Today was the first day of our trip.  Being seasoned travellers with kids everything was on track and ran smoothly, from the taxi cab to the airport and the check-in to the boarding.  The only hiccup was a 1 hour and 30 min wait in the plane due to a thunderstorm warning so we were late in flying out due to traffic control but once we went up – it was business as usual.  Kids got a little antsy but nothing substantial and then off we went.  Everything was equally smooth when we arrived in Vancouver – from picking up the luggage to our taxi ride towards the hotel.  We were tired and a bit jet lagged so we did a light walk to Kokomuro Tokyo Mezasoba restaurant.  Apparently Mezasoba is a speacilty dish in Japan, first time I try it, its basically a less watery Ramen. On the way there, we noticed the apparent opioid epidemic of BC which was on full show – a bit of a shock coming from Ontario.  The restaurant was amazing, with great seating, the Japanese milk tea was delicious and my Salmon/Avocado Mezasoba with noodles and egg was incredible.  Added my vinegar and chili flakes and enjoyed it the way I wanted to.  The rest of the family got ramen and my little one was satisfied with calamari and steamed rice.  The shrimp appetizer and tofu were equally excellent.  The whole experience, despite limited non-port and vegetarian options, was completely worth it.  On the way back we were too tired to go to the Pacific Mall and may our way back to settle in.  Tomorrow we hope to meet friends and have another chill day primarily focused on the beach.  So far so good!

(GEC Granville Hotel, Day 1, July 6, 10:35p.m.)

So we had a nice light breakfast at Caffe Mirra near our hotel and I loved my Hijochai Latte which had a great roasted rice flavour to it.  Cozy and the seating was a bit tight but was worth it (even with a stroller in tow).  We headed out to Sunset Beach but the weather was far from beachy.  Ironically we ended up just walking through Sunset Beach because it was anything but, still manages to dip my feet in the sand and the waters of the Pacific out of principle.  We walked back to our place and changed into less beachy clothes. 

As we walked back, we saw a poor Canada Goose get hit by a car and with a broken wing, barely able to walk out of the road right of way and find sanctuary among a few small bush trees.  It was a sad image and for some reason really hit me hard; just the vulnerability and the lack of care people have towards other creatures.  Although we lingered a little trying to see if the goose would be all right we had to make our way back, and so after we did and had our change of clothes, we headed to the CF Pacific mall – so we ended up doing what we weren’t able to do yesterday.  I a nice compact urban mall with plenty of high-end stores, nut a little stale. 

We didn’t linger much and walked our way on what finally ended up being a sunny day to have some Iranian food at the Cazbah restaurant on Davies Road – which apparently had a nice treasure trove of specialty ethnic restaurants.  With major portions and great tea, the bill was less than $50, which was unexpectedly affordable in any terms (not just by Vancouver standards!  We were pleasantly surprised.  We headed back for a catch-up rest where I did my obligatory second day of jet-lagged travel nap and then got ready for our night out with my wife’s best friend and her family.  We went to the Michelin-star-rated vegan restaurant called Nightshade, a nice 9-minute walk from our hotel.  The food was unique, delicious, and slightly overpriced but well worth the visit.  The dessert was even more surprising and the drinks were great.  Service was excellent and the seating unpretentious which I loved.  The bill total was a bit of a shock but nonetheless expected.  We stayed a good 3.5 hours so we got our money’s worth.  We had a great time and great company before heading back with our much-tired little ones (reached 10:30 p.m. Vancouver time which would make it past midnight Toronto time).  Along the way, we passed a dodgy 7 eleven near our hotel where police were questioning a young lady.

(GEC Granville Hotel, Day 2, July 7, 11:30p.m.)

Woke up all excited to have our breakfast at Paul’s Café.  This place was our go-to brunch tradition when we were living in Dubai, and the last time we were here, we were surprised they had a Canadian branch in Vancity – but there was a long line up just to get in and we didn’t plan ahead.  This time I booked it twice, and going there for our first time, in a long 5 years was great.  Overall the food was delicious but nothing exotic, but it was just as great as I remember it.  Had a big argument with my older guy which put a damper on the good vibes but eventually we got over it.  After a very filling breakfast we headed out to see some family in a quick stop by at the Fairmont (we will see more of them in our upcoming Cruise but did a quick hello), this time both the kids were acting out.  Made a top at the local Indigo on Robson St. just before that and got my Economist Magazine.  For the first time, I am actually in need of some reading material, usually, I over-prepare and don’t end up reading much, this is the first time where the opposite is true.  After the quick pitstop to see family, we crossed the road to the Vancouver Art Gallery for a much-needed Culture fix.  Saw a great exhibit by an Iranian sculptor Parvis Tanvoli for some thought-provoking art.  One floor up was some futuristic fashion exhibits called Fashion Fictions and then capped it off on the 3^rd floor to see an indigenous icon’s journey to promote native culture from Alanis Obomsawin, mainly multimedia work.  The kids were surprisingly into it.  Caught a mini “farmer’s” crafts market on the museum property and headed towards a nearby park called Emery Barnes Park.  We saw another bird, this time pigeon, injured and getting pecked by other pigeons which was a little disturbing for me.  The pattern of birds in pain has been unsettling, to say the least. 

We had a quick break in the hotel and did some early, but much-needed laundry and then headed out for some Moroccan at the Al Moltaqa Moroccan Restaurant.  More like a late lunch than an early dinner but it was great to digest the food and make it an early night for our Cruise ship boarding tomorrow.  Donated some leftover Iranian rice and kebab to a local homeless guy and made our way back to pack up and get ourselves ready for tomorrow.  A relaxing day, but surprisingly very productive and we got to see both the Museum, family, and the Moroccan place – all of which were not on my agenda for the day!  Came back to a fraudulent credit card transaction, but other than that all was well.  Tomorrow we go on our first Cruise trip and hopefully, all will be smooth sailing, no pun intended.  It was a great few days’ break to get us ready for the big adventure!

(GEC Granville Hotel, Day 3, July 8, 8:20p.m.)