Vancouver--Day 5

Another gross and yucky day outside, but we sucked it up and headed down to Yaletown. Its a neat district in Downtown that has cool shops and restaurants.

We stopped in a wine store to try some icewine. Icewine is different because they leave the grapes on the vine until after the first frost. Then they pick them early in the morning after being frozen solid (this way the berries freeze as hard as marbles). While the grape is still frozen it is pressed, and the water is driven out as shards of ice. This leaves a highly concentrated juice, very high in acids and sugars....perfect for wine. The box it comes in is also a cool story. Its made form Pine Beetle Wood. After the pine beetles infect the wood it can no longer be used for regular wood construction and products that require the ordinary strength of wood. So they use it as containers for wine bottles as a way of recycling it and giving it a purpose.

We watched a little bit of speed skating and snowboard slolam at a restaurant for lunch. Our waitress thought we were the coolest people ever because we were from the "South". We have been to numerous restaurants and shops so far this trip, and only today have we been asked if we were "from the states". MB told her that we lived in Atlanta, GA to which she replied "you call that the south right?" We nodded and she began to smile really big and get so excited. TG was a bit upset because she had been trying to blend in as a Canadian ever since we got here by saying "eh" and "washrooms" (restrooms) every chance she got. Apparently real Canadians can see right through her.

Then we hopped back on the subway and headed back to the hotel. Just as we were about to cross the street back to the hotel MB noticed a familiar face in front of us. Yes, that is Lindsay Vonn in this picture at the hot dog stand. As much as we would have liked to have asked for a picture we didnt want to bother or annoy her so we just kept walking. We walked across the street and entered the hotel lobby and walked back to the elevator section. Just as the elevator doors were closing, guess who hopped on the elevator with us.......Lindsay and her husband. We chatted up with them and carried on a humorous and pleasant conversation with them. Nice people. What a cool way to end the day.