Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver

One would think we would grow tired of this time of year. Same old, same old. 

Yet every year at this time we delight in the cherry blossoms throughout the city.

The trees are beautiful, their arms full of flowers. It's a new show every year, even though we've seen it before.

Spring is here, warmer weather is coming and summer is only a breath away. The carpet lasts but a few days.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2014.

Wick's Cafe ~ Vancouver Coffee Shops part 9

It's not a place anyone happens to walk by, unless of course you live nearby, and many obviously do. This is Marpole and Airport Square is our nearest landmark.

Wick's Cafe is a neighbourhood gem. It has great coffee (from JJBean it appears) and the people are friendly. The customers appear to be local types, along with those coming to Airport Square.






My espresso was good and Sherry's macchiato was done in a traditional manner, which is a good thing and not always easy to find in this city. It was mid-afternoon when we visited and not overly busy, though it was obvious the afternoon trade was beginning to appear.


Music being played was nice too, sounding a bit like The Jam when we first arrived, followed by a cover of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, and not the one or two you might think.

Pleasant. Comfortable. Good coffee. West 73rd and Hudson: not a casual walk-by while looking for a gift for Uncle Albert but a great place for coffee if you're in the area.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2014.

April is Daffodil Month

April brings sunshine, and rain, to the left coast. The croci have appeared and trees are budding. The beaches once again hold promise of things to come. Someday soon.








April is also a month of daffodils across Canada, including the campaign to raise awareness and funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. A good thing.

Photos by Jim Murray.

Copyright 2014.

Pepsi Next with Stevia ~ a taste test

Almost a year after Coca Cola introduced a Stevia sweetened drink to Argentina, Pepsico Canada has introduced Pepsi Next. In fact, it is being rolled out across the country this month, from its starting point in the Pepsi stronghold of Quebec.

In Argentina, Coca Cola Life reduces the sugar content by 60 percent. In Canada and Australia, Pepsi Next will only manage a 30% reduction, with the difference made up by sugar. The Stevia input means a significant reduction in calories, sodium and carbohydrates. Oddly, Pepsi Next in the Excited States will continue to contain artificial sweeteners.




For my self-directed taste test, I followed the ideal-soft-drink-tasting-method as described by a friend of my family when I was growing up. He was a local bottler of Coca Cola at a time when there actually were independent bottlers across the country in each province, unlike the monolithic corporate soft drink makers of today.

The soft drink should be chilled and poured into glass filled with ice. One should note the effervescence, the aroma and finally the taste. Just like wine, the nose is all important to providing that first hint of flavour and taste. Savour the initial taste. Linger. Enjoy.

Well, that was then and this is now. Nobody has time for all that stuff and there isn't any ice in the house anyway. I unscrewed the cap and took a generous gulp from the bottle and then finished it off.



Impressions? Well, I grew up a Coca Cola drinker and it isn't easy to shake that taste standard, if one can have a standard for coloured, sweetened water. I now find regular Coke and Pepsi a bit too sweet for my liking. I like Coke Zero but not the Pepsi equivalent. That being said, I have always liked the taste of Pepsi and its added hint of cinnamon. However, this is not a regular Pepsi.



Pepsi Next was okay, but not great. It's not as flavourful as regular Pepsi and there was a tiny aftertaste I didn't like at all, not that I gave much time for the aftertaste. It wasn't as sweet as I might have expected; probably a good thing. I don't particularly like the colour of the blue on the bottle's label either; it doesn't seem a natural looking blue for a drink boasting about its naturalness. This might be a tough sell.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2014.

First signs of spring in Vancouver ~ Take 2

After a what seemed a month of snow and cold, followed by heavy rains, spring has finally appeared on the south coast.







Temperatures today will reach about fourteen! The sun is warm, the days are longer and the birds are singing. The crocus flowers are popping up too. This is a beautiful time of the year.












Crocuses, or croci, are actually from the iris family, except on the Canadian prairie where they are related to the buttercup group.












Crocuses are often the first sign of spring in the northern hemisphere, across much of North America, Europe, north Africa, and Asia, and with the sun finally warming the south coast... maybe spring is finally here. Or will the rains return this weekend?

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2014.