Canada part 2...

Well, we arrived in Vancouver, and took a taxi to the Marriott Pinnacle hotel. What we hadn’t appreciated was that this hotel had 35 floors, and the top 4 floors were residential. We were then told that we had a room on the 31st floor! We were on the top level that guests were allowed to use, so for me, we were on the penthouse level! Fantastic views of downtown Vancouver. We were also only 2 blocks from Canada Place, which is where the huge ships dock ready for the Alaskan cruises. We spent some beautiful sunset evenings there, sipping cappuccino at a local Starbucks, and watching the world go by. I know John is handsome, but he actually got propositioned (by a guy!) whilst we were drinking coffee at an outside table! I just sat next to him, gobsmacked!

One day we travelled across Vancouver bay and travelled up in another cable car, this time up to Grouse Mountain. Had great fun watching a very funny lumberjack show, and watching a fantastic bird of prey show, with the Rockies as a backdrop for a soaring Peregrine Falcon. It was there that I realised what fantastic weather we were having, when a lady commented to me about catching the sun “which must be hard for you redheads”! I am in fact brunette (with a few highlights!), but the sun had bleached my hair quite a lot.

Anyway, having sampled the delights of Granville Island’s amazing food market, and Gastown (very touristy, but good fun), it was off to Vancouver Island by coach and ferry. Life settled into a very sedate pace, and we stayed at the lovely Royal Scot hotel. Really friendly – kind of place where there is an automatic sheet-turning-down service at night, and they leave wrapped chocolates on the pillows! We read and walked by the exquisite Inner Harbour, and slowed right down, maximising the “resting” bit of the holiday, before flying over to San Francisco. Very different pace of life, and some real eye-openers.

I’ll try to download some more pics of the story so far, before I bore you rigid with the final installment….