by B&TF

"Notes from Vancity" PART 1

Vancouver, BC (Canada)…the place where L magic is born…well, at least it’s still a magic for some people. In truth, Vancouver is a wonderful city to visit on its own but the knowledge that The L word and many other TV shows and movies are being filmed there adds to the attractions, especially to a movie addicts like me. So for my next TLW adventure I chose to travel to this beautiful city where I spent a week of walking, exploring, talking, dining and wining, searching and even chasing.

Day 1 – Thursday, July 20

I arrived to Vancouver in a late afternoon and after settling in and a dinner, my friend and I went to the Marine Drive where they were filming today what seems like a party (for the college where Bette will be working) there in Casa Mia because there were men driven out in suits and ladies in dresses...I couldn't talk or do anything, nobody is allowed inside except the crew, but I saw Leisha being driven inside the gates and I waved at her and she waved back and she was really cute, her hair looked shorter and darker than in previous season...

Right now they are filming episode 405 at Casa Mia on 1912 Marine Dr. By the look of it they were filming a college party where Bette Porter is now working.

I saw Jennifer Beals, Marlee Matlin and Leisha Hailey again being driven in and out. First it was Leisha in a separate car. They brought her in and soon a car with JB and MM showed up. There was a light inside of the car and I saw them practicing some silent language talk with two of MM’s interpreters. JB looked really happy, she was smiling. They were inside filming for no more than half an hour.

After they finished that one scene, JB and MM were taken back to their trailers that were placed a little further away. They were on the break between the scenes to apply make up and change, because when JB finally came out she was wearing something different (dark warm clothes) and MM’s assistant told her to get something warm as well because it was cold by the pool. While MM and JB were getting ready, we stood outside the trailer and I finally got the courage to ask if we can take a picture with MM, because her trailer’s door was open and at first her assistant said that she won’t have time because right after the make-up they have to go back to film. But then another assistant asked her and she said Yes. So, when she was ready, we went up to her trailer and took pictures with her. MM was really nice, asked my name and I told her that it’s great that she joined the L Word, and also asked how long is she staying. MM can read lips but since I speak with an accent we had to get interpreter’s help, but she said that she will stay for the rest of the season.

Day 2 – Friday, July 21

I went back to the location site this morning but stopped at the studio on my way to find out if they were filming there and then went inside the office to ask about the set and studio visits. A nice young man told me that they don’t do the sets visits. I also asked him about TLW DVD’s and who was in charge of them. He told me it was all Showtime…so I guess they are not really in a hurry to sell many DVD’s because the extras suck big time, including the new season 3 set that is coming out in October.

It was all quieting down at the Casa Mia location and the trailers area but there were still people arriving for another day of shooting, most of them looked like extras. Apparently they were wrapping up and right in front of me the crew people were cleaning up JB’s trailer and were getting ready to move it to another location.

It was funny actually. I asked them if they know where the filming will be next week and the guy told me he didn’t know. After that I walked back to the Casa Mia and they were watching me to see if I would get into a car and would follow them. Sorry to say, I didn’t have a car, I was walking all over Vancouver but the thought to follow them didn’t even come to my mind until I saw them watching me walking away.

Come on, I’m not a stalker, just a very addicted loyal fan who like to travel because she has nothing better to do with her life at this point.

I went back to Casa Mia and talked to a person outside who said that this mansion was used for Cybil Sheppard’s character house where they held the party. From the main cast I only saw Leisha Hailey again being driven away.

Then I went back to the studio again so I can cool off and rest at the nearest McDonalds…all in all I walked about 12 miles that day, I was getting tired and burned because like an idiot I forgot to put on sunblock lotion. I was planning to sit at McDonalds because I had another hour and a half before I had to meet a friend but decided to make one last round around the studio.

While I was walking back to McDonalds I saw Rachel Shelley coming out the studio and getting into her car that was parked on the side of the set by the security truck. I walked by and stopped, so she could drive by me. She stopped the car and rolled down the window because she recognized me from London Convention and LA book signing that I attended this March.

She remembered me and even remembered my name. I asked her as a joke what was she doing here and she replied that she had a meeting with the director about upcoming shooting scenes. Then she asked me what was I doing here and I said that I was visiting a friend in Vancouver, having my little vacation and walking around all day because I went to see the filming location since I knew where they were filming. We chatted for a little and then I said that I like to travel for the L word events and she should not be surprised if I will pop up somewhere else while I’m in Vancouver.

After I finally met my friend we went to Moxie’s classic grill on Davie Street, where TLW was filming the Lobster dinner for episode 303. A very nice restaurant, very classy.

I took the picture of the bathroom where Alice and Dana were talking when Alice asked if Dana was happy. This place was great with nice atmosphere and a very gay friendly…maybe because Davie Street is pretty much like a Castro district in San Francisco.

Day 3 – Saturday, July 22

This day was spent with Seahurst, whom I dragged over the border using the promise to find some TLW ladies for her to see, and Giasony, another brilliant writer on this site. We walked around downtown, went to lunch at Milestone’s restaurant at the English Bay (one of the places where Jennifer Beals was spotted before), took a ferry to Granville island, which is a nice place with little shops and restaurants, open market with fresh fruits, meat, vegetables, bread, chocolate, everything your stomach desires.

We were mostly talking about fan fiction and our stories, about writing in general and I learned a lot because for the first time I actually listened instead of constantly talking.

After that Giasony had to go to work and Seahurst and I went to dinner to a nice restaurant in Yaletown, called “Rodney’s oyster house.”

In my Vancouver visiting guide “Rodney’s” was named #7 seafood place in Yaletown worth checking out. And of course our decision to eat there has nothing to do with the fact that Leisha Hailey mentioned this place as cool clam shack where the cast members like to hang out sometimes. No, this was not even mentioned.

We got there at about 7:30 pm and were seated at a lovely table upstairs, which provided us with perfect view of the entrance…in case someone famous would show up. The food was wonderful and for a moment I was enjoying my clam chowder until Seahurst frantically whispered, “I just saw Laurel Holloman and her husband going into the back room.” I quickly looked but only saw a glimpse of Laurel and her husband going in. Then about 15 minutes later Dallas Roberts walked in and went to the back room as well. In about another 15 minutes, Rachel Shelley and a male companion came in.

First they thought the party was upstairs but quickly the waitress showed them the way. That part of the restaurant was only opened on the weekends and I guess they had a little L Word party.

After awhile I went outside to make a call to a friend to pick me up because Seahurst was going back home after the dinner and I saw Dallas Roberts standing there and checking his messages, so I went up to him and talk a little about the show and also his role on “Walk the line” and how it was to work with others on that Oscar-winning show. He said that was only filming for the first couple of weeks but it was great. He also said that he is playing the guitar himself but he didn’t really studied music or anything like it. I didn’t want to bother him much but he was very nice and cute.

While I was talking to him, guess who walked by and went inside to join the party? Meredith McGeachie (Tonya)…your guess is as good as mine on why she was there. Some say that Rachel Shelley and her are very good friends and go to yoga together and she lives in Vancouver…others are hoping that maybe Tonya will be back. I don’t mind that at all…she was one of the funniest characters on the show.

Seahurst and I stayed at “Rodney’s” for almost 3 hours, ordering desserts and coffee so we can explain our presence there for so long.

My other friend arrived and wanted to stay for dinner as well so we went back in and I told the waitress that my friends came to pick me up but I told them that the food was so good that they decided to stay for dinner. They ordered food while I was drinking some lemon tea and then we saw Dallas, Meredith leaving but we never saw the others. I think the rest of them left through the back door.

Overall, it was a very good day but I was so full after my 5-hour dinner and couldn’t look at seafood for days.

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