Vancouver week one: Downtown, Granville Island, Kitsilano

So I've been in Canada for two weeks. I'm getting a bit more on top of things - I'm over my jetlag and looking for jobs/places to live, although the feeling of being on holiday still hasn't faded. Now that I'm spending more time at the flat rather than wandering around Downtown (too easy to spend money!) I guess it'll fade soon enough though...

One of the things I've been spending money on. They're amazing!

Pics of what I've been up to behind the jump!




One of my first days here, I went Downtown - to buy some socks. I didn't bring any with me (mostly I wear skirts/dresses with tights) and it was as good an excuse as any to explore Downtown for the first time.

Downtown, as seen from Science World

Mostly I wandered down Robson, a street that is apparently famous for its shopping. I can't say I was that impressed but I got the socks I went for, and that's the important bit, right?

Since I'd bought a day ticket for public transport, I decided to have a bit of an explore, although I ended up walking a considerable amount more than I used the bus or train!

I ended up at Science World, while is a pretty cool building:

The geodesic dome is pretty swifty, right? It's inspired by Buckminster Fuller, who is the chap that bucky balls are named after. It also reminds me of Spaceship Earth :)

From there, I walked along the seawall to Kitsilano beach. That's actually a pretty long way, but it was a lovely day, and it's a really pretty walk with interesting art along the way.

There was also this (I didn't see any):

And this is the Space Centre, which I'll definitely be visiting. I love astronomy - fun fact: I wanted to be an astronomer, until I realised I sucked at maths. Then again, Professor Brian Cox got a D in his maths A level so maybe there's hope for me (hint: there's not). Don't you think it looks like the Space Mountain at Disney World? (Second Disney park reference xD)

I stopped off at Granville Island and had a wander around there; I'll definitely be back. With bead shops, a crystal shop (I got a really pretty piece of citrine) and a brewery, it's my kind of place.

And then after a lot more walking, I got to Kitsilano beach and had my first experience of the Pacific Ocean (very briefly, it was cold)!

Now, one of the reasons I wanted to go to Kits - well, officially, it's because of the beach, but I had an ulterior motive: Nando's!

On the one hand, I was a little bit disappointed - it wasn't as huge as the burgers in the US, for a start! The wedges weren't up to much, either ;__; But I'm definitely going to give it another shot, and I've have cheese and pineapple on my burger, because a) that's how I always had it in the UK and b) cheese makes everything better.

Oh, and remember how I said I always post pictures of food? Here's one to close with:

Cake from a Chinese bakery