Tuesday, March 2, 2010

From Broadway to Point Grey.

I got happily lost today and discovered a new coffee spot.  Cafe Zucchero, on the corner of West 4th and Bayswater is delightfully friendly and full of character.  Framed photos of Italy decorate the walls.

I actually haven't had coffee here yet, as I was hot and needed ice tea.  I know, without a doubt, that I want to be back for cappucino or any "cino"

I'm sitting at a table, looking across the street on Bayswater, seeing gorgeous pink blossoms on a tree in front of the area's many character buildings. 

There are a couple of tv's in the place, which is not a crime, but no one is looking at them.  Maybe it's just me, but people seem to just want to come chat with the delightfully friendly baristas and experience the ambience (and yes, have coffee).

After I had my cold drink, I walked around the area, trying to find another branch of the Vancouver Public Library.  There are many beautiful tree-lined streets including Baklava Street--oops!  I meant Balaclava Street (always food on my mind).  I had been down to Kitsilano Beach earlier and discovered part of the seawalk past the Kitsilano pool.  I had found Cafe Zucchero, accidentally, because, I just had to see what was in Point Grey.  Many of the homes and apartments in the area were wayyy beyond my budget, but I can always dream of having an apartment in the area (or maybe a room the size of my closet).  The tide was out and was just coming in so I thought I needed to find a place to have something to drink (any excuse).  I walked up yet another gorgeous street--Trafalgar Street--full of character and blossoms, not to mention dog-walkers and joggers.  Posting this, I realize that I'm going back to what I really wanted my blog to be about--Renewal on the Water!

White Mountain Ice Cream

My mother once had a townhouse only five minutes from the White Rock beach. On the corner of Vidal Street  and Marine Drive is a great place called White Mountain Ice Cream.  Nice thing about this place, besides the ice-cream, is that it's open year around.  If it was freezing outside, you could get yourself a delicious hot chocolate or a coffee (brewed or cappucino--whatever your desire).




No matter what the time of year, you could also order ice-cream, as I'm sure you got from the title of this posting.  In the winter, of course, there would be fewer choices, but still a fair variety.

Jason and I, almost from the time we got off of the plane, absolutely had to go to the seaside and we had to, as my loving husband used to tease me about, go to White Mountain Ice Cream.  Of course, we also had to go in the early morning pretty much as soon as we got up.  Any excuse was a great excuse to go to White Mountain Ice Cream. 

Being in land-locked Alberta, Jason and I would be desperate to be near the ocean as soon as we could.  Mum would often laugh as, even when it would be pouring rain, mixed with snow, we'd wrap ourselves in layers topped with a raincoat and head to the pier and then White Mountain (or vice versa).  Most often, we headed to White Mountain first, picked up our ice-cream or coffee, went down to the pier, fiound our favourite bench, and then sat and inhaled the sea air as if we'd never smell it again.  We'd listen to the chatter of both the gulls and the people who would go out onto the pier. 

After Jason's death, I made a pilgrimage--yes, as far as I'm concerned, eating ice-cream is a spiritual experience--I laughed as I saw on the board "Chocolate Monkey".  I truly had never seen the flavour there before but I had to have it.  I'm such a chocoholic that Jason would tell me it was time "...to get the chocolate monkey off my back".  It was absolutely delicious!