From Vancouver, to Metro town
I made it my goal not to get lost this day. So I set off on this straight busy road that is six lanes across. We know from this that this is not a European city, the sheer vastness of the road and the traffic on it, but the road is straight and climbs uphill. Today it is raining but not in a British sort of way but sort of bit by bit a little at a time, and blowing in my face.
I do find the bank and then I realise I could go into the mall and buy presents, so I decide to find a way into it on foot. I have to walk all around the building and get to the front and enter there and even then it was hard to find the shop I wanted because it was on a higher floor and at the far end of the most enormous mall I have ever seen. But I achieved it and was well pleased.
Then in the afternoon we went to a street in East Vancouver that had independent shops, organic food and little restaurants. We sat in a café and health food shop called something like ‘Ambrosia Cherub’ and I sat there looking at a showcase of desserts and am inspired to go home and make them myself. There was date square, oatmeal raisin cookies, mango dessert and a raw bar. My companion had a lovely mango lassi. I had golden turmeric tea. Everything was lovely.
The mountains are clouded right from the top down but they are still there watching and for a little while on the subway journey home I could see the foot of the mountains peeping out from the whiteness of the low cloud.
We had had dinner with friends, telling stories of whales and battles and heroes, Americans and Canadians but not much on life. The food was enjeera from Africa with lentils and vegetables and split peas. Yummy.
Later we watched the Dylan movie about music.
