long walk at the beach II

I was a beautiful sunny and windy day. So we went to the beach to walk west towards the beautiful beaches of Kitsilano, Point Grey and Spanish Banks. It was low tide, so we could walk along the water most of the time. At Locarno beach and Spanish Banks there were a lot of wind and kite surfer enjoying the waves.


Jericho Beach towards downtown skyline


Spanish Banks


View from Spanish Banks on downtown


Beautiful original VW bus with a swing-hinged windshield

Spring break(up)

Spring break is a one week or more break in march when university students can do whatever they want! Besides studying a common practice is partying until you faint in Florida or Mexico.

For Spring break up there are two definitions according to Mathias Kom from the spring breakup duo with Kim Barlow that performed at WISE Hall last week. The first would be the ice on the frozen rivers breaking up in spring in the north (Mathias and Kim spent the winter in the Yukon). The second definition is the break up between men and women after a long winter when they find out they don't have too much in common and don't need anyone to warm them any more! (also more common in the north)



This concert was my frst real encounter with canadian folk music. I liked it, especially that I could understand most of the lyrics and it was very funny. I think in the summer at Jericho beach the beer will taste even better and I'm looking forward to the Vancouver Folk Festival in July very much.

Granville Island

Today I felt like making chicken noodle soup. What is better than fresh veggies, noodles, chicken and herbs? and it doesn't get any healthier too. It was also the perfect day for a walk to Granville Island Public Market for the shopping. So I think this is a good opportunity to tell you what Granville Island is and why we like it so much.



Granville Island, one of Vancouvers main tourist attractions is only 20 minutes walking distance from our apartment, a bit more if you take the nicer walk along the beach. It's called an urban Oasis on the official website and what makes it unique really is the location is the middle of the city, looking at the downtown skyline combined with the island feeling, being almost completely surrounded by water.



At the entrance to False Creek where Granville Island is today you would originally find two seaweed-laden sandbars, which the Squamish Indians used as their winter fishing grounds because of its richness in fish and wildlife. The Island as we know it today was manmade around 1915 when the land was claimed by the Harbour Commission. More than 760,000 cubic meters of sea mud were sucked from False Creek’s bed and poured within the island’s wooden walls. The mud flats finally transformed into an island, railway tracks were built and a wooden roadway to False Creek’s southern shore.



For many years Granville Island was officially called “Industrial Island” with about 1,200 people working in the island’s factories by 1930. In World War II defense equipment was produced here such as anti-torpedo nets, minesweeping ropes and rigging ropes for the merchant fleet. After the war many of the island’s biggest customers moved out of False Creek, seeking more and cheaper land, and preferring truck transport to water. The little island started to suffer from neglect until in the early 70s a successful initiative started to turn Granville Island into a people-friendly urban area. Urban geographer Walter Hardwick completed a land economics study of the creek. He saw the area as ideal for an urban mix of housing and public use.



In July, 1979, the Granville island public market was opened which is world-famous today. It is a tourist attraction especially in the summer but also a lot of locals (like us!) go to the market regularly for fresh vegetables, fruit, seafood or meat, cheese or bakery.
Since the redevelopment Granville Island has become a paradise for artists and those interested in art. All across the Island, former empty sheds have been turned into studios, stages, sets and scenery for art exhibits, theatrical plays, street performers, and music shows. Since the 70s the island attracts creative people, craft studios, including a glassblowing studio, a printmaking shop, a luthier, a master shoemaker, various jewellers, and the B.C. Potter's Guild are located here as well as the worldwide recognized Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

Last but not least my favourite Vancouver beer is brewed directly on Granville Island at the Granville Island Brewing Company, a Canada's first microbrewery. Supposedly their beer is even brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 which I doubt in the case of the Honey Lager. I like the Pale Ale best.

More about the islands history can be foud here.



The chicken noodle soup (here without noodles and chicken) tasted very good. Looking forward to tomorrows leftovers!

spring is here

I think we can say that spring has come. There is still snow on the mountains of course and last week it snowed once more but down here it feels like spring. The snowdrops and crocus are blooming everywhere (just like in Europe, not so different here after all) people are starting to sit outside for coffee. There is a rain shower now and then but when the sun comes out like today you forget about that pretty soon.


Our new furniture on the terasse.

long walk at the beach

Last saturday we walked down the beach in the direction of Point Grey and for the first time could we could actually walk all the way at the beach because it was low tide. It was very humid that day but not to cold and so we just kept on walking and walking, past Jericho beach and past Locarno beach until we got to Spanish Banks Beach. This area is so great now and must be so much greater in the summer. Already that day a few young people made a fire and had a good time. We kept on walking up the hill to say hello to Anja and Rabea.


beautiful colours from grafitti (blue) and nature (yellow!)
photo: from iphone, did not take camera


photo: duncsp8

Later we went to the Canada West Final Four Tournament at UBC to watch the UBC Thunderbirds play the Calgary Dino's. The first half was dominated by Calgary and the Thunderbirds were back up to 20 points. In the third quarter they managed to get closer and in the end it got really close. Unfortunately there was not enough time and just a few seconds before the end Calgary scored three points again and won with 80:76.

We really enjoyed the athmosphere which reminded me of High school. We had Popcorn and a Hotdog and it was fun watching the game and the audience too. The college girls were all dressed up, I really felt for once underdressed with my hiking boots and fleece jacket.


photo: tyfn