After the excitement of the previous day, we awoke to the new challenge and amusement of finding the hair dryer. We knew that one was included in the room as Nic had researched such things so that she did not have to drag her hairdryer across the Atlantic and loose valuable pounds of baggage allowance.
It was not in the draws near the mirror, nor was it in any of the units in the bedroom, the units under the TV, the units under by the fridge and microwave or in any of the cupboards we had located and searched the previous day on the great ‘Rembrandt’ hunt.
Figuring we had been diddled we called reception, who helpfully informed us that it was located in the hot and steamy bathroom along with a plug and mirror with which to use it. Of course it was, why would a high current electrical device be stored anywhere else?!
It was moved to the mirror in the main room away from the steam water and risk of imminent death.
Leaving the hotel, I turned left to head to the breakfast place we had spied the previous evening.
“No” says Nic, “I have a place in mind, down near Canada Place.”
“But that one is just here and Canada Place is miles away!” I objected more for form than any belief that I would change her mind as she had already marched off. We were going right.
Our route took us through Vancouver along streets that did not offer any kind of repast at all, so I could not even ambush this decision with well placed ‘Oh that place looks nice’.
Eventually we can out to the road where you would find Canada place, where you also find a very magnificent building that is related to the railroad. This had tables outside, but was only serving coffee.
My tummy was proper rumbling by now and we continued to find this ‘in mind eatery’ which was doing a very good job of a hairdryer and hiding from out. We found a McDonalds, which I refuse to eat in when in another country unless I am seriously hung over. After all, we have a ton of that particular burger factory in England, why travel over four and a half thousand miles to eat in just another golden arches?!
After hunting some more and by now han-ger is settling in we found the ‘in mind’ eatery, however it was closed and not due to open until just before lunch, when they served a gourmet ‘all day’ breakfast.
Now a kind and caring husband would not give his loving and adoring wife a hard time over this little set back and although I am indeed kind and caring to my beloved, I was also hungry and little weary from the all the walking on an empty stomach.
From that point, every eatery we walked past that was closed or that we could not get in to (a particularly nice looking pancake place that had a 20 minute wait was one) got the comment “Well there was one just opposite the hotel”
I know! I am a child…but Nic does give as good as she gets.
Eventually, having been wandering the streets of Vancouver for over an hour and a half, we found a coffee shop that looked like it did food and I hit my first language barrier of the trip.
Above the coffee bar was a sign that advertised the various offerings on a food, however they were in a language I did not understand. Now I am already fatigued and I just wanted to sit down for a minute but the lady behind the bar, who just seemed to be able to repeat what I was saying back to me and clearly did not understand that I just wanted to identify what it was I was about to order, was really getting on my wick.
It turned out the language in question was Italian, but the words they were using to describe the various types of food on offer were completely foreign to me. Now, I am educated and know that an ‘Insalata’ is a salad of raw vegetables, but seriously, I had never heard of it before.
Nic, spying my frustration packs me off outside to a table in the street to steer off an impending altercation.
When she joined me, I was told that I must enjoy the sandwich and coffee as the cost of it was a lot more than we thought it should have been. By now I was just relieved to be sat down and able to remove my glasses from my sweaty face as I tucked into my overpriced toastie, mentally noting that I should not forget my glasses as they were the same colour as the metal tabletop.
Sat on the street, were able to people watch for a bit and it became apparent why our particular coffee shop was overpriced, as it turned out that we were obviously in a more affluent area. The shopping bags that were walking past seemed to be more designed as a fashion accessory and a platform to proudly display a brand name. While the dogs that walked past were tiny and had their own outfits. Well, I say they walked past, they had been outfitted with rime stone studded collars and leads but seemed to have to be carried everywhere. Take your dog for a walk and get an RSI in your elbow!
Leaving the table on the sidewalk we headed off, past a rather fancy looking hotel and even fancier looking cars, and down some steps, which lead to more steps, which in turn lead to more steps..it was actually about 6 flights of steps in total in a straight line, each broken by a couple of meter landing. Why it was steps I don’t know, it could have been a very long slope.
We are now beside the river and can watch the various sea planes that are doing tours of the harbour, landing and taking off. In the distance we could see the massive bright yellow pile of sulphur that was in a quarry on the other side and we came a upon a lovely water feature, where a small child played happily amongst the fountains.
Grabbing the new camera (I don’t think I mentioned the camera yet, I will come back to it!) I went to remove my glasses so looked down the view finder to commit to digital card some of the visual memories unfolding around me. However, my glasses were not on my face.
“Where are you glasses?” Nic asked, noticing my predicament.
“I took them off at the coffee place.” I replied, knowing exactly where they were as I had made a mental note not to forget them.
And so it was that I was left alone with the fountains, the seaplanes and the camera, whilst my much younger and fitter wife, walked back up the promenade, up the endless steps that should have been a slope and though the streets of swanky town Vancouver to retrieve my ocular disability aids.
So ages ago, back when myself and Nic were at the beginning of our journey together, we had got into the habit of going to motor racing events. At these events, we enjoyed taking pictures of the fast cars and struggled with a cheap camera.
And so, as a sign of my affection I procured (with consultation) our first SLR digital camera, which had served us well. More recently, our picture taking requirements had changed and after a good 15 years or so on the job our old SLR was due for an upgrade.
So, for her birthday I had procured (with consultation) a much new all in one digital camera, which had a massive zoom and this holiday was its first outing in anger.
So in my alone time caused by leaving my glasses, I amused myself with taking pictures of the planes and passing paddle steamers for a sitting position by the fountains. Unfortunately, the constant stream of pedestrian, cycle and scooter traffic, did mean that I had to move to get the shots I wanted.
After about 30 to 40 minutes are so, my glasses returned to me and fortunately they brought Nic along with them and after a brief rest (I was knackered from taking all the photos!) we continued our promenade along the promenade.
The marina in Vancouver is a very nice place to be, and if you like boats, then doubly so as they sure had a lot of those.
Several boats had been converted into restaurants, which all looked nice but had to be pricey as you the menus at the top of their gangways had no prices on them. Plus, there was a wide assortment of pleasure craft, some of them very large and would not have looked out of place on the Cote D’Azur while others looked like the kind of thing that you would use on the Norfolk Broads.
The shops in the area sold boats and boating equipment or served bars and restaurants but all of this was set against the majestic glass and steel of the Vancouver skyline.
Things of note as we wandered a boat that was named ‘Essex Girl’. A glass bottomed canoe that bemused me at the time but on hindsight makes perfect sense. A woman tottering in heels carrying a very nice-looking cake. A boat that had three engines on the back but was way smaller than its neighbours. A rather cool looking ‘taxi boat’ that appeared to have leather seats and a BBQ on board and a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ toddler that we allowed to get in front to better watch his antics…or was it to get away.
Additionally, when trying out the new camera settings on running water shoots with some convenient waterfalls (how we stopped to avoid the rather petulant child), we got photo bombed by a woman on push bike.
Walking our from the marina we entered Stanley Park and straight away we found ourselves on a wonderful lake with some cute ducklings. It was spitting now, but it was quite warm so we did not mind and slowly worked our way around this lake, expecting to come out in the shop and café area of Stanley Park, as that is what the signage had indicated.
Like other times that we had chosen to navigate ourselves, this again was not the case and although the walk around the lake was most pleasant, it appeared to be never-ending and at one point was marred by a foreboding that the path circled the lake and we would end up where we started.
We were saved though by a huge terrapin, or rather the break in the path just after we had seen the oversized miniature turtle. It turns out that the terrapin or rather a group of terrapins had grown to large for their terrapin tank and had been released into the large, where they had thrived and consequently confused the dumb tourists who had really did not expected to see one there. (Actually, dumb tourists may not notice that the creatures were out of place in fairness)
Anyway, the path saved us from a round trip around the lake and showed us a route to salvation, well anyway it took us the the water park, which was on the wrong side of Stanley Island from where we had thought that the we were. Technically, we had walked across the front of the park, which was fine as we now had our bearings back.
Ironically, in doing the after holiday fact checking to write all this up, I have discovered that the name of the circular lake that steered us wrong with its signage is called the ‘Lost Lagoon’.
The water park or more accurately the café complex near it, provided a much needed place for bladder release and we continued upon our way striking North into Stanley Park.
Now Stanley Park is huge, we have been there twice now and still not seen all of it. Within is confines are a number of attractions including a railway and an aquarium, both of which we have never seen. To walk the perimeter of Stanley Park is about 10 km and within that loop you would find numerous trails through the gorgeous forest which is mostly divorced from the tourist areas.
The coastal path we were taking, which would loop back to the marina we had been in been in earlier if we stayed on it for the 8 km that journey would take, still had warning signs on it, announcing the correct procedure of what you should do if you encountered coyote.
On this occasion, we knew our destination as we planned to lunch at the ‘Tea House in Stanley Park’, an eatery we had discovered on our last visit.
The path we walked was high in human traffic, with multiple families walking, biking, scooting or running around what was obviously a popular route. We took frequent stops, not just because my overweight and out of shape form needed a rest but also to remove ourselves from the bubble of other people’s conversations. You may hear that Americans are loud (and they are), but in the otherwise peaceful and idyllic setting their Canadian cousins could give them a run for their money.
And so we sauntered content and for once not worried about being lost until we eventually came up the steps that lead up to the Tea House. On the beach below the steps we spied a bridal couple having their pictures taken and thought what a wonderful place it would be to get married. Then we arrived at the Tea House and found out that was where the wedding party was.
Although they could not seat us straight away, which may have been due to the fact that the outside area we had dined in previously was not set up, we would only have to wait about 45 minutes. I am not sure if the outside was closed because of the season we were there or not, but it struck me as odd that they were not employing an outside resource during COVID times, but they could just of as easily been down on staff for the same reason.
Anyway, we go to rest on Ferguson Point, which I would guess is a local romance hot spot. What with the wedding and Nic had spotted a couple getting engaged as well. We had witnessed an engagement on our last trip as well, but this had been on the top of a mountain. If we get another one when we go back again, then I will be worried.
Eating at the Tea House was just as good and as we remembered and I treated myself to a little cocktail. The staff of course loved us, especially as we were from the UK and had previously been to their establishment, however I noted they did not love us enough to give us a free drink.
Stuffed and being told to triple check that I had my glasses, now was the time to head back to the hotel, which was about 5 km away by a direct route, that would be if Taylor Tours did not take the scenic route.
After backtracking down the coastal path to the water centre, we continued south following the path along English Bay, until we got more central to the city. The seafront along English Bay is very reminiscent of an British seafront, at least in the design of the buildings. We stopped for an ice cream (this was at least 2 km from having eaten before you get ‘judgey’ on us).
By now we were four steps over being weary and probably still 3 km away from the hotel, up hill.
At some point on the walk back my brain started shutting down the bits of my body that I did not need to do anything other than put one foot in front of the other as we made our way back to Downtown Vancouver.
We stopped at a mini market and Nic grabbed some sandwiches to eat in the room as neither of us could face the idea of anymore walking and basically crashed.
Day two we had walked over 12 km and both of us were feeling more than a little broken.