Day #3 Granville Island, UBC Anthropology Museum, Queen Elizabeth Park

We were awake by 6:30 this morning and ready for our breakfast. Unlike yesterday, the breakfast room at the hotel was not crowded. After breakfast, Art jogged over to the parking garage and picked us up at the hotel.


Our first stop of the day was Granville Island. I think it's a bit like Pike's Market although I've never been there.



As you can see, what captivated me most was the scrumptious looking desserts! Yikes!



The University of British Columbia Anthropology Museum was the next place to see. Unfortunately, it was being renovated so only half of it was open to the public. We saw a whole lot of totem poles.



Lunch was at the University Village food court. We decided to try the create your own mogolian lunch at Timpo Mongolian B.B.Q. I asked a student what kind of sauce to use and he said he asks the cook to design it for him. I did the same. Unfortunately, his lunch was grilled before mine and he apparently liked his burning spicy hot. I said I wanted mine UNspicy but it very nearly set my tongue on fire just from the residue of his meal.



Mom was feeling quite cold so instead of the Botanic Garden which is close to the ocean, we opted for the inland Queen Elizabeth Park.
It was absolutely phenomenal! The bright sun and warmth made it a magical afternoon.



The park is the highest point in Vancouver so we were able to get a gorgeous view of the city.

Mom loved the five petaled pink cherry blossom that scattered its petals with each breeze. She said it symbolized the bushido (samurai) spirit, its life brief and beautiful.

Mom loved the bluish-purple azalea. We'd never seen that color before.

Can you see the dandelions hiding amongst the daffodils? Camoflage? Dandelions really are beautiful, you know...even though they send shivers up Art's spine when he sees a dandelion puff ball.

I've got a whole bunch of photos from that park. The spring blossoms were in full glory! We have managed to hit the park at its peak. Mom asked if the Butchart Gardens could possibly match this.






The rhododendrons and cherry blossoms were at their peak of fabulous gorgeousness.



When we returned to our hotel, we let Mom rest while we went out for a walk. Art wanted to buy a Native American print by an artist named Maynard Johnny. He found one he liked at Hill's Native Art at 165 Water Street. (www.hillsnativeart.com) We had fun talking to Matt who lived in Japan for 7 years and could speak a bit of the language. He'd also been to Hawaii. If Mom wasn't starving back at the hotel we could have talked to him all afternoon at his beautiful gallery. I'll have to post the print once we get it framed at home.

Dinner was also on Water Street at a Japanese restaurant called Momosushi. It was extremely reasonable and delicious! Mom said it was the best meal she'd had on this trip so far.

Tomorrow: Stanley Park