Vancouver

Do not be fooled by Dan's t-shirt. We are in Vancouver, this photo taken from Granville Island. We've spent the last couple of weeks getting to know this city, deemed the World's Best Place to Live in a survey conducted by the Economist in 2005. (Melbourne came second in that same study.)

Judging by the time we've spent here, I can see why--the weather is good, the air is clean, and the opportunity for outdoor activities is endless. We are staying in a place just at the entrance of Stanley Park, which is a huge park just on the tip of the city. Every day, we see people cycling, jogging, walking and rollerblading around the seawall. Vancouver is nestled in between the ocean and the mountains, so the views are amazing.

In pacific northwest fashion, Vancouver seems to have followed Seattle's coffee culture (or rather, Starbucks culture). In addition to all the Starbucks, there are tons of other independent and chain cafes in town. Just down the street there are two cafes on opposite corners, and yes, I've been to both of them.

We've been hanging out with some of Dan's co-workers who have been so great in welcoming us and introducing us to that West Coast culture. It's all very familiar to me, having grown up in San Diego. The seafood here is so fresh, and so is the sushi. We only have one question: why hasn't sushi pizza taken off here? Check out photos here.