Granville Island

We decided to have a respite today after a hectic first week in Canada. Mind you, I’m not sure my feet would agree this evening! After a housekeeping morning we set off to gently peruse the centre of Vancouver, looking round and doing a little shopping. Our plan was to gently make our way down to the waterfront, (which one I hear you ask and rightly, because there are so many!), in this case the False Creek Waterfront. It was sweltering and those blocks on a map that don’t look far are always so much farther in reality!. A stop off for a cold drink was definitely required. I can report on looking around the ‘Shorts Study’ was in much better shape here in the city. Eventually, after a couple of uncertain moments, we found our way to the the AquaBus jetty at the bottom of Hornby Street. Here you can cross the water to Granville Island on a jaunty little boat to the other side for a very small fee. It took me back a bit, I can tell you, to the days of crossing The Ouse on my way to school as an eleven year old schoolgirl. In those days it was a lot colder and more draughty! It was a delight today with no breeze and a clear blue sky overhead.

Granville Island is just charming, ‘olde worlde’ and relaxed. The buildings are glorified sheds of one type and another, but it shouts character. We made our way to the seafood section where we had been told we must sample the lobster rolls for lunch, so we did. Well, we shared one - they were enormous, but delicious. There is a small entertainment square where that old favourite the Peruvian Nose Flute was being played with gusto. It’s been a while since I’ve heard that! The covered Public Market is a real draw and rightly so. It’s a while since I’ve seen such produce; meats and fish of all sorts, artisan pickles, breads, soups made with bone broth, cheeses, home made ice cream and anything else you can think of. It was fascinating and we spent a while wandering around wishing we could bring some of it home. Locally brewed beer and wines are on offer and incongruously, the Ocean Concrete factory in the middle of it all, sports artistically decorated silos! There are lots of very small artisan workshops. I spent a while admiring a young lady weaving silk amidst a small studio filled with fabulous pieces. Again I was desperate to find an excuse to buy something, but sense won out. It was no different round the corner at the Pearl workshop. I have never seen such colours and shapes and artistically beautiful jewellery. Surely here, I could find a reason to buy? No, I was in a ‘do I seriously need this’ frame of mind. I know, I’m slipping, but don’t expect it to last! At last we were flagging and decamped to ‘The Bridges’ restaurant by the water for an early supper and a mojito apiece, in honour of Nick and Cheryl who have been this way before with friends. Cheers!Read more