Granville Island - Arts & Markets

We took a bus which once again toured us past the amazing houses, views of the surrounding mountains & interesting foreign places that sparked intrigue & amusement for us both. Every outing we have to pinch ourselves that we are actually here.

Today we were off to a place that every local we asked "where should we go today" said, Granville Island. They said there were markets, restaurants & arty farty things. They were not wrong!

The entrance onto this island is a gateway through the supports under the Granville Bridge which links North & West downtown Vancouver. It's a bizarre place to get to and you really just follow the crowds of people that seem to be coming and going through these gates, and then all of a sudden you are surrounded by a carnival style place, a cross between the Queen Vic Market and the workshop of Melbourne Theatre Company. Granville Island was once an industrial manufacturing area and all of the old giant work sheds are everywhere.

We didn't know where to start so we just let Roxy make the direction decision which took us right, surprisingly enough to the first stall which was a boutique pet store inside a train caboose. Bizarre but clever. We browsed around the right hand side of the island which was full of small shops set into these sheds. Each shop had a personally designed front that begged you to come in and as you looked further back beyond the counter there was the shop owner busy sewing, building, designing, baking, creating etc etc in their workshop in full view. This was great. So personal, you knew exactly were and how everything was made & each owner you could tell loved producing their goods & wares and were appreciative of the custom.

As I looked around I couldn't help notice all the show posters & performance paraphernalia stuck up everywhere. I also started to spot 'stage door' and 'workshop' signs on many sheds & buildings as well. This was a real arts hub. There are more than 3 theatre companies and an arts & design university on the island. Plus perfomance spaces galore. I couldn't help but start whistling & clicking some West Side Story tunes as we walked and wheeled down each back alley of sheds & warehouses.

On the opposite side of the island was the farmers market. An in and outdoor kind of set up with every kind of fresh produce. Not so much of the 'Con the Fruiterer' spruckers yelling out, more of a friendly would you like to try some Yam or something with Chili. They love chili here.

We sat and ate lunch in an outside dinning area where Roxy came face to face with her first pesty seabird. It was the size of an albatross and as cheecky as our very own seagulls. Huge! Very funny when Roxy looked at me with those eyes saying "what, you let that thing have the chip under the table & not me" with me replying "a bird that size is not a bird to mess with Rox!"

We found my favourite shop thus far. A very funky 1940's style millinars shop where the attendants all wore pinstripe suits & braces & showcased a perfectly tailored hat. There were so many hats, caps, berets, bonnets, fedoras, gatsbys and even akubras. My favourite were the traditional heritage baseball caps worn in the 50's. Could have bought them all. Would love to work in this shop.

We finished our visit to the island with a purchase of a Chilean wine & a local Brie to take home and snack on that evening.