The Cape of Good Hope

We just couldn't travel all the way to Cape Town without going the extra distance to the Cape of Good Hope, known as Cape Point - the place where the cold Atlantic and warm Indian oceans meet. It was an amazing drive through Chapman's Peak (not the best thing for my fear of heights), past hippy surf towns, craft markets and into the heart of the Table Mountain National Park. The park itself is quiet and huge in scale - but the Cape of Good Hope is busy with tourists taking pictures of the beautiful cliffs and rocks that line the coast. Though, a group of Japanese tourists decided that the blonde girl taking pictures on the rocks might make a better subject matter and started snapping photos of me. Too cute. After that, we buzzed around the roads deep in the bush hoping to spot some Zebra but did not have any luck. We had spotted a few baboons on the road (including a cute baby riding on his mother's back) but that was the only wildlife we had seen. Baboons are extremely prevalent in this area and there are warning signs everywhere you go. It's too bad we didn't pay closer attention to the signs.

Baboons are dangerous. And smart. We found this out the hard way.

After unsuccessfully locating some Zebras, we came upon another group of baboons relaxing on a beautiful cliff overlooking the sea. We took some cutesy photos from the safety of our car and all was good...until the Alpha Male showed up. Our driver, had left the vehicle to capture some photos on the cliffside. We had also stepped outside the vehicle briefly, but safely returned before the arrival of this huge, alpha male baboon. Our windows were rolled up and doors locked. Or were they?

All of the sudden, I hear Melissa furiously repeating my name from the back-seat. I spin around to see what is going on only to come face-to-face with a huge baboon who is sitting in our back-seat! He had opened the apparently unlocked door and climbed in. I cannot even remember what went through my mind at that point - only that I grabbed for the locked door handle and yanked on it until it let me out while swearing like a trucker. Outside with a knee that would not stop shaking, I saw that Melissa had also exited the vehicle and that the baboon had taken off with Melissa's purse. While the baboon was rifling through her purse, our driver (slash bodyguard) Mark, decided to frighten the baboon enough to get him to drop some of the items from the purse. The baboon then took off into the road, but the loud sound of a tour bus horn caused him to drop a few more items from the purse. Once we were all safely back inside the car, the big guy returned to show us who was boss.

Here's a video I shot after the baboon episode, as I wanted to capture exactly how big this creature was. What's funny is, while I was shooting the video we noticed an elderly couple who had not locked their doors:

Afterwards, we went for a chill lunch to calm down and spotted some penguins. I like penguins. They don't attack.

For dinner we met up with our lovely new friend Helene (along with some of her nice friends). We dined at Wakame in Mouille Point - which must have been a cool place because Annie Lennox was there too. Afterwards we hit up a club called St-Yves in Camp's Bay for a couple of beers and a good laugh at some Cougars who were searching for prey on the dancefloor. A cougar is still a cougar in any language.

Now she been to a shebeen...

So after our day of winery hopping, we kind of felt like we wanted to keep the party going. So, at the recommendation of our wine servers at Englebrecht Els, we decided to visit the famous Mzoli's in Gugulethu. Mzoli's is a butcher shop owned by Mzoli Ngcawuzele. It sits in the heart of the Gugulethu township and is a popular meeting place for the community there. Now, to some this might seem like a dangerous move. However, we were assured that we would be safe - tour buses regularly visit and we would be in the company of our driver (slash bodyguard) Mark.

After locking everything in our trunk (with the exception of my small point-and-shoot camera and a R100 bill), we made our way out into the street party and located Mzoli's shop. Mark found Mzoli himself and introduced us. Mzoli suggested we grab some beers at a local shebeen and return to sit with him and his family back at his shop. A shebeen is basically a bar that is located inside someone's house, so we hit the one directly across the street. Inside a small living room we saw a old man asleep in a chair in front of the TV while a woman served cold beers from a fridge just a few feet away. In the kitchen - local women were holding court, inviting us in to dance and party with them. We purchased a couple of large sized Carling Black Labels and I gave them the entire R100. They were so nice and welcoming; it completely put me at ease. Back at Mzoli's we spent time with his family and friends and enjoyed a free platter of meat that Mzoli cooked up especially for us. As we were still pretty full from our visit to Steers, it was a challenge to put it back but I did try the sausage and enjoyed it. (I'm not too sure what the other meat was). When it was time to head out, Mzoli sent one of his men to escort us back to our vehicle. A very Soprano's-esque experience.

After a quick power-nap, we met up with our new German friends Mitch and Suza for dinner and drinks at the hotel and then succumbed to a very well-deserved sleep.

Winery hopping in Stellenbosch

Saturday was beautiful...sunshine and a cool breeze...a perfect day for visiting some of the top-notch wineries located in Stellenbosch, a short drive outside of Cape Town.

Our first stop - Morgenhof Wine Estates - is located on the slopes of the Simonsberg mountains and has been producing wines since 1692. Here we tasted a flight of wines while sitting on the cozy porch over looking the gardens. It's a beautiful estate with lush gardens and shady trees and would be a perfect spot for a nice brunch or wedding party. We could have stayed here all day...but we had places to go and wine to drink. Next we made our way over to Boschendal Estates, stopping en route to take some photos at a local graveyard. I know, I know. It sounds a bit weird and morbid but I really love taking photos in cemetaries. I love the mix of beautiful headstones and simple grave markers and am always fascinated by the devoted living who keep-up these graves with fresh flowers and candles. It's a constant I see in every country I visit.

At Boschendal, we sampled another 4 delicious wines ( my favourites: Le Bouquet and Le Blanc Noir) and an amazing cheese platter under the shade of an enormous oak tree. Sigh! Life is good. But...once again...there was more wine to be consumed elsewhere, so we made our way to our final destination - Englebrecht Els Vineyards. For those who don't know, the proprieter, South African Ernie Els, is one of the most successful golfers of all time. Englebrecht Els is a beautiful place - with a gorgeous mountainside locale, views of the grape fields below, gardens, a koi pond and a cosy yet modern restaurant. They produce only reds - so we sampled 4 terrific big glasses while listening to a musician perform in the garden. After our tasting, our cute little server Nick bonused us a free bottle of their best wine. Ahhh...it's good to be back in the bubble.

After all that classy wine...we needed to have some food and decided to sample some authentic South African food.  Fast food that is. So we picked up some burgers and fries at Steers. Mmmm. It would have been the perfect finish to a perfect day...but this day was far from over yet. But I'll save that story for my next post.

Cape Town - Day 3

While I still have a few more posts to enter about Cape Town, there are a few little things I want to make sure that I share:

1) If you happen to have a thing for foreign accents, then this place is accent heaven! There is also some very cool slang that you can't help but pick up - like "howsit?" which is the equivalent of how a Canadian might say "How's it going?".

2) It is an incredibly cheap place to eat and drink! A good meal at a fine restaurant including a bottle of wine would unlikely top the $50 Canadian mark. Wine is especially inexpensive (and very good!) to buy in restaurants or in store. The currency is the South African Rand (ZAR) and the exchange is roughly R7=$1CN. This can get a bit confusing sometimes...but those big bills can make you feel like a bit of a high roller.

3) As a tourist you can recieve a Value Added Tax rebate on your purchases (minimum R500 spend) at the airport. But don't check your bags before you apply - they need to see your receipts and see the merchandise. A couple of dummies I know checked their bags first. No names mentioned.

4) The Cape Town landscape really has it all: powdery white sand beaches, intimidating mountains, rocky cliffs, lush green forests and valleys, and dry flat grasslands. And all of it is truly gorgeous.

5) The people are incredible! I know that could be said about a lot of places but it's really true. From our waiters, taxi drivers, hotel staff, children in the townships - everyone here is nice, kind, helpful and funny! Everyone - from all walks of life - seems really happy.

6) And lastly - it's freakin' hot!

Though the summer is almost over in South Africa, the weather is pretty much perfect. So it made total sense to spend a bit of time on our third day relaxing at the beautiful pool on the roof of our hotel - The Cape Royale. The Cape Royale is in a great location directly across the street from a brand new stadium that is set to host some of the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer matches. It's also located in close proximity to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront area - a great place for shopping and dining  - so we decided to take a walk there in the afternoon for a little sight-seeing. A nice dinner at Mano's (recommended by nearly everyone we spoke to) included some good comfort food and a bottle of Waterford which was quickly followed up with another good night's sleep.

Action!

South Africa is a long way from home.

I mean, it is a physically long journey that stretches 22 hours over 3 continents. But it's also the kind of trip that makes you sit back and think, how did I end up here? I know I have been traveling quite a bit lately (so much that I am writing a blog about it) which may give the first-hand impression that I am somehow "worldly". The truth is I am just a girl from the (once-small) town of Whitby, Ontario. My family and friends have never been to Africa, and may never get there. And for this reason, I will seize every moment I have there.

But let's not forget the first bit I mentioned - Africa is a long way from home. It's a journey that requires (#1) loads of patience, (#2) zero vanity, and (#3) an ability to sleep sitting up. My journey started on Monday evening at YYZ where I met (for the first time) my new business colleague and  traveling companion, Melissa, who would be making this trip with me. After a round of Bloody Caesars in the lounge, we boarded our KLM flight for the first leg of our journey - a 7 hour flight to Amsterdam. However, we would not be taking off any time soon. There was a problem with the on-board telephone system that needed to be fixed before take-off. So we sat and exercised patience (#1) as we waited (and silently prayed) that the problem would be fixed do that we did not have to fly out the next day or miss our connection in Amsterdam. However, after four hours of waiting we were finally able to take-off. The cabin-crew informed us that with some extra fuel on-board, we may now be able to make up some time in the air and still make our flight to Cape Town. Yay! We landed in Amsterdam, ran off the plane and onto the next one, bracing for another 11 hours in-air. I will say that despite the extreme inconvenience, flying KLM was a great experience. The staff are lovely (polite, helpful, funny), the service is great (lots of drinks, snacks, somewhat tasty and free meals) and the planes were (mostly) comfortable.

We landed in Cape Town just before midnight on Tuesday. Unfortunately, our luggage did not arrive with us. This was made worse by the fact that we were due on set first thing in the morning. Time to exercise patience (#1) and zero vanity (#2). We were advised by KLM that we had some funds to spend towards clothing and our hotel concierge let us know that the shops would open at 8:30 am. Perfect. After a mad shopping spree at Woolworth's - which resembled a bad fashion challenge straight out of America's Next Top Model - we made it to the set looking somewhat respectable.

 I know I haven't said much about what kind of business I will be conducting in South Africa. And while I don't think this is the right forum for me to share details about my work, I will say that I am extremely grateful to have this amazing career experience. In a nutshell, I am visiting the set of a film that is shooting here and have brought a long a business partner who will interview the cast and crew to be used as part of our promotional efforts later this year. At  some point, I will share further details about the truly incredible two days I spent on set - watching car chases, crashes, explosions and meeting some really nice, interesting people who made us feel very welcome.

Needless to say, after two exhausting, long days on-set we were ready to relax a little. We had a delicious dinner in our hotel restaurant,1800 Degrees - Crispy Chicken for me, Beef Filet for Melissa. Afterwards we sat outside with a bottle of our new, favourite South African wine - Waterford - and ended up meeting a crazy bunch of characters including our lovely new German friends Suza and Mitch, Brendan from next door and a bunch of guys from the Hampshire Cricket team in the UK. After that, a long, good, deep sleep. Thank you Waterford.

Sorry Martinique...

...you've been replaced.

When I started this blog back in January, I had no idea just how much traveling I'd be doing. It's only mid-March and I am already packing for my fourth trip. I have barely adjusted back to my own timezone and now I am headed seven hours into the future, to Cape Town, South Africa. So I've now had to adjust my Top 10 for 2010 list - I've added in Cape Town and poor Martinique got the boot.

To be honest, I don't really know a whole lot about South Africa and am not sure what to expect. I will be traveling on business so I will no doubt be busy. However, I am hoping I can still manage to soak up some culture, take some photos and meet some interesting people. As you probably know, South Africa will the be the host of the FIFA World Cup this coming June and Cape Town will be one of the 9 cities to showcases matches. I am lucky enough to be staying in a hotel that is a stone's throw away from the stadium ...and very close to Cape Town's very picturesque harbour. I'll be sure to share all the details after I arrive sometime late Tuesday night.

Wish me luck...Africa here I come.

Oscar Sunday

Though it was calling for rain, it turned out to be a really lovely day. After some brekky at Mel's Diner (again), we hung out with the rest of the gawkers in and around the Kodak theatre. The bleacher seats were filled as early as 10 am. These seats were allocated by a lottery process back in late fall and are definitely for true Oscar die-hards. It was amazing to see all the cameras set-up and people milling about dresssed in tuxedo's and evening gowns. After browsing the cheeseball souvenir shops on Hollywood Boulevard, we retired to the pool for some sunshine, a cocktail and to watch the beautiful people lounging by the pool. Many people in our hotel were attending the event and we had the chance to see them getting primped by their stylists and photographed by their assistants. One of the lovely ladies by the pool - Maria Menounos from Access Hollywood.

The hotel itself was in full swing with E! reporting live from somewhere in the hotel and various celebs coming and going. Anca spotted Robert Downey Jr in the lobby en route to the red carpet - and I spotted him on TV walking the red carpet a mere 5 minutes later.

As I've mentioned before, The Hollywood Roosevelt was the location of the very first Academy Awards ceremony and they have continued the Oscar tradition by throwing a grand viewing party in their historic (and insanely gorgeous) lobby. We headed to the lobby for 3 pm and settled into our spot on a leather sofa in front of the large projection screen brought in special for the event. Although we were unfortunate enough to sit directly under the air conditioning vent (brrrrrr) we made the best of it with some Oscar themed martinis (we sampled the lemon-gin Avatar concoction), fine cheeses and a nice bottle of California Sauvignon Blanc.

And the winner is...me! Such a fantastic trip.

Blame it on the rain...

I'm noticing a trend - it's rained on all of my vacations so far this year. But after a sunny, mild week here in Los Angeles, I can't really complain. Besides, there are lots of fun things to do in the rain....like shopping!

After an amazing breakfast at 25-Degrees (a cool little diner in our hotel) we headed over to the Beverley Centre for a marathon shopping session. Hello Macys!!! I bought a pair of Marc Jacobs gold, strappy flats and a pair of Harajuku Lovers wedges both for 75% off...plus we got an additional 10% and 15% off through various deals the store was promoting. So I walked away with 2 pairs of designers shoes and a pair of black, skinny Levi's for under $100. A trip to the DSW also yielded a nice pair of Calvin Klein heels for $70. Success!

On an internet tip, dinner plans were made for Antonio's on Melrose, an authentic Mexican family-style restaurant. After a fresh strawberry margarita for me (and straight-up tequila for Anca), we dove right into the guacamole, chips and salsa. A fresh sangria helped wash-down our mains - beef with a mole sauce for Anca and a combo of chorizo enchilada, beef taco and steak for me. Though we couldn't finish it all, it was a valiant effort. Then it was back to the Tropicana bar for a night cap.

Who says a rainy day can't be fun?

L.A. Woman

It's true. I'm a "lucky little lady in the city of light".

After an exhausting day of eating, walking and eating again it was nice to just chill on Friday. The sun was shining so we made our way down to the pool to lounge about. The Roosevelt pool is fantastic and has quite the pedigree - Marilyn Monroe's first ever photo shoot took place here and artist David Hockney (famous for his paintings of swimming pools) has painted a mural of swirls at the bottom of the pool. If you are a fan of Entourage or, ahem, The Hills, you might recognize the pool from various episides. My favourite Entourage episode ("The Day F*ckers in Season 4) sees Vince getting lucky with a guest-starring Sophie Monk after meeting her at the Roosevelt pool. While there was no Johnny Drama there that day, there were definitely a few characters there to keep things interesting.

We had the good fortune of upgrading our room to a suite that day and were excited to find to out that we were scheduled to move to the ninth floor with a great view. In my research of the hotel, I discovered that there have been many *reported* sightings of the ghost of Montgomery Clift who lived in the hotel during the filming of From Here to Eternity. His room number - 928. Our room number - 924. Interesting!

I know I've blogged about how much I liked this hotel during my previous stay. I am just as impressed on this visit. The staff has been friendly and attentive - we even got a yummy fruit basket and welcome letter from the hotel manager. And our room is amazing - it's huge with a living room and two bathrooms (we only discovered the second one a good half hour after we moved in). Plus we have a great view of downtown LA of  in the distance, which makes for a great "Michael Mann-scape" view in the evening. The hotel itself is a sight to see - dark wood, tiled floors, a central fountain and sweeping velvet curtains.

We did dinner at Bar Marmont and saw only two celebs amongst the scenesters at the bar - Jesse Csincsak from Season 4 of The Bachelorette and Dylan Walsh who plays Dr. Sean McNamara on Nip / Tuck. Dinner was amazing - Mojitos, an appetizer of prosciutto and pecorino, poulet roti for moi and a braised lamb sandwich for Anca. A couple of beers back at Tropicana and then I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

Hamburger Los Angeles

After a great couple of days on conference in Pasadena for work, I made my way to Hollywood for some sun, fun and Oscar madness. After checking my bags at the Hollywood Roosevelt, I headed over to Mel's Drive-in for a bite of breakfast with a couple of friends from work - Jeremy, who'll be in town for the day, and Anca, who'll be joining me on this adventure. After a good greasy breakfast that included beef sliders (which really should be on every breakfast menu), Anca and I headed over to the Tropicana Bar at the Roosevelt pool to sit in the sunshine and have a drink (a delicious strawberry basil mojito for me).

Now before I tell you about the rest of my day, I should first give you a little back-story. A few weeks back, on a tip from a co-worker (and fellow foodie) I watched a documentary called Hamburger America (which also has a companion book of the same name) that highlights the 100 best hamburger joints across the USA. So, of course, we looked up some of the key locations in Los Angeles and decided to visit at least one.

We started the burger pilgrimage with a visit to Apple Pan in Santa Monica - a very old-school, hamburger house that serves straight-up burgers and fresh pies. A dozen or so red, vinyl stools face in towards the grill - which makes seating very limited. Drinks are served in vintage silver cups that are lined with paper. One word of warning - prepare yourself well before you enter the restaurant - know your order by heart and whatever you do, don't leave without trying the fresh apple pie a la mode. Delicious.

In dire need of some exercise after the gluttony at Apple Pan, Anca and I made a visit to the Santa Monica pier for a walk and although the wind was cold, the sun was shining brightly.

After meeting back up with Jeremy (and his cousin Aaron who was visiting for the day), we, for some strange reason, decided it would be a good idea to eat yet again. We hit up the legendary Pink's on LaBrea in Hollywood and indulged in some outstanding hotdogs. I could only eat half of my Guacamole Hotdog, but not because it wasn't tasty. I know, I know. I'm a total lightweight.

After a quick spin on the the red carpet at the Kodak Theatre and some major geeking out at Grauman's Chinese Theatre we called it an early night.

I wonder if they have a rehab for burger addiction out here?

good sleep: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

I love a good hotel. So much that, at one point, I lived in a hotel for a year. 

The Hollywood Roosevelt has all of the things that I love about a good hotel: a good bed with premium linens, a dark, mysterious hotel bar with experienced bartenders, interesting patrons, a beautiful pool with chair-side service, attention to aesthetics and, hopefully, a sense of history - and it's this one that The Hollywood Roosevelt has in spades.

Opened in Hollywood in 1927 at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, The Roosevelt was a glamorous destination for anyone who was "anyone".  And by anyone, I mean the likes of  Charlie Chaplin, Clara Bow, Greta Garbo, F.Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Marilyn Monroe.  Founded by a group of Hollywood power players (including Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford) as a place to house East Coast talent, The Roosevelt was a true Hollywood hotspot in it's heyday. Today it is owned by theThompson Hotel group who have returned the hotel to it's original splendour. The Hollywood Roosevelt of today is popular with all of the young stars who are often photographed coming and going from the restaurants and sipping cocktails by it's very famous pool (that features a David Hockney mural on it's floor). Most famously - it was the site of the very first Academy Awards Ceremony. It was also a one-time home to Marilyn Monroe, whom, *it has been said*, haunts the hotel. Her particular room, now updated as a luxury suite, can be reserved for upwards of $800 / night. But don't let that nightly rate scare you. While this hotel is definitely not for those on a budget, it can be more affordable than you might think. Basic rooms start at around $250 US per night. Some of the larger rooms are even equipped with fridges and dining areas. And, since Hollywood is not the best of neighborhoods, there are plenty of inexpensive places to eat (hello In n Out Burger)!  within walking distance. And if you don't want to have a car at your disposal - you can walk to many attractions or take public transit.

I will be checking into the Hollywood Roosevelt once again when I visit for Oscar Weekend. With it's close proximity to the Kodak Theatre and being a key location for industry parties, it'll be a great place to chill, enjoy the warm weather, people watch and take some great photos. And based on my last visit, I'll no doubt have some excellent stories to share here...

Day 4: "Reaaaady"

Another early start with a ride on the Skytrain to the Richmond Oval to watch the Men’s Long Track Speed Skating. It was a long and rainy walk (1.5 km) to the venue from the station but it was amazing to see everyone so excited for the event. It did seem a bit odd that everyone (and I mean, pretty much everyone) was dressed in orange but we quickly got up to speed that the Dutch “own” Speed Skating. As we walked along the Fraser River, in the rain, it actually started to feel more like Holland than Vancouver. We were even given a free (and cool) pair of orange Dutch mittens en route to the venue.


The Richmond Oval is a brand new venue that is really beautiful – lots of great light and natural wood. The track itself was amazing but I was most impressed by the camera that moves along a track and follows the skaters at some incredible speeds. One favourite thing - the computer voice that says "Reaaaddddy" when the skaters need to be at the starting line. You can't hear that and not giggle. Just try it, I dare you. Our seats were killer – in the corner in the middle of a sea of orange. For this particular competition, the skaters competed in heats of two with the slowest skaters going first and the strongest last. Although there were some exciting moments along the way, the man to beat – Sven Kramer – ended up crushing an Olympic record and winning gold. When he realized he had won, he climbed the boards to hug his family who happened to be sitting a few rows away from us. Needless to say, the place erupted in celebration!

After the skating, we then headed over to the Richmond Ozone to check out the fun! The rainy walk was fun and we were passed by many Dutch bikes that could be borrowed for the journey. We hoped to have ourselves a beer at the Heineken house but the enormous line and cold rain made us turn back and head home.

Dinner was spent with some great friends and colleagues both present and past at a cool pub called the Regal Beagal (and no, Larry and Jack couldn’t make it). It was great to unwind and chill but it was most amazing to see so many great friends come out! (Thanks to you all! xo)

Day 3: Let the Games Begin!

So despite the many glasses of sangria the night before, we made an early start. We brunched downtown at The Templeton – a really cool, retro diner that serves up an organic (and delicious) breakfasts and diner favourites for lunch and dinner. Breakfast runs about $12 a person including coffee (which comes served in oversized mugs), tax and tip. You can sit at the 4 person booths complete with personal jukebox or on the red vinyl stools at the counter. If you feel like cereal – you can even order single serving packages of all your childhood favourites. I had the farmers breakfast which was delicious and my eggs were perfectly poached. Yum.
After lunch we met up with some business colleagues for a nice glass of wine and then made our way over to Gastown for some lunch and a beer at the Steamworks Brewing Co. before the big show. The city was buzzing and literally draped in red and white.

With strict instructions that we were to be seated before 5pm, and with our concerns about line-ups and security we arrived at BC place at 3:30 pm. Of course, there was no line-up and security was a cinch but we didn't care, we were just stoked to be there. When we arrived at our seats we discovered our "participation kit" and settled in. We were surrounded by people from all over the world - Holland, the Ukraine, Poland (man, do they know how to party!) and Russia. At 5 pm we were finally given some instruction on our kits which included a white cape, a flashlight, a battery-operated candle, a drumstick and a Canadian flag. The box itself became both a drum and a sign that was used as part of the amazing crowd countdown. We also received a collectible book about the event and it's participants. The crowd was really into it - everyone was in the white cape and it was cool to see how we all blended in together. Each section had a volounteer team leader who helped us with our parts - the countdown, the lights, the quiet, and the drumming.  It was a long wait...but finally the games were about to begin!

It's funny how many negative things I have read about the ceremonies - because from where I was sitting it was simply incredible! From the colours and lights and music choices (the Joni Mitchell destroyed me, and KD killed it) to the audience participation - the whole thing was incredibly (and surprisingly) moving. I will post some videos soon but for now here are some of the tons of photos I took...

After an unbelievable 6 hours in the stadium, we ventured out in the pouring rain and ended up back at Steamworks for a few beers with some of Shannon's friends. A great way to end an incredible day.

Here is a video I took of one of my fave sequences of the night - The Whales:

Vancouver: Day 2

It was raining. But it was raining less than the day before!

We started the day off with a great brunch at Caffe Barney. I had a delicious Cajun Benedict that had a spicy salsa and chorizo on it, topped with a delicious hollandaise. Mmmm. After watching two hours of Mario Batali's adventures in Spain on the airplane, I had been seriously craving some chorizo and this helped to satisfy it. Barney's is in the South Granville area where I am staying.My girlfriend (and work colleague) Shannon is hosting me at her place during my stay and will be my partner in crime for this trip. South Granville is a great neighborhood just across the bridge from downtown and is quite upscale with lots of shopping and restaurants. Very similar to my own neighborhood, Yonge and Eglinton, back home in Toronto.

After brunch with Shannon and Christy (an old friend and former colleague), we made our way on foot to Granville Island. First stop - the Granville Island Brewing - to warm up and enjoy a flight of their feature beers including a Chocolate Stout, Hefeweizen (my fave), Lion's Winter Ale, and Jolly Abbot Ale. Yum.

After a stroll through the market - and a visit to a hat store that was worthy of a bad-movie-montage, we grabbed a water-taxi to take us to Yaletown. There, we visited Casa Italia and sampled some parmagiano-reggiano (and took home a complimentary cheese knife) and then the Irish House for some live music, over-priced Guiness, beef pies and smokies...plus some free champagne.

With a good power nap behind us, we headed back downtown to one of my favourite restos in Vancouver - La Bodega - to once again satisfy my chorizo craving. La Bodega has been in business for thirty some odd years and serves up amazing tapas in an authentic and charming environment. We shared a pitcher of sangria and several of their amazing dishes including fried Chorizo (to-die-for!), Patatas Bravas (potatoes in a zesty sauce), Albondigos (melt-in-your-mouth Spanish meatballs), white beans salad, and Pimiento Relleno (pork stuffed peppers)...and a booze soaked dessert of peaches and homemade ice cream for dessert. Yum. Enjoy my pics - I promise you'll be craving Spanish food too!

Vancouver: Day 1

After a "very" early morning alarm buzz, I made my way through a good heap of fresh, unplowed snow to the airport...in my Mini Cooper. Talk about the start of an adventure. My flight was fairly uneventful despite having a middle seat at the front (I'm a tailie who likes an aisle) but it was cool to see so many other excited people en route to the games...including two Olympic participants from Brazil sitting in the seats behind me in their uniforms. And this time my personal TV screen worked! Yay.

I arrived exhausted and was happy to find that a friend from the Vancouver branch of my company could pick me. I spend the day working from the local office but insisted on a lunch time visit to Whitespot for what is now a Vancouver tradition. Mmmmm. Triple O, how I love you.

It is raining here, of course. But it's warm, so it's all good as far as I'm concerned.
It was a very low-key day...and an early night. Pedicures, a walk in the pouring rain, warm comfort food and then a really good sleep. The real adventure starts tomorrow.