Blogs from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, North America - page 2

Vancouver, 14 juillet De toutes les villes que j'ai visité, elle gardera toujours une place particulière. La métropole de la Colombie-Britannique, nichée au pied des montagnes sur les rivages du détroit de Géorgie, a un charme certain qui attire migrants et touristes par milliers. Malgré un coût de la vie ahurissant (le prix moyen des maisons dépasse ici le million de dollars), la grande qualité de vie que l'on y retrouve, le décor splendide, la mentalité "West Coast" (certes plus cool et écolo que l'Alberta voisine) et les nombreux attraits naturels et sportifs tout proches (la mer et la montagne, le beurre et l'argent du beurre quoi!) rendent cette ville tout simplement irrésistible. La ballade sur le seawall dans le célèbre Stanley Park nous a encore une fois comblé, avec une trempette d'orteils sur la non ... read more

I had a good sleep last night. I woke up and stripped the bed and then got the sheets into the laundry to have them washed and dried so Jeanne wouldn’t have to make the bed when I left. Quick shower and then a ‘gather everything up’ bit of time in the condo. I served Jeanne the last of her pancakes from Ricky’s and coffee with bacon. We then sat and chatted for a while. I brought up a picture taken of Jeanne when she was about five years old. That brought an exclamation and broad smile to her face! I did a few more errands for her and made sure there wasn’t anything she needed to do when I left. Then, it was time to say goodbye. I left the condo and walked down the ... read more

Chatterbox Falls; About Time We chartered “About Time”, a Catalina 425, from Cooper Boating on Granville Island, Vancouver to sail up to Catterbox Falls on the Westcoast of Canada. We drove to Vancouver on the wettest day of the year, the day Vancouver was drenched with more rain in a day than they had received all year. A strong low-pressure system in the Pacific delivered 40 knots winds from the NW. Not great for heading up the Sunshine Coast in a north westerly direction. Granville Island has an extensive market where we could gather provisions for our week-long trip. Fresh fish is a specialty. We stowed the provisions in the rain and decided to drink scotch on the boat instead of venturing out into the rain to find a restaurant. We spent a happy Friday night ... read more

Early Morning tour - English Bay English Bay is the body of water where the shores of Vancouver meet the Pacific Ocean and that is where Patrick’s tour ‘Guide’s Choice’ commenced. It was 7am and very few people about but plenty of gulls on the pebbly beach. The Stanley Park Seawall, a popular running and biking route, runs along the east side of the beach. The Silvia Hotel is an ideal place to enjoy a cocktail & watch the sunset. Virginia creeper is the ivy-like plant that covers more than half of the property. The plant is a trademark feature of the hotel and a well known landmark in the city. In 1975 the City designated the Sylvia a heritage building, ensuring its survival for many years to come. We saw an amusing sculpture ‘A-maze-ing Laughter’ ... read more

Grouse Mountain Grouse Mountain is located on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples: the Squamish, Musqueaum, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Rising 1,250 metres (4,100 feet) above Vancouver. The Mountain was named by the first recorded hikers to reach the summit in October 1894. The hardy group of hikers slogged through snow, scrambled over rock and up through the dense forest. Along the way, they hunted a Blue Grouse and honoured the plentiful game bird by calling the Peak "Grouse Mountain". In 1949 the world's first double chairlift was built, replacing a two to three hour hike from the base of the mountain. The first chairlift for The Cut was built in 1951 and, for the first time, skiers and visitors could reach the mountain in a two-stage trip. Patrick had taken the Grouse Grind ... read more