Vancouver

Hi again,
We had a long weekend here in Canada recently for Thanksgiving (5-8 October), so a friend and I took the opportunity to fly over to Vancouver (Van) and check out the sites.
Before we left, I had people telling me that it rains all the time in Van and that even if the forecast was for good weather, that it will still rain at least once (kinda sounds like Melbourne! ?) :)
But we were blessed and had such PERFECT weather! It was sunny and 18 degrees all weekend, and the evenings were gorgeous too (not warm, but not too cold). The weather was perfect for walking the streets of Van, checking out the sites, etc, etc. I think we had just about every meal outside.
Vancouver reminded me of Sydney a little, actually.
I think it's because it is a city set on the water, many little coves & harbours, as well as lots of apartments on the water, with parks & paths along the edge. The streets and buildings also reminded me of Sydney - it felt pretty surreal. 
It is a more lively city than Calgary - bigger, more restaurants, more shopping, more diversity, greener and beautifully situated with the mountains set close in the distance (closer than Calgary).
But I have heard that the people in Vancouver are not as open or friendly as people in Calgary.
I am happy in Calgary, but I could definitely live in Vancouver!!

(a quick apology to those who are on Facebook - you would have seen most of these photos already)

Flight from Calgary to Vancouver over the Rocky Mountains 

Vancouver Public Library

On the 'aquabus' to Granville Island 

On the aquabus 

A quick drink outside in a lovely old area called Gastown. I loved this area. It was the 'old' part of town and is the old port area (I guess Fremantle is an equivalent city). There are some great little shops, cafes, bars and eateries. We had dinner down here one night and loved it! 

 Autumn / Fall leaves (maple tree)

View from Stanley Park toward north Vancouver

Gastown again 

Stanley Park - we cycled around the park, which is kind of a little peninsula off Vancouver, but right at the end of downtown. I absolutely loved the smell of the sea air when I got off the plane from Calgary! I actually couldn't quite work out what it was that was different and then when I realised, I was so excited! I kept taking big gulps of air over the weekend, just to get my fill! 

Pretty street on the edge of downtown 

Street art 

More Autumn leaves - we found this amazing Wholefood Store where we could buy gluten free, cheap and tasty meals. We were pretty happy to find it! 

Coal Harbour

So now I need to go back to Vancouver when the weather isn't so fine to see if I still love it as much. But because that was my first visit, I think that I will always think positively of Vancouver! Next trip will include a visit out to Vancouver Island, which is about 3hrs drive from Vancouver and is a fairly large, and apparently very beautiful island.

I will try to update again soon! We've had all sorts of beautiful changes to the scenery here around Calgary - with the colours of Autumn / Fall and a few snowy days. We're back to sunny weather (it's currently 16 degrees), but it's forecast to cool down and possibly more snow later this week.

And soon it'll be Halloween, which is a big deal here in Canada! Should be fun!

xoxoxoxo