Singing the Praises of Vancouver, B.C.

I recently spent a long weekend in Vancouver, British Columbia and once again came away thinking that it might just be the most pleasant city on this planet. The city’s setting is simply spectacular. The harbor is on one side, the snow capped mountains on the other, you couldn’t design a more beautiful backdrop for a city of tall, sleek, and skinny high rise buildings.

The other thing that really struck me was the number of foreign languages I heard while wandering the streets. Vancouver is a city that attracts foreign visitors and immigrants from around the world. One result of the diversity is that it is a place that has outstanding ethnic restaurants and neighborhoods. I am particularly found of an Indian restaurant called Vij’s. It doesn’t take reservations and if you show up a half hour before it opens chances are you won’t be the only one waiting in line.

With the 2010 Winter Olympics on the near horizon, Vancouver continues to build and to change. Now is an excellent time to visit before the Olympics crunch. It is also an excellent time to visit because Cathay Pacific has a great deal on flights from New York.