colleagues - products were so good I could not decide.
Next onto the Kitchen store that has been there for donkeys years. Where I purchased my glow in the dark banana guard. I purchased a baguette bag mad in Quebec for my boss - seriously thought of buying him the Avocado Sock but it would not work in Australia!
Found a stall called Lee's Dounuts - I don't even eat donuts but the chocolate holes looked good!
Time to go back to the hostel it is 5 pm.
Nice day out although I am not feeling the best. Skipping the YMCA today and tomorrow.
Still haven't done half the things I have to do but there is always tonight.
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