The weather continues to be warm and the sun keeps shining and it seemed like a good day to be a tourist in our own very beautiful city. There is an exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) that is nearly over, that I had been meaning to get to all summer, so Connie Nancy and I set out for a day of art and exercise.
We thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit which included a very good documentary film hosted by Micheal Palin. After all this culture we were ready for lunch and headed up to the gallery cafe.
This was actually much better than this picture looks, filled with artichoke hearts cheese and red pepper. Connie ordered soup with chirozo sausage and arborio rice, which was also very good, but unfortunately the picture of it really is too bad to even pass my obviously low standards of photograph quality.
After lunch came the exercise part of day, with a quick trip to Granville island to pick up a few more late tomatoes to can, we started off on the trail around False Creek. This is a beautiful walk with spectacular views of the mountains and down town, as well as the park and residences along the way.
Near the end of the 3km walk is the the Olympic Village, which was home to the athletes in 2010. This is now turning into a wonderful community to live in with all the amenities with in walking distance and right on the banks of false creek. There is a small pedestrian bridge which reminded me very much of the millennium bridge in London.
The heart of this community is a large plaza surrounded by cafes, restaurants and shops. In the centre are two giant bird sculptures.
I rather liked these though I wonder how they will weather. Beyond the Olympic village is the Science center a favourite place when the kids were little but certainly not on our agenda today. You can continue right around false creek, but the the afternoon was closing and we decided to take one of the little ferries back to Granville Island. for $5.50 each we were taken back through the boats harboured in the bay and past all the high rises on the expo site.
Our evening ended with dinner provided by friends sitting on their sail boat in Coal Harbour. In the background Steve Nicks was playing in the park. If it had not been for the unfortunate incident involving the Ipad and the water, it would have been a perfect day in Vancouver.
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| Granville Street Bridge with Burrard behind |
The exhibit was a collection that had been amassed by the Cone sister of Baltimore. it contains the largest collection of Matisse in the world. Not only was the art awe inspiring, but the story of these two sisters from the turn of last century was inspirational as well. These were two strong minded women, who I would like to say were truly independent, but unfortunately they gained their money from their brother and father, so that can not quite be said. Regardless they lived their enviable lives travelling Europe collecting art (and clothes) and the eldest sister was a research Doctor.
We picked up our food and found a table in the dappled sunshine on the deck. Even if the food hadn't been very good, this would be a wonderful place to come for lunch right in the heart of downtown Vancouver. But fortunately the food is good too, it seems to me when in doubt where to have lunch in a new city head to an art gallery or museum.
I ordered a small "slaw" this was a coleslaw made with cabbage, raw beets and fennel tossed in a vinaigrette dressing.
Yes this is a very bad picture, but the sun was very bright and I did not have my glasses on. Any way it was light and refreshing, I liked it very much, but Nancy who shared some with me, was not so keen. Nancy ordered the Mediterranean pannini.
This was actually much better than this picture looks, filled with artichoke hearts cheese and red pepper. Connie ordered soup with chirozo sausage and arborio rice, which was also very good, but unfortunately the picture of it really is too bad to even pass my obviously low standards of photograph quality.
After lunch came the exercise part of day, with a quick trip to Granville island to pick up a few more late tomatoes to can, we started off on the trail around False Creek. This is a beautiful walk with spectacular views of the mountains and down town, as well as the park and residences along the way.
Near the end of the 3km walk is the the Olympic Village, which was home to the athletes in 2010. This is now turning into a wonderful community to live in with all the amenities with in walking distance and right on the banks of false creek. There is a small pedestrian bridge which reminded me very much of the millennium bridge in London.
The heart of this community is a large plaza surrounded by cafes, restaurants and shops. In the centre are two giant bird sculptures.
I rather liked these though I wonder how they will weather. Beyond the Olympic village is the Science center a favourite place when the kids were little but certainly not on our agenda today. You can continue right around false creek, but the the afternoon was closing and we decided to take one of the little ferries back to Granville Island. for $5.50 each we were taken back through the boats harboured in the bay and past all the high rises on the expo site.
Our evening ended with dinner provided by friends sitting on their sail boat in Coal Harbour. In the background Steve Nicks was playing in the park. If it had not been for the unfortunate incident involving the Ipad and the water, it would have been a perfect day in Vancouver.
a wonderful urban day indeed except for the demise of the iPad ofcourse
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