Tag: jam-cafe

  • Our final day

    Our Final Day

    Our trip back to Vancouver from Calgary was less than ideal! It was the only point of the entire tour where we had an issue. The issue was arriving at Calgary Airport and soon after check-in, our flight was delayed 4 hours. In fact, there were a number of domestic flight delays that afternoon. I’m just thankful we have membership with Priority Pass, so at least we were able to rest in a lounge. On our travels, Priority Pass really has been fantastic over the years, and when you are delayed, it really comes into its own.

    Consequently, we didn’t arrive until 9pm, missing our last dinner date in Vancouver, and without our luggage, as that took another flight, thanks to the airline! To be fair to them, it did follow us several hours later, arriving at our hotel during the night whilst we were sleeping. For our last night we stayed at the fabulous Westin Hotel, Bayshore. The receptionist, feeling sorry for us due to our plight, upgraded us to a corner room on a high floor with floor to ceiling windows. This gave us a wonderful view looking over Stanley Park and the harbour below. It really was fantastic, and we are so grateful to The Westin for their kindness.

    We got up fairly early, and after collecting our delayed luggage from the concierge, were soon out again in the lovely September sunshine for breakfast. As we were close to Café Villagio, the first place we ate on our very first day in Vancouver, we decided this would be a good place for our last breakfast in Canada, and it’s a great café. Fortunately, we were able to sit outside and enjoy our last few hours of Canadian air by the water. Taking in the incredible views of where the Pacific Ocean meets the mountains.

    After this fuel up, we were ready to walk along the seawall of Stanley Park. It really is a fantastic way to spend an hour or two, walking, running or cycling. It can get busy later in the day and there is a lane for cyclists, and the other lane is for walking or running. Cyclists must go counterclockwise only- to avoid collisions. You also need to make sure you don’t drift over into the cyclist’s lane if you are on foot.

    For us, we enjoy walking the seawall and we again stopped on a bench with a coffee and just watched the Harbour Air sea planes take off and land from their terminal at Coal Harbour. It is very busy, and I could sit there for hours just watching. It is incredible the very short distance it takes for them to get airborne.  As we continued our walk, we had the added bonus that the leaves were turning beautiful shades of yellows and reds. September really is a fabulous month to visit Western Canada. When we plan our next trip, it will be in September for sure.

    After a lovely walk, taking in the buzz of Vancouvers harbour, we decided to head into the city, as it was lunch time by this point, and we decided to try the downtown Jam Café on Beatty Street. You may remember we ate at their café in Victoria, and this was just as good. I love the vibe in the Jam Cafés, and the food is excellent.

    After our lunch, we headed back into Gas Town and to the steam clock, which always has many people just stood and looking at it…. me included. Then we continued and walked round the impressive Canada Place, which is always a hive of activity, and it was today, as a huge cruise ship was in the port and ready to depart. In fact, as we walked further around towards Coal Harbour, we sat on a bench and watched it gracefully set sail for Alaska. That must be an incredible cruise and one that we are contemplating.

    Sadly, our time in Western Canada was coming to a close. At around 5.15pm we took a cab to Vancouver International airport, which is around 30 minutes or so, and it cost us $55.00 including tip. It was a quiet journey, as we bid a sad farewell to this incredible country, reflecting on the amazing adventure we had been on. Canada is a country that had welcomed, helped, and appreciated us for the duration of our trip. Its sheer beauty and vastness is staggering. I’m already looking into our next Canadian adventure, which the plan is to travel from Nova Scotia to Vancouver not using airplanes!

    I do hope through my brief reflections on our experiences, you can start to plan your Grand Tour of Western Canada too.

    “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

    Mark Twain.

  • Back to Vancouver to catch a train.

    Back to Vancouver to catch a train

    Sadly, our time on Vancouver Island was limited, as we had a train to catch — the iconic Rocky Mountaineer, running from Vancouver to Banff. However, we made the most of our final day exploring Victoria.

    After breakfast, we strolled over to Fisherman’s Wharf, just a few minutes from our hotel. You can easily spend an hour or so here admiring the boardwalks, browsing shops and eateries, and soaking in the atmosphere of the colourful floating homes.

    From there, we headed into town to explore more of Victoria. The city offers a wide variety of shops and restaurants. You could easily spend a few hours at the Royal BC Museum, where you can learn about British Columbia’s natural history and Indigenous cultures. Right next door is Thunderbird Park, home to a striking display of totem poles. Or, if Parliament isn’t in session, consider taking a tour of the Parliament Buildings.

    By lunchtime, we were ready for some nourishment, so we headed to the Jam Café on Herald Street — an excellent choice. Their breakfasts and brunches are exceptional. We’ve also been to the Jam Café in Vancouver (on Beatty Street), which was just as good. We waited in line for a few minutes, but it was absolutely worth it.

    If you’re walking to the Victoria Jam Café from the harbour area, you’ll pass Chinatown, which is the oldest in Canada. It’s well worth a visit, with its unique architecture, vibrant shops, and fantastic restaurants.

    After lunch, we wandered back down toward the harbour and spent some time simply enjoying the buzz and beauty of this picturesque spot. Then, we grabbed a coffee at Macchiato Caffè on Broad Street (they also have a location on Johnson Street), before heading to the bus stop for our return trip.

    We had booked tickets with BC Ferries Connector for a 3:30 p.m. departure, and right on time, they picked us up. About an hour later, we arrived at the terminal for the 5 p.m. sailing from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen. The evening was sunny and calm, making for a truly beautiful crossing. We reached Tsawwassen just as the sun was beginning to set.

    By the time we were dropped off at our hotel — the Coast Coal Harbour — it was dark. The hotel had kindly stored our main luggage while we were away on the island. After dropping our bags off in the room, we headed out for dinner and decided to walk to Gastown, a lively area about a 15-minute walk away. It’s also home to the famous Gastown Steam Clock, which is definitely worth a visit.

    Tips:

    • Fishermans Wharf is fantastic and certainly worth exploring.
    • The Jam Café is a must for breakfast or brunch, its excellent.
    • Explore Victoria and maybe take in a tour of the Parliament Buildings if you can.
    • Enjoy the wonderful BC ferries crossing.
    • Gastown is worth a visit, and you get to see the steam clock.