An Exquisite Taste of Europe

The Canadian city of Vancouver has always held a special place in my heart. First of all, it’s the only municipality that requires a last name (B.C.). More importantly, it was the place where I spent the first three days of married life with my bride 36 years ago. That’s why we try to cross the border every summer to celebrate.

There are literally thousands of ways to enjoy the urban setting and world-class offerings of this truly international city. In order to avoid using up the entire editorial portion of this publication, here are a few of the attractions that make our visits to Vancouver memorable every year.

Coincidently, our anniversary coincides with the month-long Celebration of Light international fireworks competition over Vancouver Harbour. Competing countries take turns turning the summer night skies into a rainbow of colors and heart-pounding thunder. We typically get to see the show produced by the pyromaniacs from Spain during the first weekend of August.

The fireworks spectacular runs every weekend in July and concludes the first week of August. The celebration attracts crowds of up to 400,000 along the shores of the inner bay.

Lodging Galore

Vancouver offers a variety of options for lodging, from modest motels on the outskirts of downtown to one of the two dozen bed and breakfasts nestled in residential neighborhoods. If budget is not an issue, there’s always the iconic Hotel Vancouver with its afternoon tea. Our home away from home for jaunts across the 49th parallel is the Executive Hotel Le Soleil on Hornby Street discreetly tucked in the heart of the financial district between office towers, mega banks and government buildings.

The four-star boutique hotel offers the definition of casual elegance. The rooms are well appointed, the staff is considerate, but not overly zealous. And the beds are simply amazing. My wife and I were so enamored with the sheets and comforter one year that we asked the concierge for the brand so we could continue to pamper ourselves at home.

Although we only visit once or twice per year, the manager at the front desk greets us by name and there is often an anniversary gift waiting for us in our upgraded room. Check out their website at hotellesoleil.com/vancouver.

The central location of our hotel provides easy access to some of the city’s best restaurants and top attractions. The downtown core in summer is always vibrant with street vendors and festivities. Two years ago we laughed when our visit coincided with the Canadian city’s Mexican-themed street fiesta, “Viva Vancouver.”

Just down the street and around the corner from Le Soleil is the Vancouver Art Gallery with its distinctive exhibits by local artists. The gallery’s European collection includes paintings by Dutch masters that date back to the 17th century.

The former courthouse on West Georgia Street is 41,400 square feet of galleries and exhibits that houses more than 10,000 permanent artifacts as well as plays host to traveling collections from galleries in Europe, Asia and America.

The museum’s crown jewel is a permanent exhibit of works and writings by Canadian artist Emily Carr inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. For more information visit vanartgallery.bc.ca.

Top Attraction

According to TripAdvisor.com, the number one attraction in Vancouver is Stanley Park. I will not disagree. The 1,001-acre public park adjacent to downtown is almost entirely surrounded by the waters of Vancouver Harbour and English Bay.

A stroll through the wooded park takes visitors past lush gardens, a forest of totem poles, monuments and sculptures that trace the history of the city of Vancouver and the province of British Columbia. There are boggy wetlands and century-old Western red cedar, big leaf maple and Douglas fir trees.

For those not interested in exploring by foot, there is a classic steam locomotive that takes visitors on a scenic tour around the perimeter of the park. For details visit vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx.

The highlight of the park for us is the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. Seattle has a wonderful aquarium, but the displays and exhibits in British Columbia beat the American aquarium fins down. (Sorry, couldn’t resist a little pun.) A few years ago we visited the Canadian aquarium so often that we became members.

The Vancouver Aquarium currently houses around 300 species of fish, almost 30,000 invertebrates and 56 species of amphibians and reptiles, as well as 60 mammals and dozens of birds. We were lucky enough to be at the aquarium when the beluga whale Aurora give birth to her calf Nala and witnessed the baby take its first nourishment. Visit vanaqua.org.

For the more adventurous spirits, there is the Capilano Suspension Bridge located just 10 minutes north of the city. The bridge is 140 meters (460 feet) long and 70 meters (130 feet) above the river. The suspension bridge, which has an admission fee, is part of a private facility that draws more than 800,000 visitors a year. The park is open every day of the year, except Christmas. Visit capbridge.com.

In addition to the bridge, the park offers miles of easy to moderate trails that offer close-up experiences with nature and some breath-taking views back toward the city and west to the Pacific Ocean.

Artists’ Colony

For those who prefer to shop, make sure to save three to four hours to walk through the Granville Island Public Market. The island in the middle of the city is a colorful artists’ community that offers a living, breathing urban oasis filled with fine waterfront restaurants, theaters, galleries, studios, unique shops, cafes and the second most spectacular fresh food market you’ve ever seen.

There are too many restaurants, too many tasty samples and not enough holes left in my belt to make a dent in the choices of edible options. Our dilemma is always whether to go back to a tried-and-true favorite or explore other culinary opportunities.

My bride has a favorite dress shop where she always finds too many flattering items. With the favorable exchange rate, it’s hard to say no.

Personally, I am drawn to the Granville Sports Center where they have an impressive collection of Jackie Robinson memorabilia. A friend who came up for a long weekend with us found a jersey of Detroit Red Wings great Gordie Howe that he cherishes.

For more information, visit granvilleisland.com/discover-island/visitors-guide.

International Flare

Of course, no reflection of a city is worth its salt unless it includes a review of its top dining establishments. The restaurant scene in Vancouver is bursting with an outstanding collection of seafood restaurants. Because the city was a popular destination for people who fled Hong Kong before the island reverted to Chinese control, the Asian influence is dramatic. Many of the best steakhouses in town have added sushi, sashimi and other Asian delicacies to the menu.

Traditional diners will enjoy the charm of the Gastown. The area was designated as a historic district in 2009. But I was turned off when a homeless person asked for money to guarantee that my car would be safe.

Instead of recommending one restaurant over another, for the purpose of this article, I will direct readers to the Yaletown District bordered by False Creek, Robson and Homer Streets. The area that was dominated by heavy industry and railroad tracks was given a facelift in 1986 for the World Expo and is now one of the most densely populated areas of the city. Yaletown is home to trendy sidewalk cafes, breweries and popular eateries. Most of the establishments require advanced reservations, even on weeknights during the off season.

But I would be selfish if I did not mention the ONLY restaurant we’ve gone back to on multiple occasions, the Blue Water Café on Hamilton Street (about a mile walk from Le Soleil.) According to a review written by a tourist from San Diego, the Blue Water Café has “mind-blowing sushi.” We normally stick to some of the chef’s exclusive presentations of shell fish, his cioppino or a simple piece of grilled halibut. Why fool with perfection?

One thing is certain. Do not ask for an extra fork if you order the chocolate cake because you will not want to share it.

As you can probably tell, I could write about the attractions and the unique destinations in Vancouver, B.C. until my next wedding anniversary when my bride and I will be heading north to create some new memories.

The city offers something for virtually every taste and every budget. Don’t forget your passport or enhanced driver’s license and bring a large dose of patience for the time you’ll spend waiting to cross back into Washington at the border.

For those with limited amounts of patience, I recommend AmTrak.

Dan Aznoff was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the toxic waste crisis. He is now a freelance writer living in Mukilteo dedicated to capturing the cherished stories of our lifetime so they can be preserved for future generations. He can be contacted directly at da@dajournalist.com.

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