Labour Day Longings

Oh, Labour Day, when we celebrate the fact that any chance we had for a summer holiday is gone, and now it's back to working through the winter! Winter certainly sent it's message-bearing envoys to Vancouver this weekend, with temperatures dipping to 15 C highs, cloudy with rain. Actually, Alaska had better weather. Alaska.

Despite the gloom, we had a relaxing and full weekend of typical bad weather things to do: watching movies, the library, hours in a comfy cafe, the beach. Um, yeah, so we did go to the beach at Buntzen Lake for a quiet retreat yesterday, and the sun did peep out for 20 minutes as we read in our camp chairs on the desert strand. Then the clouds advanced, and we retreated. It was amusing, however, to think that the weather was still better than a typical June or August day at Wasaga or Sauble beaches in Ontario.

Weekend highlights:
1. Learning parking in Vancouver lots has a variable rate based on how much they think you can be milked for. Hence our advertised Sunday rate in an empty lot was not reflected at the pay station, because a hockey game (really, on Labour Day?) was taking place nearby. A gracious parking attendant explained that the lot on W Pender has the best rates in town.

2. We love shopping for fresh veg at the grocers on Commercial Drive. Going there first saves us money from the supermarket, and we can get a rainy stroll and a fresh coffee at the same time. Right now we prefer Norman's.

3. We got camping gear at a steal! Tent for $15 and cooler for $10, during RC Superstore's no tax clearance weekend. Now for some camping weather...

4. Fresh mussels at 1/2 price, so we whipped up a curry bouilleabaisse with porutguese buns Saturday night, and caught the CBC presentation of WTC (Nick Cage). Interesting for what it included, and for what it left out.

5. Thanks again to Anthony and Marlise for their thoughtful gift of Gary Smalley's books, which were an enjoyable shared read this weekend!

Late nights in Europe - RT @gridskipper

Reading this blog post by Gridskipper reminded me of Berlin and Berne. Traveling alone across Europeby train in 2006, with only a garment bag in hand. Went looking for a "hip hangout" as described by Lonely Planet, but sorely disappointed, so I squeezed into a random jampacked club where there was live Latin music. It turned out the band, from Bolivia I think, had an avid German following. The air conditioning was maxed out, so I found a table top by the men's room door. Every time the door opened, a waft of cold air blew up into the air, and we four strangers dancing salsa on the tabletop shouted for joy. I wish I could remember the name, I think it was near the end of Oranienburger Straße. I left the club sometime after 4, with the band still playing, to catch my train to Vienna.

I never meant to get to Berne, but I missed the train to Marseilles, it was raining in Zurich, and I hoped to get free of the rain. It was raining in Berne also, a light mist that didn't dampen the moods of the crowds enjoying free jazz on the streets during their international jazz festival. I arrived after dark, and when it got too chilly I hunkered down in a coffeehouse crowded with steaming damp wool coats. Striking up conversations with the Swiss is pretty easy, and a group of us carried on a conversation in English, French, German and Italian (with translations back and forth) until we were kicked out, at which time, we found a Cuban club serving up mojitos until 6 am.

Lindeman Lake Hiking Adventure

Laura and I went on an adventure today, driving to Lindeman Lake, in the Chilliwack region. It was a vigorous hike, with a rewarding finish - a peaceful, crystal clear lake pressed in by peaks on all sides. An oasis of British Columbia tranquility, an escape from the daily commute, the urban crush, and the constant hum of the city. We packed a lunch from La Grotta del Fromaggio, a famous Italian deli on Commercial Drive, and rounded off our day with burgers at Central City, followed by a stroll through the Surrey Fusion Festival, a multicultural festival which rewarded us with loukoumades, Laura's favourite dessert (of the moment).

All in all, a full, and fulfilling, day - for pictures check out Flickr!