Day 3--Blue Loop

Meg at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Gardens

Day 3--Blue Trolley Loop

Again we got up and dressed and headed out, walking down to Canada Place and getting some breakfast.  We got a big breakfast today.  Dave got a ham and cheese omelet and I got scrambled eggs and bacon.  Then we walked out, and with perfect timing, caught the trolley for the Blue Loop.  The red loop takes you around the western part of the city.  The blue loop took us out to the eastern part of the city.  The two stops that we wanted to do on this were the Granville Island Market and the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden.  We rode past Granville Island and got off at the Chinese Garden, which, as you might expect is in Chinatown (the second largest Chinatown in North America...the first is in San Francisco). 

The Dr. Sun-Yat Sen garden is the first of it’s kind built outside of China, and it is beautiful.  Peaceful, tranquil and tucked in amongst bustling Chinatown with the very modern city of Vancouver as it’s backdrop.  We spent about an hour there, looking at the enormous koi in the pond, wandering the paths and taking lots of pictures. 

When we had entered the garden, we were told about a festival taking place in Chinatown that day, so we checked that out for a bit, and got to see some dragon dancers.  Then we got back on the trolley and rode around to the Granville Island Public Market. 

After the tranquility of the garden, this place was a sensory overload!  It was bustling with people and full of fantastic looking fruits, veggies, fish,  meats, cheeses and baked goods.  Dave mentioned that it was what the Portland Public Market aspired to be.  After being overwhelmed by the sights and sounds, we decided to get a bit of a picnic lunch, so we got some fruit, bread. baked goods and water and grabbed a table.  Our pick up meal was delicious and the cherries that I got were some of the best that I had ever tasted.  For dessert, Dave had a blueberry tart and I had a mini Black forest cake.  I wish I could have bought another one to bring back to the hotel with me...it was that good.  Granville Island is also has lots of little shops, so while we there there, I bought a new hat, which I really needed.  I had not expected Vancouver to be so sunny, but it was!

As we were walking out of the market, we heard bagpipes, so we went and watched the bagpiper for a bit and then caught the trolley.  We got off at Gastown to see the stream clock and look in the trinket shops and then we walked to Canada Place where we caught the red trolley back to our hotel! 

Dave was done by then, but I was getting hungry, so I walked across the street to Subway (I know, but I wanted something quick, simple and cheap...it’s better than McDonald’s, right?) and I brought that back to the room.  Then I took a shower and it was lights out, end to another busy day in Vancouver.