So we decided that we would get up around 9-10 am, but I awake around 8 am and can not fall asleep again even though I’m still a bit tired. Not much to do about it though but to get up start the day. After a while when I believe my hosts need to get up I fix some coffee for us all and try to awaken them – without luck (I could of course barge in on them but I don’t know how they sleep and don’t want get too much of a surprise). Later on after we’re all up and have had some coffee we’re making plans and going on and on, back and forward. Finally we decide to go for a morning walk and then a brunch. It’s a lovely sunny day when we walk down to Spanish bay and the beach, it’s really so warm in the sun that I end up only in my t-shirt (on my upper body of course). In the end we end up on a place I found an google, The Oakwood Canadian Bistro (2741 W 4th Ave, Vancouver). They have seating on outside and since it’s so warm and nice weather we sit down there for our brunch. The brunch menu is not that big but it’s difficult to decide anyways since everything sound so good – and it turns out that it actually is that good as well. Well recommended to try out if you are in the neighbourhood.
After brunch Vera leaves us to go to work and me and Fredrik takes the bus, first downtown which seems to be vibrant with a lot of people compared to what I’ve experienced so far. Then after a bus change we end up in Stanley Park which is sort of a state park “in the middle” of Vancouver. The warmth described earlier is still in the air, but only when being in the sun and it soon becomes cold in the shade. Still it’s a nice walk and the park is probably packed with people on summer days. We walk to one of the sightseeing’s in the park, the totem poles, which are recently created totem poles for show in the park. I look in on the gift shop right there beside the poles, but I decide not to by anything, not even a shot glass to Vera as a present. We continue along the bay and soon end up on the downtown side which still is bustling with people. Then again we’re sort of in the middle of the tourist part of downtown. We pass the Steamworks brewery, but it’s been decided that we are you for the Yaletown Brewing Company, so we keep walking. Fredrik tells me that some parts of the town between Downtown and Yaletown that we are walking through is sort of “unfriendly” at least at night time. But it’s not night time and we end up at the brewery after some time – as always thanks for Google Maps.
At the brewery it’s not that many customers but it’s loud (I’m getting old I guess), the music is way to high turned up making people yell. Still, we’re here and we need a beer, so I go for a flight to test as many as possible as usual and try out the Roundhouse Wheat, Loading Bay IPA, Mosaicos IPA and Crown of Thornes Wee Heavy Ale. Finally an IPA worth the name! It ends up with a regular Loading Bay IPA as well before we head back home when the time has already become 7 pm.
We take the train down to Broadway City hall before changing to bus and after a short bus ride Fredrik leaves me since he needs to go to UBC to execute some work before Sunday. I continue on for a while to end up close to the apartment and to a Safeway to do some grocery shopping for the evening meal which will be meatballs and potatoes with lingonberries and quick pickled cucumber. When I get home Vera helps me with preparing the meal by socialising with me and having some Canadian wine. Unfortunately the time at the lab drags out too long for Fredrik and me and Vera have to eat without him. But he does get back before the food is too cold and we can at least plan for Sunday to go to Squamish.