Here’s the second half of our daytrip! There were so many shops to look at!
From their website —
Established in 2007 on Granville Island, Artisan SakeMaker is known as a unique commercial winery that produces award winning, hand-made, small batch and fresh sake. Our brand name “OSAKE” is widely recognized as “Canada’s first locally produced fresh premium sake” and its popularity has reached across the country and beyond. The philosophy of our production centres upon “sustainability, all natural and locality.”
As casual as our Granville Island daytrip was, it was very humbling being able to slow down and read about this shop’s company. Our short visit allowed us to take a glimpse into the very young agricultural history of the first BC rice field, which enabled Artisan SakeMaker to produce 100% Canadian sake. You can read more about it here, also available on their website.
Just outside the shop, potted rice plants swayed gently in the overcast.
We kept walking down the rows and rows of alleyways, stopping every now and then to windowshop and take everything in.
We stepped inside the market, which bustled with tourists and locals alike, a flurry of so many different languages humming all around.
I’ve probably mentioned already that I’m a huge sucker for chocolate truffles, and bought a few as souvenirs for my mom and Daniel (which they shared with me anyways…)
There was also a flowershop, with a cute display of succulents!
This store’s front was completely covered in ivy, save for the red-framed windows.
An artist’s studio!
Takoyaki!! yumm
All around there were buskers filling up the air with different kinds of music. If you turned the corner, you heard a new sound
— from a soul-filled acoustic rendition of John Denver’s “
Leaving On a Jet Plane” to a dignified profess of bagpipes. One of my favorite things about markets is that it brings together all walks of life.
Rather than taking the skytrain, we took the aquabus across the water!
Despite the cold, there were rowers and paddlers mixed in with the small boats.
Before I left for my bus, we had dinner at Rogue, near the convention center.
My dinner was delicious, but the presentation was a little alarming… I don’t know if I’ve ever had a steak knife in lieu of a burger toothpick, but it was very helpful! haha
So concludes my first Canada trip in 6 years. I made new friends, laughed and spent time with old friends, and can’t wait to visit again! Thank you Devin and Mike for being such wonderful hosts to this nervous Washingtonian (I can safely say I did not lose my passport in between the seats of my bus, at the border, a second time).
