SLC - Vancouver

We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Blue Iguana in SLC. It was a handy walk from the hotel and is clearly a very popular place with many locals there. We had to wait about 10 min for a table but that was fine. We ordered a Corona each and soon noted that besides one other table we were the only ones drinking alcohol. I guess that's SLC for you!

We then ordered our meals (spicy pork burrito for Mark and shredded beef for me) ... I am absolutely not exaggerating when I say the food was in front of us in less than 3 minutes.

Clearly the kitchen has it all ready to throw together and get people through. We were in and out of the place in under 45 mins. This is with us sitting back and enjoying the musical duo wandering around.

They were a fabulously fun older Mexican couple. They were great! >>>>> There had been a bit of rain the previous day and we saw the news showing the wet roads. They were making a point that it was warm rain not cold rain and this is why it was not snow. It was actually about 10C. We were however thrilled to open the curtains of the hotel room in the morning to see there had been quite a covering of snow on the mountains in the distance overnight.

Our flights took us from SLC to Seattle where we changed to a turbo twin prop plane for the final 35 min flt to Vancouver.

Oh how we quickly have fallen in love with Vancouver. On the taxi ride from the airport to our hotel we went through some really lovely suburbs. Beautiful and stately old homes on treelined streets. All with gorgeous fall coloured leaves. Some you could not see the road for the golden leaves.

We have a great corner suite with views to the harbour down Burrard St, in the hotel where we are staying. Thanks Kathy for the recommendation, we are loving Sutton Place and the convenient position.

The luxury cruise terminal is at the end of our street.

From the terminal looking across to North Vancouver. As coincidence would have it, my cousin Michelle is here at present visiting her charming son Adam. After a walk to the harbour and some window shopping, we went last night to dinner at Michelle's apartment.

Gastown is the old town of Vancouver. This clock is still working and is a steam powered clock. You may be able to see the steam cloud near the top of the clock.

Michelle cooked a delicious meal of sockeyed salmon and veges. Then amazingly she and Adam pulled together a pie of organic apples, cranberries and blueberries. Served hot with choc chip icecream... it was delicious. Also there was a friend of Michelle's visiting from NYC and Adams lovely Melbourne girlfriend, Steff.

What a fabulous coup for her to have found such a great place. A full wall of glass overlooking a couple of blocks of old Gastown to the harbour and north Vancouver beyond. Its raining here and the clouds were hanging in the mountains beyond.

It was a very funky studio to hang out in for a while.

Too much good food and wine?

This morning we headed out to find b'fast. The concierge recommended a place he called 'fun'. Not knowing what we were getting our selves in to we happily walked a few blocks to find it. Shame about the bloody rain though! We found the cafe 'The Elbow Room'. Terrific menu and food served by fun people. In particular was the guy who appeared to own the place. He would say things like... you four.. put your asses down here... (all in a very mincing gay voice).. Then another time he called out "someone in here is eating the wrong omelette".. to which a large man meekly raised his hand to admit it was him... and that he couldnt really remember what he had ordered so was happy to eat what he was given.

On the first page of the menu were the 'rules' for eating there. They also had some noted on a blackboard. When Mark went up to pay the owner said, "So sister, where were you sitting?" ... to which Mark replied table 4. "OK sister that will be $... "