hangzhou.

Though we only did a day trip to Hangzhou (an easy one hour train ride from Shanghai) it was one of the absolute highlights of the whole trip. We rented bikes from a service similar to Bixi and bikes around the giant lake that is in the city. It was a perfect day, with gorgeous weather (despite how it looks in the photos), great company and delicious food (which I was too busy scarfing to take a photo of).

beijing.

We're back in Vancouver after our fantastic trip to China! The jet lag is trying to kill me, but I'm trying to take it in stride and enjoy the early mornings and a reason to watch movies in the middle of the night.

Above are a few photos of the Beijing portion of the trip. I can't really describe seeing the Great Wall adequately, which was one of the highlights of the entire trip. For some reason, it is a place that I never thought I'd visit in my lifetime, but had always wanted to. Seeing it re-enforced, as all good travel does, that North America really isn't the centre of the universe, and maybe never has been.

shanghai.

We're heading to Beijing tomorrow but we've had a wonderful time in Shanghai! A few pictures of our trip so far. I'm having a really hard time picking my favourite meal so far but the pot-stickers above might take the title.

new directions.

N and I are off to China next week which is pretty darn exciting, in itself!

When we get back though, a big change for me. I'm heading back to school for a few months to study web design. This blog definitely started me on the path to web design and I've enjoyed it (and a few other projects) so much, that I wanted to learn more. So right after Victoria Day I'll be leaving the wonderful job that I've had for the last four years to go expand my design horizons. I hope that in the short term it'll mean more time spent in this space, and in the long term, more balance in my life and more fun!

Wish me luck.

vancouver: weekend trips.

Vancouver is a wonderful jumping off point for quick trips on the West Coast. You can get to plenty of places without a car. Many of the places around Vancouver are great to visit even in the winter and we all know a quick weekend get away can make the rainy winter weather seem much more bearable.

vancouver: day trips.

Steveston is accessible by both bus (take the Canada Line to Richmond/Brighouse and then take the 407 bus to Gilbert) and bike from Vancouver. If you can, definitely bike. The Canada Line bike/pedestrian bridge over the Fraser River is worth it (mostly for the smooth biking and industrial views it offers). Steveston itself, is the site of a historic village centred around it's salmon cannery. It is now a picturesque suburb with a lovely wharf. The also have the good frozen yoghurt: You know the kind where they press frozen fruit through a bar of youghurty-frozen goodness? If you want to go full BC, pick blackberry or blueberry, or if like me you prefer the prairie berries (say that out loud, it rhymes!), try raspberry. Just don't miss it.

vancouver: what to do.

Vancouver has a million things to do! Here are a few of my favourites. None of them require a car so they're easy for you to get to no matter where you're staying. Many of them are free too!

new years eve.

This year we spent a pretty cozy New Years Eve at our friend Patrick's cabin. We counted down to the new year standing in the middle of a frozen slough with champagne sparkling wine at the ready. We ate great food, made ice cream, played Crokinole, skated and curled. (Well, I didn't curl due to an unfortunate skating spill.) It was a wonderful time and bodes well for my desire to have a calmer year.

portland, oregon.

{Food carts!}

As I mentioned, I went down to Portland for a few days to visit with a group of girlfriends who hadn't all been in the same room in many, many years. We had a wonderful time: eating, laughing, shopping and generally enjoying each other and the city. I'm dying to go back to Portland, now that I know how rad it is.

P.S. Thanks to Laura for hosting all of us in her super charming apartment.

{The Bazaar, a fair that was sponsored by Design*Sponge, that we happened to be in town for.}

{Powell's Books which is a whole city block!}

{Praline bacon from the Screen Door ... oh yes!}

{Fabulous friends.}

And then we did this ...

{No one told me that I had over committed to this one!}

on my way to ...

{or photos from a moving train}

... Portland, Oregon. On Saturday, Jenn and I hopped on a train to join a reunion of sorts, with Abbie, Caitlin and Laura, friends from the motherland, who are now spread out across the continent. I loved the train! It was so much more calm than flying and Jenn and I had a great chance to catch up.

capilano suspension bridge.

This past weekend, Nick's parents wanted to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The Bridge is a pretty well-known Vancouver tourist attraction and I had been to it on a high school band trip more than ten (eek!) years ago. I didn't remember it well and was a little bit skeptical about the whole thing, since I'm not great with heights. We ended up having a really fun time and my heart got racing only once, when we did the new cliffwalk. If you're in Vancouver and have some extra cash (it's a bit pricy in my opinion, though Ley and Martine graciously treated us), it's definitely a fun time!

{Look up, look waaaaay up!}

{Beautiful weather for a stroll in the woods.}

{Trout!}

{The boardwalk through the woods.}

{The cliffwalk.}

{Don't look down.}

{Ya, glass floors? Not my cup of tea.}