Another day of exploration with my sister. I hopped on the bus to meet her downtown under the Birks clock, something we did 40-50 years ago. Imagine our surprise to find the clock gone and the previous location occupied by a glitzy London Drugs store.
As it was 11am when we met, it was definitely time to sit with a coffee and discuss the events of the last 3-4 days. My sister led us to a Murchie's store & Cafe on Pender Street where we sipped coffee and shared a delicious bread pudding. It didn't have the hectic, noisy feeling of most coffee shops where you have to yell across the table at each other.
Walking down Hastings Street, we crossed over to investigate a crowd of white clothed people at Victory Square. There was an ill-timed fire drill at the VCC downtown campus. All of the students in their chef training uniforms were waiting impatiently to return to the foods that they had been preparing for the lunchtime crowds.
Imagine the half cooked entrees congealing in their pans, the french fry oil cooling, the breads and cakes overbaking, the salads going limp, the pastry drying up!!
Then there was the poor woman who was having her hair coloured by a student hairdresser. She was sitting on the park bench able to find humor in the situation. Would she still be laughing later??
The next stop was the Army & Navy store with its disappointing displays of low cost/low quality merchandise. As children we would always wait in anticipation for the magical day when we could travel downtown to the A&N for Christmas shoes. The store and its contents have lost their magic!
In Gastown we discovered the creator of Angel fabric paints. Her shop is in the oldest building in Gastown(1886), maybe in Vancouver. She moved to this location 14 years ago when the rents on Robson Street became impossible. Her handpainted creations are still lovely and in demand after 20 years in business .
We were headed toward Main Street and the Number 5 Orange, a renowned Vancouver strip joint. It wasn't our intention to visit this seedy place but we wanted to find a new bakery that was located next door. Unfortunately it was closed on Mondays. Disappointed, we decided to retrace our steps to the Save-on Meats' Cafe for lunch. In true diner style, we had the option of sitting at the counter and sipping thick milkshakes or sitting at a booth. The food was simple and inexpensive. We chose old fashioned grilled cheese sandwiches which were served with cheese oozing onto the plate alongside real(not frozen) french fries for $5.00 each!! The place was packed with people of all ages when we arrived and when we left. An outside lunch counter sells soup for $1.50 and sandwiches for $2.50.
This has been Vancouver's skid road area for many years but there was evidence along our entire walking route that the area was being gentrified. We wondered where the poor souls would go who are usually passed out on the street or in doorways. It appeared that they were slowly being pushed further east and in their place we saw young families and couples.
Even the garbage dumpsters were appealing to the eye.
