Welcome to Commercial Drive.
I went to Commercial Drive yesterday and I enjoyed very much. It was for me surprising to see all this italian signs in a Vancouver context. Firstly it was as return some years back in Italy. Noticed this old-fashion shop that still remark the style fashioned 20 years ago. But it is a experience of manufact that can't be forget. Secondly I have been absorbed in all other feelings to stay in commercial drive. It was a mix of Italianity but I recognized not so crystalizzed in the past. In fact I felt a community that it is active and alive. Producing something completaly new. In fact I noticed many restaurant very accurate and ice where they propose music-live. This is an aspect very important for me to make me feel live. In that moment something new through the music was coming out from the old-shop
I visited Cafè Calabria which is the one of the oldest Italian cafe.I tried to order in Italian a cafe but the waiter didn't know how to answer. He said I can understand but no answer so far. He really would like to offer me the coffee and I realized it was so kind.
The intern of Cafe Calabria surprised me. If at first glance seems as a museum after a while all the colors and good smells of the ice-cream appealed me as never. As in all other restaurant I visited it is a mix of order-list. Not only Italian but you can find some alternative as "milk with low fat", that in Italian word doesn't make sense. So good to see the miscellaneous culture alive and propose something only in that instant I can gather.
As it was Halloween Day, I recognized the Vancouver culture celebrating in all the street. People enjoyed to wear some funny or scary customs and for me, oh man.. It was so amazing. I always enjoyed this day of year. For me the mix-culture was more impressive because the window full of orange-colors and all the lights on as for a Party soon coming. It was as the expectation of something to come but inside the old-shop remembered me the past-Italian melted now in Vancouver.
I asked them if I should take a picture in a bakery. They were costumed also in the mood. So serious and funny in some time. They seems pleased that I would take them memory with me.
The thing that I appreciate mostly in my observation it was to breath the hippy mood in the commercial area. So looking this "camper" or mobile-house. Very nice mood of life. A bit of easy-going. But I noticed so many vintage shop that mixed with the old-Italian fashion it is something to chaise. 
Speaking with the people inside the shop, they explained me that the Italian community has moved now on the next district of Burnaby. In fact as I mentioned I noticed in commercial drive something that has been but with a touch of old-style. So the primarily reason it is because the properties are larger and probably mostly of the Italian settled in Vancouver prefer to have a big house rather than small apartment.So for now the Commercial drive it is shifting in a Hippy, very nice, funny area that I enjoyed and appreciate a lot. With all this good smell of Kebab from the Greek restaurant around that are strongly recognizable from outside. I love them!!
I just want to let you now with this photo that I like very much. It was a window in a shop.. "Reflections of an Italian sole". It is so true!! Many times also in the movie when actors are in reflection the camera is on the shoes. Because foot is as a reflection of the body int ere. I found this picture so reflective about the relation between sole-insulate-shoes. The fashion of Italian is often measured with our culture. The reflection of the Italian sole remembered me the connection between a window and a travel inside our-self.
