The Queen of Vancouver

Driving in Canada had been fairly straightforward - good roads, reasonably well signposted, fairly considerate driving and conservative speed limits. It was only on the last stage into Vancouver that we began to feel a little anxious about the traffic. With an hour still to run the traffic density increased until we were only 30 yards between vehicles but still doing 100km/hr. Changing lanes became a bit tricky and we weren't sure when our turns were coming up because the sat nav didn't give a great deal of warning. However, Vancouver soon loomed up and then worryingly passed on our left hand side.

A couple of bridges later and we were definitely on Northside when our destination was downtown. Panic set in when we were leaving the city behind and the road signs told us that we were on our way to Whistler - this had to be wrong. We pulled off the road to check where the sat nav was heading. It had actually been taking us to the right place but by a very long way around adding about 10km onto our journey. Getting back onto the motorway was impossible and we had to make our way across town passing through all the suburbs. It was rush hour, all the schools were coming out and we had a fast approaching deadline to get the car back to Hertz.

I learned to hate '4 way stops'. This is where all four roads at a crossroads have equal priority. When the roads are busy it just becomes a game of chicken! We got the car back to Hertz with 5 mins to spare and I was never so glad to see the back of a car in my life.

Our accommodation in Harwood St (remember spelling) for our Vancouver week was superb - we really landed on our feet with a recently refurbished penthouse apartment in a tower block only one street back from the sea. With fabulous views of the shore and the city, our own private terrace and a rooftop swimming pool and all of downtown within a 20 minute walk. We were soon to find out that we were right in the heart of the gay community.

Having unpacked we set off to explore the area. Stepping out onto the upper deck by the pool we found a party in progress. Hosting the party was Jason, resplendent in the shortest, tightest shorts and a tie dye vest. "Hellooooo! What brings you to Hardwood?" cooed Jason in his best passive aggressive tone. We explained we were new in these parts and from Inverness in Scotland. Jason introduced his husband Bill who was English and claimed to know Inverness. Bill burst into a raucous song in which four and twenty virgins came down from Inverness. I countered with the second verse of the Ball of Kirriemuir - the really rude one which involves twenty maidens dancing. Clearly we were not Margot and Jerry (Good Life) and were welcomed into the party.

Thereafter we were adopted by the Harwood St gay community and we checked in with them most evenings to get recommendations for best restaurants.

The first evening we were directed to the Cactus Club at English Bay for drinks, food and to watch the spectacular sunset. We had to queue for 20 minutes to get in but it was well worthwhile. If you are ever in Vancouver……

Beautiful Vancouver

Downtown Vancouver is beautifully set on a peninsula. The tip of the peninsula and about 1/3rd of its area is Stanley Park. The peninsula is protected from the sea by a seawall which extends all the way around the south shore and all the way to Canada Place on the north shore. The sea wall is partitioned to give safe passage to walkers, cyclists, skate boarders and in-line skaters. Vancouverians love the outdoor life and the pathway is constantly active with families and people of all ages taking the air and enjoying some exercise.

On our first day we hired bicycles and set off to explore Stanley Park and the seawall. The ride gave us terrific views back to the city. We spotted a family of Racoons at the side of the path and we visited an exhibition of Totem poles. We managed to eavesdrop on a guide giving an explanation of the symbology. We found a great little restaurant for lunch (is it legal to drink beer and cycle?) and appeared in the background during filming of Vancouver's favourite soap opera.

After 5 hours in the saddle we returned our bikes and set off with a rolling gate to examine some giant bronze figures in various happy poses. Street art is big in Vancouver.

Over the following 2 days we explored Chinatown and the city using a walking tour company. It is a really good way to find your way into the nooks and crannies of a new place. In Chinatown we were taken to a beautiful traditional Chinese garden just a bit off the beaten rack. In the city we were taken through the lobby of the ultra posh Fairmont Hotel and had a chat with the receptionist. The Fairmont employs a labrador dog called Boo for the residents to take for a walk. I wondered about the posh dog walkers having to pick up Boo's poo.

We also took a guided tour of Granville Island which was very close to our flat. It is not an island but is a small man made peninsula which was (and still is in part) an industrial complex. As the heavy industries declined, the grossly polluted site was cleaned up and given over to local markets and small businesses making all sorts of arts and crafts.

The Vancouver Arts Festival was in full swing and centred on Granville Island which boasted 4 venues. Hmmmm! Our stand-up comedian guide had been to 4 shows in one day. Amateurs!