Yesterday was an interesting experience in solo travel to downtown Vancouver. I had scheduled a hair appointment for 1:00pm so I decided to leave early in the morning and use the transit system instead of driving. I was not only the oldest passenger but also the only one with white skin and white hair in a melodic blend of youthful coffee colours and scents for the entire trip!
I had forgotten how Saturday mornings in downtown Vancouver are quiet! My first choice for a morning coffee was closed(no offices open in the Marine building) so I wandered over to Granville Street to find an Intelligensia outlet where I sat with two other customers. They stared at their handheld devices while I studied them...young and oblivious. Could this be a future theme for paintings?
When I became bored with observing these inert young people I wandered up to The Bay. This store holds many memories for me... hours spent shopping for shoes, clothes and panty hose when I was working downtown many years ago. I caressed the $90 bras and closely examined the $850 shoes while wondering ...who shops in this store now?!
Back on the street I decided to check out the library...previously only viewed from the outside. Wow! The layout that was posted inside directed me to the 5th floor...the QUIET floor... with magazines and newspapers. Fortunately it was also loaded with shelves of art books. Taking several books, I found a quiet table and comfortable chair to (hopefully) stimulate my creative side.
I marvelled at Richard Estes' realism, wondered at Alessandro Raho's translations of emotion through clothing and loved Jonas Burgert's swaddled images. It was thrilling to discover these artists!
Filled with imagery and stimulation I decided that it was time to see the exhibit at the Art Gallery and savour the flavours from one of the food carts that sets up outside the gallery. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the gallery, there was a long line of people to enter the gallery along Howe Street extending toward Georgia Street and no food carts in sight!
My solo day in downtown Vancouver was not working out exactly as planned! Maybe a little sushi was the answer. So, after enjoying some sashimi, I finally arrived at my hairdresser's for the scheduled appointment. After having white hairs snipped and shaped I hopped on the Expo Line and then squeezed into a jam packed bus for the trip back to Cloverdale. Young people offer me their seats these days!
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