Monday: Beach Walk

Monday was supposed to be wet so I began the day doing housecleaning in earnest. I now have air purifiers in two rooms in my tiny one-bedroom apartment and I work with one on my desk blowing filtered air at my face. The obsessive housecleaning is part of my compromise of being an asthmatic, having a cat and living downtown—the worst part being living downtown. One of the worst things for my asthma is the downtown air. It is full of rubber particles shed by the tires of moving vehicles; my most severe asthma attacks occurred by open windows.

But suddenly around noon—glorious, radiant sunshine! I jumped on the bus to UBC and went to Nitobe Classical Japanese Garden and then walked home with the warm sun on my back. I walked by the sea, far from the roads along a walk I have walked many, many times so few pictures today.

 These little bits of yellow lichen were lovely like a decorated tree.

I am loving windows I see in town that remind me of France.

I don't know what this is, but the blue berries are beautiful. Thanks to Theresa, I now know that this is Oregon Grape.

Sunday Night: Tarte aux Pommes

My ex ignited my love of cooking; my friend Bunny is my mentor.

I am not a baker, but for Bunny's next visit I have been practicing making apple pastries (as per a previous post). All this started because of a photo I saw on a blog of an apple tart with a rose on it—the rose being made of apple slices. I even bought a mandolin to use and all my cooking life I have avoided  time-saving implements if I can because I love doing everything by hand. (It takes me several wonderful hours to make salsa; I chop everything by hand.)

After my long walk yesterday, I had a craving for sweet, so I made this tart and it is delicious because of the apple custard. And I can feel that baking is going to be a bigger part of my life.

Mad Men + tarte aux pommes = heaven.

Sunday: To Dianne's and Back

The route.

Another great day has dawned and although my legs are hideously blotched. I walked to friend Dianne's for lunch and to say "good-bye" to Jane and Dana who are heading to their cottage in Ontario as they do every summer. Then I walked home.

(The Golfers Vasculitis is a purpuric rash caused by the breaking of the capillary cell walls under the skin due to heat and pressure.   It is associated with a slight swelling of the rash and pain from the pooling of blood/fluids in the legs, particularly above the ankles.   It is not itchy.  It is not life threatening. (Purpura is a condition characterized by hemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes that result in the appearance of purplish spots or patches.)

The walk was fabulous. I left at ten am and it is lovely to walk early on a Sunday morning when the streets and sidewalks are so quiet. this morning, I was struck by the sounds coming out of windows—all open because of how warm it is. Reggae music from one window, TV sports (it is Fathers' day), beautiful church bells ringing, the happy sounds of people at Playland—there were lots of lovely sounds, plus a few lawnmowers and leaf blowers.

Lunch with Dianne, her daughter Ashlee and Dana and Jane was wonderful as life always is in their company.

This building was once Eaton's, then Sears and soon it will be Nordstrom's.  It was a huge white-tile toilet looking building and now it is getting refitted (thank God).

Past The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden.

To East Pender where there are houses very close to the street like in a small town. I loved it.

Another one.

 More.

Another being renovated.

 Some of vancouver's original street.

Not an inch wasted.

 Kitch!

 Security!

A water park I have never seen before.

Banana blossom in June!

 A beautiful median on East Pender.

A home on East Pender.

For rent!

Saturday: Big Walk

It was another perfect walking day on Saturday. Very thin and very high cloud allowed a nice warm heat to keep me nice and warm but not hot and I did not get burnt in spite of a long time on the road. 

I walked first my very familiar route over the Lions Gate Bridge to Park Royal in West Vancouver to meet my friends Bruce and Sid for lunch. Then I walked home the slow way along the seawall. It was heaven to be in perfect weather but it was Saturday, so of course the seawall was packed.

Once home, a quick bath and then off again to Sally's for a delicious dinner and a fabulous evening. Sally, bless her, made a sit down delicious dinner for nine people by herself. And the pate she made for hors d'oeuvres was the best I have ever eaten. And after, Maureen drove me home for a fabulous night sleep after all that walking.

 Salmon berries. Delicious.

The huckleberries are out very early this year.

Moss.

 At the top of the bridge—in fact on every bridge here—there is an anti-suicide phone box.

 The north part of the seawall from the bridge. I go down the cliff to join it for a longer, slower walk home.

While at home having a bath, the annual nude bike ride went past my place.

I don't know what this tree is (above and below) but it has a fantastic musty/sweet smell that, as soon as I smell it, takes me back to 1954 in West Vancouver. I love the smell; it is a highly nostalgic smell for me and smell is a powerful memory prompter. 

Walking in the Kitchen

A recent New Yorker had an interesting article about a man who has "invented" the treadmill desk like the one pictured above. I can't imagine all that jiggling while working, but he and many others have made the transition. I have no interest in such a desk—what I love about walking is the physical, spiritual and intellectual stimulation it brings—but the article did make me realize (again) how many calories I burn from being active. Stasis is not a normal state for me; marijuana and the company of friends slow me down.

Thursday involved walking to Whole Foods (paradise) for corn flower. I had looked everywhere and been unable to find it. And then to Canadian Tire to buy my first Mandolin. I am not a fan of time-saving devices; I like detail work but what I wanted to do required even apple strips. Then I walked to Granville Island for lunch with my friend David and then home to cook my apple rose tarts.

 This is fluff pastry with a custard in the bottom made of egg, thick cream, lemon juice and rind, sugar, corn flower and grated apple. Then I boiled apple slices in apple juice and sugar with some cinnamon and cloves to form the rosettes. Brushed with glaze from the distilled apple juice and sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. This was my first attempt and I had no recipe. I had just seen photos and wanted to make some myself.

Wednesday: Vandusen Gardens

Today I heard pounding rain through parts of the day as I watched bits of Matilda and Book of Mormon and other Broadway musicals on YouTube. Heaven. Between showers I went out and got all the ingredients I need to make roses of apple slices in tart shells tomorrow.

I took dearest friends John and Bunny to dinner at Vandusen in the evening. We walked to the big pond where we shared a bottle of Veuve Clicot and then walked through the garden in glorious evening light and then had a wonderful dinner in their restaurant.

 Champagne! YAY!

The view that came with our drinks. 

 Red Hot Pokers.

 Allium.

Dinner.

The view out our window at dinner.

Tuesday: 5K at Home

Tuesday began with a lovely walk through town and then through Chinatown to my friend Dawn's house for a meeting. Then I walked home again and did at least five kilometres cleaning my house and doing errands. I am a weird duck: I like ironing now that I have the time to do it.

In the evening I went to friend Neil's house to eat with him, Bruce and Michael.

 Neil's food was delicious and his condo is exquisite.