Day 43. Friday 30 September.

What a difference a good night’s sleep in a proper bed makes. Two totally pooped people awoke ready to discover Vancouver. We had been a little disappointed with our one day/two night introduction 6 weeks ago so were determined to discover if there was a nicer side to the city.

The day looked fantastic, ahead of forecast rain over the weekend. T suggested hiring bikes to pedal around Stanley Park, which we knew to be lovely from earlier. Travelling into town was another good bus experience: a young lady stood to offer her seat to D; another young lady did the same for an older woman; and not so young man stood for another older woman. Haven’t seen such a thing in Australia for at least 30 years!

Into the city for a coffee at Beenz, where we had enjoyed good coffee last time. It was just as good.

Two bikes hired, we were off – after walking to the park rather than chancing the traffic. T hasn’t been on a bike for a good 20 years, but as they say, once you’ve got it licked…. And with her gammy feet???? ….no real problems. 3 hours on and T suggests that since any time over 3 becomes free, and the day is so perfect, why not have some lunch and then do some more? Good plan at the time.

 

At the end of 5+ hours, will the bums & legs ever recover? What a pair of geese! What a marvelous day. What a beautiful city. And the set-up for cyclists and walkers is wonderful.

 

 

One of our many stops in the first three hours was at this collection of totems. They are a powerful message: not icons, or worshipped, but a record of family and myths. The images all have meanings (for example, and simplistically, the eagle represents the sky, the fish (whale, salmon) represents the sea r water and the animal (bear, wolf, beaver) represents the land, while the frog represents the connection between land and water. The colours are also representative: the aquamarine of the clear water and the red/umber of the earth or the cedar (from which they are carved).

 

 

The harbor has apparently been cleaned up, and it looks it. But we were not tempted to join this lass, as attractive as it appeared from the shore.

 

 

 

The inscription for this sculpture is “May this sculpture inspire laughter, playfulness and joy in all who experience it.” It did just that for us.

 

 

 

 

 

Someone had bothered to give this old lady some flowers. That gesture sums up our impression of the city.

 

 

 

 

D will top it off with the AFL grand final tonight, streamed on his laptop. T will probably be sleeping.