Saturday, February 21, 2015

Vancouver, British Columbia

On our drive from Whistler to Vancouver, we stopped by Lynn Canyon Park. Inna read that most locals prefer Lynn Canyon Park over the much more touristy Capilano Suspension Bridge

We have been to the Capilano many times (and liked it a lot), but we were interested in trying something new. We enjoyed Lynn Canyon Park (though Capilano also offers excellent views).




After lunch at Tour de Feast, we drove to explore the VanDusen Botanical Gardens. We enjoyed touring the gardens and later moved to Canada Place in Vancouver to enjoy the FlyOver Canada attraction. FlyOver Canada is identical to the Soarin' Over California ride in the Disney California Adventure Amusement Park.


Since we purchased tickets for a late show (around 7:30pm), we decided to enjoy the delicious flavors of our favorite gelateria in Canada - Bella Gelateria.


There were so many exotic flavors to choose from!



I tried the Akbar Mashti and was delighted with the unique taste of saffron, pistachio, and rosewater. I also liked the Matcha Green Tea. Some of the flavors were quite unique, and I needed time to get used to them: Buko Pandan and Black Sesame (Japan) were quite exotic and unusual tasting.



Inna tried the Hazelnut flavor, similar to the Hazelnut gelato we make at home using California hazelnuts. We prefer to use Valrhona Chocolate when creating our own homemade chocolate gelato. It's the best-tasting chocolate (for use in ice cream or gelato).

Our favorite gelato flavor is Bacio (we make it at home whenever we can); it's chocolate with hazelnut combination, not unlike Nutella but so much more delicious. However, Bella Gelateria did not have it on the menu that day (or any previous time).

After enjoying our gelato treats, we returned to the beautifully decorated One Canada Place.


We also enjoyed our FlyOver Canada rides, which included the Fly Over China. I think the production of FlyOver Canada is shot on a better quality film since it looks much sharper.

It is the Chinese New Year of the Wood Goat. We didn't spot any wooden goats, but an oversized panda existed.


After enjoying One Canada Place, we returned to the Sutton Place Hotel. We were lucky to find reasonable rates for this fine hotel, so we were happy to stay there.

For dinner, we decided to try The Boulevard Restaurant in the hotel. We made a reservation for 9:30pm.

Alex ordered some fried chicken from the kids' menu. Since he was tired and it was pretty late, he returned to his room after eating.


Inna ordered a "Cauliflower Puree" soup. It was scrumptious!




I ordered the "Spaghetti Alla Vongole," and they were not wrong.


Inna chose the "Roasted Sablefish." It is a local delicacy in Vancouver and was the best dish of the one we ordered. Highly recommended!


Since it was late, we went back to bed, but the nightlife in Vancouver seemed alive and well.




Sunday, February 22, 2015

In the morning, our usual ritual in Vancouver is to get coffee and pastries at our favorite eatery - Thierry. It was our last day in Vancouver (we had a late flight out of Seattle), so we were eager to make the most of the day.


We ordered lots of pastries and hot drinks. Resistance is futile; I must have this Apple Turnover.


Inna and Alex both had ham croissants. I didn't try them, but they looked delicious.


Alex ordered the "Real Hot Chocolate" - not that fake stuff sold in the US. It is real chocolate, melted - vibrant! It's incredibly filling.


Inna ordered her favorite London Fog - "Earl Grey Tea with Cream." She really liked it.


A few desserts were on display, and it was hard to resist not trying at least once.


We decided to try a couple sweet desserts.




After eating desserts, we decided to spend some time in Stanley Park. It was a beautiful day to burn off all those rich calories by walking around the park. Having separate lanes for bicycles, cars, and pedestrians is so lovely.


We parked near the Totem Poles and enjoyed our long walk.


We walked along the shore until we reached the "Girl in the Wetsuit" statue.


There were also nearby statues of Chinese Dragons.


As it was getting late, we decided to end our walk and drive back to Seattle for our flight back to San Jose. We always enjoy our time in Vancouver.


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