Farewell to the flame...Vancouver the Host, and the Hostess is Home.

Sunday we stopped by to view the Olympic flame before it was extinguished.

We did park the Volvo here...no signs of any traffic wardens so we took our cameras and ran!

The Olympic party is over now and Vancouver is ready for more visitors.

Hotels are plentiful and affordable, there is something for everyone's budget....the YMCA rents rooms!

City of great scenery, fresh air, fabulous places to dine, shopping and the arts.

Coffee shops and cafes pepper the streets.

The Art Gallery on Robson is conveniently located downtown and they have great displays and a gift shop. Their cafeteria is surprisingly good too.

These scenes are in the vicinity of the new Vancouver Convention Centre.

The area is located at the waterfront and is very picturesque.

There were clouds in the sky and the threat of rain when we were walking around. On a sunny day the views to the north shore are spectacular.

Vancouver is a very green city, set amid snow capped mountains beside the Pacific Ocean. People have commented that it is very like Hong Kong in it's setting.

Vancouver has lots to offer the tourist.

Downtown is accessable by foot, there are trolleys that tour and cabs are easy to hail.

In the centre of this image the floating barge with the Olympic rings is visible.
The rings were lit in the traditional Olympic colours, and when Canada won a medal they would be  GOLD!

My favorite things to do are walk and shop Robson Street, South Granville, Granville Island, Holt Renfrew, Hermes, Tiffany's and Meinharts.

Sitting at Starbucks on Robson, or any outdoor cafe is a wonderful place to people watch...it is fashion on parade.

Places I like to explore;

Stanley Park

Kitsilano

Kerrisdale

Dunderave

Shaughnessy

UBC Endownment Lands

Restaurants on my fave list;

Vij's

Cioppino's

Cin Cin

Dunderave Fish Market

I am planning to be a tourist in my own hometown for a while and reconnect with our local merchants and explore our beautiful parks. 

I'll be cooking at home more, "the party" is over for awhile here in the Humble Bungalow and it's back to reality for the Hostess.

Routine and work are what I need for now, and that's a "Good Thing" as Martha Stewart would say, because it is what is on my agenda for the foreseeable future!

..and the winner is...

The giveaway day is here!
I need to catch up on domestics as I have been away so my post today is short and to the point...plus I am off to the dentist.

I put all the entries into the Tiffany's bag and I have shaken the bag and the winner is...

Thank you for participating.

There will be more giveaways here at the Humble Bungalow, stay tuned.

Materfamilias Congratulations!

Please email me your address and I will pop the scarf in the post asap!

Bangles, bridges, birds, baby boutiques and boulevards....

Good afternoon! We are back at the hotel for a wee break before going for a quick bite before the hockey game. Lovely DIL is positively radiant, she looks so amazing, I feel very protective, son is in fine form too, getting into the tech part of things like baby monitors, car seats, carriages...how they work. He's done his research, they both have, it what the kids do these days, it's all out there on the net.

I feel so blessed...I have a lump in my throat just typing this...tears well up.
I am so grateful for so many things, family is huge for me.

Time to sip a beverage and peruse some blogs, read some comments!

9 sterling bangles

First bangle closest right is a Tiffany, I've had it for eons...3rd one is the new one. I have another picture which is clearer.

New Tiffany is on the top, second down older Tiffany, rest are vintage.

On the way over the bridge to the north shore.

Heading to our fave fish restaurant for lunch...

Seagull on the 11th floor awaiting a snack...lucky fellow had some granola!

Baby boutiques from east to west, to north. (south tomorrow)...covered a lot of territory, saw some pretty cute stuff....it's like "Mothercare gone Sweden" In my days of baby and parenting we had little to choose from so I ordered a lot from the Mothercare catalog, I hand knit all kinds of things and ordered Osh Gosh B'Gosh.

Today they have chic baby garments and fashionable furnishings!

Mr. HB did a mammoth job driving and navigating...we are not used to the volume of traffic but he knows his way around like the back of his hand.

The CD player got a work out...Leslie Feist, Kate Nash to name a couple.

Must be off...cheers for now,

Hostess

Saturday morning, the sun is shining!

We spent most of yesterday downtown walking in the sunshine.

Lots of great window shopping and that promised Christmas bangle from Mr. HB...

I am now wearing the sterling bangle TC&CO...1837.

I wear stackable bangles, 2 now are Tiffany and the rest are vintage finds, and one a gift from mother, who also wears stackable silver bangles on occasion.

Lovely to look at Tiffany's have an interesting blend of traditional and arty jewelry.

Mr. HB also needed more of his scent, which is really more for me...as I love it! 

Free samples from the clerk too for me to try.

BTW, lots of leather bags in store and two women test driving the Kelly and another the Birkin...lovely DIL and I were trying to guess what the sticker prices were after we left the store...one woman was toting the traditional Hermes orange. Oh and you should have seen the packaging!

                                                            View from our hotel...

We are off to explore the baby and maternity shops.

I have a list...and the family are ready.

Must go....bye for now!

On the road again...

....we are on the road again...packing up the Volvo....taking lovely DIL and son away for a weekend and checking out baby gear and maternity shops... a hockey game...brunch with friends and a stop at IKEA....
I'll be home for the giveaway draw....take care and talk to you soon!