I'm flying over the English Channel, some twenty hours into my flight to Chad, which puts me just past the half way mark, and definitely in a reflective frame of mind. As I'm not sure when I'll next have an internet connection, I may not be posting for a while, but at least I can play catch up! More on Haiti in the next post, but for now some thoughts on Pacific Northwest holidays, as Laura and I enjoyed some time off between trips.
Do: see theatre productions whenever, wherever. They are pretty much always worth the price. We recommend The Bard on the Beach if you're in Vancouver in the summer, well worth it. Secret tip – bring your own picnic to the afternoon shows. Vanier Park is a great place to watch sailboats, kites, clouds, and pretty much anything else propelled by wind, and it really is just a short walk from Granville Island Public Market . You can pick up ready made sandwiches, or buy the meats, cheeses, breads and pastries and fix your own.
Don't: go whale watching in the rain. Despite the fact that the whales don't mind, you will. Open ocean whale watching honestly isn't about the whales, they're more impressive at the Aquarium or on Discovery Channel anyway. It's really about being outdoors, on the water, in the beautiful Georgia Strait, and that is more impressive when the sun is shining, you're not huddled inside the cabin over a hot chocolate, and your fingers aren't too numb to take pictures. Then again, this is the “Wet” Coast, so one can't always wait for a sunny day. And remember, the whales really don't mind.
P.S. Thanks so much LCK, for the whale trip and discovering Spinnaker's with us - it was a great experience!
Do: go down to the fisherman's wharf at Steveston, even if you don't want to bring home a fresh salmon (and I mean fresh, some are still alive) for $10-15. Just the experience is fascinating. Also, if you don't want the whole fish, go to the shops just a couple blocks north, where the price is lower per pound than the shops on the water. The shellfish are also incredible!
Don't: be conned into paying too much for something because it's “neat”. NO bread is worth $10 a loaf – although we did make some great “artisanal” croutons when it became rock hard the next day.
Do: go to Victoria on Vancouver Island, there's at least one festival every weekend of the summer. We recommend the Greek Festival in Sidney for one, and the great party on BC Day (August 1).
Don't: visit the Island in one day. Especially without a car. It's worth it to plan a two day trip - there's so much to see, transit is efficient and cheap.
Do: try to enjoy a different cuisine every night of the week. In order to enjoy all the best of the West before returning to the field, we had Chinese, Japanese, Ethiopian (ironically I land in Ethiopia in a few hours), Mexican, Italian, French, Pacific Northwest, Quebec, English, Vietnamese and Thai (if I remember correctly).
Don't: think you have to leave the city, or even your own home for any of the above. I think Ethiopian is the only one we haven't tried at home yet.
Do: spend as much time as possible with the ones you love.
Don't: spend a lot of money doing it!
