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Published: March 30th 2017
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Days 158 to 165 of 165
Yes, these are the last few days of an incredible 6 months of travel.
We are starting to write this blog whilst in the middle of our time in Vancouver in the hope that we can finish it just before or shortly after we arrive home, due in 2 days.
As we said in the previous blog we have arrived in Vancouver to around 6°C, and rain - rain forecast for most of our time here. But, regrettably no snow, not here at ground level.
We are told that this weather is not normal for Vancouver. This time last year the temps were around the 20s, but despite the rain and cool the place is like an English spring with flowers out everywhere - daffodils, forsythia, crocus, tulips budding, early shoots of hosta and paeony. They even have a large cherry blossom festival starting on April 1, but apparently the blossoms are a week or more behind normal.
Vancouver is an easy city to walk around. They reckon around 40 mins end to end, 20 min across, though isn't it just our luck that one place we want to visit,
the Anthropology Museum, would be a nearly 3 hour walk if we were to walk it, which we won't.
First call was Granville Market, situated on Granville Island on which it turns out there is a very active craft and artisan community too - dozens of shops selling all sorts of products. One in particular which caught our eye was a shop selling artisan-made broom brushes, in all sizes. They were delightful but we couldn't fit one in our luggage - nor could we fly one home either, a la Harry Potter ?
We did do some food shopping though in the market. So much choice.... In the end we settled on some air dried elk, and bison, and venison pate and some local cheese for a meal that evening. Some sockeye salmon ( plus 2 fresh scallops for Paul which cost as much as the salmon ) for Sunday, and some grass-fed Alberta beef for Monday.
Shopping completed we went on to the Pacific Space Museum. As a museum it wasn't up to much, just 1 exhibition hall, very dated, several of the interactive exhibits not working. We took in the included planaterium show and that
was, at best, OKish, the graphics weren't great though, somewhat fuzzy.
The visit was saved though by going to the 'Newton's Three Laws' demo theatre. Not because of the inherent lecture(er) but because of Bentley - the type of 5 year old who should have his own TV show. About 15 mins in the lecturer said "I will need 2 volunteers" and quicker than most kids took to put their hand up Bentley was on the stage....from the back row.....uninvited. And such a bundle of fun when there. Best entertainment we've had in weeks.
Then just a cute 'ferry' back to our side, a bit like those little tug boats we used to play with as children, straight out of Enid Blyton!
Following day just a gentle meander around the opposite side of town, including the Olympic cauldron from the 2010 Olympics. And a beautiful art deco building, the Marine Building.
Took a minibus tour up to Whistler. Some great scenery on the way along the Sea To Sky Highway, especially the Shannon Falls around 1000 foot and pretty impressive. Whistler itself was a typical lots-of-money ski resort, with good ski -in/lift-out access at the end
of its main street. The slopes looked fairly busy but we couldn't see that far up because of the cloud cover. Shame.
It turned out that our driver, Joe, from Leicester, worked as a driver for the Vancouver film industry for several years. Their film and TV industry is massive, bigger than Hollywood and Bollywood combined, and he reeled off programmes and films galore that were filmed locally: Kindergarten Cop, Mission Impossible......
Next day, surprise surprise, still raining, harder than before in fact. We made our way to the Museum of Anthropology, inconveniently situated about 6 mlies from city centre at the university. This museum is stuffed to the rafters with exhibits, many of the display cases have multiple drawers to open. One of those places that would take days if you tried to read everything. Some great Inuit & First Nations art.
Then in the evening we went to a National Hockey League match - Vancouver Canucks vs Anaheim Ducks, so Canada vs USA, but it wasn't much of a contest. The Ducks are vieing for league leadership, the Canucks are laguishing. And it showed. 2 Ducks goals in the first 90 seconds pretty much sealed
it, and 4-1 final score. Pip likened it to watching Wolves - lots of pointless and poor passing, close but not quite attempts, lacklustre.... However, as expected, the surroundings and set up was great. 'American' sport - never knowingly understated!
Today, ha-ha, still raining. Nearby is Stanley Park, regularly claimed to be the best public park in the world. It is pretty nice even in the rain, but we're sure it would have been nicer if we could have sat occasionally and admired it, but not in this weather. The formal beds were immaculate. We guess the apprentices do a lot of weeding! Lots of beautiful mature red cedar & Douglas fir, the odd squirrel ( not in the queer kind of way, just lonely!) & so many joggers, even in the pouring rain.
This evening we are blowing out at one of Vancouver's finest restaurants - Blue Water Cafe. Fish based, and was really, really good.
But check out the star trek controls in the ladies loos!!
Tomorrow we set off home. Lunchtime flight to Toronto, 2 hours then on to Gatwick. Lunchtime train to Totnes, quick shop and bus to home.
6 months.
Really?
Thank you everyone for looking in on us.
Here's to the next one.........
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