Vancouver BC
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After 7 days at sea it was nice to see land. Vancouver in fact!! We had a great voyage from Russia to here and the
weather was very kind to us. We enjoyed all the ship had to offer and were happy to be staying on for the back-to-back 10 day voyage
through the Inside Passage. Our first glimpse of Vancouver was the Lion Bridge and we were all out watching just how close the ship
came to the structure. No probs however...all good. We sailed under it and headed for the Cruise Terminal located at Canada Place.
Once off the ship we tried to find Noel and Mary with no luck so after a walk to their hotel went back and waited. Happily they found us
and after a catchup chat we went to the hotel nearby for a well earned drink! Enjoyed our day and we decided we would like to take that
snazzy red car home but it could not fit in our luggage. Time too soon to board again and say farewell to Noel and Mary and on with our adventures!
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The Celebrity Millennium is a lovely ship, lots of great entertainment, Apple computer lessons, photography
instructions, cooking shows and great entertainment. The shows were second to none and even the fruit carving chef got to
demonstrate his skills. Too good to eat! A galley tour was a real highlight as the kitchen were so well organised and
clean. On an average day the ship prepares some 9,000 dishes for guests and crew! Quite a feat!
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Capilano is one place you should not miss in Vancouver. A free shuttle takes you there and upon admission the
heart starts pumping when you walk the suspension bridge which is 140 metres long and 70 metres above the river and was built in 1889.
It rocks constantly as people are moving but its fun. There is also the Treetops Adventure, which consists of 7 Suspension bridges high above the forest floor.
Lots to see and do here and there is information on the native habitat and many places to explore. The Cliff Walk is just amazing as the cantilevered
walkways hang high above the Capilano River and are hinged to the granite cliff face. What a feat and brilliant views as well as excitement for
the walker on these
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Gas Town is a must see when in Vancouver!. The area is historical with a monument to Gassy Jack and many unique buildings but the most photographed is
the Gas Town Steam Clock. It was dedicated on 24th September 1977 and is very much a part of Vancouver culture. It weighs 2 ton and blows steam every quarter hour
for 5 whistles. On the hour all whistles blow at the same time!! Even though its a steam clock the whistles are steam powered but the clock itself is electric.
Many people visit as Cordova Station is very close and here we met a lovely couple, who asked us to go over to Lonsdale Pier with them on the Seabus.
There are eateries and shopping on the pier and a lovely day with somewhere different to go! Another long walk then to see the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese
Garden. A lovely serene place to visit.
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An early morning walk to Stanley Park, a National Historic Site of Canada. This park opened in 1888 and has 27kms of forest trails.
It took quite a while to walk there but the harbour views and walkways made it worthwhile. There were lots of people walking, riding bikes,
running and skating all along the roads and paths here and it was delightful to see the grassy surrounds. The 8.8kms of seawall was a guide so
we just followed it around and came across the Horse Drawn Trolley Station where we bought our tickets and off we went. This gave us an idea of the
size of the park passing the huge Aquarium, Rose Gardens, Lighthouse, nine o clock gun and many other wonderful highlights.. The Totem Poles
were purchased in 1924 and moved to their current position now. There are 9 Totem Poles from various tribes and are a highlight of the park.
Well, now our tour has ended and we leave for home tomorrow so a Guinness was in order to celebrate a wonderful holiday!!!
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