I’m alive!! Just in case you were wondering due to my recent lack of blogging (of course if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter, you are well aware of my latest whereabouts). In fact, I’m not only alive with a pulse, I feel more alive than ever! It’s funny how doing something you’re passionate about takes you from merely existing to actually, fully, blissfully living. The passion of mine that has been giving me this wonderful feeling lately is traveling.

I’ve been in Vancouver for 10 days already (whoa, time flies!) and I’ve been falling deeper and deeper in love with it by the minute. The scenery, the friendliness, the weather… oh, the weather! If you’ve ever been in Arizona, or any desert for that matter, during the summer, you’d surely understand my elation at the fact that the highest average temperature in Vancouver right now is around 73˚F/20˚C.

One thing that had been throwing me slightly off when I first arrived though, was the fact that the sun was setting pass 9:30 P.M., something I definitely wasn’t used to. I mean I’ve heard about endless summer days before, but I had never experienced that expression as close to its literal meaning as now. Not that I’m complaining, it is actually quite nice to have even more time to go out and explore. Although, I gotta say if something I’ve found disappointing during my explorations in this lovely city is the fact that most businesses (except restaurants but definitely including tourist attractions) close around  6 or 7 P.M. What’s that about Vancouver?! Anyway, I’ll let it slide just because I love it here so much.

Of course I have some photos to share with you guys today, and these are from my trip this past weekend to Granville Island. I’m glad I get to bring you virtually along with me on my travels thanks to the blog, but if you ever find yourself in Vancouver doing some exploring of your own, Granville Island is a must-see for sure. It is a small island, kind of in the middle of the city, full of mostly shops and eateries, but there’s also a Theatre Company and the Emily Carr University. However the main attraction, no doubt about it, is the Granville Island Public Market.

Hundreds of vendors gathered inside the market everyday to make this site quite an experience for all the senses. You can find from fresh produce and fish to an Italian grocer, a Mexican restaurant, a pastries stand, as well as a number of artisan products like hand-painted ceramic, one-of-a-kind jewelry or finely crafted leather satchels, to name a few.

I don’t know about you but I love markets. Maybe it’s because I’m from Mexico, where the “mercados” are very common and popular, but I find incomporable charm in the public markets. They are full of life and colors, smells and flavors. I could walk thru them for hours, exploring every stand and delighted in some wonderful people-watching. Of course, I also love enjoying the yummy food they have to offer. So chances are I’ll be paying this little island another visit before I leave.

Since no amount of words could ever do justice to the wonders of this experience, I’ll just let the photos do the rest of the talking.

Hope your summer is going as wonderful as mine!