Granville Island

...So, i meant to finish off my Stanley Park post ages ago and forgot. After the hot chocolate revived us both, we set off down the hill and got on a boat ferry for five minutes - very exciting. - to go to Granville Island, which contrary to both its name and the ferry, is not an island. In fact, Granville Island is an amazing and elaborate ploy to get all of Vancouver's tourist shops (and hence, i think, all of its tourists...) in to one small bit of space that is almost not attached to Vancouver at all. Very clever.

And it seems to work as well. Granville Island has nice (See: 'expensive') markets, with nice ('expensive') food and multicoloured pasta and stuff. Besides that, it has all of Vancouver's tourist gift shops (i've really not seen any anywhere else... ) and some random ones besides. It also has the best hat shop ever, with the best purple-top-hat fascinator I've ever seen. Next time I have $74 to spare I'm going to buy it. I have no idea what i'll do with it or when I'll wear it, but it's awesome :D Maybe i'll just become a milliner and make my own... Mmm hats...

Once I'd suitable sated my desire to try on every hat in the shop, I decided it was time to head back, persuing the vaious galleries and other attractions on the way back to the pier. While various of the BUNAC group had all gone to support the Canucks (Vancouver's ice hockey team) at one of the first games of the season (something i will definitely do once i have job to pay for it!), I had dinner with a few of the others at their hostel and discuss the possibility of flat hunting together... but that's for the necxt post.