Canada, November 2019: Part 3
Thursday, 18 June 2020 20:23![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iguana
I spent eight nights in Canada in November, and for the final two I was in Vancouver where I chilled out in the park and on the beach, saw the city from above, and walked across a wobbly bridge several times.
Part 1, Part 2.
Sightseeing in Vancouver
I left The Canadian train shortly before 0900, as it had arrived at Grand Pacific Station perfectly on time, largely due to strike action stopping a lot of freight trains which apparently often hold it up. So I had a good amount of time to wander around all the little sights I had lined up before checking into my hotel. Grand Pacific Station had no (working) wifi and I still didn't have a working SIM (and wouldn't for the rest of the holiday), but fortunately I had at least printed out some bits and pieces, and had Vancouver downloaded on OSMAnd.
First I went to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden but it wasn't open that early in the morning, so I took a detour to see the Gastown Steam Clock first. On the way I saw a town hall or similar sort of building displaying a Trans Day of Remembrance banner.
I walked up to the nearby waterfront briefly, before going back to the Chinese Garden to sit down, have a snack, and get my bearings properly. On the way I ran into Guy-From-The-Train-Who-Reminded-Me-Of-Malcolm-Reynolds, who wished me a nice trip.
From there I walked back to the Skytrain station at Grand Pacific Station and caught the metro to the waterfront proper, where I ambled along the path from the food court to the edge of Stanley Park, past a lot of expensive boats and yachts.
The attraction I had in mind at Stanley Park was the totem poles there, but what took me really by surprise was Stanley Park itself.
I walked around the north side of the island for a bit before spotting a path into the cedar woodland, and consulting my map, decided to walk to the high point there. The woodland itself was stunning, and I'd chanced upon more good weather again, just warm enough to burn off the mist at the lakes half-way up.
Check-in opened for the apartment suite I'd rented nearby (Times Square on Robson Street) in the West End, which was near Robson Park and a good choice, being near the park itself as well as English Bay beach, which I walked down to before dinner, finally free of my rucksack!
The sun set a few minutes before 1700 and it was a good one. I just took it in, sitting on a piece of washed up driftwood, before walking along the beach to where I found an inuksuk (stone landmark).
I waited until it got properly dark, with Venus and possibly Jupiter next to it too. I wrote a diary entry while the sky was darkening and I sound very relaxed in it. I found a Japanese place on Denman Street to eat at, then went back to my apartment to plan my day for tomorrow and sleep.
I left The Canadian train shortly before 0900, as it had arrived at Grand Pacific Station perfectly on time, largely due to strike action stopping a lot of freight trains which apparently often hold it up. So I had a good amount of time to wander around all the little sights I had lined up before checking into my hotel. Grand Pacific Station had no (working) wifi and I still didn't have a working SIM (and wouldn't for the rest of the holiday), but fortunately I had at least printed out some bits and pieces, and had Vancouver downloaded on OSMAnd.
First I went to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden but it wasn't open that early in the morning, so I took a detour to see the Gastown Steam Clock first. On the way I saw a town hall or similar sort of building displaying a Trans Day of Remembrance banner.
I walked up to the nearby waterfront briefly, before going back to the Chinese Garden to sit down, have a snack, and get my bearings properly. On the way I ran into Guy-From-The-Train-Who-Reminded-Me-Of-Malcolm-Reynolds, who wished me a nice trip.
From there I walked back to the Skytrain station at Grand Pacific Station and caught the metro to the waterfront proper, where I ambled along the path from the food court to the edge of Stanley Park, past a lot of expensive boats and yachts.
The attraction I had in mind at Stanley Park was the totem poles there, but what took me really by surprise was Stanley Park itself.
I walked around the north side of the island for a bit before spotting a path into the cedar woodland, and consulting my map, decided to walk to the high point there. The woodland itself was stunning, and I'd chanced upon more good weather again, just warm enough to burn off the mist at the lakes half-way up.
Check-in opened for the apartment suite I'd rented nearby (Times Square on Robson Street) in the West End, which was near Robson Park and a good choice, being near the park itself as well as English Bay beach, which I walked down to before dinner, finally free of my rucksack!
The sun set a few minutes before 1700 and it was a good one. I just took it in, sitting on a piece of washed up driftwood, before walking along the beach to where I found an inuksuk (stone landmark).
I waited until it got properly dark, with Venus and possibly Jupiter next to it too. I wrote a diary entry while the sky was darkening and I sound very relaxed in it. I found a Japanese place on Denman Street to eat at, then went back to my apartment to plan my day for tomorrow and sleep.
(Not the) Grouse Grind
I got up early the next morning to catch the bus to the base of Grouse Mountain, aiming to finish the Grouse Grind walk before lunch. The Grouse Grind is an 850m climb up Grouse Mountain over 3km, and was more-or-less my #1 item to do in Vancouver. Unfortunately when I got there I found out it was closed for maintenance! More guttingly, it was due to re-open the very next day, when the weather was forecast to be bad, and I had a schedule to get to the airport too, so I had to cut my losses and took the cable car, usually a treat to ride down after climbing the mountain, up to the top. To compound my woes, a class of school children turned up at the same time, and I ended up crammed into a single car with them all.
The attraction of Grouse Mountain was all in the Grind, it seemed; at the top was a small lodge with a cafe and gift shop, and they were setting up a few things for their Christmas ice rink and reindeer petting (I wonder how they got the reindeer up there), but none of it was open yet. I found the top end of the Grind, lamented for a bit, then caught the cable car back down, thankfully a fair bit emptier this time!
Anyway, Grouse Grind becomes my new Pen Y Fan. I'll be back!
After an erratic bus journey back to the hotel (there's an hourly bus after a change, and the first one didn't show up!) I treated myself to some doughnut holes and a hot chocolate, then rested a bit before heading out to Capilano Suspension Bridge.
I got up early the next morning to catch the bus to the base of Grouse Mountain, aiming to finish the Grouse Grind walk before lunch. The Grouse Grind is an 850m climb up Grouse Mountain over 3km, and was more-or-less my #1 item to do in Vancouver. Unfortunately when I got there I found out it was closed for maintenance! More guttingly, it was due to re-open the very next day, when the weather was forecast to be bad, and I had a schedule to get to the airport too, so I had to cut my losses and took the cable car, usually a treat to ride down after climbing the mountain, up to the top. To compound my woes, a class of school children turned up at the same time, and I ended up crammed into a single car with them all.
The attraction of Grouse Mountain was all in the Grind, it seemed; at the top was a small lodge with a cafe and gift shop, and they were setting up a few things for their Christmas ice rink and reindeer petting (I wonder how they got the reindeer up there), but none of it was open yet. I found the top end of the Grind, lamented for a bit, then caught the cable car back down, thankfully a fair bit emptier this time!
Anyway, Grouse Grind becomes my new Pen Y Fan. I'll be back!
After an erratic bus journey back to the hotel (there's an hourly bus after a change, and the first one didn't show up!) I treated myself to some doughnut holes and a hot chocolate, then rested a bit before heading out to Capilano Suspension Bridge.
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Serendipitously, there was an advert for Capilano Suspension Bridge in my apartment's lift, letting me know that its Christmas after-dark attraction opened today, this Friday. Capilano was on my itinerary already, but I rearranged to go to this as well, arriving around 1500.
I seemed to get there at a reasonably quiet time, and once through the somewhat confusing ticket area, the space around the bridge made more sense. It's essentially a tourist/open air market through the surrounding cedar rainforest, leading up to the bridge itself.
I have to admit I hadn't really done my homework on the bridge and was mostly going because it was on everyone's must-see list, so I was delighted to find out that it was a rickety-looking footbridge that bounced and wobbled delightfully as you walked across it!
Not to mention that it is slightly dizzingly high above a ravine.
On both sides of the ravine there is a nature trail; I did the far side one first since I'd just crossed the bridge. This meanders through the cedar wood, mostly at ground level though elevated in places, especially close to the ravine, and there's a separate tree-top walk that goes high between the cedar trees, each connection a swinging bridge itself. The lights, which I presume were just there for the evening opening, were pretty in the late afternoon light.
I crossed back over the bridge and walked the second trail, which starts off as a one-way metal footpath bolted to the ravine edge!
The trail makes its way back to the main entrance through somewhat artificial but pleasant rock-garden style landscape. There's a restaurant in the main area but I spotted that there was also a booth selling (vegetarian) poutine, and I realised I hadn't had any yet in Canada despite it being something close to a national dish there. My diary says "it was ooookay!" Slightly cheesy chips with gravy, not much to go wrong, really. I had a warm cider to go with it.
By the time I'd eaten it was fully dark, so I did another round of the area. While the park had been pleasant before, with cosy fairy lighting and gentle music in the dark it really felt magical to me now; I was nearly moved to tears at one point in the treetop walk.
Back on the entrance side of the bridge, the cliff-face walk had an illuminated tunnel with lights changing colour in patterns, and the rock garden was very sweetly lit up.
Before leaving, having been there around three hours in total, I popped into the tourist shop and bought my fridge magnet for the trip, along with a half-litre ceramic stein I thought was pretty, and later demonstrated that there's always a bit more room in your luggage if you try hard enough. (I was prepared to throw away underwear for it, but ended up not needing to!)
Serendipitously, there was an advert for Capilano Suspension Bridge in my apartment's lift, letting me know that its Christmas after-dark attraction opened today, this Friday. Capilano was on my itinerary already, but I rearranged to go to this as well, arriving around 1500.
I seemed to get there at a reasonably quiet time, and once through the somewhat confusing ticket area, the space around the bridge made more sense. It's essentially a tourist/open air market through the surrounding cedar rainforest, leading up to the bridge itself.
I have to admit I hadn't really done my homework on the bridge and was mostly going because it was on everyone's must-see list, so I was delighted to find out that it was a rickety-looking footbridge that bounced and wobbled delightfully as you walked across it!
Not to mention that it is slightly dizzingly high above a ravine.
On both sides of the ravine there is a nature trail; I did the far side one first since I'd just crossed the bridge. This meanders through the cedar wood, mostly at ground level though elevated in places, especially close to the ravine, and there's a separate tree-top walk that goes high between the cedar trees, each connection a swinging bridge itself. The lights, which I presume were just there for the evening opening, were pretty in the late afternoon light.
I crossed back over the bridge and walked the second trail, which starts off as a one-way metal footpath bolted to the ravine edge!
The trail makes its way back to the main entrance through somewhat artificial but pleasant rock-garden style landscape. There's a restaurant in the main area but I spotted that there was also a booth selling (vegetarian) poutine, and I realised I hadn't had any yet in Canada despite it being something close to a national dish there. My diary says "it was ooookay!" Slightly cheesy chips with gravy, not much to go wrong, really. I had a warm cider to go with it.
By the time I'd eaten it was fully dark, so I did another round of the area. While the park had been pleasant before, with cosy fairy lighting and gentle music in the dark it really felt magical to me now; I was nearly moved to tears at one point in the treetop walk.
Back on the entrance side of the bridge, the cliff-face walk had an illuminated tunnel with lights changing colour in patterns, and the rock garden was very sweetly lit up.
Before leaving, having been there around three hours in total, I popped into the tourist shop and bought my fridge magnet for the trip, along with a half-litre ceramic stein I thought was pretty, and later demonstrated that there's always a bit more room in your luggage if you try hard enough. (I was prepared to throw away underwear for it, but ended up not needing to!)
Leaving Vancouver
I had one last morning in Vancouver and the weather had closed in again, so the Grouse Grind was definitely out. Instead I walked around the whole sea wall perimeter of Stanley Park island, clockwise from English Bay Beach. Aside from a fun-run in the short section between there and Second Beach, it was a lovely quiet walk with not many people around. The weather just about held off, so I didn't get too wet before heading back to the hotel to collect my bags and go to the airport.
It's sad to leave a place feeling like you could have spent a lot longer there, but on the other hand I'm happily looking forward to returning at some point in the future. I'm sure there's plenty of things I could still do (Vancouver Island, for a start!) and it's comforting to know there's a place that will welcome me back when I return. Thank you, Canada!
I had one last morning in Vancouver and the weather had closed in again, so the Grouse Grind was definitely out. Instead I walked around the whole sea wall perimeter of Stanley Park island, clockwise from English Bay Beach. Aside from a fun-run in the short section between there and Second Beach, it was a lovely quiet walk with not many people around. The weather just about held off, so I didn't get too wet before heading back to the hotel to collect my bags and go to the airport.
It's sad to leave a place feeling like you could have spent a lot longer there, but on the other hand I'm happily looking forward to returning at some point in the future. I'm sure there's plenty of things I could still do (Vancouver Island, for a start!) and it's comforting to know there's a place that will welcome me back when I return. Thank you, Canada!
