Vancouver International Wine Festival 2020 / January 13, 2020 by Jenn Chan

It’s that time of year again - the Vancouver International Wine Festival will be here from February 22 - March 1, 2020. This is one of the most anticipated events of the year for me and for good reason. There are over 160 wineries featuring their top grapes and wines. It’s my time to explore new vineyards and flavours!

The 2020 festival runs February 22 to March 1 and welcomes 163 wineries from around the wine world. All participating wineries and their principals gather in the Tasting Room (February 27-29) to showcase their wines. This year, the festival’s theme is Vive la France!, with 42 wineries and their principals from France travelling to Vancouver to share wines from their storied terroirs. They’re joined by 121 wineries from 14 additional countries, plus wines from South Africa available only at a Regional Tasting Station in the Tasting Room. Overall, more than one out of five wineries are new to the 2020 festival.

There are a few options for tickets: Delta Air Lines Tasting Lounge (Fridays & Saturdays), International Festival Tastings (Thursday to Saturday), and for the ultimate experience - The Gold Pass. The Gold Pass allows you to experience everything the festival has to offer with VIP treatment when you become a Gold Pass holder. A terrific value, this pass offers incomparable access to VanWineFest. A $768 value for only $519!

*** Did you know! You can score some free Wine Fest tickets? Find out how HERE !! If you’re wanting to sip on tons of wine and stay overnight in Vancouver, this is the deal for you!

For more information on Vancouver Wine Festival, CLICK HERE.

Hope to see you at the festival!

LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil | “A Waking Dream of Mexico” / October 31, 2019 by Jenn Chan

Photo credit : Matt Beard / Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi / 2016 Cirque du Soleil — Photo credit : Matt Beard / Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi / 2016 *Cirque du Soleil*

When I heard that Cirque du Soleil is coming back to Vancouver for another show this year, I was excited! I always love their show and have made it a point to go see them when they came to Vancouver (since I don’t head off to Vegas often). I’ve always been impressed with the choreography, performance and set designs. Not to mention all the performers’ stamina!! After watching any cirque show, I always tell myself I need to start going to the gym (and somehow never happens …)

A few of my friends had seen the show already this year (their first show was October 3, 2019) and have raved about Luzia! I had to see it for myself, and WOW was it a great show! Every cirque show has its own theme, and LUZIA’s theme is “A Waking Dream of Mexico”. To quote their site, “LUZIA takes you to an imaginary Mexico, like in a waking dream, where light (“luz” in Spanish) quenches the spirit and rain (“lluvia”) soothes the soul. With a surrealistic series of grand visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances, LUZIA cleverly brings to the stage multiple places, faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity.” They did not disappoint.

LUZIA is a whimsical show with many comical moments. I found myself amazed by the show (of course) but also how seamlessly they were able to transform the stage from act to act - a lot of times without me realizing until the set has already completely changed! The very first set had a large treadmill taking over the whole stage and miraculously, somehow, it was gone! Magic! I found myself trying to keep an eye on the “background set staff” to see if I can spot them changing the sets for the rest of the show, but there were always so much going on to distract you that I could almost never spot them changing up major set pieces.

LUZIA is a very well put together show and you can see just how much preparation it took to put on the performance. There are so many elements and moving parts in the show that I feel like I will find something new in the show every time I rewatch the show! The most notable difference to me, from all the other Cirque shows i had seen in the past, is the water element. I have always wanted to go to Vegas to watch “O” but it has never happened so I was happy to see LUZIA incorporating water into their show. It just added an extra WOW factor to the show, that you don’t often see in other traveling shows. Unfortunately, I think we did not get to watch the “jungle man act” (last photo in this post), but it looks like it would’ve been amazing.

If you haven’t seen LUZIA by Cirque Du Soleil yet, I highly recommend you go check it out! They will be in Vancouver until December 29, 2019. HINT HINT: Christmas is coming and a pair of tickets will make a great gift! ;)

Now… it’s time for me to hit the gym….. (maybe).

TRAVEL | A Winter Weekend Getaway at Whistler / December 27, 2018 by Jenn Chan

Ahhhh… a weekend getaway into winter wonderland is exactly what was needed this holiday season! What better way to celebrate Christmas than to be whisked away to Whistler for a weekend, enjoying the slopes, adventures, restaurants, bars, and fireplace? I’m an avid snowboarder, so this was especially nice since the local mountains had a slow start, and I have been itching to shred since November!

The weekend started with a quick easy check in at Legends Creekside, located in the heart of Creekside Village and very convenient located beside the Creekside Gondola, perfect for ski-in, ski-out access. The building also happens to have one of the Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations offices and Ticket Booth attached to it.

Once checked in, I was welcomed to one of the one bedroom suites on the top floor of this 6-floor hotel. The room comes complete with a King bed, a Queen sofa bed, a bathroom, a full kitchen, and features a gas fireplace, and an in suite washer/dryer. There was more than enough space for the 2 of us to wind down, cook some meals, and cozy up by the fire with some Christmas tunes. Being able to dry and warm up our wet snow gear at the end of the day by the fire is definitely an added luxury. There is also a ski/snowboard locker storage area located by the front desk to store your winter gear, conveniently located by Creekside Express Gondola. Legends also includes a fitness centre, pool table in the games room, a theratre, Nintendo Switch games room, and my favourite outdoor pool, complete with 2 hot tubs. There is nothing better than to relax in an outdoor hot tub with a warm beverage as the snow lightly falls onto your heads après-ski!

Tourism Whistler set us up with some awesome Whistler merchandise, including Dark Hazelnut Chocolate, Whistler branded Goggle Socs & Some Gypsy Soul bath salts & coffee scrub!

Onto the fun stuff! Waking up the next morning to fresh snowfall outside the windows was just absolutely lovely! It set the tone for the day as we prepare ourselves for the day up on Whistler Blackcomb! CAN-SKI helped us out with some ski rentals, the knowledgeable staff were able to set us up with the best gear for our skill level and snow conditions! The lineups for the gondolas and lifts were surprisingly not bad, considering it was Christmas weekend. The lifties & staff worked efficiently to get all the skiiers and snowboarders up on the chairs. We were whisked up to the top where the Umbrella Bar is, which is also where you can take the Peak to Peak chair between Whistler and Blackcomb. The conditions of the snow was amazing to say the least, the runs were nice and wide and nicely groomed with fresh powder on top. We frequented the Cougar Park, Bobcat Park, Jolly Green Giant, Green Acres, Old Man, and Franz’s runs.

The best part about snowboarding on Whistler Blackcomb is the accessibility from the mountains to the village and being able to après-ski properly. How absolutely amazing is it to be able to snowboard down to the restaurant right by the lift after a day on the mountains? That is exactly what we did, we made our way down Village Run right onto the covered patio of Garibaldi Lift Company to enjoy some food and drinks by the fire pit, all while watching people wander the village. It was the perfect way to wind down and warm up the toes!

https://s.insta360.com/p/fa10b2a1547c1cb6b369f344bd0ede34

Whistler Village, Garibaldi Lift Company

Whistler Village this time of year is extremely festive. We went meandering through the Village and there were Christmas lights all over the Village Stroll. When we reached Whistler Olympic Plaza, it took my breath away! They had transformed the plaza into a skating rink and sledding area! It was absolutely beautiful to be in the middle of all of that and seeing couples and families enjoy the snow and ice under the warm glow of Christmas lights. There is something about this time of year that brings people together that I love seeing. It just warms my heart.

We couldn’t end our trip without trying some amazing restaurants offered in the village. After checking out many different restaurants and menus online, we decided on Basalt Wine + Salumeria, conveniently located along the Village Stroll beside Crystal Lodge. I’ll try to keep this section short and sweet, but the dinner was amazing! We started off with a Beef Striploin Carpaccio (+ “a bag of chips”), and every bite was incredible. The texture and flavours come together so beautifully, I wish there was more of it, but alas we must move on to the main courses. As adventurous eaters, we decided on the more unique items on the menu. We chose the Cashew Crusted Rock Fish & the New Zealand Venison + Chorizo Ragu Cavatelli with its wine pairings, which paired beautifully with the meal. The rock fish with seaweek pesto and chilean crab stir fried red quinoa was an incredible flavour explosion in my mouth. The flavours & textures worked so well together, it leaves you wanting more, bite after bite. The Venison dish with Cavatelli is the definition of a savoury comfy food. It tastes like a warm hug after a cold day, telling you everything is going to be okay. We were already quite stuffed at this point, but felt we should try their dessert menu along with some boozy hot drinks to end our experience. We ordered their Apple + Butterscotch Crème Brulée, which to my surprise, was very delicious! Not that I was expecting it to be bad, but I’m just not a big dessert person!

Beef Striploin Carpaccio + “a bag of chips”

Cashew Crusted Rock Fish & the New Zealand Venison + Chorizo Ragu Cavatelli

Cashew Crusted Rock Fish with Daydreamer Riesling 2017

New Zealand Venison + Chorizo Ragu Cavatelli with Moraine Estate Pinot Noir 2016

Apple + Butterscotch Crème Brulée | maple almond tuile, ginger struesel

Basalt Boozy Hot Chocolate | Frangelico, Jameson, whip cream Peanut Buttered Rum | Gosling's Black Rum, brown sugar, spice, peanut butter, steamed milk — Basalt Boozy Hot Chocolate | Frangelico, Jameson, whip cream
Peanut Buttered Rum | Gosling's Black Rum, brown sugar, spice, peanut butter, steamed milk

Our weekend drew to an end, as the fluffy snow fell outside our windows, we really didn’t want to have to pack up and leave. It’s been such a great way to start the Christmas holidays. I hope you’ll be able to make your way up to Whistler sometime this season! There is something for everyone to do, from Skiing & Snowboarding, to strolling in the village, to trying out different restaurants, to relaxing at a spa, to a wild night out in the bars & clubs.

Thank you Tania and the Tourism Whistler team for setting this nice little getaway up, I’ll definitely have to find another excuse to come back up later in the season!

WHAT TO DO | Prince of Whales | Half-Day Whale Watching Adventures / October 3, 2018 by Jenn Chan

If you’ve visited or live in Vancouver chances are good that you have checked out some of the iconic attractions around town: Stanley Park, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Granville Island. Perhaps you’ve gone for a harbour cruise, too. I’ve done a harbour cruise and it was lovely but slow, sedate even. If you want to kick up the excitement factor by a thousand percent I suggest a whale watching trip. When Jenn suggested we try the half day trip with Prince of Whales Whale Watching I immediately said yes! I don’t have a bucket list of adventures to tick off but if I did whale watching would be a must do.

Check in time is half an hour before departure time. The office for Prince of Whales is in the Westin Bayshore Hotel right on the waterfront in downtown Vancouver. After picking up our boarding cards we congregated outside with about ninety other passengers. Our splendid boat was the Salish Sea Dream, a purpose built 78 foot catamaran. It cost 3.5 million dollars and entered service just last year. Top speed is 35 knots, it has four jets rather than propellers, and it is very stable at all speeds. Boarding was quick and efficient and we left the dock a few minutes early with everyone aboard. There is enclosed seating on the main deck, semi-enclosed and open seating on the upper deck. A snack bar and washrooms are located on the main deck.

One of the benefits of starting the trip from the Westin Bayshore is seeing the sparkling Vancouver skyline from the water as we depart. A safety briefing is conducted as we leave port. Rounding Stanley Park and passing under the Lions Gate Bridge is worth several photos, and like everyone else aboard we could not resist these photo ops. Once out of the harbour the speed picks up and it becomes apparent why it was suggested we dress warmly. Blankets are passed out for the comfort of those who prefer to remain in the open air seating. Baseball style hats are susceptible to being lost overboard because of the wind so you are forewarned to stow them away before regretting your choice of headwear.

In less time than it takes me to drive to Ikea the Salish Sea Dream has arrived at a large yellow buoy not far from Bowen Island with half a dozen Steller Sea Lions on it seemingly yearning for their photos to be taken. The captain announced over the loudspeakers that he would position the boat so the buoy would be on the left side. Even with everybody rushing to the port side the catamaran was rock steady! It was thrilling to watch the sea lions. They are huge! One of them drew a few laughs as it tried and failed to climb aboard the buoy from the water.

Our course continued westward towards Nanaimo. The route taken by the boat varies daily depending on best estimates as to where whales might be located. A humpback whale had been found yesterday and we were in search of its location today. After a short while some arms raised, fingers pointing to a spot on the water in the distance. Nobody shouted “Thar she blows!” but the electric feeling of the sighting excited all aboard. We approached slowly, trying to anticipate where the whale would surface next. Humpback whales can stay underwater for up to half an hour but normally surface much more frequently. When they exhale a large plume of spray from the two blowholes can be spotted from a great distance. Once we sighted the whale again we moved closer for a better look. Guidelines stipulate being no closer than 100 meters to a humpback whale. Had we spotted an orca the closest we could have approached would be 200 meters. I think we rapturously watched this whale for about half an hour, its movements becoming more familiar to us with time: a few breaths, a deep dive that exposed the tail fluke, a few minutes of waiting for the whale to resurface. Humpback whales don’t really have a hump on their backs, they just arch their backs into a hump-like shape as they start a dive. The well informed staff aboard the Salish Sea Dream were eager to share information about this whale and also everything we saw and experienced while aboard. This particular humpback whale is known as Ghost. Identification is made by the distinctive markings on the tail fluke. We didn’t get to see Ghost breach or slap the water with its flippers or tail but it was incredible to see this huge creature of the ocean so close to us.

Closer to Nanaimo we saw multitudes of Harbour Seals, some of them picturesquely posing by Entrance Island. The whole area around Gabriola Island is gorgeous from the water. This trip could be renamed a Seal Watching Expedition as we saw so many Harbour Seals and Stellar Sea Lions. We even caught sight of a huge eagle resting on some rocks before flying off. The return crossing of the Strait of Georgia back to Vancouver gave staff an opportunity to show us on a map exactly where we had wildlife sightings. I would suggest you take the opportunity to chat for a while with the friendly staff. They have seen and experienced wonderful things and have some great stories to tell. Kids in particular were very keen to learn all about the whales. Jenn and I compared our photos from the day and relaxed for a while, rousing ourselves again for the always impressive entrance to Vancouver under the Lions Gate Bridge. This was a great day on the water.

Prince of Whales Whale Watching season is from late April to the first few days of November. From early June to the first week of September there are two excursions per day, one at 8:30 a.m. and the other at 2:30 p.m. The rest of the season there is one trip per day at 12 noon. A long lens will be great if you are a photographer, binoculars will be handy for those without cameras. Dress for strong winds, it is rather cool out on the water. You might want to bring some food and water with you. On sunny days you will want sunglasses and sunscreen. The website for Prince of Whales is https://princeofwhales.com/

Words: S teve McConnell
Photos: Jenn Chan

TRAVEL | THINGS TO DO | Old Docks Tour with Eating London Tours / May 4, 2018 by Jenn Chan

Leigh Savage would be a great name for a pirate! Or, maybe, a porn star (sorry Leigh!), but it is most certainly also an excellent name for a tour guide! Mention his name while booking and you'll get a discount, mention mine while booking and you will only get a puzzled look. The tour started where all great food tours start: at a large, 19th century industrial engine house. No visit along the docks of Rotherhithe and Wapping, I'm told, would be complete without taking in the Thames Tunnel. The world's first tunnel built successfully under a navigable channel connecting these two beautiful boroughs despite the Thames' best efforts.

A quick jaunt up the street and you come upon the The Mayflower Pub, the oldest pub on the mighty River Thames. It was from here that the first pilgrims to colonize the Americas left England bound for the new world. Just think about that. Now think about bangers and mash and blood pudding all sat on a bed of fresh vegetables and chased down with a bitter, yet smooth pale ale. Aside from the really good pub food, a cheerful decor, ample historical significance and ambience the pub also boasts a huge patio that hangs out over the ancient river. If you peek between the slats you'll see the water lapping the shore and the sound and the sun and tranquility of the space makes this pub a must-see!

After we have descended the Thames Tunnel and examined the impressive, old-fashioned engineering we come up on the other side; Wapping. All along the way our cheerful, knowledgeable guide whips out his folder of history and photos and we take delight in standing on the sidewalk and learning about our surroundings. A tour like this gives you nothing, but time to smell the flowers! The Prospect of Whitby Pub also stakes a claim to the oldest pub on the Thames, but upon reading the fine print is relegated to being on the site of the oldest pub, advantage Mayflower. The Whitby wrestles away the title of my early favourite after a delicious plate of fish and chips is laid in front of me with a nice light lager to compliment it. It was so nice that I went back and got another glass halfway through my meal! The Prospect of Whitby is a place where they used to hang folk. They don't shy away from that fact either as a noose still swings in the wind at the edge of the balcony. Hanging Judge Jeffries was said to have executed some 700 men during his duties under the reign of King James II on this very spot.

Fish & Chips with mushy peas at The Prospect of Whitby

Joseph Turner was an eccentric man. A lover of women and secretive to the point of almost losing his own identity. Around the docklands of Wapping he was known as "Puggy" Booth. Puggy due to his slight stature and Booth adopting the name of one of his mistresses to further obfuscate his activities. When he inherited a pair of cottages in Wapping he converted one into Turner's Old Star and the pub still stands today after several renovations. Paul and Bernice Drew now run the freehouse and make their famous steak pies themselves from scratch! These are worth a trip all on their own, but the pub also has sports playing on every screen as well as billiards and darts. You could spend some time there!

Captain William Kidd was a notorious pirate. There is some debate whether he came about the monicker justly, but he was executed nearby for piracy. A converted warehouse with plenty of space and extraordinary views of the Thames. An alcove table with 180 degree views of the river and a spacious patio are just a few of the highlights. Oh ya, they also have beer, a lot of it! I would definitely recommend it for a calm night out or the starting point of a rager!

Four hours is a long time to spend with strangers, but with the masterful guidance of Mr. Savage we bonded and by the time we came up the Dickens Pub it was almost too early to say goodbye. Luckily, we were greeted with a giant cheese and fruit platter and some ciders, a truly European dessert! Excited chatter turned into a constant murmur and laughter rose up as the room started to fill around us. Leigh gracefully took his leave and we were left to socialize and eat and drink until our heart's content. I can't remember another tour where the group was left together at the end and the fun just simply continued! I would highly recommend it and don't forget to tell them who sent you!

English Cheese and Cider at The Dickens Inn

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

TRAVEL | THINGS TO DO | Sky 100 at ICC / March 14, 2018 by Jenn Chan

South African Wayde van Niekerk is the current Olympic champion and world record holder at the 400 metre dash with a time of 43.03 seconds. Coming in just under 17 slower, a respectable showing, is the bullet-fast elevator at the Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck. It covers the 393 metres to the top in 60 seconds flat. Take that Vin Diesel!

Once you exit the elevators into the 360 degree, floor-to-ceiling, glass-walled Sky100 the sheer elevation has been known to buckle some knees! On our visit a handful of tourists seemed more than happy to relax in the tables in the café noticeably avoiding approaching the glass for fear of plummeting to their death. Ya, it's high. Hong Kong is known for many things: delicious food, a bustling financial district, Disneyland, but with 7.3 million people living in an area the size of Vancouver, and its paltry 1.8 million people, there's got to be more of everything: cars, buses, planes, trains and factories. The result is smog. It plagues every major city on Earth and my beloved Hong Kong, sadly, is no exception. So what do you do when you run a multi millionaire business whose aim is to provide a view to its patrons when sometimes there just simply is no visibility? You install state-of-the-art virtual reality app and let people 3D their way around the view! I won't attempt to describe the effects, but, happily, on our visit the skies were clear and the views amazing! After a turn on the new virtual reality experience, hovering outside the windows of the Sky100, and a quick stop off at Café 100 by Ritz Carlton, the only establishment on Earth with the Ritz brand outside of their hotels, for some crêpes and a couple beers and we proceed on our photographer's dream walk. 2-3 laps around and 2-3 hours later with our cameras' memory cards full and our inner ears acclimated to Himalayan heights we descended the elevator. We'll be back I thought to myself. Probably every time we come to HK!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan