A Capital Adventure

Thursday 24 April

Early start today.  We're off to the capital of British Columbia Provence.  The city of Victoria is located on Vancouver Island and is only accessible by sea or air.  It is located about 100 km from the city of Vancouver.  As yet there are no bridges from the mainland to Vancouver Island.

We had to get a train, bus, ferry and bus.  All very easy.  The train station where we had to start our journey is located about 5 minutes away from our apartment and was the longest distance we had to walk to get to where we were going.  We left our apartment at 7.00 am to catch the train at about 7.15 am.  Everything from there fell into place.  We only had to wait for about 10 minutes for the bus to leave for the ferry and about 30 minutes at the ferry terminal. 

The ferry trip was the longest, taking about an hour and a half from embarkation to disembarkation.

The Ferry from Tsawwassen (Vancouver) to Swartz Bay (Vancouver Island)

We were allowed to board at about 8.30 am.  It took just on half an hour to load all the vehicles and we were away from the wharf at just after 9.00 am which was the advertised departure time.  The ferry had 2 decks for cars and trucks and 2 decks for pasengers.

Very interesting scenery as we were not out of sight of land the whole way.  We even saw a pod of whales but I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a really good shot.

Orca seen from the ferry (They don't pose very well for you.)

Deb booked us into a hotel for our stay in Victoria.  Nice room, good view and not too expensive.  The one next door was twice as expensive.  I have included pictures of both.

Hotel Grand Pacific

Days Inn Victoria Vancouver Island (Where we stayed)

Victoria and it's surrounds are set up for the tourist with bicycle type taxis and horse drawm carriages to take the tourist on guided tours. 

We had a good walk around and then went to a castle that had been recommended to us.  It wasn't in fact a castle but an 8 bedroom family home that had been built in the late 1800's.  It has been restored magnificently.

Craigdarroch Castle

Drawing Room in Craigdarroch Castle

It was well worth the effort to get there.  We had to get a bus there and then walk up a hill. One thing I will say about the Canadians they are extremely helpful and are always ready to tell you where to go.  We were standing on a corner in Victoria looking at a map and one of the locals came up and asked us if they could be of assistance.  Really nice people.

In our travels we came across some friends that were happy to have their picturse taken with us.

Den's Friend

Deb's Friend

There was a busker playing a violin who I thought looked familiar.

What Darth Vader does in his retirement

We have found a lot of old buildings that are no longer used for their initial purpose are being used for other things but retaining their original character at much as possible.  Deb and I went out to a restaurant that was originally a steamship terminal.  A lot of the original mouldings on the ceilings and walls were still in place and the paint scheme was in character as well. ( and our dinner was delicious!)

Friday 25 April

Only have this morning in Victoria as we have to catch the 2.00 pm ferry which means we have to catch the bus at 12.45 pm.  We have decided to have a look at the Provincial Parliament building and the British Columbia Museum.  Both have been recommended..

The parliament building is quite a structure having been built in the late 1800's with all the opulence   associated with those times.  It seems that the Canadians have a similar problem with government filing system as most governments.  A stained glass window commemorating Queen Victoria's 60 years on the throne was taken down and put in storage while some additions were taking place and was forgottten for 62 years.

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Window (Lost for 62 years)

From what I can gather there is only one House of Parliament and there are 85 MP's for the Provence of British Columbia.

Just across the road is the Museum of British Columbia.  A really large modern building that has some extremely interesting exhibits.  The first one we walked into was of pre-history.  British Columbia was an area where Wooly Mammoths roamed and there was a full size exhibit.

Wooly Mammoth. 

They also have an area set up like an old town giving an insight into what life was like in the 1800's.

Street view inside the BC Museum

It was a nice place to to have a look through and fitted into our timetable.  We were able to get a bus to the ferry terminal very close to the museum.

Back to Vancouver for dinner with Karen and Ian.  I intended to go to an Anzac Day service held here in the evening but didn't feel up to it.

Saturday 26 April.

Quietish day today.  Went to the pictures with Ian and Karen to see Captain America - The Winter Soldier.  I don't think I would have picked it myself but did enjoy it.  

On our way home from the pictures we dropped into the Vancouver City Library.  7 levels of books. 

View looking at the front of Vancouver City Library

View of the undercover area at the front of the library.

There are shops and coffee shops under cover outside the library.  You could get your books, go outside and have a coffee and a read.

We went out for dinner to a place on the other side of town.  Train and then a walk.  This place has I don't know how many beers on tap.  Ian and Karen shared a selection of beers on what was on like a paddle, I had a Red truck Lager and Deb had a very pale ale.

The meals over here are quite big.  I don't think I have actually finished one off.  Deb and I are actually sharing a meal most lunches when we are out because we can't eat all that is dished up to us.  These meals were no exception with both of us not finishing.  As a matter of course most places offer to pack up what is left for you to take home.

Sunday 27 April

Today Karen and Ian took us to Deep Cove.  I'm not sure what you would call it, a suburb or village.  It has the feel of a village but we went through built up areas to get there.  It seems to be a place of water sports as there are places where you can rent kayaks and paddle boards.  To me  the water looked cold so I think it would be a great incentive not to fall off your paddle board or roll your kayak.

View looking from the Main Street of Deep Cove.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Patrol Boat Deep Cove (Notice the horse silouete on the side of the cabin)

Typical Roof Cladding on Houses in Vancouver (Looks like timber shingles) 

There were a number of streams flowing down the hillside above the houses in Deep CoveThis one looked good because the driveway went over the top of the stream.

Not a Bad View to Wake Up To 

We went back to Karen and Ian's apartment for a nice quick dinner and then headed down the hill to our apartment.  A really nice quiet day where we saw another really nice slice of Greater Vancouver.

Deb and Den

Whistler and Beyond

Second Week in Canada

Sunday 20 April

We were picked up by Ian and Karen at 9.30 am from outside our accommodation and headed for Whistler.  Went through some interesting parts of downtown Vancouver then over the Lions gate Bridge and on to the main highway heading towards Whistler.  

When we started off the weather was good (Vancouver style) but started to get a bit overcast with rain threatening.  We pulled into Shannon Falls Provincial Park which is just off the highway to see a spectacular waterfall.  Not sure of the statistics, however if you use Google you will find all the information you will need.  The water coming off the falls is absolutely clear.  Funny thing about waterfalls, the Canadian ones sound exactly the same as the ones in Australia, however the volume may be a little bit louder.

On arrival at the falls the rain started, not enough to put a dampener on things.

We proceeded up the highway to Whistler.  Whistler is 123 km from where we are staying (pretty close to the centre of Vancouver) and according to Google Maps it should take 1 hour 51 minutes.  Because the road is fairly windy and there are some fairly steep grades the speed is limited.  The highest posted speed that I saw was 90 kmph.  Most of the road was either 80 or 60 kmph.

By the time we arrived it was lunch time so we parked the car and headed for the village where we had lunch.  There was a lot to choose from.  After lunch we went on the Whistler Village Gondolla which took us up to Whistler Roundhouse Lodge which is at the top of Whistler Mountain.  Whistler Village is 675 m above sea level and the Roundhouse Lodge is 1850 m above sea level.  I must admit it was a very spectacular way to travel.  The view was tremendous.

On arrival at the top of the Gondola ride, (I reckon it was only about 2/3 the way up the mountain because there were chairlifts taking people further up the mountain) we went into another shed where there were larger gondolas coming and going. This was the Peak 2 Peak.  I'm not sure if it is the largest, highest etc. but if you look it up on Google you will find out all about it.  It is really incredible.   The Peak 2 Peak travels from Whistler Mountain at 1850 m to Blackcomb Mountain at 1860 m, 4.4 km away. The gondola we went on had a glass bottom.

The views were absolutely spectacular.

Came back from Blackcomb Mountain on one of the normal cars without the see through floor.  

After we came off the mountain down to the village we ad an ice-cream while we investigated the village.  It was where a lot of the outdoor sports were conducted during the Winter Olympics held in Vancouver in 2010.  There is still a large legacy from that event here in British Columbia.

We had a bit of a rest after settling into our accommodation.  Karen did a wonderful job.  The accommodation was great.

We went out to dinner and I had a dish called "Poutine".  Becca has been wanting me to have this since she came over to visit Karen and Ian and I wasn't disappointed.  For the uninitiated Poutine is chips and gravy, but not just any chips and gravy.  The dish I had had small cubes of braised beef, mushrooms, onion and cheese curd.  Good stuff.  

We ended our evening with a walk around the Upper Village where there was still a bit of snow lying about.   Deb and Karen both did snow angels.  Unfortunately I haven't got a picture of this to show you.

Monday 21 April

The rain was very steady overnight and was still going this morning as we headed back to Vancouver.  On the way we stopped at the Britannia Mine Museum.  Britannia Mine was a copper mine that was in production from 1904 until 1974 and until 1956 had to have everything brought in and out by ship.  The railway didn't reach it until 1956 and the road didn't get there until 1958.

A very interesting tour of the mine and processing plant.

Proceeding into the mine by train.

Explosives Store (Dummy, I hope)

Mobile toilet facilities (Miners had to provide their own paper)

External view of the processing plant that was constructed in 1923.

Internal view of the processing plant.  It was used up until the mines closure in 1974.

Some views from the mine site:

We stopped for lunch at a small place called Horseshoe Bay.  It has a ferry terminal, lots of small shops and a fish and chip shop called "Trolls" where we had lunch.  Karen, Ian and Deb had cod.  I had something different, just for the hallibut.  (Had to get that one in).  It was hallibut.

Had a nice evening and dinner with Ian and Karen back at their place.

Tuesday 22 April

Today has been a quiet day.  Washing had to be done for a start and we wanted to do some shopping for meat and vegetables for dinner tonight.

We went down to Granville Island Market to get our produce.  It is similar to the Queen Victoria Markets im Melbourne but not quite as big.  I thought I would show you some of thre meat prices that were at one  of the butchers.  They have the prices for both pound and kilogram as they have not long changed over to the metric system and I also think because of their proximity to the United States they are tending to use both measurements.

If you have a look closely the price per kilo is $65.50

 These lamb chops are $72.58 per kilo

Beef mince (Ground Beef) is just over $12 per kilo

We went back to the apartment for lunch, bread and vegemite for me and a bagal for Deb.  After lunch we went for a walk and there were a large number of people out and about because of the good weather.  We went to  local park where there is a play area for dogs.  The owners can let them off the leash and let them run around.  Out of this area the dogs must be on a leash at all times.

Most of the open spaces and other areas have water features and this one was no exception.  Ian was telling us that they are not run through winter because the all freeze up.

Well that is the end of another day of our Overseas Odyssey. 

More of our Adventures

Thursday 17 April

We have been doing lot's of walking since we have been here in Vancouver and today was no exception.  It was raining rather steadilly when we set out and it didn't let up for most of the day.  It wasn't too unpleasant and with Deb's new jacket it was much more pleasant for her to be out in the elements.  Vancouver seems to be built around a harbour with parks, gardens and walkways and most people make use of it.

While we were doing our walk there were quite a number of people who were jogging in the rain.  I suppose that if they waited for better weather there wouldn't be a lot of opportunities for exercise.  We went past a playground where a mum had a little toddler on a swing.  The toddler was dressed up in what looked like a little padded ski suit and was oblivious to the weather.

We were honked at a few times during our walk, not by irate motorists but by geese.

As we approached the False Creek Yacht Club there were a number of pleasure craft moored there and one of them looked like it was still covered up for their winter.  They are in their Spring now although to us it seems like winter.

If you have a look closely you will see ropes from the cover passing under the hull.  The cover appeared to be held very tightly over the boat to prevent any pooling of water, snow or other things.

A little further along from where this pictuure was taken we got on an aqua bus for a short journey over to Granville Island.  As mentioned in  previous blog, Granville Island is not actually an island but an old industrial site that fell into disuse and became rather unsightly and poluted.  I believe the city of Vancouver decided to clean it up and turn it into a market area.  It is also an area for arts and crafts and there is a theatre there.

We had a good wander through the market place and I am sure that I put on a couple of kilos just looking at the produce.  There was just about everything you would require.  I did find out why Ian and Karen don't have lamb very often.  Lamb roast, lamb loin chops and racks of lamb, $65 per kilo!!!!

Pork on the other hand for a boned roast was only $19 per kilo.

We left Granville Island about 2.00 pm but before leaving got a fresh demi baguette (a small roll similar to Turkish bread in taste) for our lunch.

Friday 18 April (Good Friday)

Today is so different from yesterday.  Beautiful and sunny but with a bit of a cold breeze.  Out of the breeze in the sun is absolutely delightful.  Unfortunately when walking around you have got to take the good with the bad.

It is hard to tell it is Good Friday.  Most of the shops are open.  Some have restricted trading, 9.00 am to 7.00 pm while most were 9.00 am to 9.00 pm.  Government offices and business that were not involved in retail did have a public holiday.  Karen had the day off and Ian had to work.

On our walk on Monday we saw Christ Church Cathedral on Burrard Street.  There was a sign indicating that viitors were welcome so we thought today we might go in and have a look.  The gardens outside are magnificant and the inside was equally magnificent.

All the stained glass windows are covered on the outside by plain glass so you don't get the effect until you are inside.  I had a bit of a lean here, not the building.

The roof was built by ship builders using western red cedar.

We went down to the end of Burrard Street where the convention centres are.  There is an old one and a new one.  The new convention centre was built for the Winter Olympics in 2010.  The view over the harbour and to the mountains north of the city was really something.

This is Grouse Mountain where we went with Karen and Ian on Tuesday.  If you look closely you will see the wind turbine that is located there.  The turbine has viewing platforms located just below the generator.

There is a lot of activity flying activity here.  There is a large flying boat base located on the harbour with both single engined and twin engined flying boats taking off and landing very regularly

Karen did some studying this morning and them came down to meet us.  Where Karen works is in an area called Gas Town which is another tourist type area.  We were given a guided tour of this area (by Karen) and it was very interesting indeed.  They have a steam powered clock there. Unfortunately it was not working as far as indicating the time, however the steam chimes worked which we were able to hear. We also went to see where Karen works. She has a lovely view of the snow capped mountains from the window just behind her. 

Had enough walking for the day so got a bus back to near Karen and Ian's, did some shopping and had a nice meal with them.

Saturday 19 April

Went down to the Pacific Centre (Shopping Mall) where we got another pair of fit over sunglasses for me, (I will probably need them in the next couple of days) and then headed down to a food court for some lunch.  We had lunch there yesterday and saw some very strange sights.  

Evidently there is a convention where people get dressed up in their fantasy characters.  Today the place was packed.  There was Batman and Robin, characters from Starwars (although I didn'tsee any Storm  Troopers) and all sorts of other things. Below is a selection:

The weather was getting a little worse.  Up to lunch time it was overcast and a little cool but after lunch it started to rain so we decided that we would do one of the Hop on, Hop off tours that we purchased tickets for on Monday.  We decided however that we wouldn't get off.  We went around a lot of the city of Vancouver, Stanley Park and Granville Island.  It gave us a good idea of where to hop on and off when we do take the bus again in better weather.

Got off the bus close to home and we were back at the apartment by about 3.30 pm.  A good day.  Then it was off to dinner at Karen and Ian's.

There will probably be a bit of a break with the blog.  Tomorrow morning we are being picked up and we are all going up to Whistler.  It is a couple of hours away and we will stay overnight then back on Monday afternoon.  May not have the time or inclination to complete a blog on Monday night.  May have to wait until Tuesday.

Deb and Den, The Gunnedah Adventurers