VICTORIA TO VANCOUVER

We are now 'experts' at the BC transit system and website so set off, with confidence, to catch the bus to Saaswach and the 10 am ferry to Vancouver but when we arrived at the port we found the 10 am was cancelled so we had a 1 hour wait for the next and the coffee machine was broken. It was another beautiful sunny day and the 90 minute ferry ride through the Gulf Islands was lovely with yet more great scenery and cost just $17.50 each (£10 ish). When we arrived at Twaseen the bus was waiting and there was an easy connection to Skytrain.

We drop our luggage off at the hotel and headed for the police museum. In Vancouver's early days there were just a few policemen with very English style uniforms but as time progressed and the prospectors and then the railway workers arrived the town became more lawless and the police force increased. There were interesting exhibits on unsolved murders, forensics, compiling computer identification profiles and some moving stories about officers killed in the line of duty, ironically one murderer studied law during his prison sentence and became a lawyer.

We went for a wander around Gastown and reacquainted ourselves with Gasey Jack's statue, (Gasey was responsible for introducing bars in town to occupy all the men who flocked into town during the gold rush days). We also saw the steam clock and we located the restaurant, Steam Works, where we were going to meet our friends Steve and Sandi for supper in the evening. I was anxious to find a route which wasn't too seedy and full of street folk when we walked back later. We had an excellent meal in Steam Works and I even enjoyed half a pint of local beer! Steam Works is a local brewer so it would have been rude not to sample the local brew! It was great catching up with Sandi and Steve who live in Vancouver but are expats and we meet them 2 years' ago when we cruised on the Danube.

We returned to the hotel and enquired if Ellie and Ross had arrived, they hadn't, so we checked BA arrivals and found their plane was delayed, apparently someone decided not to board and their luggage had to be removed. A little later we heard them and their luggage arrive (2 suitcases and 2 bikes in cases!). We did the welcoming chat (made a change to give it rather than receive it!) and made plans for tomorrow.Read more