Whistler Mountain

Friday was planned to be an activity day - no more laziness. First we will rent a car, then drive up the Sea-to-Sky Highway 99 up to Whistler, and a hike up the mountain to catch the beautiful vista.

But this was our view of the looming sky through the front windshield and the first drop of rain fell long before Horsehoe Bay.

(Note to self: don't brag about not experiencing Vancouver rain in previous blogs)

When we arrived, the tourists were carrying these silly things above their heads,

And the garbage cans were so wet that even bears didn't want to get their paws dirty.

But help arrived and we were rescued by the local all terrain adventure guide and chauffeured 1st class to the inconspicuous and impossible to find Tourist Information Centre.

Finally we decided not to climb the mountain as our view from the bottom was better that the one from the top - pretty amazing and it's not everyday that you can see such a spectacular misty mountain vista and not have to pay a cent for it.

Atlas, there are many other reasons to visit Whistler too...

Such as the walk around Lost Lake,

where you can take the Donkey Puncher Trail Route and make sure to yield to bears,

experience slugs this big for the first time (absolutely disgusting and facinating),

strange moss growing on trees,

kids fishing,

kids fighting.

The Best Part is the sunny drive back where you can just be On Top of the World in your favourite Canucks Jersey!

Arrival and Lazy Start

Everyone's first day in Vancouver should start like mine did after getting off the plane: a warm welcome at the airport passenger pickup point, followed by fresh tuna sashimi, then a fabulous evening at Jericho beach. No photos of this occassion though. My camera gives me the means to capture points of time but there are instances that don't beg the need for images in order to remember and feel the beauty of an everlasting moment.

I was fortunate to be able to stay just off Commercial Drive in the Grandview Woodland neighbourhood (north east part) of Vancouver, an area slowly becoming gentrified with trendy coffee shops and restaurants. However, many old spots still remain untouched in keeping with the neighbourhood's unique blend of ethnicity, funk and alternative community spirit.

Some things I encountered along a lazy day 2 stroll on the drive.

Window front industrialism

Bike friendly public transportation

Well designed Skytrain stations...

With hazardous waste in highly dangerous areas

Ending on a park bench looking at the not so dangerous Trout Lake in John Henry Park where the lazy traveller becomes lazier.

Winter Olympics 2010

The city is getting ready for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Cambie street construction for a new SkyTrain route

and more green glass condos.

Vancouver Bound

The windows of an airplane are like peepholes into life's bigger picture. When flying, I always try to get the window seat. For a while after leaving Toronto, it was a flat checker board of green and brown as we flew over Prairieland and admitedly, I retreated back to my book. The next time I looked out again, I saw this.

followed by this,

and finally, it took a breathtaking view of Mount Baker to start a conversation between me and the passenger sitting to my right.

Vancouver

Flying across the country today to Vancouver. I'm excited to see the ocean and mountains and be away from the smog of Toronto. I've only been to Canada's West coast twice, once when I was a kid and recently for work in April 2006. Here are some photos from the last trip.

I'm told that there are alot of grey skies and rainy days in Vancouver.

I have not yet experienced this.

Well, maybe just a little at Kitsalano Bay.

There are many other reasons to love The West coast such as...

What the ocean washes up

Or what you can see through the buildings on Robson St.

Lynn Canyon North Vancouver

According to Margo my work collegue, the theory of the Tall Tree Syndrome is that the immense size and intensity of nature reminds us that we are small in the grand scheme of things. It is the reason why west coasters are innately laid back and relaxed. It's time for me to find some tall trees.

Copenhagen, Denmark - Introduction

First, I have to say, I love København! My blog from July 4, "Stockholm Stadsbibliotek" briefly touches upon the inspiration of my friend Harley and my facination with Scandinavia.

In June 2006, I travel to Denmark on a solo journey, ready to immerse myself into Danish design, architecture, culture. I had three weeks, no friends there and no plan. Surprisingly, it turned out that Harley's sister Judy was living in København and thanks to Erland, his brother, I was put in contact with her and with Johanne, a fashion design student. Coincidence, good karma or was Harley's positive spirit still around?

I was meant to visit this country and fall in love with it!

My time in København is a lifetime memory, one that is so amazingly beautiful and life altering that it becomes almost impossible to describe. But I will try to express in words and photos over a few chapters, the tales, chance meetings and experiences that continued to hit me while I was there.

Use Your Ass Not Gas

Critical Mass is an event typically held on the last Friday of every month in cities around the world where bicyclists and, less frequently, skateboarders, inline skaters, roller skaters and other self-propelled commuters take to the streets en masse to promote cycling.

I participated for the first time in Toronto's Critical Mass in July and have to say that it was a fabulous experience. Riding for 2 hours through the downtown core, I found great pleasure in ringing my awesome bell and shouting "happy friday" slogans. You bet that I even found the courage to place my bike in front of cars to block intersections and allow our group to go through. Disruption at any one spot did not last long and the spirit of the event was kept light and positive. Many heads turned and cheered us on and the result was a fun and effective afternoon of cycling.

Sadly, I will be missing this month's Critical Mass although admittedly, I'm excited to be off on my long-awaited west coast adventure.

Or there's always nude cycling to really make a statement!

Parking Restrictions

Photo Courtesy of Spacing Magazine

In London England, the Times Online has just reported that new cycle lane cameras will be installed and drivers who stray into cycle lanes will be fined 120pounds.

In Toronto, it is not legal for drivers to stop or idle in bike lanes, but this law is not enforced and many still do it. So, everyday as I cycle around the streets of Toronto, I am frequently forced to veer out into the vehicular traffic lane, risk getting hit or caught in a street car track.

The 2007 Bike Plan promises to increase the number of bike lanes from the current 69 to 467. This is better than not doing anything at all (if you believe this will happen). There is however no indication that the city will put any effort on improving the safety of existing lanes. Now I understand why many people refuse to bike despite the number of pro cycling arguments. I always believed in the saying " if you provide it, they will come". In this case, if you provide a cycling infrasture that does not allow for a safe integration between cars and bikes, they will not come.

Opportunity knocks

Comic strip by Wulffmorgenthaler

As I always believe, live and let live...or never go out for pizza.

Bike Dispenser

Spacing Wire is a daily dispatch from the streets of Toronto to cities around the world, covering new, events, art, architecture, urban planning and just about anything that involves the public realm of our cities.

From the Wire today: Bike Dispenser

Toronto's bike share program had to shut down this year due to a lack of suporting funds. I wonder why in this city, we have to struggle to keep this kind of program going while in other cities, they instead spend their energies developing new concepts and means of bike sharing. Is Toronto really a big but poor city?

If you read Dutch, here is the link to bikedispenser.com and Springtime, its creative force out of Amsterdam.

Alley Jaunt

Alley Jaunt, which began in August 2003, is a 2-day event dedicated to promoting and integrating comtemporary art into public space, specifically in alternative spaces such as the back alleys around the Trinity Bellwoods Park area. This year, there were 32 artists and a mixture of exhibitions, art installations and back street performances.
Promoting public spaces for people is a low priority for the City of Toronto and it takes a collective of local artists to dream up a concept like this one and keep it going. Bravo to them!

The interactivity between art and people was such that you could listen to alley noises through the Tin Can

or pose for projected paintings.

My favourite was still: DEAR TORONTO

A question I, too, often wonder?