The Olympics (just around the corner now, starting in February) have for better or worse caused a great deal of money to be spent, some of it disastrously: the collapsed public-private partnership that was supposed to save us money on the athletes village springs to mind. But there was one investment of time and money that is an undeniable bonus for Vancouver, bringing it a huge step forward in the world-class city stakes.

This is the Canada Line, a rapid transit route that finally connects downtown Vancouver to the airport. The journey now takes only half and hour (previously closer to an hour on public transport, including a change) and stops at various other key spots along the way, effectively expanding the Skytrain system and connecting areas of Vancouver to the centre that had previously been only accessible by painfully slow city buses.

Moreover, the Canada Line is a part of the general transportation and doesn’t cost any more than a normal ticket. There is a surcharge for traveling to the airport of $5, but not if you have a pack of tickets (available at Newsagents and drugstores, or at the airport at Pharmasave or 7/11). A pack of tickets is a good investment for your trip to Vancouver anyway: as the buses only take exact change, it cuts down on the weight of your wallet and saves you money in the process.

Apart from all these practical concerns, the Canada Line is cool. Modern, even futuristic, the train swishes into the station, collects you, and swishes off again. Much better than sitting in traffic… Just remember to buy a book of tickets before your first trip and you’re set to go!

Lighthouse Park is a perfect destination for a winter or summer ramble, a combination of classic west-coast forest with soft paths and giant tree stumps (and giant trees) and picture perfect rocky cliffs complete with, of course, a lighthouse. The dark density of the forest makes a striking and beautiful contrast with the grey rocks, the bright sky, and the crashing waves when you reach the beach. And luckily, there are benches in the form of washed-in driftwood and carved fallen logs from the forest on which to sit, and contemplate the scenery, with waves and screaming seagulls providing the only noise.

It’s located on the far west side of West Vancouver, and is reached by driving west along Marine Drive, until you encounter a wooden sign indicating the park. There is a large parking lot, and from there it’s an easy walk to the beach. Horseshoe Bay, a 10 or 15 minute drive away, makes a perfect after-hike destination for fish and chips or an ice-cream, and perhaps some seal-spotting.

The Greek Triumvirate: This is not a restaurant, but a representation of Greek food in North Vancouver, of which there is plenty. Mythos Taverna, voted year and again the favourite Greek restaurant on the North Shore, is a classic. Order a half-litre of retsina, a pleasantly piny tasting Greek wine, and dive immediately into their excellent pita and hummus and the impossibly good saganaki cheese. After stuffing yourself with the appetizers, you likely won’t be able to finish the main course… which should leave the perfect amount of leftovers for a nice lunch the next day.

Hummus and Pita

Another star of the Greek food community is Anatoli Souvlaki, located at the very bottom of Lonsdale, near to the Seabus station. In terms of ambiance it’s probably even better than Mythos, a large building with several rooms, all of them overflowing with everything Greek, from Stone fireplaces and little wooden tables to live music (Greek, of course) and sometimes belly dancing. The food is delicious, and the platters, offering a sampling of all the classic dishes, can be good for larger groups or families.

The third not-to-be-overlooked restaurant is Pasparos Taverna, on Third Avenue close to Lonsdale, in an unmissable looming white and blue house. Also a good atmosphere and excellent food, with an atmospheric patio for summer nights.

Greek food is always a treat, and easy to justify health-wise (the Mediterranean diet is so healthy… although possibly the people who say that don’t have Saganaki in mind)! In North Vancouver, the most difficult thing is choosing the restaurant!

Deep Cove, a stunning and tranquil bay nestled in a bay of Burrard inlet in the far east of the North Shore, is one of the highlights of North Vancouver tourism. It’s essentially a small village on the outskirts of the District, surrounded by trees and mountains, and unrelentingly peaceful. Apart from its general charm, there are two excellent reasons to spend a day or an afternoon in Deep Cove: kayaking and the fantastic doughnuts you can treat yourself to afterwards.

Kayaking is a popular Vancouver sport for good reason: there is no better way to enjoy the serene beauty of sky, sea and mountains than paddling alone or with a friend in the quiet bay. Kayaks and all necessary equipment are available to rent from several companies in the cove, which also provide lessons. An adult is necessary to accompany minors.

After a few hours of exercise and fresh air, return to the cove to enjoy the other great pleasure: the famous gooey, drippy, irresistible Roly Poly doughnuts from Honey Doughnuts and Goodies (4373 Gallant Avenue). These doughnuts are heavy, homemade, and not to tried on a full stomach, but not to be missed either. And after the kayaking, guilt free!

View of the North Shore from Crab Park

Crab Park can be seen from the seabus as you approach Downtown Vancouver, only a small slice of beach, a simple boardwalk by the water, and a green park for playing soccer or frisbee and a little playground just out of sight in the background.

I had lived in Vancouver for fifteen years before I went there, simply because, it’s not terribly obvious how to get there. Between Gastown and the water are a number of train tracks behind a high fence, and Crab Park is on the other side. However, it turns out that the park is only a ten to fifteen minute walk from Gastown. You follow the short stretch of Water Street until it turns into Alexander Street and continue for two more blocks. At Main Street there’s a vehicle and pedestrian bridge on the left that curves over the railway tracks.

A Chinese lion guards the Main Street Bridge

Crab Park is a great destination for a little stroll to escape the hubbub of the city, or an ideal place for a picnic. It also provides a picturesque and usually unseen view of the city: Harbour Centre and the Skyscrapers rising out of the trees, amazingly close, but viewed from a calm perspective. The little beach is a good place to sit and contemplate the mountains and the bustling port, although swimming it not recommended with the coming and going of Port Traffic.

1. Maple Delights.  It may be hypocritical to say “avoid the touristy things” and then plug a shop/cafe called Maple Delights, but this place is equally a hit with the locals (many Canadians are stereotypically obsessed with maple).  Almost everything in this shop contains maple, from the enormous and delicious muffins to the exquisite little pies to the ice-cream to the coffee (this is optional, and I have to say, I don’t recommend it).  Expect a sugar high afterwards.  The staff are really sweet too.

2. Brioche.  An intriguingly designed cafe-restaurant (entrances off both Water and Cordova Streets, kitchen in the middle, a rambling, seemingly going-nowhere hallway connects the two sides).  However, overcome the confusion and give Brioche a try: except between 12 and 1, when it is mobbed by local office workers in for a filling plate of pasta, or a London Fog tea latte with a culinary-school beautiful dessert.

3. Six Acres.  This excellent pub is practically in the shadow of Gassy Jack’s statue, to it’s easy to celebrate virtuous cultural Canadian tourism with a fantastic imported beer.  The beer menu includes selections from Belgium, Germany, Spain and Japan, among many others.  The pub is small and cozy, appropriate for intellectuals, girls on a night out, beer snobs and everyone in-between.  Moreover, the food looks amazing–personally, I’ve never been able to get beyond the dessert offering of Apple pie simmered in brown sugar and spiced rum; it alone is enough to justify repeat visits.

4. The Black Frog.  A nice pub-restaurant smack in the middle of Gastown, but a little isolated at the very bottom of Cambie Street.  It seems cut off from the bustle but is close enough to hear the chimes of the Steam Clock.  Nice seating area too–in the depths of the bar to feel like a regular and watch the sports on TV, or along the outside edge by the big windows.  Great for the afternoon or evening.

5.  Steamworks.  The classic.  Close enough to the seabus station to always justify one more drink before you make the crossing back to the North Shore.  Steamworks is also a micro-brewery and features tasting menus of their beers.  The views from upstairs, of Burrard Inlet and the North Shore mountains, are spectacular.

6.  The Harbour Centre Food Court.  Not a serious gourmet option by any means, but if Gastown is just one stop on your touring schedule, and lunch is needed, the food court is an affordable but somewhat hidden option.  Harbour Centre is almost directly across from the Seabus Station, and the food court is located in the middle of the lower level.  Not everything is greasy fries, either.  You can get a nice bowl of Indian food with Naan bread for about $5, or decent sushi for less.  If it’s a coffee break you’re after, along the outside of the Harbour Centre building is a branch of Tim Horton’s the most famous Canadian coffee and doughnut chain.  They also make surprisingly good steeped tea.  Communication with the staff of (mostly) ESL students can be challenging, but entertaining.

The most obvious places, in brief are: the Steam Clock, the statue of Gassy Jack and The Old Spaghetti Factory.  All three have their charm, and the Steam Clock and Gassy Jack should certainly be seen quickly  by any self-respecting tourist.  The claim to fame of the Spaghetti factory is its stunning wood-and-stained glass-and-railway car interior– popping in to use the washroom will allow you to enjoy it without suffering one of their curiously alcohol-free Margaritas.

There is a niche of good shopping to be done in Gastown, depite the tourist shops pushing keychains and over-priced maple syrup.  There is a Jade Store, the perfect place to buy little souvenirs (for those who might prefer a jade grizzly bear eating a pink-jade salmon to a “My brother went to Vancouver…” t-shirt)?  There are also several gallery-stores featuring native art, from Haida masks to beautifully minimalist Inuit sculptures.  Up on the less-prettified Cordova Street there are some first-rate boutiques featuring unique clothes and accessories from local designers: among the best of these is Dream Boutique.  Some of the tourist stores in central Gastown, meanwhile, have branched more into gift-store territory, and these can be good too. 

After taking pictures and browsing, it’ll be time for a coffee or a drink, and Gastown rises to the occasion with a great variety of places. But that is the subject of another post…

Commuter/Tour Bus: The Seabus chugs towards Vancouver

So, on your way to downtown Vancouver you can enjoy the panoramic vista of the North Van mountains.  Don’t forget to look to the sides as well, to the bright yellow sulphur piles and Lions Gate bridge arching elegantly over the mouth of the inlet and down into Stanley Park.  The view on the other side is more industrial but still appealing: the workings of a busy, thriving port.

On your way home in the evening settle back and watch the skyscrapers and the white sails of Canada place fall away from you… glowing the sun in the summer, or with the reflective lights glittering on the water by night.

Lynn Valley: A Bridge Over Troubled Waters...

The main problems with Capilano Suspension Bridge are the price and the crowds, both of which are happily absent from the smaller, more natural, locals-favourite version, the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge.

From downtown Vancouver it’s slightly farther away than Capilano (perhaps a 25 minute drive versus 15, and similar with the seabus/bus on public transit) whereas from Beckside both locations are no more than a ten minute drive, only in opposite directions.  The extra distance is more than made up for by the price–it is free.  The thrills are the same: creeping along and alarmingly swaying but perfectly safe wooden footbridge that stretches over a rocky canyon.  The pools below are tempted, but the currents are strong and dangerous.

On the other side of the bridge you have the option of an easy overland hike on the left, or making your way down to the river on the right.  At the bottom there is a safe bathing pool (only recommended in the middle of a hot summer however, the snow melt water is always freezing).  Both options will likely include the entertainment value of an ESL school class trip, complete with Japanese girls hiking in high heels!

All in all, though less impressive overall than Capilano, Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge may be an even better afternoon out… free, less crowded, a bigger park to explore afterwards and generally the type of place where you forget you’re mere minutes away from a cosmopolitan city, and can enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Undoubtedly the most famous and advertised tourist attraction in North Vancouver is Capilano Suspension Bridge, and it is a fantastic afternoon out, so long as you’re not deathly afraid of heights– and even if you are it’s an enjoyable personal challenge.  A delicate and faintly swaying plank bridge stretches across a steep ravine, with a rocky, swift-currented river at the bottom.  As entertaining as crossing it yourself is watching other people cross it: some trying to pretend it’s just a normal walk in the park, others clinging to the sides and mincing across, and always, a few children or teenagers who run immediately to the middle and start jumping, further terrifying those with no head for heights.  But don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe.

In the rest of the park you can observe First Nations performers or singers dressed in Victorian costume (Capilano Suspension Bridge opened in 1889), buy fudge or maple syrup and see examples of the famous West Coast totem poles.  On the other side of the bridge, smaller suspension bridges have been swung through the cedars, and you can walk at branch level with the trees, observing the North Vancouver rainforest from a slightly different perspective.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Strung with Christmas Lights

Rates are expensive ($29.95 for adults) and there are other, less commercialized alternatives to Capilano suspension bridge, but one time of year at least it is absolutely worth going: at Christmas, when the trees and the bridge are strung with lights, the totem poles loom impressively, and the water thunders almost-invisible in the darkness of the canyon.