Stanley Park, Vancouver

Looking towards Lion Gate Bridge. Early morning fog.

 

Siwash Rock - 32million year old sea stack

After an early start, we caught the train to Vancouver (about a 75min trip), then an electric trolley-bus to Stanley Park.  We followed the waterfront walkway, then explored some of the pathways through the forest. The park is 405 hectares and almost entirely surrounded by water - Vancouver Harbour and English Bay.
Walking around the sea wall lets you see outriggers, people fishing/running/cycling, North Vancouver, mountains, autumn colour, the imposing rock face, float planes and tugs.

Sunlight through the canopy along one of the trails.

Logs (tree trunks) washed up on the beach

John - unsure of which path to take!

Just like Copenhagen, only 'Girl in a Wetsuit'

The local wildlife - black squirrel, wood duck and beaver lodge (below)

There are a number of totem poles in the park. This unpainted one was carved by the man standing next to John. It honours his mother, the last of the First Nation people who were born and raised on the land where Stanley Park is today.



One area of Vancouver is called Gastown and was the original settlement. According to history it was named after a Yorkshire steamboat captain and barkeep called 'Gassy' Jack Deighton who arrived in 1867 to open the area's first saloon. The area went from booming port to the Skid Row of Vancouver in the Depression, but now hosts businesses, restaurants, galleries, film and art studios. Sadly many homeless people are just around the corner. It also maintains the original gas street lights and this wonderful steam clock. We were lucky enough to be there as it signalled the hour with a whistle and a release  of steam from each of its whistles -  surprisingly melodic.

We walked lots of kilometres today, but also saw many interesting things.  On the way home in the train, we managed to take this photo of the timber floating in the river, waiting to be hauled to the sawmill/woodchip mill.  As they still float logs downstream, that would explain the large number washed up along the river banks and seashores.

This will be our final posting for this holiday blog as we head home in a couple of days.  We are hoping to have another drive in Chris' MGB to lovely Fort Langley area, then have time to pack and let John mentally prepare for the long flight home.  We all know how much he loves planes!

We hope you have enjoyed reading our blog and maybe learning more about this wonderful country.  We've certainly enjoyed selecting the photos and discussing appropriate text. Cheers until our next holiday adventure.

Vancouver Island

When we arrived back at Chris' place we had a couple of days before we came across to Vancouver Island. Chris was kind enough to let us use her MG and the weather was kind enough for us to go topless. We weren't the only ones enjoying the unusually sunny day at this time of the year. We must have seen at least 30 bikes during our cruise through the forest and along the Fraser River. John also had the opportunity to ride a Harley Street Glide. This was owned by a guy who had planned a 2 day trip through part of the Rockies with John on his two Harleys. Unfortunately the travel insurance wouldn't cover 'real' bikes so sadly, John missed out on this highlight. It is what it is, says John.

We caught the float plane from the Fraser River to Vancouver Island Harbour in a Sea Otter. The flight lasted about 40 minutes, was really smooth and we were amazed at how many islands there are in the bay. (You can see the plane behind John on the left).

 We spent our first day on the island sightseeing the usual tourist spots - gardens, cathedrals, the breakwater... Although it didn't rain at times it was quite blowy and chilly (read cold), especially on the breakwater on the way to the lighthouse. John even put his rain jacket on! Still, locals will be locals and many passed us doing their lunchtime jog in shorts and t-shirts!

In one of the many lovely parks we came across this sculpture called Sleeping Beauty. In Spring she is covered in flowers, but at the moment it's mainly moss - guess she's getting ready for winter too.

 This Mile 0 marker shows the beginning of the Trans Canada Highway which runs to the easterly tip of Newfoundland.It's the world's longest national highway at 7,821km in length. We've travelled on parts of it in the West and East, but left out the longest bit in the middle.

One of the prominent landmarks in Victoria, reflecting the British background here, is the Empress Hotel. It used to be covered in vines which at this time of the year were a glorious red. sadly (for tourists anyway) the current owners have removed it. Its copper roof still creates amazement though. Like most cities Victoria has its share of monuments and statues. Along the waterfront John said 'That sculpture looks just like Stan!' It depicted a returned sailor from the war and coincidentally our good friend Stan did serve in the RAN during WWII.

 Our accommodation for our stay on Vancouver Island was in the Royal Roads University. Their grounds are picturesque with the centre piece being Hatley Castle and its gardens.
Our room in the student accommodation building wasn't as spectacular but was a very comfortable suite and provided easy access for the many walks through the gardens.

The castle was built in 1908 to look like an English Castle and has bathrooms, electricity, hot water and central heating. It was built be one of the Governors for his wife and family of 12 children. In the late 30s when they could no longer afford its upkeep, it was sold to the Canadian Government who built a Military Academy in the grounds. Eventually the University bought the property and now has about 4500 students through its doors. Most of the students are external.
They also host weddings and other functions here as well as rent the student accommodation when its available.
We fly back to the mainland tonight and weather permitting head up to Whistler in the next few days. We'll post again when we get there.

Return to Halifax

A visit to Peggy's Cove was on our agenda today. This is reported to be one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. We were the first tourist bus into this pretty area and within half an hour there were at least 15 tourist buses crammed into the parking lot.
This is a fishing village but probably earns more through tourism.



John and Euan found a local with a great pair of cods!                                            













When we arrived in the East just over a week ago, the trees were all green. Now they are dressed for autumn and apparently this time next week they could all be gone.

 A walk along the boardwalk in Halifax lead us to an art gallery with an exhibition representing Canada's history - 150 years. This Canadian lynx (left) is made from spoons and forks. Another sculpture of a bird was made from knife handles. Very impressive.
Two cruise ships were moored at the pier, which explained all the tourist buses at Peggy's Cove. There were people everywhere.

This lighthouse sits on an island in Halifax Harbour. On our first visit, it was a beautiful sunny day, but it was difficult to see it clearly. Today is overcast and strangely the view is clearer.

Seen today: Halifax City Library with a roof-top garden and coffee shop; People asking for money in the streets near the hotel; Rain and fog.

We have another day in Halifax before flying back to the west coast to recharge the batteries and do some housekeeping. This will be our last post for a few days.

Lunenburg

How's this for a glorious sunrise? This was the backdrop to breakfast this morning. Then, back on the bus (who'd have guessed it?) for a drive to Lunenburg. This area was settled by Protestant Germans who were enticed over by the British in the 1700's with promises of land, building materials and food. Their influence remains strong today.

Photos from our walking tour in Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage listed site.

On the way back to the hotel in Chester we passed through Mahone Bay, famous for its scarecrow festival (these KISS guys, above, were pretty scary) and three churches on the riverfront.

Just for colour - left.

Last day of the tour tomorrow so we will be back in Halifax tomorrow night.

Return to Nova Scotia

 We had our first wet morning today so the bus trip to the ferry and across the Bay of Fundy to Digby, was shrouded in rain and then fog. When it cleared up it turned out to be another lovely day. The ferry trip itself was quite calm which suited John who is quite prone to sea sickness.
Our first stop for the day was at the Lightfoot and Wolfville vinyards in the Annapolis Valley. Considering it was only opened in August this year, it was a very professionally presented. They had been making wine for some years but the cellar door is new.






It is quite a beautiful area and caters for indoor and outdoor seating. The fireplace, below, is stunning and when the cold weather kicks in soon, will be a real boon. They also had some novel uses for old barrels - the chair John is sitting on is made from barrel slats.

 We had some time to explore the town of Wolfville and to my surprise, look what we found...A Library Pub. How good is that?

As you would expect, the cafes here have to vie for the tourist trade with catchy signs.John loved this one.

Canadians, and especially Nova Scotians, have strong ties to France. In the 17th and 18th Centuries, French settlers (Acadians) made the Maritimes their home. They built dykes to keep the sea out and reclaimed much of the marshland. The British expelled them during the Colonial Wars, with many ending up in Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. There has been a revival of the Acadian identity with many returning to the area. This church was rebuilt on the site of the original Acadian settlement.  

After a day in the bus once again we took advantage of the scenic walks along the ocean front. It really is a beautiful part of the country.

Seen today:  Grid Iron Posts at a university sports oval; Acorns; A little Christmas tree growing on a breakwater of rocks; Sunshine; A shop called 'Wool 'n Tart' (yarn and fine food).

Heard today: "Are you two newly-weds?"
                      "No, we've been married for ages, we just like holding hands."
                      "Isn't that lovely".

PEI to Saint John, New Brunswick

Leaving the island we crossed the Confederation Bridge over Northumberland Strait. It is 13km long and cost C$1.3billion. Built in the '90's it is the world's longest bridge over icy waters. Most of the bridge is 40m above water but rises to 60m over the navigation channel.

 Lunch was lobster while cruising around Shediac Bay. The skipper gave an entertaining talk about lobster fishing, how to catch, cook and eat lobster. Once again we were fortunate to have lovely weather - warm and not a cloud in the sky.
During his talk, the skipper said lobster fishing licences are usually passed down in the family because they continue indefinitely. On the rare occasion they come up for sale they vary in price between $300 000 and $1.6M depending on the area.

People visit this area to see the 'fall' colours and once again we weren't disappointed.

 They love their lighthouses in The Maritimes (there are nearly as many white lighthouses as there are white churches). Being the end of the short lobster season in this area, all the fishermen are bringing in their pots for maintenance and storage.

 The main claim to fame of the Bay of Fundy is that it has the highest tidal range in the world - up to 16m. This is caused by the shape of the bay, which funnels the tides into narrower and shallower areas. Hopewell Rocks (pictured) were caused by tidal erosion.

 The Reversing Rapids at Saint John were also pretty interesting. According to Wikipedia, the narrow granite gorge and rocky bottom heavily restricts water-flow and creates strong rapids that flow upriver at high tide, and downriver at low tide. In the background you see a pulp and paper mill which has been built right at the tourist attraction, and did not impress the locals.

Our only sighting of a moose so far.


Seen today: 2 foxes; More colour.

Prince Edward Island Day 2

 Today we took on a local guide for a tour of PEI, as the locals call it. After a tour of the city, reliving some of its history, we headed to Cavendish and the site of one of the island's most famous homes - Green Gables. If you have read the book, 'Anne of Green Gables', then this is the home which features in the story.







The house and grounds at Green Gables are administered by Parks Canada, and the woods and forest walks bear the names of those in the story. This lovely little stream was along Lover's Lane. How romantic!
There is, of course, a gift shop in the grounds. John and a couple of the ladies have been having a running joke about his dislike of them, so they say he should open up a chain of them. As we are driving along you'll hear someone call out, 'Look John! Another gift shop'.

This is Cavendish beach, the most popular beach on the island. The redness of the soil is iron and is apparently very difficult to get out of clothing. We thought of the red Kingaroy and Maleny soil and could commiserate with them. It is a red limestone and an enterprising young man sells t-shirts he has stained with the soil, as PEI Dirt Shirts. You can buy a white shirt with a pack of dirt and the instructions on how to make your own, or buy the shirt pre-stained.




We had a stroll through the grounds of Government House and saw squirrels and this sun dial. What made this sun dial special was when we were talking to the gardeners, they joked that they reset it each day so they could knock off early. Good to see there are comedians all over the world.

It's Thanksgiving Weekend in Canada and many houses have harvest themed displays out the front - pumpkins, squash, autumn flowers and colours, scarecrows and crops. This wreath was on the front door of a house we passed on one of our walks. Huge, but beautiful.

Seen today: A cruise ship leaving town; A seagull eating a starfish; Petrol at 108.3/L; A fox; Bronze statues of people from PEI's history; Red sandstone buildings.