West Coast Winter Break

Glen is enjoying what the university calls an admin year.  It means he can work when he likes, doing what he likes and they still pay him.  He decided to do an exploratory project on microbiomes and a conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, would kick-start this project.  By extending our stay, we'd also have a chance to visit family before going over to Victoria for a couple of weeks.

We arrived Wednesday morning a bit late due to de-icing the plane in Calgary.  It was sunny and warmer than the -20ºC we'd left in Alberta.  Our hotel, Westin Bayshore, sits on the water and close to downtown and Stanley Park.  We even had a room with a view!  Modern skyscrapers with sweeping lines and sparkling windows surround the hotel and nestled at its feet is a marina with sleek yachts and funky 'house' boats.

Glen's meeting began soon after we arrived so I had a quick lunch at Starbucks then headed along the seawall toward Canada Place with its unique roof, reminiscent of sails.  It was the Canada Pavillion during Expo '86 and hosted over 5 million people.  It is now a cruise ship terminal and home to a hotel and several restaurants.

Camera in hand, I wandered the waterfront.  Looming before me, with Canada Place in the background, was the Vancouver Convention Centre.  At this time of year, its 'living' roof (6 acres) is an ugly, shaggy brown but I commend the idea of nurturing 400,000 native grasses and a bee colony in the middle of a bustling downtown.   A striking, Lego-like statue of an Orca whale (see photo) caught my eye so I left the waterfront to check it out.  In doing so, I found Jack Poole Plaza and the site of the Olympic Cauldron.  As the Sochi Winter Olympics were taking place, I thought the cauldron would be lit (Calgary's was) but no, it was too expensive.  Public pressure has since forced PavCo to light the flame and private donations should keep it lit.

Douglas Coupland, an artist whose name I actually recognized, created the pixelated whale statue, entitled the 8-bit Orca for Canadian Videogame Awards in 2010.  It is an unique piece and I enjoyed using it as a focus for my photographs of the harbour.  On the other side of the convention centre was an equally interesting sculpture of an elongated water drop.  Called The Drop, the artistic group who designed it, Inges Idee, felt it an homage to the power of nature but most Vancouverites believe it refers to the fact they have so much rain (160 inches/year).

Upon returning to our hotel, a woman passed close by and said my name.  It was Elma!  She and her husband, Tony, were also at the conference.  We walked and talked our way into Stanley Park until my feet began to hurt.  I had neglected to change into my sneakers before heading out.

That evening we joined them for dinner at Cardero's a pub which sits on the waterfront a couple of minutes from the hotel.  We didn't have reservations but luckily, they one table left.  Glen and I began with a half dozen Kusshi oysters that Glen always describes as tiny flavour buds.  Arctic Char was the special and we enjoyed it with Granville Island Cypress Honey Lager beer.