For The Love of Travel

 

 
Up at 5am to pack the suitcase, which needs to be left out for the bus guys by 5.30 am. Took off at 7 am to join the train at its own special station, boarding our carriage and settling into our seats. Very indulgent breakfast and lunch cooked on board and served as we rattled through lovely countryside, jumping up and rushing to the outside section to take pics of sections that interested us. We’re headed for Kamloops tonight and tomorrow, Banff.

 

This morning we had an incredibly private experience of the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park…getting there an hour ahead of the usual tourist pack. So we could wander and take in the beauty before the crowds descended! It was awesome, old soaring Douglas Firs, waterfalls and babbling river coursing through the valley.

 

Then, onto Stanley Park, over Lionsgate Bridge to see the imposing Inuit totems.

We got deposited on Granville Island and we wandered through the public market and surrounding precinct for a few hours. Found some lovely earrings, Honika’s Atlantis collection…like the underwater island of myth and legend, the iridescent and velvety blue colour is fantastic!!

Walked along the English Bay sea wall until the Inukshuk sculptures and then to photo the very entertaining laughing man sculptures a bit inland. Decided to walk back to the hotel and discovered West End, out and proudly gay friendly judging by the rainbow decoration everywhere.

 

I love Vancouver, could move here in a heart beat….got all the elements of Melbourne….food and cultural variety, water, public transport and parks….gorgeous!!

I went for a long walk from the hotel to Canada Place and experienced the Fly Over Canada visual odyssey…OMG what an experience…9 minutes of breathtaking soaring over iconic parts of Canada, filmed by a crew that love landscape. You forget you are in a theatre and really feel like a bird flying over wonderful lands….albeit at super fast speed. The Scenic Tour group of 45, all Aussies, met for a buffet dinner tonight in one of the rooms of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, where we are staying. There are a number of fun characters and some have already been earmarked as ‘trouble’. Ha ha…