That Kind of Place

Granville Island  must be
the most hodge podge place on earth,
I think:

A Where's Waldo of a space -
that winks, grinning at the megalopolis
that surrounds it's

gypsy wagon colored shops
and boutiques and flower stands.

Stands of essences and oils,
and chimes and pottery and beads -
stands of nuts and seeds and fudge
and homemade marmalades and jams.

There are more kinds of food there, 

than I have ever seen:
(not to mention, everything under the sun
that can be done to a coffee bean).

Pies and cakes and buns and breads
and doughnuts, tarts and strudels -
and (oodles and oodles of) pastas and noodles.

There is music in the air and studios
for artists and actors, and heaven knows,
really, what all goes on there.

It's a walloping, wonderful whale of a fair.

It's that kind of place, where:
you can't help but feel - 

young at heart -
when you're there.

notes:  Granville Island is located on False Creek in Vancouver.  It has a large public market and a daily farmer's market, a marina, the Emily Carr University of Art and Design and various performing arts theaters, fine arts studios and galleries, as well as a variety of other shops.  A machine shop and concrete plant remain from the island's industrial days.  Granville Island hosts buskers throughout the year, including musicians, jugglers, magicians and other street performers.  The waters around Granville Island are dotted with boats.  Little boats, called Aqua Buses (which can be seen in two of my photos) ferry people from Downtown Vancouver to the island, for a small fee.

Where's Waldo is a series of children's books created by British illustrator Martin Handford. The books consist of packed scenes filled with detail.  Readers are challenged to find a character named Waldo (distinguished by his red and white striped shirt and glasses) hidden in the "hodge podge".

photos:  Scenes of Granville Island - W. Bourke

© 2013 Wendy Bourke