As we leave Vancouver … we need to remember to drive on the right!

So our time in Vancouver has come to an end. We have had a great time here, although perhaps [as I mentioned before] it was a bit long. Skye is the most adorable dog with a beautiful nature, we have loved looking after her. We have walked at least a 1000 miles, and explored North Vancouver [where ‘our’ apartment is] up and down, in and out and back and forward!!

Although our photos don’t do justice to the night view, it is spectacular at night, wonderful by day (when it’s sunny!), moody with the fog and like everywhere else … miserable when it is raining. We have had a few rainy day, but they have been great for planning and we have certainly organised ourselves for the next wee while 😊

There are so many beautiful bush walks that we have done, been on the Spirit Trail many times and have been up and down in the lift to the 20th floor hundreds of times! ‘Our’ apartment here is beautiful, and has a gorgeous outlook over to downtown Vancouver, out to the east [we can actually see Mt Baker from here – it is in the USA!] and west to Lions Gate bridge. We wander down to catch the ferry, or catch a bus. Everything has been easy here, and we have loved been on the North Shore – it felt like home 🏡

Over the last few days we have been to Cypress Creek, Granville Island and we were meant to go to the Fall parade, but it was cancelled due to the inclement weather!

Cypress Creek, was an hours bus ride and then a 3km hike through some pretty spectacular forest [more than 300+ year old Cypress! trees], and yet more waterfalls. It was up hill and down dale, so while 3km doesn’t sound far … it was pretty intrepid. Colin did decided that he might pan for gold, but the water was freezing, so that thought lasted less than a minute 😂

Cypress Creek is West of Vancouver, and the housing out there was beautiful. Beautiful properties with gorgeous settings and prices well into the millions!! They do however have to contend with a bit more wildlife out there and at this time of the year they ask residents to take any fruit left of trees down, so as not to encourage bears trying to fatten themselves up for the winter.

Last Friday night we went to the Lonsdale Quay markets which was the last one for the season. We had dinner and a beer and soaked up the local atmosphere. The band playing was pretty good, although the only ones dancing were the kids! I was queueing for a beer under the mighty crane and took this pic looking up through it … it was a bit rusty in places!!

Granville Island was another of our stops, and it is a great place to visit. The food markets are wonderful and it reminded me of the markets in San Fran …

On Granville Island are the cement works and they created this art project on the giant silos … they are very cool and then there is this building – can you believe it! It really looks like this, but not this bad from the other angle!!! I am thinking that the Engineers that designed this, should have to live in it!! There was lots of quirky art around, and I am thinking that Colin could do this!

So that’s us for now. As you read this we will be driving to Whistler, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Edmonton, and Calgary. I am hoping that it won’t snow much! Maybe just enough to make it look pretty ❄️