throwback to this time last year, part II: mountains, mosquitoes, mac ‘n cheese & Macklemore

Since I’m on the topic of past travels, I may as well include my first camping experience in Whistler, BC, which also took place last summer, after my return from Eastern Canada.

While I was away in Québec, a friend of mine, who is devastatingly obsessed with forgoing modern comforts and plunging into the wilderness, found out that I had never been camping, and offered to take me “glamping” (glamourous camping) as soon as I got back. And so, that is how I found myself the unwilling (kidding!) passenger of his Honda CR-V on the Sea to Sky highway towards Whistler, BC, less than a week after I got home.

The so-called summer weather this year has been somewhat dismal, but last July, the skies were clear all month – it didn’t even rain once! It was hot, sunny, and beautiful the entire ride to Whistler, during which I discovered Macklemore’s “Same Love,” and drove my friend crazy by playing it over and over again in the car. :)

Burnaby and Vancouver already have a lot of green space, lakes and parks, but here, in Whistler, we could almost entirely escape urbanity. At night, the vast empty sky, framed by tall tree silhouettes, the rushing creek by the campground where we set up our tent, the clouds of thirsty mosquitoes, and the dying battery on my iPhone all served as reminders that I was somewhere new and different, somewhere where I could feel more a part of nature. (“Disconnect to Reconnect!”)

One of the best, though brief, parts of the trip was a short stop by the side of the road to drink in the sight of the sun glimmering off of the surface of Green Lake on the way to Pemberton from Whistler. It was so amazing that we simply had to pull over and absorb the glorious view.

I didn’t realize it until I came home, but I truly missed the mountains and the crisp, fresh air that surrounds them. In Québec/Montréal, they have their “mountains,” and I am forever laughing at the idea of Mont Royal as a mountain next to these majestic mountains in BC:

 (I couldn’t get enough of them, so I tried to be one of them!)

In Pemberton, we set our sights on a lunch at the Mile One Eating House:

fancy macaroni & cheese!

seared tuna & asparagus salad!

and took a short, relaxing hike to Nairn Falls; and frolicked barefoot in the streams:

Nairn Falls

before we headed back to Whistler Village for a small Mexican snack and to catch a free Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Concert in the park!

that violinist though!

It was a lovely and peaceful getaway from summer in the city, and if I could drive, I would find myself up there a lot more often (with more mosquito repellent than necessary)! It’s places like these that make me really believe in the idea of BC as Supernatural/Super, Natural!

throwback to this time last year, part I: food carts, teahouses & books

I had just come home from spending two months in Trois-Rivières, Québec, studying French and working in a café, and I was high off the success of my first lengthy trip away from home. A reborn wanderlust in me sought the endless roads and unseen sights once more, and a week after my return, I was on my way to my first ever camping trip in Whistler and Pemberton, British Columbia. This was soon followed by a two day stint in Seattle and Portland, which was also my first time travelling to the States. A friend from my yoga studio and I had devised this plan simply with the intention of indulging ourselves in culinary delights; we had bonded over many food related conversations and had even had a “Food Day,” a day we had devoted to eating various specialty dishes. (It was a success, though my stomach refused to support my wild schemes). It’s hard to believe that almost an entire year has already gone by since my first foray into America, and with my impending trip to France dominating my mind these days, I wanted to review the highlights of my trip to Seattle, Washington & Portland, Oregon, before they are shoved too far back into the recesses of my memory by (hopefully) magical, wonderful, eye-opening (and tasty) experiences in France.

The evening before we left, I was put in charge of brewing twelve 1-litre mason jars’ worth of teas, to keep us hydrated throughout the trip (yogi obsession with staying hydrated):

Our visit to Seattle was more of a 3 hour pit stop, where we looked at (and pranced around) the Space Needle in the rain:

and made a mandatory visit to Pike Place Market, of course!

the infamous signage!

fresh flowers in the marketplace :)

The very first Starbucks!! barista bliss :P

a funny mug i found in the market

After some shopping and food sampling, while dodging in and out of the warm rain that was so reminiscent of Vancouver weather, we were on our way again, in the hopes of reaching Portland by nightfall. The drive was long but enjoyable, as we had a lot to gossip about, I had brought my guitar, and the changing scenery flashing by the window was forever a novelty to me:

cramped, but happy

i adore clouds!

a tiny speck of rainbow

entering Oregon territory!

when will the weather change?

We reached Portland in time for dinner at an authentic Peruvian restaurant, which had been picked out beforehand, since we had realized that we both love South American food. The lighting was rather dim in the restaurant, which prevented pretty photos of the dishes, but lent a comforting and intimate tone to the overall ambiance of the dining establishment. What I loved most was the live band that played folk music, and the rustic decor that embellished the railings, banisters, and corners in an inviting and cosy manner.

a quinoa salad

chocolate torte

Since it was already getting quite late after dinner, and we were both tired, we returned to the hostel we were staying at, and called it a night. The next day had a jam-packed agenda, including visits to three different teahouses/tea wholesale supplies, a visit to the Food Carts of Portland, and a descent into the rabbit hole that is the world famous Powell’s City of Books, one of the main reasons for our trip!

We started with visiting the Food Carts of Portland, to nibble here and there at a bit of everything that appealed to us (until we were sadly too full to consume anymore):

i love a good grilled cheese!

french lentil & quinoa salad

In case it was hard to tell before, we LOVE to drink tea, and I hoped to bring back a decent supply of tea leaves to brew back at home. The first of three teahouses that we ventured into was The Teazone & Camellia Lounge, which had the effect of wanting to create an authentic tea blending authority, but rather succeeded a little at making me feel like they were tea snobs above answering my curious inquiries.

I liked the decorated pillar and the fancy shop packaging, but it hardly competed in our thirsty little hearts with The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants! This location was the actual wholesale location where they blended the teas in the back, while the front served as a small shop and tea sampling bar. The set up of the interior was light and airy, with simple wooden displays and pastel coloured accents. Their tea names are also a whimsical delight, with “Haiku” winning my attention and affection. The best part of this experience was the tea sampling – the shop lady was very kind and we were invited to select three teas, each, to sample. After we made our selections, she carefully prepared and brewed each tea in a individual (but tiny) teapots, so we had ample amounts of tea to try between the two of us. Since it was a quiet, sunny afternoon, we were able to sit down and relax at the counter, taking the time to enjoy the tea while making casual conversation. It was an unexpected, but welcome meditative experience.

Our last teahouse visit was to Townshend’s Alberta Street Teahouse, which had a unique shelving and bottle display of their tea selection, comfortable café seating in an organic atmosphere, and some quirky entryway artwork:

We meandered around the eclectic neighbourhood of this teahouse in the late afternoon/early evening, sipping iced teas and soaking in the fading rays of summer sunshine before heading to Powell’s City of Books, one of our ultimate destinations. Some lovely moments and images:

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Finally, with our last few hours, we roamed free in the book-laden chambers of Powell’s Books, allowing ourselves to browse entire floors or rooms dedicated to a single genre, while we made difficult decisions on purchases, hampered by small budgets. I chose a book about tea (surprise!) and wished fervently that we had had an entire day to spend at this bottomless pit of a bookstore. On our way out, near closing time, we stopped to take photos next to some pillars of ‘books’:

Then it was back to the hostel for a short sleep – or a long nap, and we were on our way back up through Washington state, so I could make it to an afternoon shift at my part time job. It was still dark when we left, but despite the sleep deprivation, I remember feeling awake and absolutely alive as the sun began to rise and bathed us in its soft and radiant light on the drive home:

first time ever seeing this sign, haha!

Though it was a short trip, I had a delicious and delightful time, and I know that I will be back again one day, for a longer stay.  After all, it’s just across the border! Until then, I can reminisce even as I look forward to my upcoming trips to Victoria (BC), Montréal (QC), and France!