Come to Canada: Vancouver Vacation (White Christmas)

After our first visit to Vancouver in 2015, going back was all I think about - but alas, the world is wide and there are so many countries I need to tick off my list.  Last Christmas, Mon Beau and I decide to revisit Vancouver for White Christmas, and the Bestie and hubby ensured that we experienced everything there was to experience for a typical Canadian Winter (including Snow Storm!)

Anyway, after months of preparation and arrangements with the Bestie, December finally dawned, bringing with it Christmas.  Besides the very Christmas traditions such as baking of Christmas cookies and log cakes, making Vishinata (Sour Cherry Liqueur), setting up the real pine Christmas tree and carving the turkey on Christmas Eve, what else did we do during this merry Yuletide season?

PLACES OF INTEREST

Places of interest comprised resorts for skiing and tubing, as well as a Spa in the snow.  We also caught the Iced Hockey and enjoyed shopping at Fisherman's Wharf, parks to see the enchanting Christmas lights, and New Year's Eve Countdown Party.

SASQUATCH MOUNTAIN RESORT (FORMERLY HEMLOCK VALLEY)
Sasquatch Mountain Resort is a lovely winter retreat for families and friends, mainly for winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and tubing (grab a giant wheel up the slopes, sit in it and slide down). The holiday chalets are well-maintained and fully-furnished, allowing for comfortable stay.  As the resort is mostly used for winter stay, they typically only start accepting bookings around May / June onwards.

20955 Hemlock Valley Road, Agassiz, BC V0M 1A1, Canada
Tel: +1 604 797 4411
Website: https://sasquatchmountain.ca

WHISTLER MOUNTAINS SCANDINAVE SPA
There is nothing as breathtaking as a Scandiave spa! It is a park full of pools and sauna / steam rooms - jacuzzi pools, hot baths and ice-cold streams of water, as well as massage rooms. The place opens from 10.00am to 9.00pm daily, the bath access goes for CAD$70.00 per pax. With snow falling on the bare grounds in Winter, the enchantment of this place has just been multiplied.

8010 Mons Road, Whistler, BC, VON 1B8, Canada
Tel: +1 604 935 2424
Website: https://www.scandinave.com

ICE HOCKEY GAMES @ LANGLEY EVENTS CENTRE
We caught our very Ice Hockey from a box seat, complete with popcorn, pizzas and Canadian beers. This was an exciting experience for us, and we found ourselves cheering loudly for / against Giants versus Prince George Cougars teams.

7888 200 Street, Langley, BC V2Y 3J4, Canada
Tel: +1 604 882 8800
Website: http://www.langleyeventscentre.com

VANDUSEN FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
An elaborate and stunning yearly affair with 1 million lights right at VanDusen Botanical Gardens, transforming the entire park into a magic wonderland. Tickets were priced at CAD$18.50 per adult for admission, and included a free ride on the Carousel.

5151 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1, Canada
Tel:  +1 604 257 8335
Website: http://vandusengarden.org/events/festival-of-lights

Photo Source: http://deluxe.cafeblog.hu/2015/12/11/elindult-utjara-a-csillogo-karacsonyi-vonat/

BRIGHT NIGHTS CHRISTMAS TRAIN
For 20 years now, Stanley Park and Christmas Train sparkle with over 3 million twinkling lights. Besides these magical displays, there are also Santa Workshops, live performances, and do expect Santa Claus + entourage to board the trains to say hello, anytime.   Admission to Bright Nights is by donation; it is a meaningful initiative and proceeds benefit the Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund.

Pipeline Road, Stanley Park, Vancouver BC V6A, 1P5, Canada
Tel:  +1 604 257 8531
Website: http://www.brightnights.ca

Photo Source: https://www.grousemountain.com/peak-of-christmas

PEAK OF CHRISTMAS @ GROUSE MOUNTAINS
Watch Grouse Mountains transform into a Winter Wonderland during Christmastime as well, charming visitors with breathtaking lights installations, Santa's Workshops, and enjoyment of Christmas movies at Theater in the Sky. If you are into sports, skating and skiing are available as well.

6400 Nancy Greens Way, North Vancouver, BC V7R 4K9, Canada
Tel: +1 604 980 9311
Website: https://www.grousemountain.com/peak-of-christmas

BEAUTIFULLY- DECORATED HOUSES
If you are not able to go to town area, or have commitments such as budget or time constraints, fret not. Christmas may very well be right outside your doorstep - during Christmas period, nearly every house is prettily decorated. Take a leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood to bask in the festive decor; you might even get to strike up conversations with a neighbour or two along the way.

FALSE CREEK FISHERMAN'S WHARF
A lovely and tranquil spot for dining and purchase of very-fresh seafood definitely, Fisherman's Wharf in Richmond, Vancouver, is as good as the famous Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco (so I am told) - the one we hear so much about. The village's famed commercial fleet here is the largest in Canada itself, and the harbour view is simply gorgeous.

1505 W, 1st Avenue, BC V6J 1E8 Canada
Tel: +1 604 733 3625
Website: http://www.falsecreek.com

RESTAURANTS

Vancouver is a pretty cosmopolitan city with many different nationalities working or migrating here. As such, restaurants of many different cuisine can be found here easily, giving us way too many options. As most of the restaurants are opened by native migrants, they are largely authentic and we had a lot of fun hunting for different cuisine to try every day.

CATCH KITCHEN + BAR
3866 Bayview Street, Steveston, Fisherman's Wharf, BC V7E 3B6, Canada
Tel: +1 604 284 1222
Website: https://catchkitchen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Catchkitchen

A restaurant and bar with breathtaking views of the Fisherman's Wharf (sea views, of course), offering fresh seafood dishes and pasta dishes with fusion twist.

KOREANA BBQ AND SHABU SHABU RESTAURANT
1163 Pinetree Way #2048 Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, V3B 8A9, Canada
Tel: +1 604 944 4570
Facebook: https://goo.gl/1pQKFu

A simple, traditional Korean restaurant run by a friendly Korean lady boss, serving up delectable tofu soup, BBQ items and other Korean dishes at affordable pricing. Needless to say, the authentic Korean cuisine draws many Korean nationals to dine here as well.

SUSHIRO JAPANESE RESTAURANT
22805 Louheed Highway, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 2V7, Canada
Tel: +1 604 476 9699
Website: None supplied

Located along the Louheed Highway on our way down from the ski resort, Sushiro provided excellent and fresh Japanese cuisine - think thick slices of sashimi, assortment of sushi rolls and friendly service. 4 of us ordered many items but the bill barely came up to CAD60.00!

THE WATERSHED GRILL
41101 Government Road, Brackendale, BC V0N 1H10 Squamish, Canada
Tel: +1 604 898 6665
Website: http://thewatershedgrill.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewatershedgrill/?rf=225084624170676

Our favorite dining spot because of 2 reasons - dining by the river (albeit frozen during Winter season), and they serve the best Poutine (Canadian fries with cheese) ever. We also enjoyed their burgers, and the service.

WHITE SPOT RESTAURANT
This restaurant chain has a few outlets over at Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Interior, Northern British Columbia, Calgary, Edmonton and Leduc. We went to the one en-route up to Whistler Mountain (I am not sure which one that was).
Website: https://www.whitespot.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitespot

Generally, White Spot Restaurant serves up Western cuisine such as fish, chicken and pasta etc; they are a family friendly restaurant with adorable kids'  meals and personable staff crew.

ESPANA RESTAURANT
1118 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC V6G1T2, Canada
Tel:
Website: http://www.espanarestaurant.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/espanarestaurant.ca

A quaint, cosy little Spanish tapas restaurant and bar with a good range of delectable tapas items. We had everything from seafood to chorizo eggs to pate to churros etc. Highly recommended by the Bestie, and now me! Really fun dining experience here.

CONGEE NOODLE HOUSE
141E Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5T 1W1, Canada
Tel: +1 604 879 8221
Website: http://www.congeenoodlehouse.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Congee-Noodle-House/159035794123073

A traditional Chinese restaurant opened by Hong Konger or someone from Guangzhou, as the dishes' focal is more Cantonese-based. It is a crowded restaurant with long queues. We thought that most of the food items were salty, and service was very bad. The only saving grace was their congee - many flavours, and tasty. I enjoyed the Scallops Congee, especially.

DELHI-6 INDIAN BISTRO
1766W 7th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 4Z9, Canada
Tel:  +1 604 742 3311
Website: http://delhi6.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delhi6indianbistro

Delhi-6 Indian Bistro sports a really elegant and exquisite interior, and the staff crew is very friendly (kept smiling). We enjoyed a hot and very delicious dinner on this cold wintry night, especially the Coconut Lamb Curry, Bryani and Mango Lassi.

NEW YEAR'S COUNTDOWN PARTIES (FAIRMONT WATERFRONT GALA BALL)
900 Canada Place Way, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Tel: +1 604 691 1991
Website: http://clubzone.com/vancouver/new-years-eve-parties/

Last but not least, count-down to the brand new year in Vancouver at one of their really fun New Year's Eve parties. Most big hotels organise such parties; there are even those onboard cruises - cocktails, wine and canapes are usually served. We went for the one at Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, watched the fireworks, countdown and danced the night away.

Overall, visiting Vancouver, Canada in December was a vastly different experience from the last trip in Autumn - both exciting and beautiful experiences but we got to indulge in a different set of activities. White Christmas and all the winter sports, winter spa etc were worth the 25-hours journey that we travelled to reach our destination. You should consider visiting this gorgeous place too.

Outfit of the Day - White Bridal Gown with Short Front Hem

"There is such an emotional connection between the bride and her wedding dress, 

whereas in ready-to-wear you may just be focusing on color or prints for 

that particular season." - Jenny Packham

White bridal dress with short hem in front and long tulled hem at the back, perfect for photoshoot and the Registry reception, paired with high gold heels.

Wedding Dress: Kelly's Bridal (SGD$800.00)
Shoes: Anna Nucci (SGD$199.00)
Bracelet: Tiffany & Co

Outfit of the Day - Rust coloured sweater with knot over white jeans

"Style is the shape the ideal takes, rhythm, its movement." - Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Blood-orange rust-colored Sweater with knot at waist area, over white jeans to keep warm for the wintry weather in Vancouver.

Sweater: Bought in Vancouver (SGD$50.00)
Jeans: Lee (SGD$150.00)

Outfit of the Day - royal blue velvet winter jacket

“Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and 

social intercourse.” — Sir Francis Bacon

Royal blue velvet winter jacket over rust-colored sweater, with the hood drawn and gloves donned for the heavy snow up on ski resort.

Jacket: Universal Traveller (SGD$239.00)
Gloves: Winter Time (SGD$49.90)

Outfit of the Day - Silver Halter Neck dress

“If I’m going dancing, then I wear the highest heels with the shortest dress.” — Kate Moss

My New Year's Eve party dress, paired with black leggings because of the snowy weather in Vancouver. Love this silver halter neck dress with black designs.

Dress: Palazzo @ Novena Square 2 (SGD$89.90)
Necklace: Tiffany's & Co
Pearl Bracelet: Chomel
Leggings : Marks & Spencer

Come to Canada: Vancouver Vacation

We visited Vancouver, Canada for our pre-wedding photo shoot (details here), so we took the chance to visit my best friend and took a tour of the British Columbia region. Here is a summary of our trip in the beautiful and tranquil city, which is made up of around 60% Asian population and leading a healthy lifestyle is definitely the way to be.


I never myself to fall in love with this city. Truth be knownst, I have never contemplated Canada if not for the fact that the Bestie moved there. The place was neat and good-looking; the people were friendly and we had so much fun there, it was hard to bid goodbye. Let's get the virtual journey rolling...

ACCOMMODATION

For privacy's purpose, I am not posting actual house or area of The Bestie's house. This is an extracted photo and photosource is: http://www.remax.ca/bc/port%20coquitlam-real-estate/?redirectCause=delisted

For most of the trip we stayed in my Bestie's lovely big house in the Coquitlam area (suburban area), where we experienced the culture of having a large house with good technology (like sensor taps etc), own garden filled with beautiful flowers and fresh vegetables, as well as the no-lock-door policy we heard so much about.

Lord Stanley Suites on the Park - 1889 Alberni Street, Vancouver, BC V6G 3G7, Canada.
We did drive out to the city and stayed a night near the park itself. The accommodation of choice was supposed to face a marina and offered good views of the city. It was an apartment building with good amenities and location; service was efficient as well. We loved sitting in this corner chilling over wine and chatter, watching the sun setting in the background.

RESTAURANTS / BARS

Granville Island Public Market - 1661 Duranleau Street, Level 2, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9, Canada.
This is the tourist spot to be, for lots of local fresh produce such as seafood and fruits. I loved especially these Candied Salmon and other seafood items which one could buy and eat as they go.

Craft Beer Market - 84 West 1st Avenue, Salt Building, Vancouver, BC V5Y 3KB, Canada.
For beer lovers, or anyone looking for a nice place to chill, this is simply the place to be. It is a brewhouse and one is able to see long pipes running directly from the barrels to the taps where fresh beer flows into our glasses. Whether you want salads, mains, beer pints or beer samplers, they serve it all - alongside with super friendly service.

Rodney's Oyster House - 1228 Hamilton Street, BC V6B 6L2, Canada.
An airy, casual seafood spot for good seafood meals. The main reason we came here is because of the famed "males-only servers" concept, so it was not uncommon to see many female diners sitting in front of the serving counter chatting these hunks up. One of them was so tall - I swear - we were seated upstairs and he could simply stretch his arms up to pass us our plate of oysters!

Watershed Cafe - 41101 Government Road, Squamish, BC V0N 1H0, Canada.
On the way up a mountain, we passed by this lovely bistro / restaurant and decided to lunch here. The place is non-air conditioned generally, so we decided to sit outdoors for the breezes and magnificent views while enjoying some salads and burgers. They served the BEST Poutine here, I swear - utterly crispy, cheesy and delicious!

The Old Spaghetti Factory - 4154 Village Green, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4.
A family-friendly chain eatery featuring traditional Italian meals at very affordable prices amid turn-of-the-century decor. This is a casual dining concept and menu is extensive - portions are gigantic too.

Lupins Cafe - main floor of peak chalet of Grouse Mountains.
The sleek architecture of this self-serving cafe makes for comfortable casual dining, complete with high cedar beams and copper lights. Food includes soups, grilled items, sandwiches, and off-the-rack yogurts, drinks etc.  We thought the food was average, but that those wallet-friendly prices, we weren't expecting alot.

Grouse Grind Coffee Bar - located at Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver, Canada.
A casual and relaxed cafe bar concept serving simple snacks such as sandwiches and wraps- the perfect to unwind on the mountain without burning a hole in the pocket.

Cactus Club Coffee - 4219B Lougheed Highway, Burnaby, BC, Vancouver, Canada.
A Vancouver-based cafe chain with relaxed but beautiful, dim settings serving coffee, drinks and food.

Tim Hortons - Vancouver, Canada.
Tim Hortons is a chain fast food restaurant located in Canada. We saw so many outlets, including one at the airport, and it piqued our interest enough to try, so we decided to pop by for brunch one day. I had a Biscuit with Bacon, Cheese and Egg - honestly it wasn't anything very impressive, but made for hearty and good enough typical Western fast-food breakfast.

Foodwares Market - 674 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3J3, Canada.
Located at the Granville Entrance to the Granville Skytrain is Foodwares Market - you might liken it to our foodcourt, where there are many individual stalls offering different food items for dining in or grab-to-go items. I tried a slice of Blackforest Cake there - quite good.

Boulangerie La Parisienne - 1076 Mainland Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A9, Canada.
A quaint little cafe along Mainland Street where we had some piping hot coffee to battle the cold weather and waited for our turns at the salons for makeup and hairdo - before the wedding photoshoot.

Cat and Fiddle Sports Bar and Restaurant / Pub - 1979 Brown Street, Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2N4, Canada.
This is a microbrewery and pub famous for its relaxing ambience, good beer and different-flavored chicken wings. It is a favorite spot for the white and blue collars workers to unwind and play catchup with friends.

Robson Street - situated between the Stadium and Stanley Park, Robson Street is to go-to stretch for pubs and clubs in downtown Vancouver, so one could head there for some fun and dancing.

SHOPPING

Gastown - Vancouver, Canada.
The oldest neighbourhood in the city with a quirky history, Gastown houses rows of retail shops, cafes and restaurants hence it is no wonder this place is a must-visit spot for tourists. The famous Steam Clock is also a landmark here, and one could still hear the whistles periodically. Gastown is also located next to Robson Street - in between Stanley Park and the Stadium, making for perfect for the perfect shopping spot.

Metropolis at Metrotown - 4720 Kingsway #604 Burnaby, BC V5H 4N2, Canada.
This is a pretty huge mall here with familiar brands such as Victoria's Secrets, Godivas, La Senza etc, and many other cosmetics, skincare, clothes, accessories etc brands, as well as an assortment of eateries within. Needless to say, it was happy shopping here and we spent several hours collecting merchandise.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Lion's Gate Bridge - this linkbridge also known as First Narrows Bridge - a suspended bridge crossing the first narrows of Burrad Inlet and connects the city of Vancouver. This is a bridge with gorgeous views of the sparkling seas and azure skies, so it is not uncommon to find lots of visitors posing or standing around.

Britannia Mine Museum - 1 Forbes Way, Britannia Way, BC V0N 1JO, Canada.
This is an award-winning tourist attraction and a non-profit organisation located along the Britannia Beach. It was converted from an old underground coal mine. We took the guided tour by a short train ride, explored the history of this gold-mining town, how everything worked, the lives of the miners etc. There were also buildings housing lots of artifacts and tools, as well as a small area for gold-panning.

Shannon Falls Provincial Park - the spot where we took a short hike through tranquil settings and watched the beauty of nature unfold in cooling settings. The beautiful falls is composed of a series of cliffs and is lovely for photographs.

Science World at Telus World of Science - 1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 3Z7, Canada.
The attraction suitable for families and everyone, basically - with its iconic silver globe standing out from afar - located around Granville area.  It is a science centre with lots of programs and exhibits for visitors.

Aldor Acres Pumpkin Patch - 24990, 84 Avenue, Langley, BC V1M, Canada.
We dropped by this huge pumpkins farm to select freshly-grown pumpkins to take home to make pies and carve for upcoming Halloween. I never knew pumpkins came in so many hues - silver, red, yellow, orange.

Chaberton Estate Winery - 1064, 216 Street, Langley,  BC V2Z 1R3, Canada.
Visited the huge wineries here for wine tasting and some purchases to take home - including wine jam, wine-making tools etc.

Township 7 Winery - 21152, 16 Avenue, Langley BC V2Z 1K3, Canada.
Visited another vineyard - here we needed to pay money for tasting. We also made some purchases and visited where the large, juicy, luscious grapes were grown.

Blue Heron Fruit Winery - 18539 Old Dewdney Trunk Road, Pitt Meadows,  BC V3Y 2R9, Canada.
Another beautiful winery where they made wine out of many other types of fruits and not merely grapes.

BEACHES / MOUNTAINS

Stanley Park - Vancouver, BC V6G 1Z4, Canada
A 1,001-acre park that borders the downtown of Vancouver, this beautiful park is the perfect for picnics, taking photographs, hanging out at, or enjoying simple beach activities.  There were many people cycling, jogging, or simply sitting on benches to relax in these serene settings. There is also the famous Hollow Tree here where many people have taken memorable photographs in - there is some history tied to it, and this tree is so huge that it has fitted cars, elephants etc within its hollowed trunk for photography purpose.

WHISTLER MOUNTAIN RESORT - located in the north of Vancouver, Whistler Mountain is a stunning attraction not just for tourists, but many Canadians themselves enjoy taking short vacations up here as well. There are lots of shops and cafes housed within European-styled buildings, and activities are aplenty - Ice Bar,  Scandinavian Spas, bear tours,  and sports such as flying fox or skiing in Winter.   The Olympic Park is also located here at Whistler, with a rich history of glory and gold, having facilitated Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games here in 2010.

Grouse Mountain - 6400 Nancy Greene Way, North Vancouver, BC V7R 4K9, Canada.
One of the North Shore mountains located at the North of Vancouver. It is a breathtaking location with plenty of activities such as watching of grizzly bears Cooler and Grinder, skiing in Winter, watching the very entertaining and funny Lumberjack Show, and the Bird Show (including eagles).

Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal -  West Vancouver, Canada.
Yes, there is a ferry terminal all right, but we were there for the photoshoot at the beach and rocks.  It is a breathtaking spot with azure skies, crystal clear waters and an expanse of beauty.