The 'Couv

And now, Vancouver! I am blogging from my bed back in LA which is bittersweet: sad that our wonderful trip is over but happy to be out of the car and back in my own bed. We had a spectacular view from our Vancouver Marriott; we looked over at the spot where the floating planes take off and land over the water. When we arrived, they had champagne and chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us. So great! The one challenge, so we thought, was going to be Shabbat and being ready for all of our meals. The hotel gave us a fridge and we had a blast in the Granville market buying fresh produce, salmon (already cooked or smoked..mmm), Italian salads, cheeses. Yum! As previously mentioned, we love markets!

Earlier that day, we ventured out to Grouse Mountain where we took a cable car up to the top. We saw black bears who had been rescued, walked around and took in some gorgeous views. We took the chair lift to the very top where people were ziplining and hang gliding etc but we were happy enjoying the view and each other while throwing snow balls at each other from whatever snow was left on the mountain top. The trees there are so lovely and full of such depth. There are different from the majestic redwoods of California but still impressive and resilient. We saw a lumberjack show which turned out to be cheesy and risque considering the family audience. Still, it gave us a chance to eat some awesome and absolutely fattening snacks: beavertails. They are rolled out pieces of dough, fried right in front of you and then accessorized with all sorts of toppings to choose from. We were certainly satisfied!

Turns out, by the time we got to our last vacation city, The 'Couv as I call it, we were ready for some relaxation. While Aaron managed to play some late afternoon golf, I swam laps in the pool and spent some time in the hot tub, steam room and sauna. Since Shabbat wasn't starting until 9, he had time to play 15 holes and I had time to chill before our room service Shabbat dinner arrived. (ATP: Nice course, well kept, old style. No great views, like Victoria's Olympic View, but a fun place to play.)

We went to bed and woke up late, prepared our lunch from our many marketplace goods. One of our favorite buys was smoked salmon and bbq salmon jerky. If you can't do meat, they do a great job with the salmon. (ATP: How does LA, or any] other place, not have these delicious jerky products. Salmon jerky! Brilliant! The double-smoked was the best. Like a slim jim!) We took our picnic lunch to the hotel's patio and ate overlooking the water. After resting up, we took a long walk along the sea wall and into the large and beautiful Stanley Park. We found the Lost Lagoon, watched people play tennis and golf in gorgeous surroundings and ran into a few bridal parties. We walked home via Robson street, the shopping district, and looked at the shops and restaurants, bike rental shops and all the tourists. Since Shabbat ended so late, all we did that evening was leave the hotel so I could buy some Canadian candy.

Vancouver is such a bike friendly city with bikers everywhere and clearly marked bike paths. It made me want to get a bike here in LA even though I am scared of the traffic. We rented bikes and rode along the sea wall for a while, cutting through Stanley Park's many bike paths and really felt part of the culture. On our way out of town, we stopped at Olitzky's kosher deli so Aaron could have meat once on our trip. He enjoyed his tongue sandwich, which he calls the "Cadillac" of deli meats.

Then we made our way to the border and began our long drive home. We made it back to LA this morning at around 11:30. The trip was about 21 hours with all of our stops etc. Whew!

What a wonderful adventure! We are happy to report that we are good traveling partners and look forward to many more adventures to come!