Dear Liza,
Today was our first full day in Vancouver, and we saw just as much as we could see.
After we were all up and dressed, we walked down to the water. This part of Vancouver is several narrow peninsulas that jut out into the Pacific Ocean, so we walked TO THE OCEAN.
We took a water taxi across the narrow inlet to Granville Island. About a hundred years ago, this was the shipyards of Vancouver, because fishing and shipping were the main industry here. Fishing is still big, but most of the shipyard buildings have been repurposed for Art galleries, shops, and restaurants.
The biggest building is used as the Granville Public Market. It has about fifty different businesses inside, from creperies ( where we got our breakfast) to ice creams shops, butcher shops, fruit and vegetable venders, and ceramics and other art shops. We wandered around with our eyes bugging out!
Outside, we wandered some more. Galleries with fine arts and others full of crafts kept our eyes busy.
We chatted with a guide about the sand and gravel silos that have been painted by the same artists we saw in London years ago into a unique set of “Giants”. We admired woodworking, ceramics, paintings and embroidery. When our eyes were full but our tummies empty, we stopped at The Keg for lunch. Ahi tuna tacos and a Guinness for me and cider for Grandpa Nelson, along with half an hour off our feet, put us right again and we continued on.
We found an artistic blacksmith shop, and enjoyed the work, but the smith wasn’t in. Then we saw these hands and a head out in the sun, with a coat of shallac drying on them.
We talked with the lady who was working on them and followed her back to the shop. Her name is Beth, and she works with wood artist Peter Kiss to make these wonderful characters.
We had walked around the whole island twice and seen so much, we were pooped. We caught another water taxi across the water and headed to our apartment for a rest. I will tell you about the evening tomorrow!
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 