Showing posts with label Vancouver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vancouver. Show all posts

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Blog Recovery Mode



April has turned out to be a busy month for me. It's been so long between postings I'm incredibly embarrassed. I've been photographing all kinds of things -- sandals, candles, brides, adorable engaged couples, and greeting cards -- and I've been doing a lot of writing, too.

To take a break from editing an article I'm working on, I went diving through one of my picture folders and decided to work with an image I took in Vancouver, BC, right around Chinese New Year. It's going to be listed in my Etsy shop a bit later today.

Bicycles make me happy. I like bikes with fenders, reflectors, bookracks, and a little bit of rust for character. I remember all the bikes I've had in my life from the time I was six years old. The happiest thing about bikes is that you really never forget how to ride them.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

What Do We Know That's Real?


One must know that one is not in order to be able to understand that we are.


--Ask The Awakened by Wei Wu Wei

* photo taken at International Buddist Temple, Richmond, B.C., Canada V7A 1M5

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

View: Lion's Gate Bridge


Lion's Gate Bridge, Vancouver

Vancouver, BC, is a beautiful city. It's a fascinating mix of Native North American/Pacific Northwest, Europe, China and even a little Japan. You see it in the architecture, the artwork, the people, and the amazing scenery. The sky plays a big part in Vancouver life -- the beautiful cloud formations on the mountains overlooking the water, the way it dips down to say hello to the tall buildings, the rain it sends down to the streets.


This photograph is of the Lion's Gate Bridge that leads north out of downtown Vancouver. This image is for sale in my shop on Etsy.com.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Details: Granville Island, Vancouver, BC





A drizzly day in Vancouver last week included a visit to Granville Island. A very inspiring place for anyone and everyone who appreciates creativity and who finds inspiration in the small things. Go there. Walk around. See and enjoy.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Now, All I Need Is a Bottle of Wine....


Easy to find in Steveston. Or, just follow your nose.




Nikolai's hand-built bread oven. It took him about a year to complete it.
You can try a sample of bread. But remember to say, "please."

Polished wood floors; appropriately-flour-dusted workspaces.



Take a look at the finished product. It's still warm after being out of the oven for an hour.



Pride in workmanship.

It was the warm aroma of freshly-baked bread that drew us into the door of the Romanian Country Bread Bakery in Steveston, BC, Canada. Inside, Nikolai Constantin seemed to be waiting for us as we walked inside his shop. We needed something to accompany our smoked tuna, and here it was. Although we were a bit shocked at the price -- $10C per loaf -- we paid it and were glad we did. The crust was the perfect combination of crusty and chewy, and the bread inside was just soft enough, yet it had just the right texture to stand on its own. Nikolai might be the world's most perfectionist baker, and he takes immense pride in putting out a superior loaf. It took him nearly a year to complete the brick oven in the shop, and he did it himself. His loaves take around 24 hours from start to finish, and the proof is in the finished product. We are quite certain this loaf of bread could truly sustain someone as a perfect food.

All Nikolai needs now is some jars of jam and a coffee pot to make his shop complete!

P.S. He's got a sign that says "No Photography", but he waives this rule if you buy a loaf from him.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

On a Clear Day






The sun shone in Vancouver yesterday, and we headed over to Steveston for a walk along the fishing pier and through the little village. Our camera found a fisherman and his boat tied up to the dock. While we negotiated on the price of a piece of smoked tuna, he and his dog posed for a few snaps. This gentleman came to Canada from Poland 40 years ago. He is a commercial fisherman and sells his catch to local fish stores. His dog, Skipper, is just that -- the boat's skipper -- while our fisherman refers to himself as the first mate.
Tomorrow: we buy some handmade bread from an artisinal baker in Steveston to go with the smoked tuna.