Today was only full day without Edie and Eli, and doggone it, we missed ‘em! We kept walking down the street seeing other people with their dogs and thinking about ours. But we still had a very full and productive day without them.
We decided we had to do a little shopping. The SD card on my camera, which ought to hold about a thousand high resolution photos, has started to give us a “Card Full” error message after about a couple dozen photos. That’s really annoying, so we spent about twenty dollars for a new one. John and I both decided that a couple of the shirts I packed for the trip should officially be considered shmattes, and we should do some early back-to-school shopping. We tried to find places that were unusual or local, but Robson Street is dominated by big American chains, all the usual stores like Banana Republic or Express that you find in malls back in the U.S. Here, though, they were in old-fashioned storefronts on a busy city street. We picked up a couple shirts at the Gap.
We checked the ever-handy Urbanspoon for a good place for a Dim Sum lunch. It sent us to the Shanghai Chinese Bistro where we had an astonishingly good meal for only 20 dollars. Perhaps the best of all was the deep-fried tofu. Here they breaded the tofu in panko and immersed it in the hot oil only long enough for the crust to brown and the bean curd to warm. They sprinkled it with toasted sesame seeds. It was delicious!
Our big adventure for the day was going to the Museum of Anthropology on the campus of the University of British Columbia, about six miles from downtown. This is not a big museum, but it houses an incredible collection of the art of the native peoples of this area. The Coast Salish, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Haida people are particularly well-represented. The building is one of the best examples of the concrete and glass architecture of the 1970’s.
We were lucky enough to arrive a few minutes before a scheduled guided tour. Our tour guide was quite knowledgeable, and she managed the group quite well, including keeping some young children interested and focused for most of the hour she spent with us. I can tell you from experience that this is not an easy thing to do! She explained the differences in artistic style among the different groups. The Haida tend to be the most abstract. The Kwakwaka'wakw are the most colorful.
In addition to our guide’s excellent commentary, there were lots of interpretive materials in the museum which helped to place the pieces in their authentic setting. For example, the eagle above would have been placed at the entrance to a village.
There were a few modern pieces. This one was done by the famous Haida sculptor Bill Reid and it was commissioned by the museum. It shows how Raven helped create the Haida people. Our guide also drew our attention to the base of the sculpture. The museum was built on the site of World War II defense installation, and the sculpture sits where an anti-aircraft gun was once mounted.
It was a warm, sunny day so we decided to go to the beach after leaving the museum. Wreck Beach is located right by the museum. It is one of Vancouver’s longest stretches of sand, but it is mostly famous for being “clothing optional.” You have to walk down about 200 steps to get to the beach, but when you do you find yourself in another time.
Wreck Beach should be famous for being where the 1960’s are still alive. I had not seen so much tie dye in decades. Despite the “clothing optional” rule, there were not all that many naked people. Unfortunately most of those who were without their clothes were old enough to have grandchildren and they really should have kept them on.
The evening brought us our final night in Vancouver. We went down to Davie Street for dinner at a popular sushi place. I think it is popular mostly because it was pretty cheap; both of us were disappointed in our dinner. But sitting at the sushi bar we struck up a conversation with an American who worked up here for the Vancouver Opera. Leaving the restaurant, we headed to English Bay for another night in the fireworks competition. This time we did not try to get in the middle of the action right on First Beach. Instead, we sat on the seawall right at the foot of Nicola Street. This bit of public art always helps us to locate our street.
Tonight’s show was presented by Spain. It was pretty impressive, and the crowd around us cheered wildly at points. We could not hear the music very well from our perch on the seawall, but the views of the ships in the harbor illuminated by the light of the exploding skyrockets compensated for this.
Tomorrow, we’ll be picking up the dogs and heading to Whistler.
