among the canucks

Vancouver is a pretty fetching city. I really love the cities along the west coast, from San Francisco (hell, even Santa Cruz) up to Portland, Seattle and now Vancouver (OK, the last three are not technically on the coast, but they are port cities). There's a cultured yet laid back vibe to them all that is a refreshing change from the frantic antics of east coast cities (I love New York, but it can be exhausting after a while).

I've been staying at a very cool loft right off Main Street near Broadway, a Mission-like area of the city (in that gritty, urban, gourmandizing, cultured sort of way). In the past, the building was both a brewery and a candy factory, so it's got a lot of good feng shui going for it.

Every meal I had out has been great. I ate at the Whip Gallery and Restaurant (which apparently used to be a big lesbian hangout and serves this amazing fried baramundi with yam fries on the side), the Five Point (a pub), the Foundation (vegetarian/vegan, typos on their their thoughtful quotes about power aside), and Nirvana (Indian).

As for sightseeing, on my first day, Paddington and I explored Stanley Park, the largest city-owned park in Canada. These totem poles are the most visited tourist attraction in BC. Then we walked along the Seawall up to and under the Lion's Gate Bridge, a couple of miles round trip. I'm a little rusty on the dog wrangling, so I didn't bring any water with me. I overworked the little guy, so when we got home and he inhaled some water, he actually threw it (and his breakfast) back up. Poor little guy. He recovered well, though.

The next day, we went to the beaches at Spanish Banks. I read for a bit, then Paddington mingled with the other dogs before we went home. I had dinner with my friend Phil from VMware and his girlfriend Fiona, which was a pleasant surprise. It's always good to have friends to eat out with; it's much better than eating alone (though it apparently has its merits).

Yesterday I did a little bit of the touristy thing, heading to Gastown, named for some dude Gassy Jack (no, not that kind of gas) who set up the first saloon in what would first be called Gastown, then eventually, Vancouver. As you can imagine, there are all sort of touristy shops in the area. After leaving one, I noticed a large group of tourists gathered expectantly on a corner. At first I couldn't figure out what they were waiting for or looking at, as there was no street performer or anything. Until I realized they were watching a clock on the corner steaming. I happened to arrive here just as the hour was turning, and caught the clock at full steam.