By The Sea

White Rock - where the sun is always shining!

The past couple of days I have been out in the 'burbs', discovering some parts of Greater Vancouver. My girlfriend descends from Surrey, which is situated more or less at the end of the Expo Line. Unlike Surrey (UK), this version boasts quite a large East Indian population, and has many malls and large expanses of farmland, and far less private schools full to the brim with spoilt kids installed with the statutory toff accents!

Coming out of Surrey Central, you soon realize this area is where people choose to build a family. Lots of primary and secondary schools, open spaces, no sidewalks, and large MTV Cribs style houses/mansions. It is a really nice area, although I have been reliably informed that Surrey does have a grizzly underbelly too - like anywhere really?! 

Anyway, it wasn't Surrey that I wanted to write about. Just 20 minutes away is not only the mighty US of A, but a stunning little seaside town (although I understand that it is actually a city?) called White Rock. It is so named after a very large white boulder that sits on the shoreline - apparently a glacial erratic from the last ice age. It is so large and vibrant that it has often been used a point of reference for navigators, including good ol' Cpt. George himself! 

My goodness is it steep when trying to slowly manoeuvre your car down into a parking space towards the general promenade area. That brings me to the incredible view that such a gradient provides. Looking out over Semiahmoo Bay, this is an area that is known for staying vibrantly sunny, which it was. Looking back inland there was no hesitation that the grey skies only meant one thing, that rain was bucketing down. 

As my girlfriend and I ambled down the pier, taking in the sea air, and noticing the clanging from the masts of the boats moving in the wind, I asked the obvious question when at the seaside... is there a good fish and chip shop? 

Not expecting anything special, as y'know, the idea of fish and chips in Canada is like trying to find the best salmon in the Humber Estuary. We walked alongside the railway tracks, that I understand are still used for goods transportation to the States, and ended up at the Moby Dick Seafood Restaurant. Boy was I in for a shock!

You go inside, a highly accredited establishment since 1975 (due to the countless 'Best Eat' stickers plastered on the door), and the place has a warm feel to it. Lined with pictures of famous celebs and sports stars (hockey players mainly) you get to the counter and are greeted in a friendly, wholesome manner. We ordered 2 pieces of lingcod and some crumbed oysters, which we decided to take away and eat at a bench whilst the sun went down.

That was some of the best fish I have ever had. Evident too by the amount of seagulls that were lurking to wait for us to drop some. What's noticeable is the lightness of the batter. Usually you feel so sluggish after eating an inch think of stodgy batter, but this was light and had a sweet beer taste - served with a great, fresh tartare sauce. What's more, when you order 2 bits, you get three, order 3, get 4 etc.

After our snack, we strolled back along the road, eyeing up the best of the seafront properties, and sucked in the last of what is a undeniably stunning view. The only down side is the brutal hill start that you have to try and coax all the horses out of your cars engine to drag you up the steep hills! We will definitely be back here in the Summer.

Posting Cards



They say that variety is the spice of life!

It is fair to say that this past year, I have ended up sending a great deal of paper on the 4,500 mile trip from King's Lynn to Vancouver, albeit quite reasonably too (thanks Royal Mail). Equally, I have received my fair share of postcards, notes and doses of much appreciated thoughtfulness too.

What's interesting is the how a city/state/country portrays itself. I mean I have accumulated a nice picture of a stereotypical 'Mountie' posing in front of a idyllic azure blue Canadian lake with some thunderous mountains looming, there are a couple of stunning cityscapes of Vancouver (one of which is a glowingly lit night shot), whilst an interesting illustration of the Vancouver Public Library highlights all of its architectural splendor.

I think there is something wonderfully archaic about sending these cards to family and friends. One thing I noticed whilst walking through Gastown last October was the abundance of tourist shops and side-stalls selling maple syrup and fridge magnets amongst other miscellany. I mean its completely understandable with the sheer volume of people visiting, especially with all the holidayers that stop off, departing from their cruise liners for half a day. 

All these images travel the World over, and drop on doorsteps or are shoved in mail boxes. Acting like min advertisements. For me, the first images of Vancouver and B.C. instantly grabbed my attention. Being from an extremely flat part of  the England, seeing the mountains really is believing. If that dream of visiting Van is ignited from that view on a solitary card, well, great - making the trip is a must!