Day 13: Departure Day
23/09/19 01:10
It's raining in Vancouver.
This way the good-bye is not that hard.
Last nights Elton John concert was: 🔝🔝🔝. The Rogers Arena was full to the brim and full of vibes. It was great to see him for a last time in a huge concert. Fantastic line-up of almost all everybody's favourites.
It was great and simply worth every penny, sorry should say every cent.
Early start, showering, packing and getting to the airport for my 10:10 departure to Toronto. Why Toronto ? At the time I arranged my travels it was the cheapest option to get from Vancouver back home to London.
Air Transit left bang on time and after an uneventful flight arrived on time in Toronto. Fortunately at the same terminal as British Airways so that I just had to pick-up my suitcase, head to the departures hall and in a jiffy I was checked in.
Connecting flight is scheduled to leave at 21:55 but still not enough time to go downtown Toronto. Anyway it was getting dark so I spend my time enjoying a light lunch / dinner in the BA lounge and writing this my very last blog entry.
It was a fantastic journey and I am still overloaded with impressions and very likely it will take a bit more time to digest everything.
For now: good bye and I am looking forward to start the next adventure very shortly.
This way the good-bye is not that hard.
Last nights Elton John concert was: 🔝🔝🔝. The Rogers Arena was full to the brim and full of vibes. It was great to see him for a last time in a huge concert. Fantastic line-up of almost all everybody's favourites.
It was great and simply worth every penny, sorry should say every cent.
Early start, showering, packing and getting to the airport for my 10:10 departure to Toronto. Why Toronto ? At the time I arranged my travels it was the cheapest option to get from Vancouver back home to London.
Air Transit left bang on time and after an uneventful flight arrived on time in Toronto. Fortunately at the same terminal as British Airways so that I just had to pick-up my suitcase, head to the departures hall and in a jiffy I was checked in.
Connecting flight is scheduled to leave at 21:55 but still not enough time to go downtown Toronto. Anyway it was getting dark so I spend my time enjoying a light lunch / dinner in the BA lounge and writing this my very last blog entry.
It was a fantastic journey and I am still overloaded with impressions and very likely it will take a bit more time to digest everything.
For now: good bye and I am looking forward to start the next adventure very shortly.
Day 12: Vancouver
22/09/19 00:11
My last day started after a good nights sleep. Sightseeing in tiring !
For today I had an excursion to the top of Grouse Mount, one of the northern shore mountains, overlooking Greater Vancouver. Just to be safe I called of the peaks webcam and found that I would have a fantastic view of thick clouds but not of Vancouver. So that plan was abandoned !
But Vancouver has many more things to see and explore and only a short walk away from my hotel is Chinatown, one of the biggest in northern America. Once a ghetto for all the Chinese workers who came to work building the railroads.
Just around the corner of this imposing "entry gate" flanked by two lions ( they are supposed to frighten off evil spirits ) is the
"Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden " . Dr Yat-Sen ( click to find out more ) was a chinese doctor and revolutionary.
This garden opened in 1986 was the first full-scale scholar's garden outside China. All the material have been shipped in from China and 53 chinese gardeners constructed everything with the help of local architects and builders.
Let the pictures I took speak for themselves.
Only that much: an oasis of tranquility amidst a buzzing city.
After this excursion into chinese garden culture one of the trolley buses brought me to close by Gastown, the old centre of Vancouver. Now a place of tourists which fortunately hasn't lost its old world charm. Wandering up Gastown main street ( Cordova ) one reaches the old CP Railway Station, now Waterfront Station, from where the SeaBus leaves for North Vancouver, my destination.
Walking through the station I passed a small Starbucks cafe which had a sign that it was the first international branch of Starbucks in 1987. A picture was taken to document his.
Having reached the "other side" the Lonsdale market is always worth a stroll through the stalls. A bakery selling amongst many other delicious looking baked things cinnamon scones of which I bought two and enjoyed with a nice tasty coffee bought from the bakery shop as well.
The waterfront of Lonsdale has change since I was here way back in 2007 for the last time. The old dockyard has gone and the area nicely been done up keeping many of the old dockyard features.
Time flies if you have fun and all over sudden it was 16:00 and I had to make my way back to the hotel.
Why that early ?
I wanted to write todays blog entry because at around 7:15 I have to make my way across the street to the Rogers Arena to see and enjoy, wait for it, ELTON JOHN
In the elevator of my hotel was an itinerary of the events in September in the nearby stadium and arena, I spotted that he will be having shows on 21./ 22. and 24., tried my luck to get a ticket and did get one. A bit pricey but why not….
As soon as the concert is over I have to pack a few things as tomorrow morning an early start is on the agenda and I don't want to rush everything.
Departure for Toronto is at 10:10
If you want to follow me: Track My Tour or see some more pictures
For today I had an excursion to the top of Grouse Mount, one of the northern shore mountains, overlooking Greater Vancouver. Just to be safe I called of the peaks webcam and found that I would have a fantastic view of thick clouds but not of Vancouver. So that plan was abandoned !
But Vancouver has many more things to see and explore and only a short walk away from my hotel is Chinatown, one of the biggest in northern America. Once a ghetto for all the Chinese workers who came to work building the railroads.
Just around the corner of this imposing "entry gate" flanked by two lions ( they are supposed to frighten off evil spirits ) is the
"Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden " . Dr Yat-Sen ( click to find out more ) was a chinese doctor and revolutionary.
This garden opened in 1986 was the first full-scale scholar's garden outside China. All the material have been shipped in from China and 53 chinese gardeners constructed everything with the help of local architects and builders.
Let the pictures I took speak for themselves.
Only that much: an oasis of tranquility amidst a buzzing city.
After this excursion into chinese garden culture one of the trolley buses brought me to close by Gastown, the old centre of Vancouver. Now a place of tourists which fortunately hasn't lost its old world charm. Wandering up Gastown main street ( Cordova ) one reaches the old CP Railway Station, now Waterfront Station, from where the SeaBus leaves for North Vancouver, my destination.
Walking through the station I passed a small Starbucks cafe which had a sign that it was the first international branch of Starbucks in 1987. A picture was taken to document his.
Having reached the "other side" the Lonsdale market is always worth a stroll through the stalls. A bakery selling amongst many other delicious looking baked things cinnamon scones of which I bought two and enjoyed with a nice tasty coffee bought from the bakery shop as well.
The waterfront of Lonsdale has change since I was here way back in 2007 for the last time. The old dockyard has gone and the area nicely been done up keeping many of the old dockyard features.
Time flies if you have fun and all over sudden it was 16:00 and I had to make my way back to the hotel.
Why that early ?
I wanted to write todays blog entry because at around 7:15 I have to make my way across the street to the Rogers Arena to see and enjoy, wait for it, ELTON JOHN
In the elevator of my hotel was an itinerary of the events in September in the nearby stadium and arena, I spotted that he will be having shows on 21./ 22. and 24., tried my luck to get a ticket and did get one. A bit pricey but why not….
As soon as the concert is over I have to pack a few things as tomorrow morning an early start is on the agenda and I don't want to rush everything.
Departure for Toronto is at 10:10
If you want to follow me: Track My Tour or see some more pictures
Day 11: Vancouver
21/09/19 02:49
After a good nights sleep ( I had to catch up due to the previous nights moving sleep adventure ) I was ready for the day. But what would be a start into a day without a nice breakfast. No nothing fancy just a simple almond croissant and a large vanilla latte and I was ready.
Having been in Vancouver twice in the past and also at the beginning of this tour I decided to see the things I did not yet see. So I hopped on the next bus and went all the way to Stanley Park.
This densly forested 405 acre big park is named after Lord Stanley who was from 1888 -1893 the Governor General of Canada. He dedicated this park which is now one of the great Vancouver attraction bordered by the English Bay and the Burrard Inlet ie almost surrounded by water.
From here one has fantastic views of the Vancouver skyline
and walk the waterfront path and explore the various little attractions along the way like for example the Totem posts
and again various other views
I spend the whole morning in this fantastic park and managed to be back in town in the early afternoon to refresh myself with a lite bite. Whilst munching away I decided to "finish" the day with something culturally: cinema. Today is was the first day of the new "Downton Abbey" movie. So why not watching something quintessentially British in Canada ?
A cinema showing this movie is only a block away from my hotel and a ticket was quickly bought. It was a great experience !
( Spoiler alert: Maggie Smith has got all the good lines in this movie ! )
After the show it was already dark outside and so I strolled leisurely back to my hotel watched a bit TV and called it a day.
Tomorrow evening I will have an even bigger cultural event on my agenda. So watch this space !
If you want to follow me: Track My Tour or see some more pictures
Having been in Vancouver twice in the past and also at the beginning of this tour I decided to see the things I did not yet see. So I hopped on the next bus and went all the way to Stanley Park.
This densly forested 405 acre big park is named after Lord Stanley who was from 1888 -1893 the Governor General of Canada. He dedicated this park which is now one of the great Vancouver attraction bordered by the English Bay and the Burrard Inlet ie almost surrounded by water.
From here one has fantastic views of the Vancouver skyline
and walk the waterfront path and explore the various little attractions along the way like for example the Totem posts
and again various other views
I spend the whole morning in this fantastic park and managed to be back in town in the early afternoon to refresh myself with a lite bite. Whilst munching away I decided to "finish" the day with something culturally: cinema. Today is was the first day of the new "Downton Abbey" movie. So why not watching something quintessentially British in Canada ?
A cinema showing this movie is only a block away from my hotel and a ticket was quickly bought. It was a great experience !
( Spoiler alert: Maggie Smith has got all the good lines in this movie ! )
After the show it was already dark outside and so I strolled leisurely back to my hotel watched a bit TV and called it a day.
Tomorrow evening I will have an even bigger cultural event on my agenda. So watch this space !
If you want to follow me: Track My Tour or see some more pictures
Day 10: Vancouver
20/09/19 00:51
And so it was.
At about 4:00 I was wide awake because the train came for God knows reasons to a grinding halt. From that moment on sleeping was not possible anymore so that around 5:30 I decided to have a shower ( yes each of the sleeping cars has showers ! ) and get dressed.
Surprisingly the train started the manoeuvre to get into Vancouver's Pacific Union station already at around 4:30 and about ½ h later we had arrived at the station. Scheduled arrival time: 8:00 a.m.
I still had my breakfast ( serving started at 6:30 ) on the train, disembarked, fetched my suitcase and made my way into town to see if the booked room at my lodgings would be ready.
Of course not but I could leave my backpack and suitcase which made it much easier to get around.
First stop: the nice coffee shop I already used when I originally arrived in Vancouver on September 9th to treat myself to a large cappuccino.
To cat fresh air I ventured to Canada PLace at the Waterfront and explored the new convention centres waterfront walkway and explored the nearby "Marine Building" the once tallest building in the British Empire its Art Deco exterior and interior lovingly refurbished in the 1980th. See for yourself by exploring todays pictures ( link below ).
At around 15:00 I was getting tired and decided to make my way back to the hotel treating myself to a nice afternoon coffee and a slice of banana bread.
After check-in and arranging myself yesterdays and todays blog entry have been on my to-do list.
The crowning conclusion of the day: TV
See you all tomorrow.
If you want to follow me: Track My Tour or see some more pictures
At about 4:00 I was wide awake because the train came for God knows reasons to a grinding halt. From that moment on sleeping was not possible anymore so that around 5:30 I decided to have a shower ( yes each of the sleeping cars has showers ! ) and get dressed.
Surprisingly the train started the manoeuvre to get into Vancouver's Pacific Union station already at around 4:30 and about ½ h later we had arrived at the station. Scheduled arrival time: 8:00 a.m.
I still had my breakfast ( serving started at 6:30 ) on the train, disembarked, fetched my suitcase and made my way into town to see if the booked room at my lodgings would be ready.
Of course not but I could leave my backpack and suitcase which made it much easier to get around.
First stop: the nice coffee shop I already used when I originally arrived in Vancouver on September 9th to treat myself to a large cappuccino.
To cat fresh air I ventured to Canada PLace at the Waterfront and explored the new convention centres waterfront walkway and explored the nearby "Marine Building" the once tallest building in the British Empire its Art Deco exterior and interior lovingly refurbished in the 1980th. See for yourself by exploring todays pictures ( link below ).
At around 15:00 I was getting tired and decided to make my way back to the hotel treating myself to a nice afternoon coffee and a slice of banana bread.
After check-in and arranging myself yesterdays and todays blog entry have been on my to-do list.
The crowning conclusion of the day: TV
See you all tomorrow.
If you want to follow me: Track My Tour or see some more pictures
Day 9: Train Jasper - Vancouver
19/09/19 03:15
Today started again early as I am supposed to catch the 9:30 train, the "Canadian" , for Vancouver.
Outside temperature at 7:00 a.m. was just above 0 C and the mist was still covering the base of the surrounding mountains when I made my way into town. Filling up the car with gas, checking in my suitcase at the station, finding out if the train would be leaving as scheduled ( YES ), returning my car.
Having completed all chores there was still enough time left to enjoy one last breakfast at the "Bear Paw Bakery" and take some pictures of Jasper Station ( a historic landmark ) and the stations forecourt with its vintage steam locomotive on display.
More and more people gathered at the station, many of them already passengers on the Canadian who pulled into Jasper just about I returned my car. Everybody having a stroll along the train ( 22 coaches plus two engines = 2022 feet or 620 m ) and catch some fresh air.
Coach 121 Unit 4 was allocated to me.
Bang at 9:10 the boarding began and the Canadian pulled on time at 9:30 out of Jasper. So far so good !
Weather was ( again ) fantastic: blue sky and sunshine. And that's how it remained for the rest of the day so that again I could enjoy an awesome journey through the canadian landscape with its mountains, lakes and forest.
Again I will let the few pictures ( via the pictures link at the end of this blog entry ) speak for themselves. But like all the other pictures I took whilst on board of the trains during the last days be considerate: they are all made whilst the train was moving through the window. But at lest they should be a very good impression.
The service on board the Canadian was again great ( as I experience already in the past when I did the complete West-to East journey twice ). Coffee, Tea and biscuits, lunch in the dining car ( the train had two ) on an first come first served basis and in the evening dinner for which one had to reserve. Choice: 1.sitting at 17:30 or 2.sitting at 19:45.
I skipped lunch and had a very nice strawberry-White Chocolate scone I bought in the morning at the bakery instead.
Mid afternoon champagne and appetisers in the panorama car. Sipping some bubbly somewhere in the rockies. What a life !
The 5:30 call for dinner came and I made my way into the dining car where we where greeted by Chef George and the head steward. The former made later on also a litte speech during which he introduced his team normally "hidden" in den kitchen. Nice touch which everybody getting by clapping ones hands.
Dinner ( one could choose from two starters , three mains and two deserts ):
Tomato soup with crusty wholemeal rolls and butter
Rack of Lamb with roast potatoes and vegetables ( the lamb was cooked to perfection ! )
Cheesecake with raspberry sauce and a bit of whipped cream
Coffee
No, I was NOT travelling on the Orient Express !
With me at the table a canadian couple and a single canadian traveller. We all had a very good discussions and surprise surprise I was asked about, you guessed it: Brexit. The canadians turned out to be very well informed about this subject and not like the various americans I met who are totally ignorant and to be honest simply naive.
Anyway: by the time we had finished it was getting dark and after a small excursion into the dome car to have a quick peek at the pitch dark sky I retired to my bed knowing it will be a very "moving" night and continuous sleep will be at a premium.
Good Night
If you want to follow me: Track My Tour or see some more pictures
Outside temperature at 7:00 a.m. was just above 0 C and the mist was still covering the base of the surrounding mountains when I made my way into town. Filling up the car with gas, checking in my suitcase at the station, finding out if the train would be leaving as scheduled ( YES ), returning my car.
Having completed all chores there was still enough time left to enjoy one last breakfast at the "Bear Paw Bakery" and take some pictures of Jasper Station ( a historic landmark ) and the stations forecourt with its vintage steam locomotive on display.
More and more people gathered at the station, many of them already passengers on the Canadian who pulled into Jasper just about I returned my car. Everybody having a stroll along the train ( 22 coaches plus two engines = 2022 feet or 620 m ) and catch some fresh air.
Coach 121 Unit 4 was allocated to me.
Bang at 9:10 the boarding began and the Canadian pulled on time at 9:30 out of Jasper. So far so good !
Weather was ( again ) fantastic: blue sky and sunshine. And that's how it remained for the rest of the day so that again I could enjoy an awesome journey through the canadian landscape with its mountains, lakes and forest.
Again I will let the few pictures ( via the pictures link at the end of this blog entry ) speak for themselves. But like all the other pictures I took whilst on board of the trains during the last days be considerate: they are all made whilst the train was moving through the window. But at lest they should be a very good impression.
The service on board the Canadian was again great ( as I experience already in the past when I did the complete West-to East journey twice ). Coffee, Tea and biscuits, lunch in the dining car ( the train had two ) on an first come first served basis and in the evening dinner for which one had to reserve. Choice: 1.sitting at 17:30 or 2.sitting at 19:45.
I skipped lunch and had a very nice strawberry-White Chocolate scone I bought in the morning at the bakery instead.
Mid afternoon champagne and appetisers in the panorama car. Sipping some bubbly somewhere in the rockies. What a life !
The 5:30 call for dinner came and I made my way into the dining car where we where greeted by Chef George and the head steward. The former made later on also a litte speech during which he introduced his team normally "hidden" in den kitchen. Nice touch which everybody getting by clapping ones hands.
Dinner ( one could choose from two starters , three mains and two deserts ):
Tomato soup with crusty wholemeal rolls and butter
Rack of Lamb with roast potatoes and vegetables ( the lamb was cooked to perfection ! )
Cheesecake with raspberry sauce and a bit of whipped cream
Coffee
No, I was NOT travelling on the Orient Express !
With me at the table a canadian couple and a single canadian traveller. We all had a very good discussions and surprise surprise I was asked about, you guessed it: Brexit. The canadians turned out to be very well informed about this subject and not like the various americans I met who are totally ignorant and to be honest simply naive.
Anyway: by the time we had finished it was getting dark and after a small excursion into the dome car to have a quick peek at the pitch dark sky I retired to my bed knowing it will be a very "moving" night and continuous sleep will be at a premium.
Good Night
If you want to follow me: Track My Tour or see some more pictures
