Well last blog for a week as today we go on the princess crown cruise up the Alaskan passage! Has been a decent time since getting into Vancouver on the via Canadian rail. We traveled overnight on the train. Easy way and well played out with separate dining ,viewing,lounge areas and then your own sleeper. Small compact but did the trick.!
First day Vancouver was a free day so we walked around a lot.
Second day was a bus tour of all the local attrations like Chinatown, gastown , and Stanley park. All very nice. Then it's onto a huge ferry for our trip to Victoria which is the capital of Vancouver. Victoria is a large area on Vancouver island. We visited the most beautiful world famous Butchart gardens a place you could easily visit several times a year!!

After those few hours we past by bastion square and Thunderbird park before we get to our hotel for a one night stay and our farewell dinner swhich was great. The next morning it's back onto the bus and back on the ferry for the 90 min trip back across the Strait of Georgia through the gulf islands. We arrive back in Vancouver and say goodbye to new friends ! Our 9 day tour of Western Canada is finished. Was a good tour with Cosmos and our great tour director Mel.

After dropping our bags we meet up with some of our new friends and we head over to Granville markets. Not bad mostly arty and up market stuff. The next day, yesterday, ray and I take the free trolley to capilano bridge and up to grouse mountain. Wow what great places. We finally get to see 2 Grizzlies up close and they are just beautiful. The suspension bridge is rocky as we go across...not scary just awkward and the rest of the park is a little work with lots of stairs. Great day out.

Well Vancouver it's time for us to go. We are ready to go on the last part of this adventure... Alaska here we come....cheers