Hilary
There's always something new to learn!
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2000
- Messages
- 6,483
The adventurers:
Me - Trip organiser and planner. Subject to sudden bouts of insanity when activities such as white water rafting sound like a good idea and the book now button gets pressed before the brain fully engages. Always on the look-out for laundry facilities.
DH - Has two main hobbies of angling and eating out. Lone male of the group who is happy to go along with whatever has been arranged for him as long as it fits around his fishing trip(s) and meals. Always on the look-out for next restaurant.
DD1 - (18) Wary of her mothers rash decision to book any activities more hazardous than painting fingernails, but is looking forward to the trip before coming home to face her A level results.
DD2 - (14) Very laid back about the whole trip. Has been saving up to pay for a tandem paragliding trip as seen on one of the web-sites (but not booked by her mother)!
Vancouver
Friday, July 25th
The weekend before we were due to fly to Vancouver, BAs check-in staff went on strike and we heard reports of some passengers being left stranded at the airport for days before they could be found seats on other flights. I tried not to worry, but it was difficult not to imagine the gloss being stripped from our Big Adventure if we were going to be spending half of it sampling nothing more adventurous than Heathrows Terminal 4.
It was with great relief, then, that we found ourselves airborne only a few minutes later than scheduled and we were really on our way.
It was a long and fairly tedious flight, but I didnt feel I had anything to grumble about in view of the troubles other passengers had experienced only a few days previously. BA had no record (why wasnt I surprised?) of our seating requests or our vegetarian meals, but the cabin crew were very helpful and gave me a complaints form to submit (I hadnt asked for one), even though they managed to find us vegetarian meals from somewhere!
We arrived in Vancouver to a heat-wave, but we were too exhausted to worry about that on our first evening. Vancouver airport was very impressive clean, modern and full of native artwork and attractive decorations. Things were looking good! We took a taxi to our hotel, unpacked toothbrushes and pyjamas and then went in search of food any food before collapsing into bed at around 9pm Vancouver time, but more like 5am to our UK bodies. Culturally stimulating it wasnt, but at least the McDonalds was easy to find, and we knew there would be something on the menu to suit us all! And so to bed ..
Saturday, July 26th
Next morning, I was (predictably) wide awake and raring to go by 5am, and we were all ready to head down to breakfast at 7am. We filled up on the impressive spread (i.e. stuffed ourselves stupid) and then set off to explore Vancouver. We had decided to take the Sea Bus over to North Vancouver and enjoyed the twenty-minute trip across the harbour to Lonsdale Market. It was very quiet here and we were able to have a good look around and make an early start on the souvenir shopping. The stalls selling seafood and fruits were all well-stocked and looked very appetising - we would have bought up half the market if wed had cooking facilities at the hotel! By the time we were ready to leave, a few hours later, it had become pretty busy and we headed back on a fairly empty Sea Bus, watching the crowds spilling off the bus coming in.
The heat was beginning to get to us and we found somewhere air-conditioned for lunch before going back to the hotel for a short rest and to write some early postcards. Then we walked towards the Gastown district to see the gas-operated clock chiming like Big Ben, and made our way to Chinatown for a meal. We had maps, and knew where we were heading and that it wasnt far, but before too long I became aware of a few down-and-outs here and there, and then saw a group of about 30 or 40 of them all standing on a street corner about 100 yards further in the direction we were heading.
I called out to DH, who was striding ahead, and tried to indicate my concerns without actually saying too much to draw attention to ourselves. We must have stood out like a sore thumb anyway a tourist family with two teenage daughters walking up a back-street but I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and just wanted to turn around and get out of there. DH quickly cottoned on and we tried to look as casual as we could whilst scurrying away, back in the direction from which wed just come!
We found a very nice place to eat, not in Chinatown, and then went back to the hotel.
Sunday, July 27th
The following morning we were crossing the water again this time on a water taxi to an area south of downtown called Granville Island. This area is also full of shops and market stalls and there were some street entertainers, a bit like Covent Garden at home. As we were in our taxi back to the hotel we saw the marina, which DH would have liked to explore, but hadnt discovered whilst we were there.
After lunch we went to Stanley Park which occupies the tip of the downtown peninsular. We got the park bus to take us round the perimeter road and stopped at Preservation Point to take in the views and watched some racoons feeding on scraps. Because it was so hot, DH had taken his swimming things with him in the hope of taking a dip in the open-air pool in the park. Once he saw it, he changed his mind it was full of toddlers and surrounded by families picnicking! I dont think he would have stood much chance of doing a couple of lengths of front crawl in amongst that lot
! The park was more extensive than I had imagined, and most of it was uncultivated, giving a lot of welcome shade from the sun, but it was still uncomfortably hot in the heat of the afternoon.
We had to wait quite a while to find a taxi back to the hotel (it was too hot to want to walk) because Vancouver had been home to the Molsen-Indy races this weekend and the taxis were all being held up by the diversions created.
After last nights mistake trying to walk to Chinatown, we asked at the hotel front desk whether there was a better way to get there. The clerk said he wouldnt advise going there after dark at all especially with the girls! He explained that it was a tourist attraction because of the architecture and culture, but not really somewhere for tourists to eat. Enough said. We ate instead at the hotel restaurant, and had a really good meal.
I attempted some packing, ready for moving on tomorrow, but soon gave up and went to bed instead there would be plenty of time for that in the morning.
footnote: I restrained myself from even asking about laundry facilities at this first hotel, and hadn't yet suffered any withdrawal symptoms.
Me - Trip organiser and planner. Subject to sudden bouts of insanity when activities such as white water rafting sound like a good idea and the book now button gets pressed before the brain fully engages. Always on the look-out for laundry facilities.
DH - Has two main hobbies of angling and eating out. Lone male of the group who is happy to go along with whatever has been arranged for him as long as it fits around his fishing trip(s) and meals. Always on the look-out for next restaurant.
DD1 - (18) Wary of her mothers rash decision to book any activities more hazardous than painting fingernails, but is looking forward to the trip before coming home to face her A level results.
DD2 - (14) Very laid back about the whole trip. Has been saving up to pay for a tandem paragliding trip as seen on one of the web-sites (but not booked by her mother)!
Vancouver
Friday, July 25th
The weekend before we were due to fly to Vancouver, BAs check-in staff went on strike and we heard reports of some passengers being left stranded at the airport for days before they could be found seats on other flights. I tried not to worry, but it was difficult not to imagine the gloss being stripped from our Big Adventure if we were going to be spending half of it sampling nothing more adventurous than Heathrows Terminal 4.
It was with great relief, then, that we found ourselves airborne only a few minutes later than scheduled and we were really on our way. It was a long and fairly tedious flight, but I didnt feel I had anything to grumble about in view of the troubles other passengers had experienced only a few days previously. BA had no record (why wasnt I surprised?) of our seating requests or our vegetarian meals, but the cabin crew were very helpful and gave me a complaints form to submit (I hadnt asked for one), even though they managed to find us vegetarian meals from somewhere!
We arrived in Vancouver to a heat-wave, but we were too exhausted to worry about that on our first evening. Vancouver airport was very impressive clean, modern and full of native artwork and attractive decorations. Things were looking good! We took a taxi to our hotel, unpacked toothbrushes and pyjamas and then went in search of food any food before collapsing into bed at around 9pm Vancouver time, but more like 5am to our UK bodies. Culturally stimulating it wasnt, but at least the McDonalds was easy to find, and we knew there would be something on the menu to suit us all! And so to bed ..
Saturday, July 26th
Next morning, I was (predictably) wide awake and raring to go by 5am, and we were all ready to head down to breakfast at 7am. We filled up on the impressive spread (i.e. stuffed ourselves stupid) and then set off to explore Vancouver. We had decided to take the Sea Bus over to North Vancouver and enjoyed the twenty-minute trip across the harbour to Lonsdale Market. It was very quiet here and we were able to have a good look around and make an early start on the souvenir shopping. The stalls selling seafood and fruits were all well-stocked and looked very appetising - we would have bought up half the market if wed had cooking facilities at the hotel! By the time we were ready to leave, a few hours later, it had become pretty busy and we headed back on a fairly empty Sea Bus, watching the crowds spilling off the bus coming in.
The heat was beginning to get to us and we found somewhere air-conditioned for lunch before going back to the hotel for a short rest and to write some early postcards. Then we walked towards the Gastown district to see the gas-operated clock chiming like Big Ben, and made our way to Chinatown for a meal. We had maps, and knew where we were heading and that it wasnt far, but before too long I became aware of a few down-and-outs here and there, and then saw a group of about 30 or 40 of them all standing on a street corner about 100 yards further in the direction we were heading.
I called out to DH, who was striding ahead, and tried to indicate my concerns without actually saying too much to draw attention to ourselves. We must have stood out like a sore thumb anyway a tourist family with two teenage daughters walking up a back-street but I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and just wanted to turn around and get out of there. DH quickly cottoned on and we tried to look as casual as we could whilst scurrying away, back in the direction from which wed just come!We found a very nice place to eat, not in Chinatown, and then went back to the hotel.
Sunday, July 27th
The following morning we were crossing the water again this time on a water taxi to an area south of downtown called Granville Island. This area is also full of shops and market stalls and there were some street entertainers, a bit like Covent Garden at home. As we were in our taxi back to the hotel we saw the marina, which DH would have liked to explore, but hadnt discovered whilst we were there.
After lunch we went to Stanley Park which occupies the tip of the downtown peninsular. We got the park bus to take us round the perimeter road and stopped at Preservation Point to take in the views and watched some racoons feeding on scraps. Because it was so hot, DH had taken his swimming things with him in the hope of taking a dip in the open-air pool in the park. Once he saw it, he changed his mind it was full of toddlers and surrounded by families picnicking! I dont think he would have stood much chance of doing a couple of lengths of front crawl in amongst that lot
! The park was more extensive than I had imagined, and most of it was uncultivated, giving a lot of welcome shade from the sun, but it was still uncomfortably hot in the heat of the afternoon.We had to wait quite a while to find a taxi back to the hotel (it was too hot to want to walk) because Vancouver had been home to the Molsen-Indy races this weekend and the taxis were all being held up by the diversions created.
After last nights mistake trying to walk to Chinatown, we asked at the hotel front desk whether there was a better way to get there. The clerk said he wouldnt advise going there after dark at all especially with the girls! He explained that it was a tourist attraction because of the architecture and culture, but not really somewhere for tourists to eat. Enough said. We ate instead at the hotel restaurant, and had a really good meal.
I attempted some packing, ready for moving on tomorrow, but soon gave up and went to bed instead there would be plenty of time for that in the morning.
footnote: I restrained myself from even asking about laundry facilities at this first hotel, and hadn't yet suffered any withdrawal symptoms.
LOL
No laundry
