VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA
Last week, I went to visit my friend in Vancouver. It was my first time in the city and it was beautiful. However, I didn't exactly have the best weather while I was there. It rained. A lot. None the less, I tried to explore and experience the city as best as I could in the short time I was there. Below is an over-view of my experience, which should give you an idea of what to expect if you're planning on heading that way!
Accommodation- I stayed in my friend's apartment in Gastown, which was a great location. The streets are really cute, even if it is a bit touristy. It's magical at night as they have lots of lights strung up in the trees. There's a steam clock there, modelled after Big Ben in London, that plays a song every 15 minutes. There were constantly a lot of people taking pictures but it was a cute thing to see none the less.
Prices - In general I found food to be well priced but everything else was a bit of a rip-off. Store that I knew from Europe and the U.S. were definitely more expensive, such as H & M, and the little boutiques dotted around the city were very cute but definitely more expensive that they should have been. I didn't buy anything other than food except 2 postcards made of wood as a souvenir. Because of this, I was able to eat in a few nicer restaurants while I was there, but food was definitely very affordable. Transport was also reasonably priced while tourist attraction/activities were priced high.
Getting around - It's a very easy city to walk around, I only used the public transport to get to and from the airport, but it was very reliable and easy to use.
Things to do - I spent the first day just wondering around and exploring Gastown and along the water front; it really is a great city to walk around. The second day, I took the hop-on hop-off bus (well actually I took the one that they call a 'trolley' but it's a bus that's made to look like a trolley) . I know they're so touristy but I genuinely like doing them when I'm in new cities. They give you a good over-view, and for me they help give me an idea of how the city is laid out. I only got off at Granville Island, where I found a fun store called made. that I would totally recommend checking out.
Food - One of my favourite things about Vancouver was the food. It was very reasonably priced and tasted great. Here's all the place I checked out:
Lost and Found Cafe I loved this cafe! It had a great vibe and lots of options for vegetarians! I got the Veg Sandwich with soup and it was delicious. They also have wifi which is a plus when you're in a foreign country and don't have data roaming.
Noodle Bar I loved how customizable their menu is; you pick the sauce, then protein and spice level. I misunderstood the menu and put shrimp in mine which made it a little expensive but in hindsight, I would have been perfectly happy with the meal if it didn't have shrimp so lessons learned. It was quite a big portion though and I did get lunch the next day out of it, so it was't too bad.
Cactus Club - Coal Harbour This was the only place that I think I would have struggled to find something to eat if I didn't eat fish. The view was lovely and I really enjoyed what I got, the Prawn Spaghetti. I believe this is a chain restaurant, but the one at coal harbour is a bit more fancy and has different options on the menu. It's a nice place but not anything too special in my opinion, but I'm not really the biggest fan of fancy restaurants anyway.
Nandos I'm a big fan of Nando's in Ireland and I've missed it while living in the US. So when I found out their was one in Vancouver, I had to go. Despite being a known for their chicken, they actually have great vegetarian options. I think the menu was a little different to the one back home but the food was still familiar and great! Love a bit of Nandos (pictures below).
Alibi Room We went here on the first night I got to Vancouver so it's a little bit of a blur. I wasn't sure how hungry I was until I started eating, then I realised I was starving. Not a lot of options for vegetarians but I loved the food I got, the Broccoli and Mushroom stir-fry. It was just want I needed!
While I did enjoy my trip, it started to frustrate me how everyone kept talking about how great the city is when the weather's good. I get it, it's definitely makes things easier when the weather's nice but if you live in a city where is rains a lot, you should be able to deal with it. I like cities that embrace their weather and have a fun atmosphere all year round; it seems like Vancouver goes into hiding during the winter! I would definitely like to go back at some point in my life during the warmer months, but it's nit top of my list right now.
Jane x