Last night we ate dinner at Floata, a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. Several years ago I went on a trip to Turkey and Greece on a tour called “In Search of the Goddess.” There we ate eggplant fixed in its many guises. It was one of the most sacred and sensual experiences of the trip. Last night I had eggplant fixed in a new way, in a hot pot with shredded pork. And now I know that the goddess lives in China too.
We continued our culinary adventures today. We stumbled across the Pacific School of the Culinary Arts (where Lizzie Flannigan studied, it turns out). They were advertising a three-course lunch for a ridiculously low price. I had the best lobster and crab bisque I have ever eaten.
We walked a million miles or so today. Vancouver is a beautiful, cosmopolitan and multicultural city. Mountains almost down to the seashore, interesting architecture (at least to our untrained eyes), and many languages and restaurants. Lots of First Nations galleries, arts, and crafts here. In Stanley Park, Vancouver’s version of Central Park, we visited a permanent exhibit of totem poles. They are set in a cluster out-of-doors and each has an explanation of the images and cultural history, along with information about the artist who did the carving. There are many, many First Nations here and I really wanted to buy every book of stories available. The foundational figure in one of the totems was a black giantess, whom I took to be one of their goddesses. The artists seem to have a strong sense of and devotion to their culture and history and to carrying their traditions forward into modern versions. The totems become more beautiful when you gain some understanding of what they mean. They are essentially a crest for each tribe.
I love our “seedy” hotel. The staff are so easy and helpful. The young woman at the desk even kissed one of the guests this morning! He was a very old man, I think one who comes for several months each winter and stays here. Lots of variety in the people here, but clearly some long-timers. And then there’s Pat’s Pub downstairs that makes its own brew and has fabulous bar food, like the pulled pork sandwich I had tonight and yam fries. Cozy, and yes, friendly staff. We had interesting discussions about the local Wall Street occupiers with the bartender. Vancouver has its own tent city on the lawn in front of city hall, and it seems to be have become a focus of the municipal elections which are scheduled for the 19th here.
The highlight of the day for Bob, I think, was a small ferry, maybe 20 feet long, essentially a water taxi that we took home from a public market on Grandview Island. It was small and enclosed with plexiglass, so we could see well but we also stayed nice and warm. The only riders were Bob and I and an attractive young woman from Capetown, South Africa. The young taxi driver, who sat in the middle of the boat, tooled along at a leisurely pace and kept up a casual and interesting conversation. Especially interesting, it seemed to us, to the young woman from Africa. We were pretty sure they ended up having dinner together tonight. Here’s to the success of their evening.
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