A Japanese tea and dessert shop with a few locations in the Vancouver area (Burnaby and Richmond), we tried Tsujiri dessert and it was delicious!
If you're a fan of Japanese Green tea, you will enjoy all the green tea items at Tsujiri including the green tea soft serve, green tea cheesecake or even the Panna cotta!
The Matcha Green Tea soft serve was a favorite! Delicious Matcha flavor and not too sweet at all.
The matcha cheesecake was soft and light with an earthy matcha flavor. We took this one to eat later and they package it so perfectly.
Tsujiri actually has many locations in Canada! Their goal is to rebrand traditional Japanese tea through various products, like delicious desserts, that appeal to people's tastes and their lifestyles.
If you're looking for some delicious Japanese Green Tea or Matcha flavored desserts, in Vancouver or a different Canadian city, try one at Tsujiri!
We first discovered this kayak rental in Stockholm last Summer. Conveniently located along Sickla lake near Sickla Beach and the Sickla beach playground, Elton's offers an annual card that you can use to rent a kayak during the months the kayaks are available (this is weather dependent).
Kayaks and paddles are in good condition and you can also get a life jacket to borrow. Without an annual card, you can still rent but prices depend on how long you rent for. You choose to go for an hour, a couple of hours or even half a day.
Currently, Elton's has a café in addition to the kayak and standup paddle board rental offering ice cream, cold drinks and other snacks.
They offer a fika buffet on Sundays, where you can help yourself to delicious all-you-can-eat Swedish cookies, buns and cakes and of course, coffee.
If you're hungry for a snack, or want to try one of their kayaks or stand-up paddle boards, definitely stop by and support a local small business.
The Khaykery is a Filipino bakery which currently previously had a shop on Robson Street in the Robson Market - they are currently moving locations and their Soft Opening is Sept 16, 2023!
The bakery offers some delicious desserts like ube cupcakes, cheesecake and even custom cakes.
We first heard about The Khaykery after seeing a vending machine selling dessert in Metrotown mall.
The main dessert they offer is called "Silvanas", and they come in a variety of flavors.
What is a Silvana?
It's a crunchy cashew-meringue cookie sandwich with delicious butter cream, covered in cookie crumbs. It's a unique and beloved Filipino treat. The most popular flavors are original and ube.
Silvanas are the cookie version of the Sans Rival, a Filipino cake made from similar ingredients.
You eat it from frozen for the best Crunch!
At Khaykery, you can get a few Silvana to try or choose 6 for a box to take with you! After 1 bite I had to buy a box for later!
Their ube cupcakes were also delicious. They had ube and ube flan cupcakes when we visited.
If you're interested in trying some delicious Filipino treats and desserts, visit The Khaykery. It's always great to support local small businesses.
The Khaykery Filipino Bakery
1610 Robson St unit 108, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C7, Canada
*Update: The Khaykery will be moving locations! You can soon be able find them in Richmond. Soft opening Sept 16th, 2023!
140-4000 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC, Canada
For now, check out their vending machines at Metrotown mall and a new one in Joyce Collingwood Skytrain station!
Check out the Khaykery website for more info on their soft opening!
Beautiful handmade clothing including hats, baby onesies and dresses, Simply2Cute4Kids is a great choice for those looking for unique Swedish gifts!
Jodi is an Aussie mom of 2 who lives in Sweden has been working on her small business for a few years now. She has always been very helpful with questions on orders. With every order, you can tell her handmade pieces are made with care!
Orders can be placed through her Etsy Sweden shop, Simply2Cute4Kids. Each time we have ordered from Simply2Cute4Kids, our packages have always arrived smoothly.
The first time we heard about Simply2Cute4Kids was during the Pandemic when they advertised cloth face masks.
We purchased a couple of kids size masks and some Adult sized ones. We used them a lot and were very grateful to have them. We often put them on over a FFP3 mask.
We have also previously ordered a beanie for my toddler with a construction truck pattern. With beanies, you can choose what type of lining to have. The fleece lining was perfect for winter! The beanie turned out being toddler's favorite hat and was used pretty much daily during the colder months. It was so well made that it survived daily daycare usage and many washes.
Now that the toddler has outgrown that hat, I have ordered another one in a bigger size and a couple of other hats in preparation for the cold (You never know how long winter will last in Sweden...).
If you're looking for some cute gifts for a newborn, toddler or even older children, check out Simply2Cute4Kids. Beautiful, bright patterns, soft fabrics, and well-made handmade clothing, items from Simply2Cute4Kids make the perfect gifts for your little ones or friends! You can even ask to enclose a note from you when you order a gift for a friend! It's always great to support Indie, small businesses too.
Popular Swedish cafe and bakery, Fabrique has multiple locations around the city of Stockholm! Their Swedish buns and pastries are always buttery, fresh and delicious.
Need some buns for Swedish coffeetime or fika? Fabrique is a great option and buns can be ordered ahead of time.
Some Fabrique locations have small indoor and outdoor seating areas so you can sit in for coffee and a pastry.
Or you can take your fika to go!
The traditional Swedish Cinnamon buns and Cardamom buns are favorites from Fabrique. We've also tried the Mandlar gifflar which is a soft almond bun and it's quite tasty.
Fabrique also has locations in London and New York as well!
If you're visiting Stockholm and want to try some traditional Swedish buns, stop by a Fabrique in the city. It might be hard to just eat one!
White Spot is a Canadian restaurant chain based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. They are best known for family-friendly restaurants that offer burgers, milkshakes and Children's meals in a paper boat! It's called a "Pirate Pak" and it's a classic Children's meal enjoyed now and years ago!
The kids enjoyed their dining experience and trying the Pirate pak on our recent visit to White Spot! It's part of the fun to be able to customize the meal - a main, side, drink, ice cream for dessert and a milk chocolate coin!
For kids who can't have dairy, the only other dessert option is fruit. Maybe they'll add sorbet one day?
When taking kids to a restaurant, it's great to have some entertainment for them while they are waiting for the food! Family-friendly restaurants like White Spot make dining out more enjoyable for the whole family. The paper menu has some kids' activities, the server gives them crayons and they can mark which meal they want to order.
White Spot has a Quick Service restaurant called Triple O's which can be found around the city and even on BC ferries. We have tried the location by Science World.
Fun fact: You can still experience a Drive-in car dining experience at some White Spot restaurants!
Have you tried a White Spot restaurant in your city? And more importantly, have you tried a Pirate Pak? August 16 is Pirate Pak day which returns after a 3-year hiatus. For one day only, even Adults can order a Pirate Pak for themselves!
We have enjoyed visiting Thierry to sit for a coffee and snack over the years. It's so great to see that they are still around but not so hard to believe, since they have such delicious offerings including their pastries, cakes and sandwiches.
They have even added an outdoor seating area. The cafe is always popular so you may need to wait to get a table. You are welcome to order to-go but to order to sit in, you need to have a table first.
On our visits to the Thierry, we have had to wait a few minutes for a table, but it was worth the wait. It takes time to decide what we feel like trying too!
Cakes and coffee are always favorites!
If you're in visiting Vancouver or live in the city, and are looking for a place for a coffee break with European-style pastries and nice customer service, check out Thierry Alberni.
We visited the sweet kitties at Catfe Cat Cafe in Vancouver, Canada and it was a lovely experience!
The Cat cafe, located in the International Village shopping centre, is easily accessible by transit or by car (free parking is available in the parkade).
Book your time to visit the cafe online before you go and arrive 10 minutes early to check-in and check out the shop! There are so many cute items for your pet cats or just cat-related gifts/trinkets for your cat loving friends (or yourself)!
You can order a drink and a snack when you check-in for your visit and they will bring it to you once you are inside.
All snacks are Vegan and they even offer Vegan softserve! Flavors change from time to time.
Note: You can visit the cafe shop without booking a visit to the Cat area.
Kids 5 and over are allowed at the Cat Cafe so this is a nice activity to do with kids (with no animal allergies) who are interested in cats.
Before the visit, a Catfe staff member gives everyone an rundown on the rules while at the cafe. This was great to have and it was nice they split the group in half, to let half go in first to wash hands and a few minutes after, the second group was allowed to go in.
There were about 20 cats at the Cat Cafe when we visited in July. Most of them were up for adoption! To apply to adopt a cat, you need to talk to the staff and apply online.
The cafe is very bright and spacious with places for cats to play or lounge. There are also a few tables for people to sit and have their snack. Visitors can also leave their belongings in the baskets on the shelves.
One of the cafe's resident cats, Junior, was so sweet and calm. They told us he usually helps the new cats get comfortable with being in this new environment.
There are toys and brushes available which visitors are allowed to use with the cats!
The Catfe staff were really friendly and very knowledgeable about all the cats! It's easy to see how much they enjoy being there and how experienced they are as well.
Whether you're just visiting Vancouver and miss your cat, a cat lover who lives in the city but can't have a cat at home, or someone thinking about adopting a cat, visit Catfe Cat Cafe for a nice coffee break with the cats! After postponing our visit during Covid, we were happy to finally visit Catfe. The relaxing break with the kitties was just what we needed :)
Don't forget your snacks!
Catfe Cat Cafe
UNIT #2035 – SECOND FLOOR, INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE MALL, 88 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6B 6N9
Check out their website to book and find out more info.
Who wants ice cream? More like, which flavor will you get today? On our recent Rome trip, Kids and parents enjoyed having delicious gelato whenever we wanted some! You don't have to wander far to find a Gelato place in Rome. There are so many Gelato places with so many different flavors.
Fortunately, there are also a few milk free options at most of the Gelaterias we visited. Some dairy-free flavors included melon, lemon, mango, orange, and even strawberry :)
When ordering, you can ask if they have Vegan cones or just get it in a cup.
A small order of gelato comes in a cup or cone. You can choose 2 flavors and if you're feeling like a little extra, you can even add whipped cream on top (for those who can have dairy).
We visited Rome in early June and the weather was hot and humid. Gelato was a welcome break after walking around!
Here are 6 Gelato spots we enjoyed on our trip:
Giolitti
Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
- a popular classic Gelato place which also offers granite, various cookies and other desserts. You can wait for a table or just take it to go. Note: There's no seating if you are ordering in the self-serve area. We've tried this on many of our past trips to Rome and it's been a favorite!
Fatamorgana
Via Roma Libera, 11, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
- so many different and unique flavors like Dark Chocolate and Rosemary. Not too far from a playground in Trastevere.
Chegelato
Via del Governo Vecchio, 54, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
- delicious Gelato and very friendly staff! Many vegan options available.
Gelato Del Monte
- Great gelato spot near the Vatican. Mango sorbet was really good!
Gelateria del Campo
Via Dei Baullari, 141/141A, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
- lots of flavors to choose from!
Gelateria Sweet Life
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 270, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
- delicious dark chocolate, friendly staff and they want you to taste the flavor before they prepare your order. Really enjoyed it! Check out my blog post on Gelateria Sweet Life
When in Rome in the Summer, or any season really, enjoy some Gelato! Don't wait too long to eat it though or you'll be left with "ice cream soup" as the toddler likes to call it!
Gelaterias often stay open late making it a great dessert option after your late dinner in Rome!
We took the kids on the Aquabus which is a small passenger ferry that has several routes on False Creek in Vancouver, Canada.
There are 2 ferry companies available, the Aquabus and False Creek Ferries. Both transport passengers in mini ferry boats to tourist attractions throughout Vancouver’s False Creek region.
The main hub for them both is on popular shopping and food area of Granville Island.
Our Aquabus adventure was just a short ride from Granville Island across to Hornby Street in Yaletown. It's a great option to have if you are traveling by foot and want to get across False Creek. No need to worry about parking!
Views of Granville Island and Aquabus
The cost for the ferry is (as of July 2023):
$3.50 for adults ($6 for return trip)
$2.25 for seniors and children ($4 return).
You can pay with cash or card.
The ferries run pretty often and if you have a bike or stroller, you can also use the more accessible Aquabus Bike ferry. It is also easier for seniors to get on and off of the bike ferry.
This cute little mini ferry is a tourist attraction in itself as you get great views of the city from the water!
We enjoyed our ride on the Aquabus and even brought our stroller onboard (staff helped us lift it onto the ferry).
If you're in Vancouver, False Creek area, why not take a ride on the Aquabus?
Don't forget your snacks!
Aquabus
1587 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9, Canada
Aquabus ferries run from 7am-9pm but be sure to check out their website for more info on routes and pricing.
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.jpg "Gelateria del Campo")
