A Warm Welcome

Beautiful day in London. A short flight of just over 9 hours today, arriving mid morning. Fast tracked entry procedures and nothing to declare so all very painless.

Super great to see everyone and to meet Micah after school! Wow, how time moves along – a school boy already.
Scooters are the thing here for the kids. It’s scooters in the rack not bikes. Both the boys can get along at great speeds.
We have had fun with the Countdown domino sets this afternoon.

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Views From on High

Great time at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park with Marg and Neil. Swaying canyon views, awe-inspiring vistas, treetop walkways and beautiful rainforest trails. The largest suspension bridge is 450′ long and 230′ high and it surely sways. The Cliffwalk takes you beyond the cliff face above the Capilano River Canyon. The fall colours really made for picturesque views seen from every level.

The main bridge has been there since 1889 and the history is well explained. Totem poles (story poles) have been in the park for the past 90 years, created and placed by First Nations artists.

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Gastown, Vancouver (and a not to be repeated experience)

Good walk around Gastown, the original part of Vancouver. Named after “Gassy Jack” and his saloon with generous pours. Fascinating section of the city, hip and heritage.
The Steam Clock is a central attraction. The clock is powered by steam driving a series of ball-weights, chains and gears. The clock also has three small electric motors to help operate two  fans to blow steam out the top and play the tunes on the whistles on top of the clock case. Every quarter hour, the clock whistles and shoots steam in its version of the Westminster Chime. On the hour there is a toot from each whistle.
Enjoyed the Inform Interiors store and John Fluevog Shoes – “unique soles for unique souls” -an unusual store with a glass ceiling between exposed brick walls. Eclectic mix of shoes for men and women.
Fascinating wander around Hills Native Art – totems, masks and carvings.

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“City of Mirrors”

Vancouver nicknamed “City of Mirrors”- certainly lots of mirror glass and some stunning reflections, one building on another. I had a great day wandering, window shopping and admiring the beautiful harbour views while Mark conferenced. I got the best deal!

Named after  Captain Vancouver , the city has a rich history back to the First Nations people. Ethnically very diverse (52% have first language other than English), with an estimated population of 2.4 million in greater metropolitan area. The city sits on the Burrard Inlet at the mouth of the Fraser River and has distinct neighbourhoods.

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London Grandies Here We Come

We head off on 14th October towards London and an important rendezvous with the little chaps, who we last saw in person a year ago. It is definitely true they do grow up (too) quickly and we now need to take school holidays into accou nt. Of course, that side of the world does the opposite to us more or less and that means holidays are different too and so are the seasons. Got to take some warmer gears this time round.
We fly via Vancouver, where Mark has a conference for a few days, and then on to London. We will head to the Cotswolds for the school holiday break, some time back in London and then home via Cambodia and Vietnam – just for a little something different.

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