It was only a matter of time that we found the ginormous Craft Beer Market for Happy Hour.

D was delighted to try a couple of craft beers that he wasn’t familiar with. Thank heavens many craft beer places also serve wines now. I enjoyed a robust merlot.

We noticed that just about everywhere that we visited in BC served truffle fries with parmesan. Of course, we had to try them everywhere to declare our favourite. These were pretty darn good!

Our Home Exchangers also recommended Gusto for a light supper. It was the real deal for chilled Orvieto Classico and ham, mushroom and burrata pizza! We first started drinking Orvieto Classico together when we were first married. Since we were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary, it seemed fitting, to celebrate with this delicious white wine.

We loved watching the families picking up their daycare kids in the vacinity. Many of them came in for a quick treat or a light supper. We felt like we had been inaugurated into the community and toasted each other with amazingly gelato in a waffle cone of course.

Upon leaving the restaurant, we noticed the pinkish mountains to the north.

It was a sensational evening for a walk along the False Creek trail.

We were delighted with the view of BC Place which we knew were going to host this year’s Grey Cup Game. Little did we know at that time, that it would be a bittersweet game for us Winnipeggers..

Vancouver’s city planners inserted a little bit of green space along the trail so that you felt like you got to enjoy a bit of scenic privacy, right smack in the middle of a bustling city.

This was one of my favourite pics from our time on the creek.

The sun was setting on a especially wonderful night, but also on our time in Vancouver. We had wonderful times ahead but didn’t know so at that time.

Kath’s quote: “Anticipation of pleasure is, in itself, a very considerable pleasure.“-David Hume

Love never fails.

Even though we were three provinces away, it was the home opening of the Winnipeg Jets. Wherever we go, we are Jets fans. This is In spite of the fact that when we met our Home Exchange hosts, they showed us the Canuck jersey hanging proudly in their front hall closet. The Jets won that evening and as I write this, they have set a record winning 14 out of 15 games at the beginning of this NHL season.

We were really feeling like locals that day. Doug was hard at work but when done for the day, we collected more provisions to enjoy the game with.

That evening as we were settling in, I notice pinks in the sky to the north. I hustled downstairs as fast as I could in my flip flops and Jets pajamas, to this glorious sunset!

We imagined what fun it would be to stay for longer visits at our fabulous home exchange condo.

Kath’s quote: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Wayne Gretzky

Love never fails.

On this day we really felt like locals. D took a break from work so we could walk to get additional groceries in the rain.

The dinner table was all set.

The place looked really comfy and cozy in the rain.

Of the fifty plus people in my immediate family (that is my siblings, their partners and their children), very few do not live in Winnipeg or at Lester Beach. But Eric and Meg knew that they could work from anywhere and had an adventurous spirit when they moved to Vancouver a number of years ago. They have a place just across from where we stayed, in Yaletown. They love the neighbourhood and have made many friends.

For most of the rest of the that day, I got ready for their arrival. Turned out that they really like charcuterie. This course was a big hit.

D and I are a pretty good cooking team. He grilled shrimp and asparagus for us to stack onto a plate of fresh pasta. We publicly joke that our timing in the kitchen/grill is often off. Typically D Yells “10 minutes” to me when I have everything already on the table. This night though, I was the guilty party. Everything was done on the grill but because I was in an unfamiliar kitchen, when I pulled out a pot large enough for pasta, it turned out to be a cast iron one. The water took no less than 20 minutes to boil! But all was well in the end.

Meg and I enjoyed our processco and the guys their craft beer. We were content.

We had splurged and purchased an apple tart (so big that I would call it a pie). We all enjoyed a little treat and then I thought, what am I going to do with the rest of this pie? I asked Eric and Meg and Meg declined saying that they had lots of treats in the house. I have to tell you, that sending leftovers home with my family is a love language for me. I think this is acquired from Sister #2 who often feeds as many people the second day, as when she invites people over for dinner. After a slight hesitation, Eric said that he would love to take the tart home. Yahoo, my heart sang!

Our families all connected for Thanksgiving dinner that weekend, so it was lovely to have a beautiful thanksgiving of our own. I was thankful for so many things- a loving family and delicious food being the top of my list!

Kath’s quote: “Our homes may be far apart, but our hearts are as close as always.”– Authour unknown

Love never fails.

We loved everything about our False Creek condo. We had hosted the owners at our home in the city this summer, while we were still enjoying the lake. On top of all the amenities, sunrise was a wonderfully reflective experience.

D was hard at work that day, but the view made things more pleasant for him.

The pathway along False Creek is an excellent place for a stroll. At the eastern end of the “creek” (it’s really an inlet not a creek) is a geodesic dome that houses Science World. We walked there on D’s lunch hour.

On the southern shore of False Creek is Granville Island Market. It is Vancouver’s public market and meeting place. We browsed the market stalls, cafes and unique souvenir spots. We also spied a couple of their artisans in their shops and studios. We had arrived by water taxi. We bought fixins to have my great nephew and his partner over for supper the next day.

Above are a couple of twilight shots and then we enjoyed Happy Hour on our balcony. Check out that view behind me!

Kath’s quote: “You know that you are in love when the two of you can go grocery shopping together”. -Woody Harrelson

Love never fails.

Our view on the way to Vancouver from Whistler.

We stopped for brunch at the Crabapple Cafe in Brackendale. Fabulous food!

We were down the road from the Watershed Grill that doubles for Jack’s Bar in Virgin River. You may recognize the pics above from the opening credits of Virgin River.

We made another scenic stop. Now I know the stretch of highway where all the Subaru commercials are shot!

We appreciated the beautiful red Japanese maples in downtown Vancouver.

We spotted this peculiarly shaped skyrise.

We were immediately smitten by our home exchange condo on False Creek. The first thing I did was pull out a lawn chair and sit on a grassy noll in front of our condo building. I enjoyed watching the passer byers as much as I enjoyed the warmth of the sun.

Kath’s quote: “May the warmth of the sun, and God’s promise that it shall rise again tomorrow, brighten your darkest night.” -authour unknown

Love never fails.