It was a good day to turn the task of mailing a letter to Canada into an international excursion.
We could have mailed the letter from the U.S., but the international address can slow delivery down by as much as three weeks. Besides, we had no other plans, so we headed up through the Peace Arch border crossing that's about a 15-minute drive from our house.
Kathy had applied online for a replacement NEXUS card from France after her purse was stolen on a train there (that story is a few posts back). Lo and behold, the new card was in the mail when we arrived home, and we proffered it without any problems.
Canada Post has a marvelous arrangement of full-service post offices within retail outlets like London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart, two major Canadian chains.
The closest one we can find is not much more than a 10-minute drive from the border in lovely White Rock, British Columbia. We'd checked out a couple of eateries with good Yelp reviews for a light lunch, and discovered that one of them, Bánh Mì Très Bon, is almost next door to the drug store / post office where we dropped off our letter. It was definitely going to be a Vietnamese lunch.
The restaurant is quite new and modern, located next to a plaza featuring a sculpture, The Meeting, by a Chinese sculptor.
The property owners said in a 2021 press release, "Open to various interpretations, one wonders if they are in deep diplomatic negotiations, quietly medidating or simply enjoying a conversation amongst friends."
Inscrutable they appear as they crouch in that characteristic pose one sees throughout Asia.
Here's one of them up close.
Inside the restaurant is comfortable, light and airy, with whimsical touches like this boat-shaped napkin holder on the table.
We shared an appetizer serving of Signature Mini Shrimp Spring Rolls to start.
They were okay, but to be honest not all that exciting. We hit the jackpot with our main dishes though. Kathy chose the Spicy Beef Pho with a chicken Mini Banh Mi on the side.
The Pho was chock full of deliciousness.
Brian selected the Banh Mi Trio with three Mini Buns with various fillings. They were excellent and filling. Some light lunch!
The total bill for lunch was CAD $45.15, or a reasonable USD $38 for a tasty and filling dining experience. We will have to find an excuse to mail another letter up there soon. Maybe we don't even need an excuse!
The drive back revealed one of those rare occasions in which the NEXUS lane was slower than the regular lanes, three of which were open. We ended up waiting about 10 minutes which still isn't bad, and had time to admire the Peach Arch Monument itself from our southbound lanes.
Retirees often have the time and opportunity to turn a task, whether getting the oil changed, buying a shirt, or mailing a letter, into a pleasant little adventure, and this excursion provides a good example.
2 comments:
Looks delicious! I am jealous of those who don't live in the middle of the country such as myself...!
Another 15-20 minutes of driving north of White Rock takes us to YVR, located in Richmond, a city with a significant Asian population with many excellent Asian and Indian restaurants. It's another 20 minutes to downtown Vancouver, a world-class city for dining. We're fortunate.
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