I don't know what the cascading pink flower shrub is.
We are well into cherry blossom season, but lack the sunny days & blue skies that make the best pictures. It is also full on wild daffodil season. It has been really wet & cool - not the conditions I like, but perfect for bog dwelling skunk cabbages. I don't know what the cascading pink flower shrub is.
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Quick, got to get tree flower pictures...
Shades of pink cherries on Montreal Street (with horse carriages), and a rather large blooming magnolia in Beacon Hill Park. Last day on this mini-adventure to Vancouver. Early morning walk down to the bottom of Davie Street and English Bay. A short, wet visit with my statuesque friends and then walked back up the hill to the hotel.
Once again using our Compass Cards & public transportation we headed for home. Number 6 bus up Davie to the Yaletown Roundhouse Station. Canada Line to Bridgeport Station. OK, so here's the part we didn't plan well enough. We didn't want to miss our bus connection to the ferry, so we were way too early as this bus only runs in conjunction with the ferry schedule. We had over an hour and a half to wait! But, being the intrepid (?) travellers we are, we noticed River Rock Casino & Hotel, so we used our time to explore. High point for me was the curved escalator. By the time we went back to the bus stop there were over a hundred people lined up for the 620. When the bus came and we worked our way near the front of the line it was evident that would not get seats. Buggah that! No way I felt like standing the whole ride. We waited for the next bus to Tsawwassen & were first on. Still made it to the ferry on time & got to the cafe before the lines got too long. Smooth sailing, good crossing. Managed to get seats on the upper deck of the first bus leaving Swartz Bay. Walked home from Government Centre and took some pictures of cherry tree flowers on Montreal Street. AKA Vancouver in the rain, or shucks, it's another rainy day on the wet west coast.
Well, I slept in until Starbucks opened at 6 AM. Walked to the first corner on Davie St. & decided to save my energy for the rest of the day. I mean - it was a very short morning walk. The cream & strawberry stuffed chocolate croissants from the local grocery made a yummy breakfast. We walked down the hill (~4 blocks) and took a False Creek Ferry (a little water taxi) over to Granville Island. Jan had ferry tickets left over from another visit about 3 years ago and they do not expire! Bonus! When we were done looking around there we had another ferry ride to the Yaletown stop and walked a few blocks up to the Roundhouse Station on the Canada Line ( subway) & rode to Waterfront & walked to the Sea Bus Terminal (where you can buy umbrella from a vending machine!). Sea Bus in the rain across to Lonsdale Quay where we had lunch. Return trip on the seabus was also a rainy one. Walked to the Expo Line & took the Skytrain to Metrotown. Eventually found T&T (stupid mall!!!) By this time we were both tired & my feet hurt (shopping) so we took the train & bus (#5 down Robson took us onto Denman & up Davie to the stop about 10 paces fro the hotel door. My assessment of the day: Compass cards & public transportation work well in downtown Vancouver, but I need to train to keep up the pace of being a full time tourist! I put my feet up for an hour & then we met friend Kathy for supper at Pho Central on Davie. Get off the rock - but leave the car in the garage. That was the challenge we set ourselves. We have talked about it. Friends & relatives have done it. But up to now we have always needed our car on the same side of a ferry ride as we were on. This time, spurred by half price passenger fares on selected BC Ferries crossings and by the need to return some personal property to family on the mainland, we decided to be tourists for a couple of days in Vancouver.
With our day-packs on our backs we walked to the bus terminal on Government Street across from the Royal BC Museum. Bus number 70 or 72 go to the ferry terminal at Swartz Bay. One of them is express, the other has 69 stops. Our plan was to take the first one leaving. Turned out to be the express - only 16 stops. The buses on these routes are double-deckers so I was up front upstairs & took a few pictures through the window. When we purchased our ferry tickets at $8 each, Jan was thrilled that the printing was: ADULT COUGAR! Smooth crossing to Tsawwassen, and then a crowded, uncomfortable articulated bus #620 ride to the Bridgeport Terminal of the Canada line (subway). We had purchased Compass Cards for fares on Vancouver public transportation while we were on the ferry and the tap on/off system worked well, as did loading more money to the cards online. Got off the rails at the Yaletown Roundhose Station and found a number 6 bus running down Davie Street. Stayed on the 20th floor of the Sandman Suites. Explored by foot & found some great fish tacos only a few doors down from our hotel. Looks like a new bike rental scheme in downtown Van - Mobi by Shaw Go. Must keep it in mind for future visit. In search of cherry tree blossoms, which is actually searching for the progress of Spring in our pretty little city. Trees on View Street seem to be a bit ahead of other areas.
While the liquor laws were changed some time ago, we now have the option of buying wine in one grocery store in the CRD.
BTW, CRD stands for Central Regional District = greater Victoria = all 13 separate municipalities in the area. This is the Real Canadian Superstore in Langford. Slow walk on a brisk day. Bright moon setting. Eagle chased by crows & seagulls. Narcissus in bloom.
Results of glass shop doodles. Daffodils are starting to show their sunny faces along Dallas Road and Beacon Hill Park. And Scotch Broom blooms are pumping abundant pollen into the environment, too. Also good to see male hummingbirds sitting High & pretty, getting ready to try to attract females with acrobatic flights!
We met some of the family in Langford for lunch & followed the to a PlayZone. |
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October 2017
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