West End

As predicted, it was a long travelling day from Tofino to Vancouver. We were booked on the 5.45pm ferry from Nanaimo to Tsawasswen, the ferry terminal south of Vancouver. We had to allow plenty of time because of the engineering works en route that we were caught by on Friday. Monday was a Bank Holiday in Canada (the Canada Day weekend) and so every berth was booked and we couldn’t run the risk of missing our slot. As it happened we were very early and had to kill some time. I decided to make a study of people wearing shorts and did I think anyone passed muster?! I’m sorry to say apart from the youngsters, there was only one gentleman that reached the standard. One lady came close, until one took into account the bright blue and orange flamingo socks that knocked her off her perch. Seriously the shorts look is only for the very few!
The ferry takes 2 hours to cross the water to the mainland and the Coastal Mountains that are the backdrop to the city loom ever larger, still snow topped. We delivered the hire car to the airport and took a taxi to our hotel arriving at 8.30pm. A long day.
This morning we had booked a tour of the city to give us a flavour and we’ve had a great day. Vancouver is not quite as glitzy as Toronto, although there are plenty of glass and steel skyscrapers. Personally, I think it is more attractive with its differing districts, lots of parks and greenery, plus the mountain backdrop and water all around. I can see why Captain George Vancouver, a King’s Lynn born lad, claimed the area for Britain in 1792, having found the superb natural harbour. He named it Burrard after one of his companions and it was only later that the city was renamed after Captain Vancouver himself. There is a statue of him outside City Hall in North Vancouver, as there is also one on the Purfleet Quay, outside the King’s Lynn Custom House. We had a comprehensive look around, through the harbour and waterfronts, the old Gastown and saw the old steam clock strike the hour! There is a spectacular new Public Library built out of red sandstone to resemble the Coliseum in Rome. It is quite a sight and apparently has a very beautiful garden on the roof! We had a good look at Stanley Park, a promontory surrounded on three sides by water. It is four square kilometres and named after an early governor; a semi-wild wilderness in the middle of the city, with an aquarium, lost lagoon, botanic gardens and three beaches. It is a fabulous open public space for the city. We moved on to walk the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Set over a gorge and built entirely of wood and now steel cables this was the brainchild of a logger who needed access to the other side of the gorge and so devised this rickety bridge. It’s bad enough now, but must have been a nightmare then! We made it over and back and the darned thing jumps around all over the place gleefully helped, of course, by the youngsters. On our return I overheard a Grandma say to her grandson of about 8, ‘Now just stop all that jumping, we’ll be late for the dentist!’ Life goes on and whilst for us it was a once in a lifetime experience, for others it has to fitted in amongst the routine of life. We finished the day on Granville Island, for a quick snapshot and to where we will definitely return.
To be continued…Read more