Canada Part 1

We are now in Vancouver and staying in the Blue Horizon Hotel in the West End area which is very central to everything so it will be great for exploring. We have had a good nights sleep and are ready to go exploring.

We head down to Coal Harbour and walk along the waterfront where we see the sea planes taking off and landing in the harbour area.

Its a beautiful waterfront with a marina at one end, a park across the water called Stanley Park and the convention centre and cruise terminal at the other.

As We walk through the city it has a lovely feel, very clean, a nice mix of old and new buildings and a friendly feel, people seem relaxed and happy. Vancouver has been rated one of the best places to live for quality of life and you certainly get that feeling.

We continue our walk from the cruise terminal to Gastown which is the old part of the city and gets it name from a local character called Jack Gassy who lived in this area and would stand for hours telling stories to anyone that would listen.

In Gastown we first go to the Vancouver Lookout Tower which is 553 feet tall with a 360 observation deck at the top which gives you a great views over the city. The trip to the top is in a glass fronted elevator which whisks you to the top in 40 seconds.

After that we head further into Gastown and sit on the side of the street at one of the coffee shops and watch the world go by as we enjoy a coffee and try a slice of Maple and Walnut Cheesecake. Yummy

One the corner of the street is an interesting old clock that is powered by steam and pendulum and when it strikes it plays the Westminster Chimes and steam is released from the 5 whistles on top of the clock to play the tune.

The streets around this area have lovely old warehouse type buildings and have been converted sympathetically to keep the old character. Along the streets they have planting trees to soften the look and provide shade, the whole area has a nice atmosphere with trendy bars, cafes and shops.

At one end of the street there is a statue and plaque to the founders that named the city Vancouver and the man that this part of the city is named after.

From here we continue our walk around the city looking at some of the beautiful Art Deco buildings and the more modern ones. There is a great mix of architecture all over the city which gives the whole place character.

If you venture off the main roads and into the more residential streets you find that there are some beautifully old houses with lovely gardens. In places even the roundabouts and verges along the sidewalks have been planted up with shrubs and flowering plants to provide a tranquil and beautiful environment.

Day 2

Today we are off for a walk around Stanley Park and head to English Bay Beach to start which is a nice sandy beach on the edge of the city and only about 15 minutes away from our hotel.

We walk all around the edge of the park which is along the shoreline with some great views of the mountains in the background. Along the way we see sculptures made of pebbles on the beach, bits of driftwood, rocky outcrops, Totum Poles, a Lighthouse and a different view back towards the city as we come to the end of our 8 kilometer circular walk.

It has taken most of the afternoon and our legs are warn out so we head back to the hotel to rest, that evening we don't venture far and go just up the road for dinner.

Day 3

Today we are heading out for another walk and head to Granville Island. From this side of the city the best way to get to it is to walk down to the shoreline and catch a water taxi.

The Island is has lots of old warehouse buildings that have been converted into shops, bars and restauarants and a huge undercover market. There are many art and craft workshops making things like jewellery, wooden furniture paintings etc.

From here we walk round the island and back under the bridge and head to Kitsilano which has a great view back towards the city.

We continue on passed the Maritime Museum, through the park and and up at a lovely beach in the next bay where we have a coffee and a bite to eat. Then it's a walk back past some lovely houses and through the park passing the Museum of Vancouver and back to Granville Island.

Its been a lovely day again and we are a bit weary after all that walking so find a nice pub on the harbours edge for a few pints and enjoy the scenery.

We then take the water taxi back to the other side of the harbour and go back to our hotel. Its been another great day.

After a bit of a rest and a freshen up we head out for dinner and find a nice greek restaurant not far from our hotel.

Day 4

Today we have a lie in and breakfast before heading out to meet an old friend of Andrew's called Chris. He has invited us out on one of his boats with 6 other friends he has over from England at the moment.

We meet at the marina at the Plaza of Nations and Chris gives us a guided tour of his three boats. Today we will be going out on the middle sized one. The crew are all sorted and ready to go. Chris has arranged a buffet on board for us of cheese and biscuits, cold meats along with a choice of hot and cold drinks and beer and wine.

We head out of the marina and along the harbour seeing many of the places we have already visited whilst we have been walking around. Its great to get a different view from the water of these sites. We head out across the bay to Eagle Island which is a small private island with a marina where there are some stunning houses perched on the rocks.

We continue on heading back towards Stanley Park and into the harbour area where the cruise terminal is and closer to the city. From here we head back around Stanley Park and back into the harbour and into the marina where we started. Its been great to spend the afternoon on the water enjoying the sunshine and the lovely food and drink Chris has put on for us.

We say goodbye and walk back along the marine area taking in some more views of the harbour and nice houses and parks along the way and end up at English bay beach. We stretch out on the grass in the lovely afternoon sun and fall asleep for a while before going back to our hotel.