Mountainview Cemetery

Well, today I served breakfast and then ran out of the house! Perhaps a little more dramatic than what really happened which was that I rushed out of the house to get to Mountainview Cemetery for 9:45 because at 10 am me and my SSAG group were going on a cemetary tour. The SSAG group began in Dublin last year. Four of us had gone to Europe on a cruise on the Baltic and then met a friend in Dublin, Ireland. The 5 of us were walking Grafton Street and then to the St. Stephens Green (park) and we were having the best fun - Penny and I danced a Rhumba to a busker on the street and we'd just strolled through the park, everyone was having a great time seeing new things. Why would we go 8,000 miles and do that there but not at home? No good answer, so we decided to have our little group do interesting things when we went home, we would share the responsibility of the organization of the event and it would be a surprise. We called the group - SSAG - St. Stephen's Activity Group.

So this was Doc's event - the Cemetery Tour. The location was Fraser and 41st avenue and it is a huge city owned cemetary. We went to the old section of the cemetary to see some notable tomb stones - one of them is Joe Forte - his photo is hung on our wall in the Guest House. We also heard a few other stories along with the tomb stones. It was pouring with rain - thank goodness for my heated seats in the car when we finished. If this is your thing and you want to hear from Vancouver history I would recommend it.

Next on the SSAG agenda was to go to ChinaTown for lunch. The restaurant chosen was "East of Main". It is a mediterranean inspired restaurant, it is casual and not expensive, lunch for 6 (oh yes, we acquired another SSAG member when we got home from Ireland) with two bottles of wine, 6 entres and 3 deelish desserts was only $175.00. The restuarant supports a not for profit organization in the Chinatown area for youth and performance arts - a very worthy endeavour. Apparently on Monday nights you might even see local actors reading or whatever actors do when they have an audience. And servicing us was my favourite waitress, Andree from the Twisted Fork - another great restaurant on Granville Street - included in our Victoria Tour Package.

Of course when we were all done the rain stopped but we had to go home. Chinatown has changed - morphed really and isn't the same place it used to be. Less touristy and more local. I have to go back and explore...apparently there is a pie shop bakery I need to find! And of course if I am hungry I would definitely find my way back to East of Main.