My cottage-weary husband returned home on Thursday morning and went straight to his work to do up the payroll. Around 3pm he came through the door. I had a little surprise for him. We'd been talking about getting a small bistro table for our sundeck. For years we had admired cast-iron pedestal bases that we'd occasionally see in cafes but never in retail shops. I was scouring Craigslist on Tuesday night and saw exactly what I'd been looking for...
The guy was moving to San Francisco and was asking $120. I wasn't interested in the table top or the chairs - just the pedestal base. On-line, I have seen these sell for about $300. (US funds) not including shipping, handling, etc. I called him right away and the next afternoon I drove down to East Vancouver and we managed to squeeze it into my car. The table weighed a ton. Brought it home, lugged it onto the deck, and cleaned it thoroughly with dish soap and baking soda...
A few days prior, while waiting for my son to have his drum lesson, I walked into Micheal's Craft Store. They had these cool seeded glass candle holders. They were 40% off and ended up being $10. each...
When Lorenzo came home, I served us chilled white wine on our new little patio table...
He was so pleased - he calls it our "cafe." Every now and then he'll say, "Coming out to the cafe?" There's something about sitting at a small table with someone that is very inducive to conversation. Anyway, we sat in the beautiful sunshine and he expressed his profound relief that the cottage is done. Done!!! He wore an expression of disbelief and his eyes filled with tears - we were almost in a state of shock. So we toasted our fun-filled future on Mayne Island, drank wine and talked about renting a truck, getting our furniture over, and all the other tiny details left to do. Then the kids came home who were very happy to see their Dad...
* * *
Vancouver is a crazy place. A week ago, it snowed. I was going outside in a heavy coat and boots. Now, it's warm and spring is in the air; trees are in bloom, the birds are singing and people are mowing their lawns. On Thursday night Lorenzo and I were feeling very "springy" and decided to walk down to our favourite restaurant, La Villetta. It sits on the corner of Hastings and Ingleton and it's been in our neighbourhood for decades...
Lorenzo is Italian and I'm half Italian, which makes us extremely picky about Italian food. People will rave about some restaurant that we think is terrible. We are constantly biting our tongues because we don't want to appear as food snobs. For this reason, we eat Italian at home. La Villetta, however, is an exception - their veal parmigiana is the best I've ever eaten outside of Italy. So that is what I had, with a lovely green salad with the most delicious vinaigrette ever. Usually when we go there Lorenzo has Osso Bucco - he is convinced no one does it as well. The owner bakes his own bread too, and it's just to die for. I'm eating low-carb these days, but I still had to stick my face into the basket. There is no smell as heavenly as fresh baked bread.
La Villetta is a small friendly place and has become our home-away-from home. And it's only a block away! What a nice evening....
The next day the kids all took off with their friends. Since it was such a nice sunny day, we headed into Gastown which is one of my favourite places in the city and only about a 15 minute drive from our house. It was established in the mid-1800's and was the first downtown core of Vancouver...
When I was a little kid, one of my uncles owned The Blarney Stone pub as well as the Spinning Wheel Pub. My other uncle owned The Savoy jazz club. So I grew up kind of thinking that my family owned Gastown. Anyway, we strolled around and in celebration of finishing the cottage, we headed into Fluevog Shoes...
John Fluevog is a Vancouver original and his footwear was put on the international map by Madonna who began wearing his funky books in the 1980's....
His Gastown shop is amazing - he took over what was once an alley in-between two buildings and somehow fashioned a retail space using steel girders and glass. It's a remarkable feat of design and engineering; Lorenzo and I found ourselves staring upward while we were there.
I don't know how I could have lived in Vancouver my whole life and never venture into Fluevog. The shoes are absolutely delightful and they're sturdily made with chunky heels and heavy rubber soles - even the dressy pumps look like you could chase a cab in them if you had to. The reason we went there, was because we ducked in on St. Patrick's Day on our way to the Irish Heather Pub. I spied a pair of black shoes that reminded me of my old Irish dancing hard-shoes...
They're called "Hopefuls." I tried a pair on and did a happy dance and bought them on the spot. A few days later I realized they were too small, so yesterday I exchanged them for a size up. I can't believe how comfortable they are. I've always been cheap when it comes to clothing myself, but I've decided never to wear crappy uncomfortable shoes again. I just love these...
I made Lorenzo get a pair too, so he bought these...
They're called "Michael" and they look so cool on him....
After weeks and months of relentless rain and gray depressing weather, it was as if the city had been reborn. I've seen many parts of the world and I can honestly say that few places are as beautiful as Vancouver on a sunny day....a sunny day, mind you. On a rainy day, you just want to stick your head in the oven.
This is the "Big Ben" steam clock...
We walked all over Gastown and ventured into an Aboriginal art gallery. We saw this little print by Sue Coleman. It's called, "Night Owl." It's just a 9 x 12 art card and was only $14. I think it will look cute in the hallway at the cottage...
I love her paintings. Here are a few samples of hers that I cannot afford:
All of this traipsing around Gastown made us hungry so we popped into "Brioche. " I had forgotten how wonderful the food is...
Located at 401 West Cordova, it's one of those tiny little places that you often forget exist. Lorenzo and I hadn't been there for at least a year and a half...
We know the owner, Eduardo, who hails from Sicily. He was excited to see us as he'd been wanting to contact Lorenzo about casters he needs in his kitchen. Anyway, I told him that I'm off carbs, so he brought me a salad that was amazing. He makes his own mayonnaise, uses the finest bacon I've ever tasted, tosses in a few prawns and grilled tomatoes...this is the perfect meal for me. It was hard not eating the giant chunk of crispy bread that came with it...
Lorenzo asked Eduardo to bring him anything. Out came a plate of spaghetti with a rack of lamb...
I tasted the sauce and nearly passed out. Indescribably good - hints of anise and cinnamon; a fragrant rich concoction that I could have eaten by the bowlful. What a delightful little restaurant. If you're in Vancouver and you get hungry, please go to Brioche. You will not be sorry! He told us to come back and try his Cioppino and his baked eggplant.
Eduardo refused to let us pay the bill which made us feel terrible - he did this the last time we were there. Lorenzo says he's going to set him up with the best stainless steel casters for his equipment. Free of charge, of course. Brioche used to be a lunch-only establishment, but now he's open for dinner. I can't imagine a nicer evening; Gastown is magical in the dark...
We got chatting to the owner - Murray - and get this: he got married on Mayne Island many years ago. Usually people ask, "Where's Mayne Island?" So that was kind of fun. His store is filled with iron baker's racks, planters, trellises, wall decor - you name it. I spied a very cute side table. I loved the black/brown patina and the way it was held together with these collapsible supports. It holds a removable metal tray on top which was an added interest. It was only $60. So we bought it....
I've been pricing iron hooks for the cottage and they're usually around $10-$12 each. Murray had these huge, heavy iron hooks for $4. So I bought six of them for the bathroom...
A while back, I was thinking of getting a vintage tin sign to hang on the space above the stove at the cottage. We don't have a back-splash so I wanted to put something there. I saw one on-line that I really liked but it costs $35. (US) not including shipping, etc.
Today Lorenzo cleaned all the gutters, I worked around the house and made dinner, the kids took off again with their friends. We went for a long walk with the dog and, of course, we talked about houses. We'll stop in front of a house and Lorenzo will say, "How the hell did that pass code? The upper deck is completely crooked." We admire the older homes, the ones with leaded windows and wood mullions. Old homes just seem to blend into the surroundings better than new homes - there's something humble about them. Sadly, on our walks we always stumble upon what is referred to as a "Vancouver Special." When we were growing up, they were called "Italian Specials" by sneering non-Italians. I suppose political correctness influenced a name-change. Despite being well constructed, they are boxy and boring and a blight on the urban landscape. Not Italy's finest hour, surely...
What saddens me is what got torn down to build one of these horrible looking things. How many gorgeous old homes were razed to make room for something so unappealing and so lacking in charm, warmth, and character? It should not have been allowed. And because they're so bloody sturdy and well-made, they'll probably be a permanent fixture in our city for the next hundred years.
A few years ago, our neighbours three doors down sold their beautiful character home. In my opinion, it was one of the loveliest houses in the area. Every time I walked my dog, I smiled. I felt truly grateful to be sharing my street with something so delightful...
The buyers tore it down and built a massive monster home. It is a looming dark structure that lacks a single redeeming feature. And it has enough outdoor accent lighting to illuminate a sports arena. You walk past at night and you're blinded. Clearly, they've never heard of global warming. I've never spoken to them - I'm still too upset about the house they tore down. Once these older homes are gone, they're gone forever. And even when new homes attempt a "character" type of design, you can always tell they're new. That was a really sad day for me - I wish I had snapped up all their garden plants, at least...
Well, tomorrow is Easter. Happy long weekend everyone. Ciao for now!
No comments:
Post a Comment