Golden raspberries at Granville Island

Sunday, July 13, 2008
VANCOUVER — Our free day prior to connecting with our camper truck began with a hearty breakfast at the hotel, after which we set out on foot to catch the city bus to Granville Island. We were headed there to connect with the Big Red Bus tour, a hop-on, hop-off circuit through the city of Vancouver complete with narratives of the city’s history and sights.
We were blessed with a lovely sunny day with temperatures in the low 20s; ideal for sight-seeing. The Big Red Bus was a double-decker, and we opted for the upper level for our first segment. It was fun to hear about the early days when the area was heavily forested, and to look at all the skyscrapers that stand tall against the sky in a new forest of concrete and glass.
Having been here two or three times before in recent years, I recognized quite a few locations, but was nevertheless glad to learn a bit about their history. When we arrived on Water St. in Gastown, we decided to hop off and grab a bite of lunch. There was a nice sidewalk café, on the shady side of the street no less, with a perfect little table for two where we could enjoy our meal and take in the passing throng. We both savoured a roasted vegetable sandwich with goat cheese in a foccacia bun, and shared a salad and fries between us. It hit the spot nicely.
As if it were scheduled for our convenience, the next Big Red Bus pulled up at the stop just as we got to it, and we resumed the circuit, passing Canada Place on the harbour, which was sandwiched on either side by two huge cruise ships. One was a Holland America vessel, but we passed it end-on, so we couldn’t see the name. It was one of those "dam" ships, anyway!
The city was full of people bustling to and fro, and we passed lots of lovely pots of flowers in front of buildings or swaying from hooks above the sidewalks. There were lots of Asian faces in the crowds, reminding us of the city’s gateway status to the Pacific rim countries.
It was fun to see glimpses of other people’s lives. There passed a young family, mum, dad and baby strapped on mum’s back, each one with their Tilley-style hat shielding them from the sun. On the city bus, a man in a motorized wheel-chair maneuvered his way on board and into the special parking space for wheelchairs, and announced to anyone who would listen that he had located his brother and sister after 36 years and was heading into town to meet the brother. He was then heading for Victoria to reunite with his sister.
We reached Granville Island again — our starting point — at around 2:30, and strolled down to the edge of the water where the markets were, on the land side, and where scores of sailboats of all descriptions bobbed on the water nearby. Being a Sunday afternoon, the place was hopping with visitors, and a number of talented buskers who performed on guitars, pan pipes or violins in the hope of garnering a few coins.
The public market was a feast for the eyeballs, with mounds of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, flowers, sausages, cheeses, crafts and jewelry jammed side by side along aisles where shoppers browsed and jostled one another quite happily. We even discovered that there is such a thing as yellow raspberries (or "golden" ones, as they were labeled)! Hand-crafted pottery, dresses, leather goods and one-of-a-kind scarves, purses and jewelry filled small shops that we passed by.
We connected with Johan, who sailed across False Creek to the island in an oval tugboat ferry from the other side to meet us. We found a shady table at a small hotel where we sipped lemonade, pop and beer respectively and caught up on our news. Then, as supper hour approached, we walked over to Broadway St and found a small pizzeria for more food! We were ready to head home after that. I’m sure we covered quite a few kilometers by the time we got back to the hotel. It was a great way to discover this vibrant, upbeat city all over again.