RETRACING OLD FOOTSTEPS

I'm heading back to Athens on June 1 and I'm so excited because this is my second home. I first began visiting Greece in 1979, landing first in northern Greece, Macedonia. I was working on my Celtic novel at the time and was tracing Olwen's footsteps as well as doing research about my historical hero, Alexander the Great.

How did Olwen get to Greece from the Salisbury Plain in England? Well, she was kidnapped by a renegade chief's son after she had witnessed him murder his favored younger brother. He left the country with her and made his way across northern Europe. When he heard about the young King of Macedon who was recruiting men for his army to invade Asia Minor and kick the Persians out, he goes with other Celtic chieftains to offer his services. They were turned down by Alexander, because he thought them too barbarian. Olwen is rescued from her captor by Alexander when he comes across them in the forest while he's on a hunt. Thus began her life in Greece and my connection with Greece too.

Besides going back to visit my many friends there, I am celebrating my Big Birthday in Athens on June 6. We have called it The Assembly of 2009, because we are having the sunset picnic party on the Hill of the Nymphs. I had another birthday there two years ago and it has been the scene of many sunset picnics in the past.

The three Hills of the Muses, Pnyx and the Nymphs are the scene of several battles including Theseus against the Amazons. After the Persian wars the Hills were incorporated into the City which was encircled by the Themistoclean Walls and played a defensive role when Kimon and Pericles built the Phalerian Wall and Long Walls (mid 5th c) that connected Athens with it's harbors at Phaliron and Pireaus. Two important demes were developed, that of Melite and Koile. The Assembly met on the flat area of the Hill of the Nymphs and the Pnyx. Some of the famous statesmen and generals of ancient Athens had their homes there.

When I went to live in Athens in 1983 I first lived in Koukaki but the following summer I got a beautiful little flat in the basement of this house at #14 Vironos St. (Byron's St.) I spent several happy years living here, enjoying Kyria Dina's lovely courtyard and sharing space with my dear friend Roberto who lived in the little house out back. Every time I go back to Athens I pass by and look into the courtyard and touch the gate, with loving memories of those times and friends now gone. Kyria Dina's husband was unfortunately killed in a hit-and-run accident on a country road a few years ago, and my friend Roberto died of cancer. But this house will always hold special memories for me and I often think of it, and wish I was back there, snug in my little downstairs rooms where I was writing my novel and travel stories and enjoying the life.

TRAVEL PLANS: RETURNING TO MY ROOTS

On May 24 my sister, niece and I are heading off for London and Wales. We'll be staying in London for three days during which time I am looking forward to taking one of the interesting London Walks. We're going to be staying at the Indian "Y" in London, which is just across a small park from the house where Virginia Woolf lived, and nearby are several pubs where well-known writers such as Dylan Thomas, Oscar Wilde and G.B. Shaw hung out. So I will for sure go on the Literary London Pub Walk which traces the footsteps of the famed Bloomsbury Circle around the little warren of streets in the Museum quarter. Following our London visit we'll go down to Salisbury for the day to take one of the hop-on-hop-off bus tours to Old Sarum, Amesbury and Stonehenge.

OLD SARUM
I have a special interest in Old Sarum. Some years ago I was working on a novel titled "Dragons in the Sky: A Celtic Tale". It's the first person narrative of a young girl, Olwen, who is an acolyte of the Druids. When I was searching for a location for this story, I happened to be in Salisbury en route back to London, and I noticed a sign in the bus depot saying there was an Iron Age hillfort just a few kilometers up the road. I decided to walk there. And as I approached the site I had one of those remarkable dejas vous experiences of having been there before in a past life. My novel, told in the voice of Olwen, is very much a kind of past life story -- as I I am channeling Olwen in the telling of her story. So this 'find' was very exciting to me.

I did further research and learned that this is one of the earliest settlements in England, containing evidence of human habitation as early as 3000 BC It is mentioned in some of the earliest records of the country. This means, it could very well have been a thriving settlement at the time of Olwen's life which was in the mid 300's B.C.

I made a second trip to the site a year or so later. This time I was looking for specific 'landmarks' that might tell me more about Olwen. The strangest thing happened both times I was there -- as I tried to make my way along the path at the bottom of the mound, I was held back by some unseen force, something ominous. I knew that something had happened there. And eventually Olwen "told' me what it was. She had witnessed a killing on that trail which led to her being kidnapped by the murderer, a renegade chieftain's son. Because she was a Druid's acolyte he dared not harm her but held her hostage in his flight out of the country and across Europe.

I was about half way through my Dragons in the Sky novel when I got frustrated with the writing, mainly because my writing instructor at the time kept telling me it should be written third person. I eventually set it aside and began work on Shadow of the Lion, writing it first as a juvenile historical, believing that I'd be finished it in a year and would then resume work on Dragons. Well, the rest is history....Shadow developed into a much more complicated adult historical which has consumed me and taking literally years to construct. But now it's nearly finished and I know I want to go back and finish Dragons.

In looking over the old manuscript (some of which is written in bardic verse) I realize that it could never be written in the third person, because this is most definitely Olwen's story. So now I must make another trip to Old Sarum to find Olwen's spirit. I think since my first visit there has been a lot of new digs and restorations so I'm very anxious to go back to that ancient hill fort and refresh my memory about it. This visit back to Old Sarum and Stonehenge will be a highlight of this year's travels.

This photo captures some of the mysteriousness of the Old Sarum site, reminding me so much of Olwen and the story she told about her life there. Interesting that her life should connect with Alexander's through circumstances that developed (partly to do with that ominous event that had happened on the pathway). And so, from Old Sarum, once again as years ago, I'll be heading back to Greece pick up the threads of the rest of Olwen's story.

CAERPHILLY CASTLE
My father was born in Caerphilly, Wales and some of my cousins still live there. I've visited Caerphilly quite often but this year's visit with my sister and niece will be very special. We have come in contact with a lot of kinfolk through one of the long-lost cousins who has been doing the family genealogy. So we are going to have a reunion in Caerphilly of all the Filer cousins and kinfolk. I know my dad (who passed away several years ago) would be thrilled to know this was happening.
And for sure, I'll take his spirit with me. This is 'his' castle...at least, he used to play here when he was a child, so I think of it as Dad's castle. He lived just a short distance from it. Caerphilly was a mining town and from his early youth Dad worked in the mines just a few kilometers from the town. And farther north in the Rhymny Valley my great-grandfather and some of his family members (all miners) were killed in a huge explosion in the Senghnydd mine back in 1904, the year my dad was born. This country is my family's roots, and it was Olwen's too. So in returning I hope to find her, and the spirit of my family members who lived her long ago, as well as the thrill of meeting the cousins and all the new-found Filer kinfolk.

ONE MONTH TO TAKE OFF!

One month to go and I'll be heading overseas with my sister and niece. We're flying to London first, then going to Caerphilly Wales for a family reunion. On Jun 1 we head for Athens, Greece where I'll be celebrating my Big birthday with friends on the Hill of the Nymphs. I'll have lots more details about this and the other plans for Greece which include some Island hopping and a quick trip to Kusadasi Turkey.

My computer is out of commission at the moment so I can't post photos and as soon as I'm able I'll be putting up an itinerary of the planned journey which includes a side-trip for the day to Salisbury where I want to go on a hop-on-hop-off tour around Old Sarum and Stonehenge. This is a research trip to refresh my mind before resuming work on a work-in-progress historical novel I started some time ago and shelved. and in Caerphilly we'll be meeting a lot of new-found relatives. Pretty exciting stuff.

The plans for the birthday party are taking shape. My Norwegian friend Anne Britt is coming down with a group of Norwegians, my Finnish friends are coming, so is Patrick from Germany. As well the whole Athens gang has been notified.

This time my sister is coming with me as well as her daughter and it's the first time any of my family have visited Greece to see my old haunts and meet my friends there. So it will be a great occasion indeed.

Watch for more news and details of the great adventure as it unfolds.

IT'S CARNIVAL TIME!

CARNIVAL MASKS, VENICE


This is a Mardis Gras memoir. I went to New Orleans for the Mardis Gras several years ago and later wrote this story about my exciting experience there. I'm posting it now as it's Mardis Gras time, Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) and all over the world, from Venice, to Rio, to New Orleans, and even in Athens Greece people are celebrating Carnival.

HEY MISTER, THROW ME SOMETHING: Mardi Gras in New Orleans


New Orlean's grandest celebration, Mardis Gras, was brought to New Orleans from Europe in 1870. Carnival is a mystial combination of Christian beliefs, pagan rituals, glamour and debauchery that begins twelve days after Christmas when Balls are held, hosted by the carnival"krewes" to choose the King and Queen of "misrule".

There are 60 krewes, the oldest being the krewe of Rex. The male and female members of these krewes pay up to $1000 a year for the honor and each krewe bears the cost of throw-awys, the doubloons and beads tossed to the crowds during the Carnival parades.

In February, the week before Lent, the parades being, ending on Mardis Gras -- Fat Tuesday -- with the wildest celebration of all. The song goes: "It's Carnoval time and everybody's havin' fun..." and you will have fun if you're in New Orleans for Mardis Gras.

There are things you will see in New Orleans during Mardis Gras that you will never experience anywhere else. It's one huge party, and if you use your common sense, you are sure to have an unforgettable and safe time. The balconies of the French Quarter are hung with purple, yellow and green streamers and flags, the Mardis Gras colors. the streets literally run with beer and are ankle deep with rubbish and discarded plastic cups. It's common practice in the French Quarter to carry your drinks in take-away cups from bar to bar. the official tourist drink is the Hurricane, but beer and wine flow freely too. Anything goes during mardis Gras, and the New Orleans police,who are visible everywhere, are tolerant and polite but very firm in enforcing the law if necessary.

There are several parades a day, and as the streets will be impassable, it is wise to find a vantage point for viewing well in advance. You will soon get used to elbowing your way through the crowds, scrambling up on the barricades and screaming at the passing krewes the familiar refrain: "He Mister, throw me somethin'!"
as you grab for the trinkets and beads the krewes toss. The point is to catch as many strands of beads as you can and wear them all during the Carnival. If a doubloon lands near you, put your foot on it and wait, or you'll get trampled as you try to pick it up.

The parade floats, lavishly decorated with feathers, flowers and streamers of vibrant hues, are manned by the masked and costumed krewes, and carry guest celebrities. Each krewe has its own theme: Zulu's jungle; Orpheus' music; Okeanos' fantasy sea world; Bacchus's god of revelires. There are buccaneers and clowns, snappy marching bands, and spangled majorettes. Inevitably you will see New Orleans jazz clarinestist Pete Fountain and his Hafl-Fast Walking Club, a merry band of strolling musicians.

A freezing gale howls down St. Charles Street but fails to chill the enthusiasm of the revelers. A bevy of plumbed beauties are almost blown over when the wind catches their head-dresses. Banners and streamers unfurl in the icy gusts. Specatators wrapped in blankets and muffled with scarves sip hot drinks. Som eof them have been standing in the cold for hours.

Masks and costumes are traditionally worn by revelers only on Fat Tuesday. This is the day the Monarchs come to town. The fun starts early in the morning with the Gold Nugget Festival at Woldenberg Park, the highlight being the arrival of Rex, King of the Carnival who is officially given control over the city by the Mayor.

At the corner of St. Anne and Burgundy Streets in the French Quarter, on eof the most outrageous contests of all is held. The Drag Queen Costume Contest features some of the most exotic and elaborate costumes modeled with an equal amount of pizzazz.

Down on Bourbon Street it's adult entertainment as the bartering for Mardis Gras beads between people on the street and those on the balconies begins. The traditional call of "show us you #$%" rings back and forth as particularly well-endowed women are challenged to show their comely charms.

But Mardis Gras is just one day and by midnight the party is over. New Orleans mounted policement sweet p through the French Quarter followed by the street cleaners who wipe away all traces of Carnival for another year. By morning the streets of Vieux Carre are spotless and the crowds of merrymakers have gone. You can onc eagain enjoy New Orleans in all its elegance.

THE 2010 ABORIGINAL PAVILION CEREMONIES

THE 2010 ABORIGINAL PAVILION UNVEILED

Last week I attended the official unveiling of the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion to be built for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Aboriginal and other leaders from across Canada joined the Four Host First Nations and members of VANOC to unveil the pavilion which will celebrate the rich cultures and diversity of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada -- First Nations, Inuit and Metis.

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The c,000 square foot pavilion will be located on the plaza of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Vancouver, right in the heart of Olympic activity. A 65 ft. high spherical air-supported dome will be built using the latest technology to showcase the best of Aboriginal art, business, culture and sport from every region in Canada. The site will include a long-house containing a trading post for Aboriginal arts and crafts. The adjacent restaurants will be used for hospitality events. The event has been described as “the biggest potlach ever.” This sentiment was echoed by Vancouver’s Mayor Gregor Robertson who said he saw the pavilion as “the real heart and centre and soul of the 2010 Games.”

The ceremonies included a ceremony to introduce the official Aboriginal witnesses, speeches by tribal chiefs, including the National Chief, Phil Fontaine, and other dignitaries such as Gordon Campbell, the Premier of B.C. and Gregor Robertson the mayor of Vancouver, and various elders.

There was entertainment provided by a Metis jigger, an Inuit drummer and a First Nations hoop dancer.

Every member of the audience who witnessed the ceremonies were asked in First Nations tradition to carry it home and share it with their friends and family. The four Host First Nations -- the Lil-wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh - will welcome the world to their shared ancestral territories. It is the tradition of the Coast Salish people to welcome visitors by saying “I hold my hands up to you” and the feathers in the design of the Four Host First Nation’s logo represents this.

Because the Games will be staged on the traditional territorial lands of the Four Host First Nations people, the host nations will play an integral role in the Games. Special “theme” days will celebrate Aboriginal groups from all regions of Canada. There will be live events including Inuit throat singing, Metis jigging, First Nations hoop dancing as well as other contemporary Aboriginal performances. Visitors at the site will also experience a state of the art multi-media show projected on screens both inside and out.

The pavilion will open in February 2010 and run throughout the Winter Olympic Games.
For more information visit www.fourhostfirstnations.com and download the fact sheet

A VISIT TO THE TROPICS ON A WINTER DAY

One wintery day a week ago I visited the Bloedel Conservatory, the second largest domed conservatory in the world (43 m - 140 ft in diameter, 2 1m - 70 ft high at the centre). The triodetic dome design covers a large ground area without supporting columns. Inside, the Conservatory has three simulated climates: a tropical rain forest, sub-tropical and desert zones. I walked among tall clustering palms from South East Asia, Benjamin Figs from Malaysia as well as trees from Africa and South America.
There are 1500 varieties of trees within the Arboretum.

A suspended bridge crosses a pool where varied coloured Japanese koi swim. As well, you'll see multi-colored tropical birds such as Maria and Carmen, a pair of Macaws from the Amazon.

Some of the parrots ride around on the shoulders to gardening staff. Charlie is a talkative cockatoo from an endangered species found on an Indonesian island. There's also a dwarf Macaw, Nelson, from Venezuela; Rose, an African Grey parrot, Art, a blue and gold Macaw from Panama, and alot of smaller birds that flit about in the dense jungle-like foliage.

As well as the palms and figs, are Mexican breadfruit vines, yellow flowering Showy Cassia, Century plants and Peruvian cacti. A beautiful display of orchids lines the pathway as well as brilliant poinsettias that gave the Conservatory a real Christmas decor. I bought a curly-leafed scarlet poinsettia to bring home for my own Christmas decoration.

The day I went, it was a free day. The usual admission is: Adult: $4.60
Senior: $3.20
Youth:$3.45
Child: $2.30
pre-schoolers free accompanied by adult
Family: at child rate
The Conservatory is open: 10 am to 5 pm seven days a week
It's located in Queen Elizabeth Park at 37th and Cambie St. There is parking available in the park. Take the #15 Cambie St. bus.

TOURING CANADA'S HISTORY: THREE VALLEY GAP, B.C.

Just a few miles east of Craigellachie, B.C. where the last spike of the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway was driven in 1885, we round the curve of the Trans-Canada Highway and before us is an impressive 200-room chateau overlooking the shimmering water of Three Valley Lake.

Once this was only a marsh until 1956 when Gordon Bell bought the property and built a small motel and restaurant. Over the years the Bell family has developed this remarkable resort and chateau which now includes a chunk of B.C.’s history.

Gold rush mystique and railway history had always intrigued Gordon Bell. When he was just 16, working with a pick and shovel at a site 60 miles north of Revelstoke, he discovered the remains of a gold-rush town dating from 1862. Some of the equipment had been left behind when the town was abandoned in the early 1900’s. So Mr. Bell, decided to preserve the remains of the historic old town and began to collect artifacts and reconstruct buildings which are now on display at the Ghost Town, part of the Three Valley Gap Chateau complex.

Located 12 miles west of Revelstoke, the Chateau is nestled in the beautiful Monashee Mountains. Besides the Ghost Town, the resort offers many other activities for guests and visitors. Surrounded by pleasant gardens, there is a sandy beach for swimmers and water sports on the lake. You can also take a helicopter tour of the area. Nearby Revelstoke, a quiet picturesque town, is the gateway to the Rockies and home of two national parks, Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks, where you can hike and ski. Revelstoke is also rich in history and many of the buildings here are restored to their original Victorian era splendor. Five km. north of Revelstoke, the Revelstoke Dam offers self-guided tours. The lakes around the area provide opportunities for boating and fishing. Or you can take a helicopter tour over the mountains and around the Valley

The Three Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town has guided tours daily from mid-April to mid-October. It is built near the site of the original town of Three Valley, which flourished in the 1880’s. The Gold Wheel Saloon features an authentic 19th century bar. There’s also a historic three-story Hotel Bellevue originally from Sicamous, plus many other buildings such as a general store, school, trappers cabin and jail. It’s not hard to imagine what it must have been like to live in that era as you stroll the streets and peek into the shops.

The Railway Roundhouse where old railway memorabilia is stored is Canada’s largest display of railcars and equipment. I was excited to step onto a coach like the one my family traveled in across Canada to B.C. in the 1940’s. And what a thrill to visit the exclusive rail car once occupied by our Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau when he traveled across Canada by train in 1972. I stood on the back deck of the railcar exactly where he stood giving the famous Salmon Arm Salute to protesters that greeted him as he passed through that community. This is the same car that carried Queen Elizabeth II on her royal visit across the country in the 1970’s.

Among the collection of antique automobiles I found an old Model T Ford just like the one my mother used to drive when we lived on the prairies. And in the museum there were old church organs like the ones that provided music in the churches I used to attend as a child when my father was a Prairie minister.

A visit to the Ghost Town at Three Valley Gap is sure to evoke many memories as well as provide an insight into the past with it’s many displays of Canadian history.

The Chateau itself is a pleasant retreat where you can relax and enjoy spectacular scenery and the fresh mountain air.

Three Valley Lake Chateau
Tel.: 1-250--837-2109
Fax: 1-250-837-5220
Toll Free: 1-888-667-2109
www.3valley.com
Open mid-April through mid-October.
(Sorry, no pets allowed on the property)

Three Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town
www.3valleygapheritageghosttown.com

Helicopter Sightseeing
www.glacierhelicopters.ca

Transportation links from Vancouver:

Air: Air service is offered from Vancouver to Kelowna with links to Kamloops (196 km from 3 Valley Gap) and Calgary.
Bus: Greyhound buses serve Revelstoke from Vancouver and the Okanagan and Calgary on a frequent daily basis. Arrangements can be made for getting off the bus at Three Valley Gap.
Rental Cars: Available from Revelstoke.

A DAY ON THE MOUNTAIN

In all the years I've lived here in Vancouver, it took me until this week to make a trip up Grouse Mountain on the gondola. The last time I remember going up the mountain was years ago, when I was 14, accompanied by some young German students who teased me when I tried out my German language skills on them. This time, I was with another German friend, my young travel companion, Patrick. It was a good opportunity for me to finally make the trip up the mountain.

The gondola Skyride starts at the base of Grouse Mountain at about 300 metres and climbs to 1100 meters in twelve minutes. Quite thrilling as you sway above the treetops, and except the day was a bit hazy, a great way to see the panoramic view of the city and Georgia Straight.

After you arrive at the top of the mountain, there are several activities that you can enjoy although a couple of them, such as the Born to Fly movie at the Theatre in the Sky and the falconry demonstrations were finished for the season. We did enjoy the amusing lumberjack show where two loggers demonstrate various skills.

At the Refuge for Endagngered Wildlife exhibit we saw the two resident grizzly bears roaming around in their natural habitat. Once we went down the mountain again, we stopped to see the timber wolves in the Wolf Habitat near the parking lot.

We roamed around the mountain, enjoyed the glorious scenery and had a picnic. There are several restaurants on the mountain and a souvenier shop. But we had come mainy for the
thrill of the gondola ride and the lovely mountain scenery. There are trails you can hike, and for the hardy fit hikers, you can come up via the famous Grouse Grind rather than take the skyride to the top. Of course, in winter there are plenty of sports to participate in: skiing, snowboarding, skating, and sleigh rides.

You can also go on guided nature walks, helicopter rides or zoom over the treetops on the zip-line.

Your admission to the gondola includes some of the activities on the top.
For more information visit their website at www.grousemountain.com

Be sure and take your camera because there are plenty of photo ops!

A KAYAKING ADVENTURE

An old camp song kept going through my mind as my kayaking tour guide and I paddled across the serene water of the Indian Arm.
"My paddle's keen and bright,
flashing with silver,
swift as the wild bird flies,
dip, dip and swing..."

It's actually a canoing song, but it helped me keep the rhythm as we glided through the water.

Before we had set off for our adventure at the old heritage settlement of Woodlands, near Deep Cove on the Indian Arm inlet, Peter, the guide, gave us the basic instruction for paddling and kayak safety. Kayaking was a first for me. I'd so often watched kayakers plying the waters around Vancouver but had never imagined myself out there exploring the coastline.

I was given the opportunity by Peter Loppe, who guides nature adventures around Vancouver with his Lotus Land Tours. We're lucky here on the coast to live in such a nature lover's paradise. Lotus Land offers personalized guided tours for nature lovers of all ages, even if you're inexperienced like me. Besides kayaking, you can also go on whale watching safaris, floatplane adventures, wildlife viewing excursion and guided tours around the city.

From our starting point at Woodlands, we paddled across the Arm and along the shoreline while Peter explained the eco-system and sea-life. A few curious seals popped up around us checkiing us out but not coming too close. We had a little lesson about the various types of star-fish that clung on the rocks, and the types of algae and sea growth. It was a beautiful, sunny September day. There was hardly a ripple on the water which made for a pleasant kayak journey up the Arm.

We came ashore on one of the tiny Twin Islands. A lot of other kayakers were there, some of them splashing in the water enjoying the mild day for a last of the season swim in the sea. We beached the kayaks along with all the others that were there, and hiked to a secluded spot where our guide prepared us a delicious salmon barbecue.

I can't think of a more pleasant way to spend an afternoon. This kayak adventure was one of my most memorable experiences and now I've tried it once I'm sure I'll go again.

You can book tours with Lotus Land Tours by checking their on-line site at
http://ww.lotuslandtours.com or email info@lotuslandtours.com

You'll be picked up from your hotel or residence iin Vancouver and on your way to your adventure destination your guide will give you a guided tour of the region. In all the years I've lived in Vancouver I hadn't heard of Woodlands, one of the earliest settlments on the Indian Arm. There's always something new to learn and plenty of exciting adventures await you here on the Pacific Coast.

TO MARKET, TO MARKET....

Produce at Granville Market

There are three large indoor markets in the Greater Vancouver area as well as a number of summer-time outdoor markets that are well worth visiting.

The most popular of the indoor markets is the Granville Island Market located on the south shore of False Creek. In this thriving warren of shops, artist's studios, restaurants, theatres and galleries you can find almost anything. There is not only a produce area where you can buy everything from fish to fresh cut herbs and bakery products, but various food stalls and hand-craft booths.

Once a declining 37 acre industrial park, today Granville Island is one of Vancouver’s most popular spots for shopping and browsing. Enjoy an afternoon in the sun sitting outdoors with a lunch bought at one of the varieties of food booths while you take in the scenery of False Creek and listen to the music of a street performer. Watch the kayaks, sculls and sailboats cruise by. Or enjoy a cold beer at the Granville Island Brewing Co. There’s entertainment for kids too, at the Kids Only Market and the nearby water park.

You’re advised not to bring your cars to the Island. Take public transit instead. #50 False Creek bus from downtown Vancouver (Gastown) or treat yourself to a ride on the little False Creek ferries. The Aquabus ferry runs from the foot of Hornby St. or from Science World, operating daily from the south foot of Thurlow St. downtown behind the aquatic Centre. There’s a bike trail along the south side of False Creek and a Cyquabus operating from the foot of Hornby St, for bikers who pay an extra 50cents for bikes. There are plenty of bike racks available on the Island.

www.granvilleisland.com

Edible B.C. Culinary Experiences Corp. offers a Granville Island Market Tour every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday at 8.30 a.m.
Meeting place: La Baguette (Triangle Sq.)
Time 8.30 a.m. - 11.30 a.m
Price: $65 per person plus G.S.T. (tickets must be purchased in advance.)
The tour includes a focus on cuisine and history, sampling of foods, tips on foods and preparation, recipes and other goodies.
Phone: 604--812-9660
email: events @edible-britishcolumbia.com

Fish, Lonsdale Quay

Across on the North Shore, you can take the sea bus over to Lonsdale Quay and visit the Lonsdale Farmers Market where you can buy fresh fish as well as home-grown veggies.
The Quay began as a boat yard in 1926 and later expanded to the Pacific Dry Dock yard which later became part of the Burrard Dry Dock. Cates Towing has been towing and building ships here since before WW1. Nearby is the historical landmark Hotel North Vancouver built in 1905. Enjoy the panoramic view of the Vancouver skyline from the quay before hopping back on the sea bus for your return trip to Waterfront Station.

www.lonsdalequay.com

Paddlewheeler, New Westminster Quay

I spent a morning in New Westminster at the New Westminster Public Market but found it quite disappointing with many of the booths and shops closed and not much variety of fresh produce or other products. A popular aspect of the Quay seems to be the Casino next door. The most interesting part of the visit was viewing the historical aspects of the quay where the paddle wheelers are docked that take you on tours of the Fraser River. Once steam driven paddle wheelers were the main form of transportation on the river. Back in the 1800’s when there was gold rush fever, the river was a busy water-way taking thousands of miners up the Fraser. In 1858 Col. Richard Clement Moody and a party of Royal Engineers stepped ashore here to survey the site for the future city of New Westminster -- the proposed capital of B.C. Within a year 300 lots were auctioned off at an average price of $200 and the forest was cleared. Soon a town of tents and wooden stakes sprang up which included a church, hospital, jail and government house. Unfortunately most of the city was destroyed in a great fire of 1898.

www.westminsterquay.com

In addition to the indoor markets, during the summer months there are several outdoor farmer’s markets around the city, open until the end of October. These are at Trout Lake Community Centre, (Sat. 9 - 2) Riley Park Community Centre, ( Wed. 12.30 - 5.30) Kitsilano Community Centre (Sun. 10 - 2) and Nelson Park in the West End (Sat. 9 - 2)
Info: 604-879-3276
www.eatlocal.org

ZEN AND THE ART OF ASIAN DINING

The Ten-Thousand-Hand-Ten-Thousand-Eye Avalokitsvara Bodhisattva

You may not be able to afford a trip to Thailand or Beijing, but for the price of a transit pass or a gallon of gasoline you can experience Asia right here in Richmond.

I started my Asian adventure in a meditative mood with a visit to the Buddhist Temple on #5 Road in Richmond. From the moment you enter the gates into the grounds you are transported into a serene world far from the bustling city. The grounds resemble a scholar’s meditation park with stone carvings and statues among beds of flowers and ornamental trees. Beyond the fences and bordering stand of trees, the temple’s golden-tiled curved roof rises heavenward. You pass through the gates and are transported into the old China of the past.

Inside the temple the awe-inspiring golden Ten-Thousand-Hand-Ten-Thousand-Eye Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva sits before an impressive 85 ft. long Seven Buddha Mural, the largest of its kind in the world. The temple is a masterpiece of meticulous Chinese workmanship, displaying sculptures, painting, calligraphies and carpentry. I heard one man who had been recently to China exclaim, “This is even more beautiful than the temple in Beijing!”

A highlight of my visit was having my oracle read in the room of the One Thousand Buddha Hall. With the scent of incense swirling around me I knelt at each of the stations and contemplated my question to the universe. After the ritual, an old woman holds out a bundle of sticks and I chose my fortune which is interpreted on a yellow paper.

I was on a culinary tour of Richmond that began at the Shanghai River Restaurant specializing in traditional shanghai pork dumplings, 1800 dumplings a day to be exact.
We sat at a round table and tea was poured for each guest then the pot is placed carefully, the spout facing an empty space as it’s bad luck for it to point toward a person. Traditionally, the serving chopsticks are coloured on communal tables, with plain chopsticks for each individual. The oldest male is the host of the table and the eldest person at the table is served first by the youngest female grandchild. You never serve yourself first.

The ‘little dragon dumplings’ (su lung bow) were tantalizingly delicious, filled with soup and pork. Chef Lee, was brought from China to oversee the kitchen. The menu is medium priced at $48 for a five course meal for two including handmade noodles and rice with shrimp as well as other delicacies.

At the POSH Charcoal Collaboration, a trendy bistro-style restaurant, we sampled a different menu which included a Japanese Sukiyaki Hotpot. This is one of Richmond’s newer eateries representing a change in Asian dining. POSH serves authentic Japanese sukiyaki; it’s not a fusion restaurant. The name derives from the British traveler's saying “Port Out, Starboard Home” For the diner watching their calories it’s an excellent chance to fill your plate without guilt as each plate of the fresh home-grown veggies and slender slices of meat tally up to no more than 450 calories!

Richmond has over 400 Asian restaurants and most of them have chefs imported from their home countries, thus there are more authentically Asian foods served here.

Vogue, another restaurant managed by Peter, the young restaurateur from POSH, offers 128 dishes of Taiwanese cuisine. At Jade Seafood, Cantonese-style cuisine is served including hand-made dim sums and fresh seafood that are the specialties of the house.

The young Chinese residents of Richmond enjoy gathering at the Tapioca Express Bubble Tea on Capstan Way. Here they can meet with friends and sip on a variety of tapioca milk teas or snack on crispy chicken or fried fish cakes among the other 200 kinds of tasty snacks served here. There are many different varieties of bubble tea to chose from, (the ‘bubbles” are the tapioca). The Bubble Tea provides cards for kids to play and a safe place for them to hang out with their friends.

Chicken Satay

In between this eating extravaganza I took time to browse around the Aberdeen Mall and the Yaohan Centre shopping malls. I recommend an afternoon at the posh Aberdeen Mall which has a wide range of stores. It’s the first Asian mall of its kind. They even sell Porches there!

Our culinary adventure ended at the Thai House Restaurant where the chefs had prepared a full-course Thai meal that included chicken satay, artistically served salads, a seafood combo, coconut chicken and pineapple fried rice. Try the lichee and coconut drinks. They’re delicious! And for dessert: deep fried bananas with mango icecream.Yum!

Summer Night Market Dragon Dancers

We ended the day at the grand opening of the Summer Night Market where there are over 200 booths selling every sort of merchandise you can imagine from fake designer handbags to electronics. I usually love to snack my way down the row of food stalls that offer authentic Asian cuisine. This evening, after my day-long feast, I passed it up in favour of watching the stage show with the dancing dragons and pretty Chinese girls performing for the crowds. The market is open every weekend from 7 - 11 through to September and there’s ample parking nearby. It’s worth a visit though it tends to be very crowded. The atmosphere reminds me of the P.N.E. so you’ll have lots of fun there.

International Buddhist Temple
9160 Steveston Hwy
www.buddhisttemple.ca

Shanghai River
110-7831 Westminster Hwy
604-233-8885

POSH Charcoal Collaboration
1123-3779 Sexsmith Rd.
604-725-2108

Jade Seafood
8511 Alexandra Rd.
604-249-0082

Tapioca Express Bubble Tea
1438-8388 Capstan Way
604-278-4998

Yaohan Centre
3700 No. 3 Rd.
www.yaohancentre.com

Aberdeen Centre
4151 Hazelbridge Way
www.aberdeencentre.com

Thai House Restaurant
129-4940 No. 3 Rd
604-278-7373

Summer Night Market
12631 Vulcan Way
www.summernightmarket.com
Weekends through to October 5..