Feet and Forks take on Vancouver

Last week, the Feet and Forks walked and ate our way through Vancouver, B.C., for four days of fun! It was my first time there, and I loved it.

What struck me first was the concentration of sleek, high-rise apartment buildings surrounded by greenways. Vancouver is the fourth most densely populated city in North America, after New York, San Francisco and Mexico City. There are more than 5,400 people per square kilometer in Vancouver.

Historic houses are protected among high rises.

The buildings are a nice mix of old and new, with a preponderance of nautical-inspired buildings with architectural elements hinting at ships and ocean waves.

City planning has encouraged the growth of high rises over urban sprawl, and it's evident as soon as you arrive.

After the architecture, the next thing that struck me was the incorporation of greenways into the city. We walked for miles along pathways bordered by trees, gardens and grass. Separate paths were designated for bicycles, making walking easier and safer.

On our first full day there we walked almost seven hours to, through and back from Stanley Park. It's one of the largest urban parks in North America, with 1,001 acres.

View from the restaurant in Stanley Park.

Another prominent feature is the water. Vancouver is a coastal seaport, and everywhere you look are ships, seaplanes, water taxis, kayaks and other watercraft. After our second day of walking (estimated at 10 miles), we took a cute little water taxi back to the center of town.

View from inside the water taxi.

View of Granville Island Public Market.

Sign on Granville Island.

What about the food? Yes, we ate ... and ate and ate. We got great deals on happy hour appetizers and we found a plethora of bakeries. The 24-hour bakery Breka was my favorite. I wish it was here in Gig Harbor because I'd be there now!

I'm still dreaming of Breka's raspberry jelly doughnuts.

Cold drinks tasted great after hours of walking.

Granville Island Public Market overflowed with fresh food!

And last but not least, Vancouver has a shrine to two of my favorite musicians -- Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley. It doesn't open until June, so I could only pose outside. I'll be back.

Have a colorful day