Vancouver Day 3

We are ready for Gay Pride, but is it ready for us?

Sunday - Gay Pride in Vancouver. Are you starting to see why I might be tired? We got up and went out for coffee. (there's a reoccurring theme here) Then breakfast. Then to the parade. Friend's of our friends had rented out a Japanese restaurant, Black Tuna Sushi, at THE corner of the parade. Davie and Denman. We were on the second floor, removed from the crowd, and able to drink copious amounts. Well, others were able. I just had a couple glasses of champagne.

The Pride parade in Vancouver is like nothing I have seen in Los Angeles or New York. It's like a hometown parade with better music. Sure it starts with the required dykes on bikes, but instead of black electrician's tape or stickers over their bare bosoms, they just have bare bosoms. It's legal for woman to go topless in British Columbia! Because to require a woman to cover her breasts and not a man to cover his would be sexist and Canada is very P.C.

Mixed in between convertibles with this dignitary or that tanning salon came the local bar floats with go-go boys in their underwear. Here's a question worth posing for all occasions, why is it that the people you most think should be seen naked always have their clothes on and the people you most think should have their clothes on always want to be naked? Yes, next came the Nudist society.

In the midst of the parade were the political statements, "9-11 was an inside job" "Overthrow the Bush monarchy now" and then came the national leader of the NDP party. That last one was a big deal. Sort of like having one of the candidates for President walk in the Gay Pride parade. Welcome to Canada.
There's Robb & Company up on the second floor at Black Tuna, post parade.
Following the Parade, we walked along the water towards the festival. Here's a funny thing, to get into the festival in Los Angeles, you have to pay about $15. You can get a wristband with your ID that says your over 21 and then drink all over the festival, no limit to how much you can consume. At the Vancouver festival, it is all open. No fee to get in, no fences. But the Beer Garden was separate. Again no fee to get in, appropriate ID for drinking age (19) but then you can only buy tickets for up to 5 drinks at any time. (as opposed to LA where you can buy enough to quench an army and its horses providing you brought that kind of cash).
You may have already guessed, Robb & I went to the Beer Garden. Lyle and Lewis went home. The drink choices were beer, cider or wine. Who would drink wine on a hot day at a gay dance party? Robb did. But we got our dance on anyway (oh yeah, I was drinking beer. That happens about twice a year in my world). The music was well received but they never, never, never played anything from a year past 1993. WTF? Suddenly there I was, THAT drunk girl at a bar going, "Why can't they play Umbrella!? I wanna hear Umbrella! That's my sooooong.... Umbella-ella-ella!" She's always so pretty and popular isn't she?
This man was, as you may have guessed, part of the Nudist group that had marched. In the photo above he is wearing a grocery sack to cover his, uh, sack. It was a clear bag and you could see all the produce he had in his, uh basket. This is the most I had seen him in all day as he had previously been on teh dance floor sans sack.

Lyle had made a reservation for 8 pm for dinner at the restaurant where we had had our wedding reception 2 and half years ago, the Parkside. Oh my goodness, the food, the food, the food. I can only remember mine as the day was getting a little hazy after 9 pm...
I started with the frozen Cosmopolitan. Cranberry sorbet shaken with vodka and a splash of lime. First course, the foies gras parfait, served with mini-toast (naturally) and a sweet fog compote. Second course brought the first bottle of wine and my porcinni mushroom risotto, then my main course of Duck confit and another bottle of the red wine. Finally I was torn between the lemon souffle crepes stuffed with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries or the chocolate torte. I went with the souffle crepes as did most of the table. Then the waiter brought out an extra chocolate torte (with whipped cream!) for us all to share. Once again, something that rarely happens occur ed, I couldn't finish my dessert(s). So amazing.
We walked all the way back to the condo. Which means that by now I have crossed the West End of Vancouver north to south and east to west. More than once. All that walking and I've failed to mention the BLISTERS on my feet. I brought the wrong shoes. They'll be the right shoes soon enough, but here's a tip worth remembering when you travel; don't take brand new shoes. Oops! One of us had to give and it turned out it was my heals.

Tomorrow (in this recap) we head back for home (cause we've already made it home).