When a country’s national dish is a calorie-laden concoction of hot chips coated in melted cheese and gravy, you know you’re in for a good time.
Not surprisingly, Canadians call poutine (pou-teen) a “heart attack in a bowl” but just one day after arriving in Vancouver, I’m hooked.
Originating in Quebec in the 1950s, the dish is often topped with sausage, chicken or bacon. I’m happy with the standard version, drowning in gravy.
Fortunately, Vancouver provides ample opportunities to work off the excess calories.
Canada’s national dish – poutine.
Perched on a peninsula and hemmed in by snow-dusted mountains, the Pacific Ocean and the US border, this oh-so-pretty city boasts more than 250 green spaces, including Stanley Park which, at 405 hectares, makes it North America’s largest urban park.
Opened in 1888, Stanley Park also features the longest uninterrupted waterfront path in the world.
I power walk some of the 28km long trail, enjoying the unseasonably warm spring day and stunning mountain views as I pretend to work up a sweat.
The Lions Gate Bridge connects Stanley Park and the city centre with the North.
Vancouver is an ideal jumping-off point for our eight-day Adventure World jaunt across the world’s second largest country. I have only two and a bit days to explore this safe, clean city, but that’s long enough to realise it’s exactly the sort of place where, had life turned out differently, I could imagine living.
The best way to orient yourself is from on high, so I whiz almost 130m into the air in 40 seconds at the Vancouver Lookout, where the city is spread beneath us like a patchwork quilt. I don’t have the time but, if you can, buy a ticket that lets you come back at night to view the city lit up.
Vancouver takes its food seriously, especially at Granville Island, a former industrial peninsula tucked under a bridge that’s dedicated to the pleasures of the stomach. A five-minute ferry ride delivers me to the farmers’ market, micro-brewery and so many food stalls, I have a hard time deciding what to eat.
Later, I stroll around the art galleries and boutique shops, wishing I could fit more into my suitcase.
Located under a bridge, Granville Island is a popular spot for shopping and food, like poutine.
Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood, is a short stroll from my downtown hotel and well worth a visit.
It was established in 1867 when John “Gassy Jack” Deighton arrived to open the area’s first saloon. A statue of the Yorkshire seaman now decorates the heart of the historic town.
Today, venues frequented by sailors and women of the night have been replaced with chic boutiques, cafés and bars. No surprises then that Gastown was recently named the fourth most stylish neighbourhood in the world.
The wobbly Capilano Suspension Bridge provides amazing views of the Capilano River.
I normally wouldn’t drive half an hour out of town to visit a swing bridge, but the Capilano Suspension Bridge is an exception.
The longest and highest suspension bridge in the world, this wobbly wooden structure flings itself 140m across a 70m deep gorge. Bouncing above the gorge is a sensation you’ll either love or hate – apparently Margaret Thatcher liked it so much, she did it twice.
It’s one of Vancouver’s most popular tourist destinations and once over the bridge, I spend hours walking along sheer cliffs and among 800-year-old Douglas fir and red cedar trees with trunks so large, it’s hard not to feel as though I’ve landed in a scene of Jurassic Park.
I leave Vancouver the way I started – with a big, gooey bowl of French fries, cheese curds and gravy. My hips might not thank me, but my taste buds certainly do.
Thank you, Vancouver, I’ll definitely be back.
An insider’s guide to… Vancouver
Don’t forget: To pack a coat. Canada’s third largest city averages around 175 days of rain a year. Which could be why they call it “Wet Coast” or “Brollywood” (a reference also to its role as the second busiest film location in North America).
Local knowledge: The original Lululemon shop is in Kitsilano, a trendy suburb packed with cafés and shops. See where this iconic brand was born.
Don’t Miss: The bustling Chinatown. It’s the largest in North America (after San Francisco and New York City), which was one of the earliest settlements in British Columbia.
Words: Sharon Stephenson
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