“go on, you deserve a little temptation”

Let me take you a truly magical place … and I will take you to Grandville Island in Vancouver. Vancouver was renamed from Granville to Vancouver in 1886.

The peninsula leading out in False Creek – once an industrial manufacturing area, but today it is now a major tourist destination and working neighbourhood. In 2004, Project for Public Spaces named Granville Island “One of the World’s Great Places”.

Granville Island is magical and on a sunny day is it really hard to beat – it a MUST when visiting Vancouver. The Public Market is the biggest attraction and it’s unbeatable – have been at markets in all over the world, but nothing can compare itself to this.

Easiest way to get there as a tourist and staying downtown is to walk down to Hornby Street or Yaletown, all depending on where you are staying and a take “The Aquabus” or “Granville Island Ferries”across – plus any of the “hop on hop off” tours.

My hotel, “The Executive Vintage Hotel” , was only 3 min walk away from “Aqua Bus” stop – Hornby Street and 5 min later I was on the other side of the water, at Granville Island.

I visit Granville three times during my 4 days in Vancouver – my first visit did I with “Big Bus” on my second day – one of the “hop on hop off” tours and I spent about 3 hours there – mostly walking inside the Public Market. Had been there before a couple of time when I lived in Victoria, so I knew what to expect and it had gone so much better – the whole area/development have grown into something spectacular.

Then my last day was a Saturday and we had the most fantastic weather, so after breakfast I took the aquabus across and I spent the whole day – walking around, looking in shops and galleries, eating, drinking, nibbling on my 2lbs of strawberries in my bag (bought at the public market of course), taking more photos … watching all the buskers and just enjoy life at it best. Granville Island is truly a magical place. Then in the evening I returned for my dinner under a yellow umbrella on the dock and with a priceless sunset – at “Bridges”.

Since its redevelopment in the 1970s is it an urban oasis that lives and breath .. filled with waterfront restaurants, theaters, galleries, hotel, unique shops and boutiques, cafes, brewery, public market and farmers market – someone has said that we should see Granville Island as Vancouver’s town square. There is plenty to do .. an adventure for everybody, young or older – female or male. You can just to sit on the dock and watch all the yachts passing by – one bigger than the other. Always something going on out there on the water – or just be amused by people with more money then sense trying to dock their massive yachts and sailboats – and ram each other – at the narrow piers. “No panic – all at once”

If you want to eat fresh food …. you can’t find anything more fresher than what is served at Granville Island – all the food outlets get their products from the public market daily.

It’s very difficult to describe in words … it has to be seen and – so I let my photos talk for themselves.

“Like dreams, small creeks grow into mighty rivers.”
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