Whistler Blackcomb - Natural Wonders

Just few photos from my hike on the Whistler Blackcomb mountains. It is quite amazing how the same place is so different in the summer and in the winter. Completely unrecognizable because now most of the snow had melted and now you can start to appreciate the trees and the mountain. Now that the rocks are exposed you start to think how just few months ago, you can easily glide on the surface just with two planks of wood (or fiberglass I guess). The snow covers everything, very forgiving, in a very cold, frigid way it protects us from the danger below.

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

So there I was at one of the most famous tourist spot in Vancouver (of course I've never been here before dispite almost twelve years of living in Vancouver). It was a nice day so there were tons of people here, including a small tour bus that dropped off tourists and their cameras.

The Lynn Canyon Cafe just near the entrance of the trails. The building looks big from the outside but inside is very crowded. A nice looking building none the less.

The suspension bridge (shorter than I expected). Because there were so many people lining up to cross there was really no time to  take in how supposedly amazing (?) the bridge is. Barely had time to look down at all. The bridge is not too shaky since it is shorter so quite disappointing.

But there is a shot of what's beneath the bridge. We are 50m up from the water.

A jungle boy with blue hair ran by when I was taking a photo. You think I can send this to the National Enquirer?

At the 30 Foot Pool people/dogs are dipping in the cold water.

Anyone with a keen sense of observation will notice the picture from here on has a misty / romantic effect to them. It is because.... I DROPPED MY PHONE IN THE LYNN CREEK WHILE TRYING TO TAKE THIS PHOTO ABOVE!! Water got into the lenses and everything is foggy now! But luckily it cleared up in the afternoon. Thank God for the Canadian try climate.

Pipeline Bridge - pipelines runs along the bridge so hence the name.

Quite dreamy, isn't it?

The Three Lions Cafe

I was just in the mood of celebrating after a long but good news week. So when I knew I am going to the Three Lions Cafe (hm, TLC eh? Exactly what I needed.) I knew I am going to order a drink to go with its famous traditional English pub food.

 The quote reads: Work is the curse of the drinking class. - Oscar Wilde

So I ordered a Crown Float, which is consisted of half Guinness and half Strongbow cider. I never realized you can mix Guinness like this, and isn't it the perfect thing for a Friday night.

The Guinness stays on top so its strong taste get you in the mood right away, but later when the cider below is sorta mixed in then it's a very easy drinking concoction for the rest of the meal.

Famous Bangers and Mash - Cumberland sausage served with buttermilk mash, onion gravy and Yorkshire pudding. I am usually not a big fan of Yorkshire pudding, but at TLC the pudding is shaped like a bow so it maximized the surface area to gravy ratio... yum. And apparently the sausage is heavenly too...

 Fish and Chips - usually made with sole but tonight with tilapia.

 My Sirloin Steak and Chips - Marinated in herbed extra virgin olive oil, grilled to medium rare and served with house made chips. I was just in the mood for red, red, red meat, so I ordered medium rare. Came out a bit more cooked than I expected but because it was well marinated the beef is still tender and flavourful.

Overall, good eats, good atmosphere, good drinks. I will definitely come back for more TLC!

Who knew "quit" can bring so much joy (not me)

quit

[kwit] verb, quit or quit·ted, quit·ting, adjective

–verb (used with object)

1.  to stop, cease, or discontinue: She quit what she was doing to help me paint the house.

2.  to depart from; leave (a place or person): They quit the city for the seashore every summer.

3.  to give up or resign; let go; relinquish: He quit his claim to the throne. She quit her job.

–verb (used without object)

8.  to cease from doing something; stop.

9.  to give up or resign one's job or position: He keeps threatening to quit.

10. to depart or leave.

(source: Dictionary.com)

Mussels with White Wine and Herb

Well, this weekend was a weekend of two "firsts". First time cooking fresh mussels and first time cooking with non-Chinese wine. I never had a chance to cook mussels, but I have hear it is a great choice for seafood since it is relatively inexpensive, easy to cook, and great presentation of the final product (the cute pointed shells sell themselves). So since I got a bunch of mussels from a friend I figure it is the perfect time to jump in. I got a simple recipe from La Regalade's cook book, so that means it is tested and tasty.

The recipe only called for mussels, butter, onion, parsley, whipping cream, white wine, and black pepper. Quickly cook the mussels for 3 minutes in the above ingredients and it's done.

I have to say (again) I am terrible at following recipe - I used milk instead of cream, I just picked whatever white wine on the shelf, didn't care about the what taste/smell notes the wine has, I added lemon myself, and measuring cup, what measuring cup?

 But! The end result is still good! The mussels are nicely plump, the sauces are too good to leave behind... not bad for a first try eh?!

Lynn Peak at Lynn Headwaters regional Park July 10, 2011

Today's challenge is the Lynn Peak of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park . The sign is welcome enough, feel like going to be a good day.

 Here is a map of the entire park, but I am only going to explore a small part of it - small but uneasy!

See! it says challenging routes! The goal is the orange colour route, 8.8km return, est. 4.5 hours of I quote "steep, steady climb."

I guess this is the welcome warning sign.

 At the beginning of the trail is a nice little bridge - nothing feels more refreshing than raging water beneath your feet.

 Here we go!

 The trail begins... this doesn't look too bad.

 What the?! Is this part of the "trail"? Am I supposed to walk across this? Where do I step?

 View point #1 - beautiful trees hills

 View point #2 - you can see some snow if you stand close enough to the edge of the cliff

 View point #3 - I feel tall

After two hours, starting to feel like I hit a stone wall...

 OMG Orz... it is possible?

 Got to the top!! You can see the Second Narrow Bridge, my house should be right...... there! (?)