Vancouver (5)

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Ersatzreal “2”
Chris Lyons – The Ill-Tempered Klavier
Fabian Kallerdahl – Maxi Music
Music Music Music - Macbeth

Our last full day and I woke at six...

After the lyric writing yesterday, I listened to some tracks recorded for my last album – the ones which didn’t quite make it but which are being released now as bonus tracks on various singles – disappointing to these ears...

Up at 7:15 and breakfast from 8 till 9 – today it was goodbye to the Canadians from Manitoba, Doug (who reminded me of Brian Eno) and Dale, and the Brazilians, Sergio (who reminded me of Dustin Hoffman) and Themis...

But hello to a Dutch couple...

Out around 9:20 and we walked to the nearby market and bought a wee picnic for our lunch later on...

Then to a place we’d walked past almost every day and really wanted to try, Arbutus Coffee – we weren’t disappointed and it was immediately voted Anne’s “Favourite Coffee House in the World”...

On down to the beach again at English Bay, from where we replicated our walk of the first night to Granville Island...

We took the False Creek Ferry over to the Aquatic Centre and walked on round the seawall to Stanley Park...

Here we took the free shuttle bus which, in 45 minutes, drives you right round the island – we were lucky enough to have a driver giving a very informational commentary – apparently they’re not supposed to do this after complaints from the local bus tour companies...

We alighted in the middle of the woods and, after having lunch, we walked towards the Aquarium...

On the way we met three wee racoons who came out of the undergrowth and right up to us without a care, one of them was very interested in the camera...

Into the aquarium where we enjoyed the various fish, frogs, butterflies, birds, snakes, jellyfish, alligators etc etc...

But the highlights were the Beluga Whales and their newborn baby, the Sea Lions, the Dolphins and their show - each of the four has been injured in one way or another, one had stumps where its fins should have been after being caught up in fishermen’s nets and so they can’t be released back into the wild, and the Sea Otters– one of whom was a survivor of the Exxon Valdeez oil spill in the late 80’s...

All in all, while I felt sorry for the animals being in captivity, there did seem to be good reasons for them being there...

We walked back to the main road, took a bus to Downtown then another home where we treated insect bites...

Out again around 7:30 for our last dinner in Vancouver – this time choosing the Mexican on 4th, Las Margaritas for a very tasty meal indeed...

Back home and packed the bags – all over bar the shouting...



Highlight of the Day : The animals...