Lola (downtown Seattle)
----------------------------
Lola is the best place Ive ever had a breakfast at.
It is located in downtown Seattle on 4th street in the hotel complex of a great looking and surely expensive hotel. The whole lobby of the hotel is amazing, moderne with great chairs and sofas to wait for a table.
Anyways the food is the most important thing here.
Every element in the plate is fresh, made for you, is chosen based on its quality and not just to sell and make money from (it feels that way) and is just soooo delicious.
So Ive had the Lola breakfast which included baked potatoes like you have never seen them, 2 eggs from free range chicken perfectly done to your taste, choice of bacon and sausages... i was offered half of both which is what i got!!!
So lets talk about the bacon first... it is the most succulent thing that you will ever eat that is called bacon or has it in its name! 3 really thick slices of the best bacon ive ever had were placed in my plate for me to love. It was juicy, well baked,crispy, none of this fat bacon that is still uncooked.
The sausages (2) were perfectly cooked. They tasted so good, they were big sausages, delicious and they made you want more even though there was no way you could eat anymore.
It was a perfect breakfast which I dream about sometimes :)
i also got an orange juice which for once was a real fresh pressed juice ... unlike other restaurant pretend to have ... just like home! :)
hmmmm enjoy!
lundi 11 octobre 2010
vendredi 1 octobre 2010
Pecha Kucha!
So ive been to the last two of the Pecha Kucha conferences in Vancouver
These events are extremely interesting and everytime I hear those people talk I am impressed with how people are soooo creative and pursue their dreams until they get it done!
So the Pecha Kucha events are organized everywhere in the world once a month and it seems that Vancouver is the most popular or fast growing one. Pecha Kucha was invented in Japan and it consists in some people giving 4-5 minutes presentations of their accomplishments or talking about their companies and what they do to realize their dreams. They are talking over slides that are shown on the screen for 20 seconds each.
It is really impressive to listen to these people talk from their respective fields, so people come from different background and do different things, the only common factor between those presentations is that they have accomplished something for themselves or others.
Helping others or the planet are main themes in a lot of presentations.
So yesterday, I took some notes about some of the cool stuff going on...
These events are extremely interesting and everytime I hear those people talk I am impressed with how people are soooo creative and pursue their dreams until they get it done!
So the Pecha Kucha events are organized everywhere in the world once a month and it seems that Vancouver is the most popular or fast growing one. Pecha Kucha was invented in Japan and it consists in some people giving 4-5 minutes presentations of their accomplishments or talking about their companies and what they do to realize their dreams. They are talking over slides that are shown on the screen for 20 seconds each.
It is really impressive to listen to these people talk from their respective fields, so people come from different background and do different things, the only common factor between those presentations is that they have accomplished something for themselves or others.
Helping others or the planet are main themes in a lot of presentations.
So yesterday, I took some notes about some of the cool stuff going on...
- check out Miss604 blog which is talking about a lot of different events in town and some ways to help different organisations.
- Here is now : this guy organises different art galleries in town and next in Portland for one day only. So he goes to an abandonned building and put arts from local artists and shows them to the world.
- In the house festival : this is really great and strange but every months or more often that women organises different events in people's houses who have donated their house for a day where people will present their own shows such as dance, painting, food, music, ... seems awesome anyways
- Ethicaldeal.com : check it out
- Bloodied but unbowed: check out this movie about the Punk scene in Vancouver and how it all started here. that presenter was really interesting and she really follows the music scene around here.
So many interesting people creating different designs to live better for them and others. Some students are building crazy good looking houses for people in need and come up with awesome architecture designs.
Im impressed by all those people who pursue their dreams!
Next Pecha Kucha is Nove 14 in Vancouver i believe
Restaurant
Stepho's Greek Taverna (1124 Davie st)
---------------------------------------
Stepho's has been recommended to me by a friend who used to live in Vancouver and it was said to be the one restaurant that I needed to go to and experience the food and service.
Since February Ive seen lineups at this restaurant everyday until 9pm which is crazy(!) ... so I thought! How come this restaurant has lineups all the time (and pretty much the only restaurant in town that attracts so many people)? With a fast service and low cost that might be a reason why but I had to try for myself ...
So on a rainy night in Vancouver, I decided to go with a friend and thought that surely people wouldnt lineup outside in such a weather... but I was wrong! After a 45 min wait outside, we finally got in only to sit and wait another couple of minutes and smell the food ... it was painful ;)
Then we got a table and looked at the menu. Everything looked so good how could we decide on something when we were so hungry at this point... so many choices we couldnt get to try all we wanted which means i need to go back at some point!
Anyways, I got the premium red house wine ... not sure about that premium description though... housewine is housewine i would say.
As appetizers we got a plate of hummus with pita bread from the oven and a plate of olives and Greek Cheese. The hummus was delicious and oily hmmm so I ate a lot of it but needed to leave some space for the rest of the meal.
The olive plate and Greek cheese was good as well even though i dont really like Greek cheese normally I ate some and it was good mixed with the different types of olives coming with this plate it was a great combination.
For the main plate I got lamb on the bone and my friend got the half chicken plate.
The portions were really big and full of colors thanks to the vegetables. I think the vegetables were really impressive in their own homemade sauce it was actually really good and helped the plate to live up to my standards ;) It is really rare that I care so much about the vegetables but this time it was perfect. Big potatoes and rice(meh) accompanied the lamb as well. The lamb itself was so tender and juicy and easy to get from the bone. It was melting in my mouth as I was eating it. Hmmm yummy :)
The chicken plate I heard was really good as well but I cant describe it so well as I didnt taste it.
The service was really friendly, fast and good in general.
This restaurant received so many awards in the last years which can be seen on the walls of the place. The interior of the restaurant is really charming with his columns everywhere it feels you are in Greece somewhere. Lighting is low so you feel alone in this beautiful place.
i recommend it even if you have to wait in line for a while it is worth it :)
dimanche 2 mai 2010
Restaurants (continued)
As every other Saturday I am trying new restaurants around town.
Yesterday I wanted to go to Lucy May Brown but ... its dead now so I walked to La Gavroche which is a french restaurant (again) where you will need to reserve if you want a table and not be seated at the bar between books and wine bottles.
La Gavroche (1616 Alberni street)
----------------------------------------------
Setting: This is a really small restaurant which feels friendly and familiar. Unless you are at the bar like me and sitting next to a computer and an employee purse Lollll
Service: Lucky for me the service was perfect. Every employee working there came to talk to me during my dinner so it seemed like i wasnt assigned a waiter but everyone pitched in to deliver a good experience for me. And that was great :)
Menu: The menu has a lot of options and I was at a lost for a couple of minutes since I didnt know where to start and so many options to choose from. You have special prices for 4 services or 5 services with or without wine pairing. Choose from anything in the menu for that. Or you have many already selected and arranged dinner options that fit each other with or without wine pairing and all wines are listed with their items so easy to select a wine that fits your meal.
I decided to get the 4 services (which was a 5 services in the end since you get a trou normand sorbet)
Before the meal : With bread comes the butter (obviously) and some pate :)
I chose a red Ch La Targue (or something like that ...it was a Bordeaux anyways) wine which i finally had two glasses of in the end. it was a good wine.
First I chose the Steak Tartare with fries and pickels and crackers. It was my first time eating a steak tartare so i wasnt too sure what to expect. The good thing about this meal is that the owner comes at your table and prepares it in front of you and the way you want it !! Spicy?, he asked ? I dont know never done that before, I said. He said yeah it should be ;)
It was a good experience to eat it and it was big enough that i ran out of crackers and i was getting full so i didnt eat it all.
After that I got the cesar salad, which is also made at your table in front of you with ingredients of your choice (well you have some options anyways) This was also a really big portion which i couldnt eat all of it. It was only the second service and was really getting full at this point.
Then I had a surprised sorbet (trou normand) for appetite to come back ;)
It took a bit for the 5 Spices duck magret to arrive which was good since i needed a breather.
The duck came with some vegetable i couldnt really name, a tomato and a carrot. Also, it had duck breast obviously and the carcasse with some meat in it plus it had big pieces of stuffing (which i didnt like). This meal was good but not the best sauce ever. I would get it again though if I wanted duck next time. I recommend it.
After all of this I was full...really full, but dessert was going to arrive at some point.
I got the Creme Brulee which was really good (not as good as the Faux Bourgeois though). The top was definitly well done which a really tick sugary element lol. It also came with a really good kind of cookie or sugary cracker.
It took me 2 hours to eat there and thats incredibly long for me since i usually eat really fast.
The music was great there which made the atmosphere really relaxed and made me enjoy it a lot even though I didnt have a great spot to sit at.
I recommend to go if you like french food and good service.
-------------------------
Yesterday I wanted to go to Lucy May Brown but ... its dead now so I walked to La Gavroche which is a french restaurant (again) where you will need to reserve if you want a table and not be seated at the bar between books and wine bottles.
La Gavroche (1616 Alberni street)
----------------------------------------------
Setting: This is a really small restaurant which feels friendly and familiar. Unless you are at the bar like me and sitting next to a computer and an employee purse Lollll
Service: Lucky for me the service was perfect. Every employee working there came to talk to me during my dinner so it seemed like i wasnt assigned a waiter but everyone pitched in to deliver a good experience for me. And that was great :)
Menu: The menu has a lot of options and I was at a lost for a couple of minutes since I didnt know where to start and so many options to choose from. You have special prices for 4 services or 5 services with or without wine pairing. Choose from anything in the menu for that. Or you have many already selected and arranged dinner options that fit each other with or without wine pairing and all wines are listed with their items so easy to select a wine that fits your meal.
I decided to get the 4 services (which was a 5 services in the end since you get a trou normand sorbet)
Before the meal : With bread comes the butter (obviously) and some pate :)
I chose a red Ch La Targue (or something like that ...it was a Bordeaux anyways) wine which i finally had two glasses of in the end. it was a good wine.
First I chose the Steak Tartare with fries and pickels and crackers. It was my first time eating a steak tartare so i wasnt too sure what to expect. The good thing about this meal is that the owner comes at your table and prepares it in front of you and the way you want it !! Spicy?, he asked ? I dont know never done that before, I said. He said yeah it should be ;)
It was a good experience to eat it and it was big enough that i ran out of crackers and i was getting full so i didnt eat it all.
After that I got the cesar salad, which is also made at your table in front of you with ingredients of your choice (well you have some options anyways) This was also a really big portion which i couldnt eat all of it. It was only the second service and was really getting full at this point.
Then I had a surprised sorbet (trou normand) for appetite to come back ;)
It took a bit for the 5 Spices duck magret to arrive which was good since i needed a breather.
The duck came with some vegetable i couldnt really name, a tomato and a carrot. Also, it had duck breast obviously and the carcasse with some meat in it plus it had big pieces of stuffing (which i didnt like). This meal was good but not the best sauce ever. I would get it again though if I wanted duck next time. I recommend it.
After all of this I was full...really full, but dessert was going to arrive at some point.
I got the Creme Brulee which was really good (not as good as the Faux Bourgeois though). The top was definitly well done which a really tick sugary element lol. It also came with a really good kind of cookie or sugary cracker.
It took me 2 hours to eat there and thats incredibly long for me since i usually eat really fast.
The music was great there which made the atmosphere really relaxed and made me enjoy it a lot even though I didnt have a great spot to sit at.
I recommend to go if you like french food and good service.
-------------------------
samedi 1 mai 2010
Restaurants
I enjoy discovering new restaurants and this tradition continues in Vancouver ;)
Here's a list of restaurants i went to so far and how much I liked them ...
(will be updated as i try new ones)
Les Faux Bourgeois Bistro (663 15th avenue east)
--------------------------------------------------------
I was told this French restaurant had the best creme brulee ever so I had to go there and taste it and I love this kind of food anyways so...
The restaurant is located in an easy to access and park your car area.
The staff was french, but I still got a good service from them ;)
Ordered a really good red wine glass of Chateau Rouselle Bordeaux 05 which was the best wine I got so far in Vancouver where good one is rare i find.
I started with the French Onion Soup which was really good with plenty of cheese and good bread. Salty just the right way too.
Then I went on with some Escargots (snails) which was served with garlic oil and some hard baked bread. it was good but would not really get them next time.
I tried the Canard Confit (Duck) has my main meal which was served with potatoes and green beans but the sauce didnt do anything for me. I wouldnt get that one next time.
Dessert was next : I obviously tasted the Creme Brulee and it was soooooo delicious. I dont know exactly what made it so tasty and smooth and vanilla flavored but hmmmmm i would go back just for that.
Enjoyed the overall experience.
Reservations needed if you want a table and not sit at the bar like i did.
-------------------------
Glowbal grill & satay bar (1079 Mainland st)
----------------------------------------------------
This restaurant has a good selection of satays and some options to select them by the piece or selection of the chef ...
I enjoyed 2 pieces of satay : - Salmon
- Something else that i didnt really order tasted like pork
these were delicious and i would have gotten more if I only new before.
The ribs satay looked delicious too hmmm
I also got the Onion Soup which was a great selection too. Lots of cheese, good bread. (not as good as the one at FauxBourgeois)
Good wine by the glass.
As my main meal I had a big piece of steak. When I got it, I thought it was an amazingly big piece of steak which was great. It was served on a wooden cutting board which I found strange and was sitting over a couple of green beans. The steak was tender, but it wasnt as good as a plate at a Hard Rock Cafe for example.
Didnt get any dessert since the bartender didnt really offer me anything or the card ... oh well!
like the satays would go back for that but not so much for the steaks.
------------------------------------------------------
Cactus Club Cafe ( 357 Davie Street)
-------------------------------------------
There are a couple of locations in Vancouver but I went at the Davie location.
Atmosphere: I enjoyed the atmosphere here, half lounge/bar, half restaurant. It had a darker lighting, romantic, really like the photos on the walls and the structure of the restaurant also.
Service: Best service Ive had in Vancouver so far. The waitress was awesome, super friendly, always there to offer something, fast with refill from the other employees. Im really critical for service and it was a perfect one.
Menu: the menu as a great selection of every kind of meal and it is the restaurant chain of Chef Rob Feenie, so I had to take one of his creations of course :)
Started with a good red wine glass (cant remember which one)
Starter was a really generous portion of cesar salad which was delicious
Main menu: I took the Rob Feenie's Hunter Chicken which was served in a mushroom sauce. This was the most delicious and original chicken recipe Ive ever tasted. hmmmmm great :)
My dessert was a lava chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream. I can say that it didnt ruin my dinner ... great chocolate :)
favorite service, great food.
-------------------------------------------------------
Subeez Cafe (891 Homer street)
-----------------------------------------
i was disapointed overall for this place which i was told was good.
Maybe the sandwiches are good I might have to try them at some point, but ...
The red wine I got was okay.
I started with the Mushroom soup which was good.
Then I chose the Maple soy Salmon which was not great but was alright
I was sitting at the bar and the service was not so great.
not a lot to say when i dont quite enjoy ;)
---------------------------------------------------
Templeton (1087 Granville)
----------------------------------
Great brunch restaurant :)
This restaurant looks like an authentic 1950's style dinner. It is a really small place so you will have to either eat at the bar or wait a little bit in line for people to leave. There is a line up usually on Sundays so arrive early or be patient cuz it is good and youll want to wait.
They might have the best milkshake ever which is a generous portion of fabulous drink. There are a couple of different flavors but i always get strawberry ( or cherry lol i cant remember) but you can get root beer flavored milkshake. It is so big that it could potentially be a meal for some.
The breakfast are delicious and gigantic ... 3 eggs, sausages, really good bacon, good bread and potatoes! hmmmmm
The staff is also super friendly and i enjoyed them a lot.
---------------------------------------------------
Brix restaurant and wine bar (1138 Homer street)
----------------------------------------------------------
This is the first restaurant I tried since it was right by my place.
Also I decided to go there because it offered some duck from Quebec ;)
You enter the place through an alley which gets you in the garden area of the restaurant where you might be lost like i was bc you have to go through it then enter the restaurant to be seated.
I got a seat outside in the garden under a roof . This place was a great place for a romantic dinner because the atmosphere was really appropriate for such meals. The place is heated if its cold outside so no problem there, being in an alley is kinda strange but you get accustomed to it also.
The service was great. The guy who would fill my water glass was so fast and im sure he was spying on ever sip i had since he was always around. lol
I got a really good red Syrah wine glass.
I ordered a soup as the starter but it was a bean soup which wasnt liquid enough ... was rough in my throat and did not like it at all.
Fortunately the Duck breast from Lake Brome which was served in a blueberry sauce with tomato ragout, wild mushroom and spinash was a great meal.
For dessert, I didnt get anything because i was full even though now I regret not having this good looking Chocolate Pot de Creme (chocolate mousse) hmmmm oh well
i had a great time at this restaurant
---------------------------------------
Earls Restaurants (they are everywhere)
-----------------------------------------------
Everytime I go there I like it. Ive been there 3 times until now and always get a good meal.
The combo soup,salad or sandwich is the best deal and most people take that.
The earls own wine is not good i hopefully will never get that one again.
I tried the clam chowder soup and different home soups and they are always tasty and good.
For meals:
I tried the chicken caesar salad which is really big and good.
The Cajun Chicken Cheddar sandwich is good.
The salmon was alright i found with a high price i wouldnt consider it for future choices.
Never tried the dessert since i usually go at lunch
good eat at low price
---------------------------------
The list is long for japanese restaurants where i eat but cant remember the names, but the sushi is always good and really not expensive here in vancouver.
For a good poutine (30 flavors): La Belle Patate (1215 Davie)
Oh man I shouldnt have written this before i eat ... im so hungry now !!!
Here's a list of restaurants i went to so far and how much I liked them ...
(will be updated as i try new ones)
Les Faux Bourgeois Bistro (663 15th avenue east)
--------------------------------------------------------
I was told this French restaurant had the best creme brulee ever so I had to go there and taste it and I love this kind of food anyways so...
The restaurant is located in an easy to access and park your car area.
The staff was french, but I still got a good service from them ;)
Ordered a really good red wine glass of Chateau Rouselle Bordeaux 05 which was the best wine I got so far in Vancouver where good one is rare i find.
I started with the French Onion Soup which was really good with plenty of cheese and good bread. Salty just the right way too.
Then I went on with some Escargots (snails) which was served with garlic oil and some hard baked bread. it was good but would not really get them next time.
I tried the Canard Confit (Duck) has my main meal which was served with potatoes and green beans but the sauce didnt do anything for me. I wouldnt get that one next time.
Dessert was next : I obviously tasted the Creme Brulee and it was soooooo delicious. I dont know exactly what made it so tasty and smooth and vanilla flavored but hmmmmm i would go back just for that.
Enjoyed the overall experience.
Reservations needed if you want a table and not sit at the bar like i did.
-------------------------
Glowbal grill & satay bar (1079 Mainland st)
----------------------------------------------------
This restaurant has a good selection of satays and some options to select them by the piece or selection of the chef ...
I enjoyed 2 pieces of satay : - Salmon
- Something else that i didnt really order tasted like pork
these were delicious and i would have gotten more if I only new before.
The ribs satay looked delicious too hmmm
I also got the Onion Soup which was a great selection too. Lots of cheese, good bread. (not as good as the one at FauxBourgeois)
Good wine by the glass.
As my main meal I had a big piece of steak. When I got it, I thought it was an amazingly big piece of steak which was great. It was served on a wooden cutting board which I found strange and was sitting over a couple of green beans. The steak was tender, but it wasnt as good as a plate at a Hard Rock Cafe for example.
Didnt get any dessert since the bartender didnt really offer me anything or the card ... oh well!
like the satays would go back for that but not so much for the steaks.
------------------------------------------------------
Cactus Club Cafe ( 357 Davie Street)
-------------------------------------------
There are a couple of locations in Vancouver but I went at the Davie location.
Atmosphere: I enjoyed the atmosphere here, half lounge/bar, half restaurant. It had a darker lighting, romantic, really like the photos on the walls and the structure of the restaurant also.
Service: Best service Ive had in Vancouver so far. The waitress was awesome, super friendly, always there to offer something, fast with refill from the other employees. Im really critical for service and it was a perfect one.
Menu: the menu as a great selection of every kind of meal and it is the restaurant chain of Chef Rob Feenie, so I had to take one of his creations of course :)
Started with a good red wine glass (cant remember which one)
Starter was a really generous portion of cesar salad which was delicious
Main menu: I took the Rob Feenie's Hunter Chicken which was served in a mushroom sauce. This was the most delicious and original chicken recipe Ive ever tasted. hmmmmm great :)
My dessert was a lava chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream. I can say that it didnt ruin my dinner ... great chocolate :)
favorite service, great food.
-------------------------------------------------------
Subeez Cafe (891 Homer street)
-----------------------------------------
i was disapointed overall for this place which i was told was good.
Maybe the sandwiches are good I might have to try them at some point, but ...
The red wine I got was okay.
I started with the Mushroom soup which was good.
Then I chose the Maple soy Salmon which was not great but was alright
I was sitting at the bar and the service was not so great.
not a lot to say when i dont quite enjoy ;)
---------------------------------------------------
Templeton (1087 Granville)
----------------------------------
Great brunch restaurant :)
This restaurant looks like an authentic 1950's style dinner. It is a really small place so you will have to either eat at the bar or wait a little bit in line for people to leave. There is a line up usually on Sundays so arrive early or be patient cuz it is good and youll want to wait.
They might have the best milkshake ever which is a generous portion of fabulous drink. There are a couple of different flavors but i always get strawberry ( or cherry lol i cant remember) but you can get root beer flavored milkshake. It is so big that it could potentially be a meal for some.
The breakfast are delicious and gigantic ... 3 eggs, sausages, really good bacon, good bread and potatoes! hmmmmm
The staff is also super friendly and i enjoyed them a lot.
---------------------------------------------------
Brix restaurant and wine bar (1138 Homer street)
----------------------------------------------------------
This is the first restaurant I tried since it was right by my place.
Also I decided to go there because it offered some duck from Quebec ;)
You enter the place through an alley which gets you in the garden area of the restaurant where you might be lost like i was bc you have to go through it then enter the restaurant to be seated.
I got a seat outside in the garden under a roof . This place was a great place for a romantic dinner because the atmosphere was really appropriate for such meals. The place is heated if its cold outside so no problem there, being in an alley is kinda strange but you get accustomed to it also.
The service was great. The guy who would fill my water glass was so fast and im sure he was spying on ever sip i had since he was always around. lol
I got a really good red Syrah wine glass.
I ordered a soup as the starter but it was a bean soup which wasnt liquid enough ... was rough in my throat and did not like it at all.
Fortunately the Duck breast from Lake Brome which was served in a blueberry sauce with tomato ragout, wild mushroom and spinash was a great meal.
For dessert, I didnt get anything because i was full even though now I regret not having this good looking Chocolate Pot de Creme (chocolate mousse) hmmmm oh well
i had a great time at this restaurant
---------------------------------------
Earls Restaurants (they are everywhere)
-----------------------------------------------
Everytime I go there I like it. Ive been there 3 times until now and always get a good meal.
The combo soup,salad or sandwich is the best deal and most people take that.
The earls own wine is not good i hopefully will never get that one again.
I tried the clam chowder soup and different home soups and they are always tasty and good.
For meals:
I tried the chicken caesar salad which is really big and good.
The Cajun Chicken Cheddar sandwich is good.
The salmon was alright i found with a high price i wouldnt consider it for future choices.
Never tried the dessert since i usually go at lunch
good eat at low price
---------------------------------
The list is long for japanese restaurants where i eat but cant remember the names, but the sushi is always good and really not expensive here in vancouver.
For a good poutine (30 flavors): La Belle Patate (1215 Davie)
Oh man I shouldnt have written this before i eat ... im so hungry now !!!
dimanche 18 avril 2010
Music Shows
Ive seen a couple of shows since im in Vancouver, ill discuss a little each of them :)
***Update***
Japandroids with No Gold @ Lifetime Collective
---------------------------------------------------------
Lifetime Collective is the smallest venue Ive ever been to. It looks like a small warehouse or really small lounge.
I didnt know much about Japandroids(heard a couple of samples of some songs before) and nothing about No Gold.
Show started an hour after it was supposed to so it was really a long wait and I was getting sleepy. Then No Gold started and i found out a really interesting band: funny, changing rythmn, easy listening, good beats and really friendly musicians.
Then came on Japandroids... first time since im in vancouver that i actually see Vancouver people actually move during a show and when they move they move! it was a non-stop trash and mosh pit pretty much everywhere in that small venue. Incredible i would say ;)
It was a lot heavier than I expected. I danced around to the music with people I just met and I had a blast. They played a pretty long show playing all songs on their new album + old ones.
Anyways i enjoyed the evening once it started and now have another band to follow around.
Plus i met a bunch of really fun people who I talked to during the evening :)
-------------------
Stars with Hey Rosetta! @ Orpheum
---------------------------------------
The Orpheum is the most beautiful music theater ive ever been to. Covered in gold, paintings on ceilings, greek columns, marbre all over the place... its like a palace for music kings.
Usually the place is used by orchestra, but that day was Stars and Hey Rosetta! playing.
Unfortunately I was sitting down on the balcony level and it seems that those who build the theater made it beautiful and all but not so practical since the inclination of the balcony levels is not high enough for everyone to see correctly so you had to stand up to actually see the scene down there because when there was someone sitting in front you could see much.
Hey Rosetta! was a really impressive band they only played approx 20min but that time was worth it to me and people next to me also. They were entertaining and the sound was good thanks to the acoustic of the place.
I didnt know much about Stars, but they revealed to be a good listening even though I wouldnt bother to buy an album. It's calm and relaxing to listen to.
Korn @ Queen Elizabeth Theater
-------------------------------------
Old Songs, Old Singles! :)
I wasnt expecting much from Korn since I hadnt listened to them in 10 years and last saw them during their Family Tour back in Montreal a while ago.
They ended up pleasing everyone including me by playing all the best singles and songs from earlier albums. Changing the background to the album covers of their next songs made people happy about what was going to happen next. People were dancing to the songs, standing up and having a good time to those old songs and bringing back great memories of the past.
Interesting fact about the singer: Jonathan would inhale Oxygen through a mask after each song and a sip of energy drink
great show!
Metric with Nico Vega@ Showbox Sodo (Seattle)
---------------------------------------------------------
Nico Vega: Big Surprise and so much energy from the singer. she was jumping all over. Also, they have great songs live!
Metric: Energetic! Crazy! Fun!
what can i say about metric really ... Emily is just a fantastic front(wo)man with a great voice, a superb aptitude to captivate the crowd and bring it to her world. She is playing keyboard, singing, jumping, dancing and talking to the fans. All the songs they played were good and dancing prone and the fans were dancing to the beats and having a great time.
I saw metric in montreal at the beginning of their tour and it was not has energetic as the Seattle show... maybe the enthousiastic fans made a difference, maybe Emily felt more in shape,... i dont know what happened but it was definitely worth the travel to Seattle. Go Metric Go! Hope they continue improving and creating music that more people can enjoy.
Crystal Castle @ Gossip Nightclub
-----------------------------------------
Noise, Crazy people, Crazy singer
I love Crystal Castles albums. I cant say I like all their songs since the songs are so different and some are more noises than beats, but during a show it becomes all noises ... maybe the acoustics of the club wasnt great or soundcheck was not done properly but ...
I enjoyed it but couldnt say it was one of the best experience at a concert ;)
You Say Party We Say Die @ Rickshaw Theater
---------------------------------------------------------
Great Band, Dancing, shortened, ironic ...
After 3 opening bands, YSPWSD came on stage and the party started!
The Rickshaw located in the dodgy area of Vancouver is a small venue with some character.
There wasnt a lot of people at the show, but this doesnt mean its not a good band ... people should listen to this great band. So they started playing and it was fun. I was really into it, until the ironic event happened during the 5th song of the show ... so while we were partying, the drummer collapsed on the ground without anybody noticing it even the band continued playing until the sound guy ran to the stage to rescue the poor drummer who was knocked out.
The show stopped, the drummer wasnt moving for 15 minutes until the ambulance arrived.
They announced that people should leave and so I did. Its sad that it happened ... just read that the drummer had a brain hemorrhage and is now on life support with poor prognostic ... :(
got the news that he died after a surgery that did not help after all.
Jonsi @ Vogue
--------------------
Genius, Relaxing, Moving, Energy, Incredible Visuals, Outstanding Performance
This could be words used to describe this fabulous singer, musician and his music.
It could be described as Sigur Ros++ since Jonsi (singer from Sigur Ros) created here the same quality we would wish for from a Sigur Ros album, but he adds energy and beats uncommon to his other band. Also, the presentation of the concert added so much to the musical performance with animated videos projected on many different screens and each screen showed a piece of the puzzle to this great story he was telling us. Burned stage, animal life, rainy night, art pieces created in front of the audience.
The band playing with so many unusual instruments such as a suitcase used as a bass drum, playing guitar with violin bow, etc...
The songs really take a different twist live and they are all playing diffently than on the album and it propagates emotions to the crowd.
One of the best shows Ive ever been to ... I even wanted to go back the day after, but word of mouth had to happen and the next show became sold out really fast!
To be enjoyed absolutely!
Charlotte Gainsbourg @ Vogue
--------------------------------------
Good songs from her albums, great songs from her father, most boring performance ever
I didnt know what to expect going to a Charlotte Gainsbourg show... she's an actress I figured she could act and create a great performance, but that did not happened. Charlotte seemed like someone who was really shy, unsure of herself and unable to move an inch through her performace except during a song taken from her dad's catalog and in the encore.
Holding the microphone in one hand, other hand in her pocket, looking at the floor in front of her and not the crowd... this was a receipe for disaster and it was! More insulting was the fact that at some point she got a chair and actually sat down ... really and did this is at a moment when I thought it couldnt be more dull :(
Fortunately, her main guitarist Nicole was moving, seemed to have some fun and tried to entertain the crowd a little bit. Great band though behind her and great songs from Air and Beck who wrote her albums.
Just an unfortunate spending.
Soon:
LCD Soundsystem @ Malkin Bowl
Melvins @ Rickshaw
Our Lady Peace (Clumsy Set) @ Vogue
***Update***
Japandroids with No Gold @ Lifetime Collective
---------------------------------------------------------
Lifetime Collective is the smallest venue Ive ever been to. It looks like a small warehouse or really small lounge.
I didnt know much about Japandroids(heard a couple of samples of some songs before) and nothing about No Gold.
Show started an hour after it was supposed to so it was really a long wait and I was getting sleepy. Then No Gold started and i found out a really interesting band: funny, changing rythmn, easy listening, good beats and really friendly musicians.
Then came on Japandroids... first time since im in vancouver that i actually see Vancouver people actually move during a show and when they move they move! it was a non-stop trash and mosh pit pretty much everywhere in that small venue. Incredible i would say ;)
It was a lot heavier than I expected. I danced around to the music with people I just met and I had a blast. They played a pretty long show playing all songs on their new album + old ones.
Anyways i enjoyed the evening once it started and now have another band to follow around.
Plus i met a bunch of really fun people who I talked to during the evening :)
-------------------
Stars with Hey Rosetta! @ Orpheum
---------------------------------------
The Orpheum is the most beautiful music theater ive ever been to. Covered in gold, paintings on ceilings, greek columns, marbre all over the place... its like a palace for music kings.
Usually the place is used by orchestra, but that day was Stars and Hey Rosetta! playing.
Unfortunately I was sitting down on the balcony level and it seems that those who build the theater made it beautiful and all but not so practical since the inclination of the balcony levels is not high enough for everyone to see correctly so you had to stand up to actually see the scene down there because when there was someone sitting in front you could see much.
Hey Rosetta! was a really impressive band they only played approx 20min but that time was worth it to me and people next to me also. They were entertaining and the sound was good thanks to the acoustic of the place.
I didnt know much about Stars, but they revealed to be a good listening even though I wouldnt bother to buy an album. It's calm and relaxing to listen to.
Korn @ Queen Elizabeth Theater
-------------------------------------
Old Songs, Old Singles! :)
I wasnt expecting much from Korn since I hadnt listened to them in 10 years and last saw them during their Family Tour back in Montreal a while ago.
They ended up pleasing everyone including me by playing all the best singles and songs from earlier albums. Changing the background to the album covers of their next songs made people happy about what was going to happen next. People were dancing to the songs, standing up and having a good time to those old songs and bringing back great memories of the past.
Interesting fact about the singer: Jonathan would inhale Oxygen through a mask after each song and a sip of energy drink
great show!
Metric with Nico Vega@ Showbox Sodo (Seattle)
---------------------------------------------------------
Nico Vega: Big Surprise and so much energy from the singer. she was jumping all over. Also, they have great songs live!
Metric: Energetic! Crazy! Fun!
what can i say about metric really ... Emily is just a fantastic front(wo)man with a great voice, a superb aptitude to captivate the crowd and bring it to her world. She is playing keyboard, singing, jumping, dancing and talking to the fans. All the songs they played were good and dancing prone and the fans were dancing to the beats and having a great time.
I saw metric in montreal at the beginning of their tour and it was not has energetic as the Seattle show... maybe the enthousiastic fans made a difference, maybe Emily felt more in shape,... i dont know what happened but it was definitely worth the travel to Seattle. Go Metric Go! Hope they continue improving and creating music that more people can enjoy.
Crystal Castle @ Gossip Nightclub
-----------------------------------------
Noise, Crazy people, Crazy singer
I love Crystal Castles albums. I cant say I like all their songs since the songs are so different and some are more noises than beats, but during a show it becomes all noises ... maybe the acoustics of the club wasnt great or soundcheck was not done properly but ...
I enjoyed it but couldnt say it was one of the best experience at a concert ;)
You Say Party We Say Die @ Rickshaw Theater
---------------------------------------------------------
Great Band, Dancing, shortened, ironic ...
After 3 opening bands, YSPWSD came on stage and the party started!
The Rickshaw located in the dodgy area of Vancouver is a small venue with some character.
There wasnt a lot of people at the show, but this doesnt mean its not a good band ... people should listen to this great band. So they started playing and it was fun. I was really into it, until the ironic event happened during the 5th song of the show ... so while we were partying, the drummer collapsed on the ground without anybody noticing it even the band continued playing until the sound guy ran to the stage to rescue the poor drummer who was knocked out.
The show stopped, the drummer wasnt moving for 15 minutes until the ambulance arrived.
They announced that people should leave and so I did. Its sad that it happened ... just read that the drummer had a brain hemorrhage and is now on life support with poor prognostic ... :(
got the news that he died after a surgery that did not help after all.
Jonsi @ Vogue
--------------------
Genius, Relaxing, Moving, Energy, Incredible Visuals, Outstanding Performance
This could be words used to describe this fabulous singer, musician and his music.
It could be described as Sigur Ros++ since Jonsi (singer from Sigur Ros) created here the same quality we would wish for from a Sigur Ros album, but he adds energy and beats uncommon to his other band. Also, the presentation of the concert added so much to the musical performance with animated videos projected on many different screens and each screen showed a piece of the puzzle to this great story he was telling us. Burned stage, animal life, rainy night, art pieces created in front of the audience.
The band playing with so many unusual instruments such as a suitcase used as a bass drum, playing guitar with violin bow, etc...
The songs really take a different twist live and they are all playing diffently than on the album and it propagates emotions to the crowd.
One of the best shows Ive ever been to ... I even wanted to go back the day after, but word of mouth had to happen and the next show became sold out really fast!
To be enjoyed absolutely!
Charlotte Gainsbourg @ Vogue
--------------------------------------
Good songs from her albums, great songs from her father, most boring performance ever
I didnt know what to expect going to a Charlotte Gainsbourg show... she's an actress I figured she could act and create a great performance, but that did not happened. Charlotte seemed like someone who was really shy, unsure of herself and unable to move an inch through her performace except during a song taken from her dad's catalog and in the encore.
Holding the microphone in one hand, other hand in her pocket, looking at the floor in front of her and not the crowd... this was a receipe for disaster and it was! More insulting was the fact that at some point she got a chair and actually sat down ... really and did this is at a moment when I thought it couldnt be more dull :(
Fortunately, her main guitarist Nicole was moving, seemed to have some fun and tried to entertain the crowd a little bit. Great band though behind her and great songs from Air and Beck who wrote her albums.
Just an unfortunate spending.
Soon:
LCD Soundsystem @ Malkin Bowl
Melvins @ Rickshaw
Our Lady Peace (Clumsy Set) @ Vogue
samedi 17 avril 2010
Great artist with stories
Im currently working with Sean and found out that he was doing great drawings and telling everyday stories through them.
look at his blog its interesting to me anyways :
http://seankaremaker.blogspot.com/
look at his blog its interesting to me anyways :
http://seankaremaker.blogspot.com/
hello Vancouver
Ive been visiting Vancouver for 3 months now (already!) and here's what i think of it as of now.
So far I've visited most of downtown area, a little bit of Burnaby, Granville Island, Squamish and drove through a portion of south west Vancouver.
Downtown
--------------
I live in downtown Vancouver and i love it! (Yaletown)
This is certainly the most fun area if you are into music shows, bars, shopping, nightclubs and good restaurants, but its also really loud on weekend through the early hours of the night.
Ive been walking a lot trying to visit and see as much as possible.
Granville street and Robson are the streets with the most activities and traffic at night since a lot of people are going out at night even on Sundays so everyday is a day where you can go out and have some fun! The hardest part of it all would be to select the bar/nightclub that you will like... which will not be a trivial task. So many of them right next to each other doesnt help a lot, maybe you can look at people going in and you'll figure it out...
Vancouver Art Gallery
-----------------------
Here you can find the Leonardo Da Vinci human body drawings covering all possible muscles, bones and their reason to be there. This is an incredible exposition since it shows how clever Da Vinci was at that moment in history where the only information about the human body was found by actually doing dissections on dead body at night. Moreover, you will be amazed at how much detail he could draw using ink that you couldnt erase ... so its a one time think... dont screw up otherwise you start all over and with all those details im sure he wouldnt want that.
Really interesting to see.
Stanley Park
--------------
Stanley Park on a sunny day is one of the best things about Vancouver ... enjoy a day biking, hiking, getting a tan at one of the beaches and going to the Aquarium. The park has those huge trees that you can only find in Pacific Northwest area. The waterwall is a great place to bike around the park next to the water, beaches and mountains. On the beaches you will have great views of the water(obviously), boats and the best part of it all the high mountains with snow on the top while you get a tan in the hot sun. On the beaches you will find big tree logs that you can use to sit on or relax leaning on them. Each beach has a variety to it some with volleyball nets, kids games or restaurants.
Aquarium
-----------
The Aquarium is a must see visit because it has some of the weirdest fishes, reptiles, and animals that live in the area and tropical settings. You will get to see astonishing black and white Dolphins that were rescued after being trapped and injured in nets. You can listen to some trainers who will talk about those dolphins and entertain the crowd playing with the dolphins who do great tricks. Those dolphins cant be released in the wild since they would not survive with those injuries they have so they are taken care of here and used as research to help understand more about them.
Also, you will be able to see a family of Belugas who seem to be enjoying their pool swimming around, playing with each other. You'll be able to learn more about them as well.
Throughout the aquarium you will see things you never saw before and maybe touch a see star ... its a great place to go. I enjoyed it for a couple of hours before leaving for third beach.
Going there on a sunny day is a better option since you will be spending a lot of time outside.
Gastown (Chinatown)
---------------------
I visited Gastown/Chinatown the other day and it was a stressful time I found.
Why? Because this area includes the infamous approved drugged/poverty district of vancouver... pretty much a dodgy area i would say... it doesnt feel safe at all with fights occuring, drug dealing and other such activities.
I walked around avoided certain areas as much as possible, the best thing to visit is the free garden but not really worth the walk i found.
Walked there at night yesterday to get to a music venue that was located in the middle of that dodgy area... I survived but ...
Granville Island
-------------------
I went to Granville Island during the Olympics so obviously there was a lot of people there. Next time I go might be a really different experience, but I found a great micro-brewery, good fish & chips, good restaurants and a good art institute (Emilie Carr). Nice to visit and you can get there by boat-taxi which is a faster and cheaper way to get there.
Kits beach area
------------
Kitsilano beach area has a lot to offer from the beach itself with volleyball nets laying around, the huge pool, restaurants, Space Museum, Vancouver museums.
It was really windy when I went so it was so great, but the view was really nice with those nearby snow covered mountains and the bike trails is used by a lot of people and you can pretty much go anywhere using it.
SouthEast-ish Vancouver/UBC area
------------------------------------
The area around British Columbia University is the next best thing after the downtown area Ive visited so far. The area feels like a calm suburb with really great looking houses and grass around! This could potentially be a great place for families since it looks good and safer than some areas in gastown... The University with its museum, soccer fields, japanese garden and great architecture needs to be visited. I need to do it too ;)
Burnaby
----------
I travelled to Burnaby twice. The first time to go see the Vancouver Whitecaps playing the Seattle Sounders at the Vancouver stadium. It was a boring game ending in a 0-0 draw, but still got to see some soccer action with an MLS team. The way to Burnaby is not so beautiful and you really know when you leave downtown Vancouver heading east to go to Burnaby since everything looks older and poorer which looks a lot like Hollywood Blvd in L.A.
Today I went to 2 soccer shops outside Vancouver: The soccer shop, which had great selection, but the staff was really not friendly so it was not a great place to go. Then I found in Burnaby on Eastings Saveco Sports which is smaller, feels more like a family shop and the owner was really friendly and we had a talk about Holland and having a hard time selling those shirts. is it that holland fans dont buy merchandise or they keep their old jerseys and never change them ?
Squamish
------------
I went to Squamish to visit but mostly to do some marketing research not so long ago.
Squamish is the Outdoor activities capital of Canada where you can pretty much do any outdoor sports you want in a great natural setting. The mountain called the Chief is one of the highlight of the area where you can do some hiking, moutain climbing, jump off the cliff, skiing (?). In the area, you can bike, kayak, kite surfing, skating and any other outdoor activity you can think of. People we met there were really interesting and friendly. You can get all the gear you desire in the area with great local shops to really get the info you deserve to know about everything.
Worst place I went to was the Activity Information Center where we were really poorly received (thats the least i could say) and left almost as fast as we arrived eheh.
well this is it for the places i visited so far ...
So far I've visited most of downtown area, a little bit of Burnaby, Granville Island, Squamish and drove through a portion of south west Vancouver.
Downtown
--------------
I live in downtown Vancouver and i love it! (Yaletown)
This is certainly the most fun area if you are into music shows, bars, shopping, nightclubs and good restaurants, but its also really loud on weekend through the early hours of the night.
Ive been walking a lot trying to visit and see as much as possible.
Granville street and Robson are the streets with the most activities and traffic at night since a lot of people are going out at night even on Sundays so everyday is a day where you can go out and have some fun! The hardest part of it all would be to select the bar/nightclub that you will like... which will not be a trivial task. So many of them right next to each other doesnt help a lot, maybe you can look at people going in and you'll figure it out...
Vancouver Art Gallery
-----------------------
Here you can find the Leonardo Da Vinci human body drawings covering all possible muscles, bones and their reason to be there. This is an incredible exposition since it shows how clever Da Vinci was at that moment in history where the only information about the human body was found by actually doing dissections on dead body at night. Moreover, you will be amazed at how much detail he could draw using ink that you couldnt erase ... so its a one time think... dont screw up otherwise you start all over and with all those details im sure he wouldnt want that.
Really interesting to see.
Stanley Park
--------------
Stanley Park on a sunny day is one of the best things about Vancouver ... enjoy a day biking, hiking, getting a tan at one of the beaches and going to the Aquarium. The park has those huge trees that you can only find in Pacific Northwest area. The waterwall is a great place to bike around the park next to the water, beaches and mountains. On the beaches you will have great views of the water(obviously), boats and the best part of it all the high mountains with snow on the top while you get a tan in the hot sun. On the beaches you will find big tree logs that you can use to sit on or relax leaning on them. Each beach has a variety to it some with volleyball nets, kids games or restaurants.
Aquarium
-----------
The Aquarium is a must see visit because it has some of the weirdest fishes, reptiles, and animals that live in the area and tropical settings. You will get to see astonishing black and white Dolphins that were rescued after being trapped and injured in nets. You can listen to some trainers who will talk about those dolphins and entertain the crowd playing with the dolphins who do great tricks. Those dolphins cant be released in the wild since they would not survive with those injuries they have so they are taken care of here and used as research to help understand more about them.
Also, you will be able to see a family of Belugas who seem to be enjoying their pool swimming around, playing with each other. You'll be able to learn more about them as well.
Throughout the aquarium you will see things you never saw before and maybe touch a see star ... its a great place to go. I enjoyed it for a couple of hours before leaving for third beach.
Going there on a sunny day is a better option since you will be spending a lot of time outside.
Gastown (Chinatown)
---------------------
I visited Gastown/Chinatown the other day and it was a stressful time I found.
Why? Because this area includes the infamous approved drugged/poverty district of vancouver... pretty much a dodgy area i would say... it doesnt feel safe at all with fights occuring, drug dealing and other such activities.
I walked around avoided certain areas as much as possible, the best thing to visit is the free garden but not really worth the walk i found.
Walked there at night yesterday to get to a music venue that was located in the middle of that dodgy area... I survived but ...
Granville Island
-------------------
I went to Granville Island during the Olympics so obviously there was a lot of people there. Next time I go might be a really different experience, but I found a great micro-brewery, good fish & chips, good restaurants and a good art institute (Emilie Carr). Nice to visit and you can get there by boat-taxi which is a faster and cheaper way to get there.
Kits beach area
------------
Kitsilano beach area has a lot to offer from the beach itself with volleyball nets laying around, the huge pool, restaurants, Space Museum, Vancouver museums.
It was really windy when I went so it was so great, but the view was really nice with those nearby snow covered mountains and the bike trails is used by a lot of people and you can pretty much go anywhere using it.
SouthEast-ish Vancouver/UBC area
------------------------------------
The area around British Columbia University is the next best thing after the downtown area Ive visited so far. The area feels like a calm suburb with really great looking houses and grass around! This could potentially be a great place for families since it looks good and safer than some areas in gastown... The University with its museum, soccer fields, japanese garden and great architecture needs to be visited. I need to do it too ;)
Burnaby
----------
I travelled to Burnaby twice. The first time to go see the Vancouver Whitecaps playing the Seattle Sounders at the Vancouver stadium. It was a boring game ending in a 0-0 draw, but still got to see some soccer action with an MLS team. The way to Burnaby is not so beautiful and you really know when you leave downtown Vancouver heading east to go to Burnaby since everything looks older and poorer which looks a lot like Hollywood Blvd in L.A.
Today I went to 2 soccer shops outside Vancouver: The soccer shop, which had great selection, but the staff was really not friendly so it was not a great place to go. Then I found in Burnaby on Eastings Saveco Sports which is smaller, feels more like a family shop and the owner was really friendly and we had a talk about Holland and having a hard time selling those shirts. is it that holland fans dont buy merchandise or they keep their old jerseys and never change them ?
Squamish
------------
I went to Squamish to visit but mostly to do some marketing research not so long ago.
Squamish is the Outdoor activities capital of Canada where you can pretty much do any outdoor sports you want in a great natural setting. The mountain called the Chief is one of the highlight of the area where you can do some hiking, moutain climbing, jump off the cliff, skiing (?). In the area, you can bike, kayak, kite surfing, skating and any other outdoor activity you can think of. People we met there were really interesting and friendly. You can get all the gear you desire in the area with great local shops to really get the info you deserve to know about everything.
Worst place I went to was the Activity Information Center where we were really poorly received (thats the least i could say) and left almost as fast as we arrived eheh.
well this is it for the places i visited so far ...
dimanche 14 février 2010
Ubi Vancouver, trip through Canada, Olympics
So I finished working on Splinter Cell a couple of weeks ago. Its finally coming out and will be great!
-----------------------------------
I decided to go start another project which is located in Vancouver working for Ubisoft there at the old Action Pants Studios.
To get there I decided to cross Canada by car all alone during Winter ... which is a long trip and when I arrived they considered me crazy to have done so since usually during winter you can get pretty big storms in the prairies but this year it was actually calm.
so anyways, the trip took me 5 days (10-11 hours drive per day plus stops to eat at lunch) through a multitude of vary different landscapes. In Ontario, I had to go through a lot of small villages on the main road and there was a lot of circular paths and a lot of trees around. It was a good two days of travel just for Ontario and I thought that that was boring ... until I got to the prairies (manitoba and Saskatchewan)
prairies: a flat land colored in white powder + some foggy sections that I couldnt see anymore further than 100 meters ... which is getting things worst since usually its pretty boring but now i couldnt see anything! funny thing is that they made the speed limits at 110 km/h so we can get out faster of these provinces ;)
so nothing really interesting here, i went around winnipeg which was the only big cities worth it on my path in Manitoba; to keep going fast .
Then on the 4th day ... Alberta!!!! I was happy to get in this province since it means mountain coming soon... then I got to Calgary which is a big city and host of the other Canadian winter olympics. I stopped to see the installations of the old olympic park where they had the bobsley and luge competition ... a lot of people were there skiing around etc ... This was the first mountain before the Rockies!!
Rockies: and then after slowly exiting Calgary I could see then mountains in the distance and i was soooo happy to see them after 4 days of flat land this was awesome. Got a couple of pictures on the way there and while driving through the mountains. I stopped at Banff and Lake Louise to visit (this was my first real stop since the beginning of the roadtrip).
Banff: this village looks incredible, i love how the houses are made (wooden stuctures), right over them you see the biggest mountain ever (well for canada). its an amazing view... i would stay here for a while too bad i dont ski or snow.
lake louise: after that i stopped at lake louise where a lot of competitions took place back at the olympics, at this time of year the lake is frozen and people were playing hockey on the ice, but this area must be incredible in spring time when the lake is clear blue and mountains are covered in snow all around wow! i had a good time here also, village is not as great as Banff though.
then i stopped to sleep in Golden right in front of the mountains was my room awwwwww :)
the fifth day i arrived in Vancouver and here i am before the olympics for a couple of months!
-------------------------
Olympics
----------
they have just started and the city is being overrun by tourists (ok im a tourist at this point).
there are so many free events to see and participate in which includes music shows all over the place from the best Quebec's singers/groups to all different groups of canada ;) Places where people can watch the games together have been assembled around the different Pavillion and they offer so many screens to look at which is great. Go Canada!
i am going to a olympic hockey game soon. ive been walking around in downtown district where most events occur (and where i live) and people are excited in the streets ... even protesters are excited to cause some damage to some property but anyways ...
so ill be working on this new project and trying to be over excited by all that is happening around in the city until after work hours ;)
-----------------------------------
I decided to go start another project which is located in Vancouver working for Ubisoft there at the old Action Pants Studios.
To get there I decided to cross Canada by car all alone during Winter ... which is a long trip and when I arrived they considered me crazy to have done so since usually during winter you can get pretty big storms in the prairies but this year it was actually calm.
so anyways, the trip took me 5 days (10-11 hours drive per day plus stops to eat at lunch) through a multitude of vary different landscapes. In Ontario, I had to go through a lot of small villages on the main road and there was a lot of circular paths and a lot of trees around. It was a good two days of travel just for Ontario and I thought that that was boring ... until I got to the prairies (manitoba and Saskatchewan)
prairies: a flat land colored in white powder + some foggy sections that I couldnt see anymore further than 100 meters ... which is getting things worst since usually its pretty boring but now i couldnt see anything! funny thing is that they made the speed limits at 110 km/h so we can get out faster of these provinces ;)
so nothing really interesting here, i went around winnipeg which was the only big cities worth it on my path in Manitoba; to keep going fast .
Then on the 4th day ... Alberta!!!! I was happy to get in this province since it means mountain coming soon... then I got to Calgary which is a big city and host of the other Canadian winter olympics. I stopped to see the installations of the old olympic park where they had the bobsley and luge competition ... a lot of people were there skiing around etc ... This was the first mountain before the Rockies!!
Rockies: and then after slowly exiting Calgary I could see then mountains in the distance and i was soooo happy to see them after 4 days of flat land this was awesome. Got a couple of pictures on the way there and while driving through the mountains. I stopped at Banff and Lake Louise to visit (this was my first real stop since the beginning of the roadtrip).
Banff: this village looks incredible, i love how the houses are made (wooden stuctures), right over them you see the biggest mountain ever (well for canada). its an amazing view... i would stay here for a while too bad i dont ski or snow.
lake louise: after that i stopped at lake louise where a lot of competitions took place back at the olympics, at this time of year the lake is frozen and people were playing hockey on the ice, but this area must be incredible in spring time when the lake is clear blue and mountains are covered in snow all around wow! i had a good time here also, village is not as great as Banff though.
then i stopped to sleep in Golden right in front of the mountains was my room awwwwww :)
the fifth day i arrived in Vancouver and here i am before the olympics for a couple of months!
-------------------------
Olympics
----------
they have just started and the city is being overrun by tourists (ok im a tourist at this point).
there are so many free events to see and participate in which includes music shows all over the place from the best Quebec's singers/groups to all different groups of canada ;) Places where people can watch the games together have been assembled around the different Pavillion and they offer so many screens to look at which is great. Go Canada!
i am going to a olympic hockey game soon. ive been walking around in downtown district where most events occur (and where i live) and people are excited in the streets ... even protesters are excited to cause some damage to some property but anyways ...
so ill be working on this new project and trying to be over excited by all that is happening around in the city until after work hours ;)
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