J'adore Vanouver! (a parenthetical recap)

One of the very best things about travelling these days is getting to meet mes amis from our blogging community. Materfamilias was one of the first people to read and comment here regularly, so it's no surprise that when we finally met it felt like connecting with an old friend.

We walked and talked and shopped all afternoon. She made sure to take me to the Fluevog store where I succumbed to the boots I'd been ogling online for years, (but in black) and to the m0851 store where she'd purchased her knot bag (and I was sorely tempted, may yet succumb). She guided me on a walking tour through the West End area down to the seawall (we stopped for a sushi snack on the way). We talked about our histories (not surprisingly, lots of commonality), families and cultures, and of course clothes, bags, shoes, scarves and style. Meanwhile, I was kicking myself for having left my camera in the hotel room.

After a short break, our family met back up with Mater and Pater for a lovely, quiet dinner of burgers-and-beer (such a nice respite after cruise ship meal mania) where the picture above was snapped (The White Spot - one of the best burgers I've had anywhere!) and a nightcap in the piano lounge at the hotel. All in all a lovely day with a friend. I really appreciate her spending such a huge chunk of her weekend with me!

Even if Mater did not live here, I would still want to move to Vancouver. First of all, there are TREES, lots and lots of trees. (La Belette, you should really check out this town, think you'd love it!) It's cosmopolitan, but with a funky, laid back vibe (like une femme). It's a city with a very young demographic, which probably explains a lot. There's art, culture, shopping, trees, parks, community gardens, shopping, lots of wonderful ethnic eateries, and did I mention shopping? I'm afraid the rest of my So Cal native family wouldn't do well with the often cloudy weather here, but I'd be in heaven. I think future visits to this area are definitely in order.
~