So we really do need to check out today since we fly home tomorrow! With that sobering thought, I really want to enjoy our last day and I'm really glad we stayed to prolong the vacation feeling.
Rugge took the kids to the pool while I did the packing and straightening. The girls were home first to help out with their bags, Gabe and Rugge played some tennis. We had all the things out for the 11 am check out but stayed for a beach walk since the ferry we want doesn't leave until 3:15. Rugge had walked north along the beach and wanted to show us some neat things he'd seen the day before. It is a little blustery today but we didn't want to miss our last chance to stroll the Parksville Beach. Tide is out so we were walking on mushy sand, finding cool shells and even cooler coloured rocks: purple, green and blue. There is a stump with its root system sitting on the crest of the beach. Over the years, people have stuck driftwood tree trunks in with the stump. It looks like a sea urchin in driftwood. We took some self timer pictures with the mountains in behind.
We said our good byes to the beach and cottage after a "polish off whatever we can" lunch. We're all set for out BC ferry ride from Duke Point to Tsawwassen for a packing spree evening. We get to the ferry in lots of time so we head to the park for a bit until the incoming ferry has unloaded. I just can't help singing some Chris de Burgh! We're loaded and out of the car to find the kid play place. Gabe is happy to watch tv, Jubes is playing with Jesse, Rugge is in the gift shop, Nina is floating around and I'm on deck! This ship has a enclosure outside on the deck right at the front of the ship where you can stand almost on the edge and still be inside. Later in the ride, I had Rugge and Nina out there spotting porpoise fins. The wind is pretty fierce and chilly so the exposed deck is too frosty! Of course, the whole ride is spectacular.
We're back at the Seiberts before sundown and Rugge immediately starts cleaning out the car for its return. Gabe is playing street hockey for the last time with the boys, the girls are doing their good bye rounds, exchanging addresses and emails. I'm indoors packing and doing laundry. It all seems to fit in and with a little repacking after the kids are asleep, it's all done. Rugge returns the Expedition with Tim's help after a quick stop across the border for a gas fillup.
Tomorrow's a 7:30 start with JoAnne preboarding us (it is great staying with a travel agent!) and two cars carrying the Guadsquad to the airport... hopefully we all get a good sleep!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Big Trees, Loud Falls and Long Walks
On of the reasons we wanted to stay near Parksville was its centrality to the sites on our list for Day 2 on the Island. We didn't have enought time to go all the way to Tofino but would be heading to the famous Qualicum Beach, Little Qualicum Falls and of course, Cathedral Grove with possibly a stop in Coombs to see the goats.
I had already been down the southern end of the beach collecting shells and rocks with my coffee. Over breakfast, we had watched sea lions feeding with sea gulls and I could still hear them calling to each other. The tide is going out again after its 7:30 am high tide. You can almost see its progress along the beach. I'd say 2 km out is the low tide. We walked the whole area finding sand dollars and clams digging under the sand waiting for the tide to rise again. We also realized that the clouds are gone and in their place is a horizon of snow covered mountains. These are on the mainland with two mountainous islands between them and our beach.
The kids begged for another swim (I forgot to type that in last night's fun) before we had to check out so I took them up while Rugge went for a beach walk. Some lovely ladies had just ended a quilting weekend and loved hearing our Olympic stories. After a swim, Gabe decided to get Rugge for a game of tennis and I took Jesse and the girls to the park area. I taught Marina how to play tether ball! Blast from the past. As we were walking back to the cottage, we passed Rugge who said. "This place is totally our style hey? Why don't we stay another night?" I was so excited! We really were having a ball at this very family friendly resort, staying in a idyllic cottage which reminded us all of our own summer cottage.
We spent the morning at the resort. With a big tummies full of spaghetti, we were off for the natural tour! Qualicum Beach taught us that Brant Festival occured every March and April. No dogs are allowed on the beach because the Brant geese fly from Mexico to Alaska with only one stop on the way - Qualicum Beach! Incredible. I picked up a good map of the mountains we'd been staring at and we were off to Hwy 4. With more time we could have followed 4 to Tofino which we heard is the most gorgeous place in BC but, alas, we are only going half way to Cathedral Grove near Cameron Lake. First stop was Qualicum Falls. There was absolutely nobody around! We hiked to the falls, took pictures and hiked some more. I just love the mini-ferns growing over everything and the moss covering everything. The falls have so much power, its mist floating in the air, catching the light.
Next stop was Cathedral Grove! We took the Old forest path where we found huge trees, moss, ferns, mud and took lots of pictures, the next tree always bigger than the last! The kids were getting tired so Rugge and I left them in the truck and quick-walked the New forest where there is more new growth in amoungst the hollowed out tree trunks. We found many tree's root systems towering above our heads. One such system was an obvious photo spot so I climbed in for the memory.
It was getting on in the afternoon so to abate the crankies, we stopped for icecream before heading on to Coombs. We just missed the historic shop's closing time but could see where the goats were kept and where they had free reign on the roof tops during the day. Oh well. On the way home we stopped for some dinner groceries for a great beach side bbq of snapper, halibut, chicken and weiners with marshmellows to roast. Beach Acres supplied the roasting sticks but God provided the sounds of the waves, the light of the moon and the love we have for each other!
I had already been down the southern end of the beach collecting shells and rocks with my coffee. Over breakfast, we had watched sea lions feeding with sea gulls and I could still hear them calling to each other. The tide is going out again after its 7:30 am high tide. You can almost see its progress along the beach. I'd say 2 km out is the low tide. We walked the whole area finding sand dollars and clams digging under the sand waiting for the tide to rise again. We also realized that the clouds are gone and in their place is a horizon of snow covered mountains. These are on the mainland with two mountainous islands between them and our beach.
The kids begged for another swim (I forgot to type that in last night's fun) before we had to check out so I took them up while Rugge went for a beach walk. Some lovely ladies had just ended a quilting weekend and loved hearing our Olympic stories. After a swim, Gabe decided to get Rugge for a game of tennis and I took Jesse and the girls to the park area. I taught Marina how to play tether ball! Blast from the past. As we were walking back to the cottage, we passed Rugge who said. "This place is totally our style hey? Why don't we stay another night?" I was so excited! We really were having a ball at this very family friendly resort, staying in a idyllic cottage which reminded us all of our own summer cottage.
We spent the morning at the resort. With a big tummies full of spaghetti, we were off for the natural tour! Qualicum Beach taught us that Brant Festival occured every March and April. No dogs are allowed on the beach because the Brant geese fly from Mexico to Alaska with only one stop on the way - Qualicum Beach! Incredible. I picked up a good map of the mountains we'd been staring at and we were off to Hwy 4. With more time we could have followed 4 to Tofino which we heard is the most gorgeous place in BC but, alas, we are only going half way to Cathedral Grove near Cameron Lake. First stop was Qualicum Falls. There was absolutely nobody around! We hiked to the falls, took pictures and hiked some more. I just love the mini-ferns growing over everything and the moss covering everything. The falls have so much power, its mist floating in the air, catching the light.
Next stop was Cathedral Grove! We took the Old forest path where we found huge trees, moss, ferns, mud and took lots of pictures, the next tree always bigger than the last! The kids were getting tired so Rugge and I left them in the truck and quick-walked the New forest where there is more new growth in amoungst the hollowed out tree trunks. We found many tree's root systems towering above our heads. One such system was an obvious photo spot so I climbed in for the memory.
It was getting on in the afternoon so to abate the crankies, we stopped for icecream before heading on to Coombs. We just missed the historic shop's closing time but could see where the goats were kept and where they had free reign on the roof tops during the day. Oh well. On the way home we stopped for some dinner groceries for a great beach side bbq of snapper, halibut, chicken and weiners with marshmellows to roast. Beach Acres supplied the roasting sticks but God provided the sounds of the waves, the light of the moon and the love we have for each other!
Continued...
With the Maritime Museum behind us and the meter on our rental running low, the kids and I took the long way back through China town with Rugge heading to the parking lot. China town's entrance is a gateway called the "Gate of Harmonious Interest". The kids recognized the red dragon from promotional brochures. The street was lined with paper lanterns and fans... Fan Street! It was a short walk past noodle shops and asian markets back to the waterfront. A light rain had started so we zipped up our CN wear for the last part of the walk. But we've noticed that a rain like this is almost expected and people are ready at all times for some wetness. We neared the car just as a float plane was making a landing on the Inner Bay... Cool!
The next stop would be north of Nanaimo but we were all very hungry. A movie played in the laptop for the kids, Rugge and I discussed where to eat. Halfway to Nanaimo we found Duncan with a classic four corners of stores intersection. The choice was either "Dog House" or "Salty's fish and chips". Dog House won the vote but I still ordered fish. We picked up some groceries for our stay on the island and jumped back in the car for the last leg of the drive... only 45 min or so to Beach Acres Resort, a cottagy beach stay I found online.
The sun had set when we reached Parksville but the way was clearly marked to the Resort. I had called on the way and our cottage was ready. Cottage #2 is right on Craig's Bay Beach and outfitted with a double bed room, a bunk bed room and a kitchen/living room space. The sliding door and deck face the beach. Once the bags were unloaded, we all headed out to see the tide. Sandy had advised us that high tide was 7:30 pm but low tide was 1:30 am. The water was right up to the bramble of driftwood tree trunks but it had reached its peak. We started a bonfire in the concrete well pit. The stars were lovely! Orion was clearly in the West. Jesse was ready to hit the hay so Rugge took him in while the girls and I went for a beach walk. The tide had left us enough room and the rising moon gave us enough light. We strolled along chatting until, in the distance, we heard a strange noise. I knew it was sea lions but the girls stopped in their tracks having never heard such a honking bray before. I assured them that the sea lions were far off but they insisted we turn around for the cottage. Off they went to bed and we followed after one glass of wine and a last peek at the moonlit beach.
ink
The next stop would be north of Nanaimo but we were all very hungry. A movie played in the laptop for the kids, Rugge and I discussed where to eat. Halfway to Nanaimo we found Duncan with a classic four corners of stores intersection. The choice was either "Dog House" or "Salty's fish and chips". Dog House won the vote but I still ordered fish. We picked up some groceries for our stay on the island and jumped back in the car for the last leg of the drive... only 45 min or so to Beach Acres Resort, a cottagy beach stay I found online.
The sun had set when we reached Parksville but the way was clearly marked to the Resort. I had called on the way and our cottage was ready. Cottage #2 is right on Craig's Bay Beach and outfitted with a double bed room, a bunk bed room and a kitchen/living room space. The sliding door and deck face the beach. Once the bags were unloaded, we all headed out to see the tide. Sandy had advised us that high tide was 7:30 pm but low tide was 1:30 am. The water was right up to the bramble of driftwood tree trunks but it had reached its peak. We started a bonfire in the concrete well pit. The stars were lovely! Orion was clearly in the West. Jesse was ready to hit the hay so Rugge took him in while the girls and I went for a beach walk. The tide had left us enough room and the rising moon gave us enough light. We strolled along chatting until, in the distance, we heard a strange noise. I knew it was sea lions but the girls stopped in their tracks having never heard such a honking bray before. I assured them that the sea lions were far off but they insisted we turn around for the cottage. Off they went to bed and we followed after one glass of wine and a last peek at the moonlit beach.
ink
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
"Oh the Island Life is the Life for me"
I cried many times today. It's the breath-taking beauty of BC that stops me short and makes me whisper "Thank you Lord".
And I've seen a lot of beauty...
We started a little later than planned but when do Guadagnins get up at 5:30 am? Rugge and I had a tough time sleeping so instead of the 7 am ferry, we went with the more realistic 9 am ferry, a 7:30 wake up call. The family had packed the night before while getting ready for bed so it was just a matter of waking, dressing and eating then out the door. The ferry is not 10 minutes from the Seiberts so we made it in good time for the line up. We chose the ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay near Victoria so we could travel through the Southern Gulf Islands to the East of Saalish Peninsula. I couldn't wait! So Starbucks in hand, we boarded the ferry and exitted the rented Ford Expedition to find a spot on deck. It was raining a bit but we knew the sun was shining in the distance!
The ferry has 2 indoor decks with outdoor walkaround decks and one above deck on top of the ship. I stayed outside pretty much the entire time, enthralled with the mountainous islands and dazzling horizons. The sun was behind the clouds making for really interesting lighting on the rippling waters of the Straight. The kids were inside playing in a kids area, watching tv and looking out the windows for the 2 hour ferry ride. So many of the people on the ferry must take this trek daily judging by their ability to ignore the scenery. I was amazed by every minute.
We landed in Swartz Bay and with only one way to drive, we headed south for our downtown Victoria visit. Just before reaching the heart of the city, we detoured to the east for the "Scenic Route". The route took us through beautiful residential areas and out along the coast. We stopped at a Look out and spotted the Washington mountains in the distance. Wow. The shoreline rocks were covered with little tidal pools which Marina began searching for sea anemones... which she found! Unfortunately, Jesse got a bit of a soaker and Nina stepped in a pile of poop so we had some tears and some cleanup before moving on. Thanks to Jo's packed cooler, we also grabbed a quick snack.
The last part of the Scenic Route took us past Beacon Hill park with its totem poles and look outs. We made our way down Government Street which reminded us all of Ottawa's Sparks Street and we wondered if we should really be driving down it. Parking was found on Wharf street on the Inner Harbour of Victoria. What a lovely city! I know why it is on the list of top ten cities to visit! Bastion Square was adjacent to our parking lot so we walked there to find the Maritime Museum. We had planned this one purely educational stop for the day. It took some settling, but we finally enjoyed seeing the ship models, historic information and of course, the real ship where we had a hard time getting the kids to stop playing.
To be continued...
And I've seen a lot of beauty...
We started a little later than planned but when do Guadagnins get up at 5:30 am? Rugge and I had a tough time sleeping so instead of the 7 am ferry, we went with the more realistic 9 am ferry, a 7:30 wake up call. The family had packed the night before while getting ready for bed so it was just a matter of waking, dressing and eating then out the door. The ferry is not 10 minutes from the Seiberts so we made it in good time for the line up. We chose the ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay near Victoria so we could travel through the Southern Gulf Islands to the East of Saalish Peninsula. I couldn't wait! So Starbucks in hand, we boarded the ferry and exitted the rented Ford Expedition to find a spot on deck. It was raining a bit but we knew the sun was shining in the distance!
The ferry has 2 indoor decks with outdoor walkaround decks and one above deck on top of the ship. I stayed outside pretty much the entire time, enthralled with the mountainous islands and dazzling horizons. The sun was behind the clouds making for really interesting lighting on the rippling waters of the Straight. The kids were inside playing in a kids area, watching tv and looking out the windows for the 2 hour ferry ride. So many of the people on the ferry must take this trek daily judging by their ability to ignore the scenery. I was amazed by every minute.
We landed in Swartz Bay and with only one way to drive, we headed south for our downtown Victoria visit. Just before reaching the heart of the city, we detoured to the east for the "Scenic Route". The route took us through beautiful residential areas and out along the coast. We stopped at a Look out and spotted the Washington mountains in the distance. Wow. The shoreline rocks were covered with little tidal pools which Marina began searching for sea anemones... which she found! Unfortunately, Jesse got a bit of a soaker and Nina stepped in a pile of poop so we had some tears and some cleanup before moving on. Thanks to Jo's packed cooler, we also grabbed a quick snack.
The last part of the Scenic Route took us past Beacon Hill park with its totem poles and look outs. We made our way down Government Street which reminded us all of Ottawa's Sparks Street and we wondered if we should really be driving down it. Parking was found on Wharf street on the Inner Harbour of Victoria. What a lovely city! I know why it is on the list of top ten cities to visit! Bastion Square was adjacent to our parking lot so we walked there to find the Maritime Museum. We had planned this one purely educational stop for the day. It took some settling, but we finally enjoyed seeing the ship models, historic information and of course, the real ship where we had a hard time getting the kids to stop playing.
To be continued...
in brief...
Thursday the 25th - recouperate day: slept in, drank coffee, watched Olympics
Friday the 26th - more sleeping in, went to a mall, drove for the first time in 2 weeks,
Saturday the 27th - even more sleeping in, cleaned, Rugge is home today, we watch Olympics, try to plan next week, get giggly with Jo and go to bed late
Sunday the 28th - big day, needs longer entry
Monday the 29th - sleep in, Jo takes me to Point Roberts, shop and eat cinnamon buns, kids go swimming, pack for V.Island, pick up rental
Friday the 26th - more sleeping in, went to a mall, drove for the first time in 2 weeks,
Saturday the 27th - even more sleeping in, cleaned, Rugge is home today, we watch Olympics, try to plan next week, get giggly with Jo and go to bed late
Sunday the 28th - big day, needs longer entry
Monday the 29th - sleep in, Jo takes me to Point Roberts, shop and eat cinnamon buns, kids go swimming, pack for V.Island, pick up rental
Thursday, February 25, 2010
2+2+2+2
Cliff had offered an early start on our last official CN Olympic Day. 6:30 am came pretty quickly but I was pumped to get started on our touristy day. By the end of today we will have been to two must-see attractions and watched two deal-breaking hockey games.
I got quite the grumpies in the van. Guadagnins are not naturally early risers! But the Vancouver Aquarium is in our path and by the time Cliff has us through Stanley Park and to the Aquarium door... we are cheering! What a spectacular time! First we checked out the Giant fishes of the Amazon, walked through the Rainforest Region and took a million pictures of the giant turtle and sharks. The Dolphins had a show on next... I've never seen these west coast dolphins with white stripes down the length of their bodies! They did their jumping and splashing but we didn't notice the wetness since it was raining steadily by that point. After the show, we asked some questions then went on to stare at the belugas. Wow! So huge and yet so fluid! I loved hearing their clicks and clacks as they talked to their babies. There are two moms and two calves swimmming around this fairly huge enclosure. You can see them at the surface or go below to the underwater area. The displays use modern technology and are very well done. We watched short videos on the Arctic way of life and listened to recordings of the many different beluga communication sounds. We were in the area, so stayed for the beluga show. Some good information but the best part was the beluga spraying the spectators. I learned that this behaviour is used for hunting in the wild but only served to add to the sogginess today.
We watched the otters swimming for a bit before returning indoors for the frog feeding. The displays are pretty boring (frogs don't really do that much) except for the tadpole display you can stick your head into to look for the little swimmers in different stages of metamorphosis. The frog feeding was already in progress: the guide was faking out the frogs by sticking her thumb into the top of the cage causing the frogs to all jump at it and not out the tank. She then dumped a tupperware of live crickets into the tank, all over the frogs. These huge bullfrogs started jumping all over the rocks, into the water, on top of each other... to get the frantic crickets. Jesse had a front row spot and was laughing so hard! One bullfrog in particular must have been extrememly hungry... so hilarious.
Next on the schedule was a 4D movie about Ocean Animals. We've never been to one before but were handed a paper warning us of frightening scenes. How frightening could it be? I didn't take it too seriously. Just a standard warning I thought. Well, I was wrong! All of us were laughing, screaming and jumping out of our seats reacting to the well-timed and choreographed effects. Well done! I read later that there is a 4D movie all about Ontario at the Ontario Pavillion. We'll have to check it out! Out of the movie we toured our last display on the BC shoreline. The variety of the jellyfish amazed us all! and the colours! I loved watching Jesse with the magnifying glass looking at 3 week old plankton-type creatures in a display tank. Gabe couldn't leave the underwater snake tank, waiting to watch one eat the unsuspecting goldfish (dinner!). Marina loved the anemones so we took her by the beach to see if the tide was out, nope, another day. Julianna kept ducking into the fluorescent fish cubicle! I just stared at those intricate jellies while Rugge loved the interactive BC coast salmon tracking monitor. We left the Aquarium in awe of God's creation: so unimaginably varied and creative! Created in intricate balance with one another and to the finest detail. Loved it.
We'd spent 4 hours at the Aquarium by now and were getting a little hungry so we jumped back in the VANOC truck to find a Wendy's. There hasn't been any fast food yet this trip so it was a treat we all agreed on. Cliff guided us to the nearest one over the Lions Gate bridge and waited while we filled up on jr bacon cheeseburgers and frostys.
Off to our downtown stop at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Leonardo DaVinci is featured in a free exhibit during the Olympics: The Mechanics of the Human Body. His drawings from his notebooks are displayed along with quotations, inspiriational, on the walls. I just loved it. I've been a Leonardo fan for a long time so to see his originals was just breath-taking. It was a quick stop but worth it to see this man's impact on science and art. On the way out I exclaimed, "I really enjoyed that!" to which Gabe replied, "You always enjoy this stuff mom so it's no surprise". So I'm predictable! That's ok.
Our drivers had switched out by the 3:30 pick up. We were all sad to say good-bye to Cliff our morning driver, it was probably the last time we would see him, but glad to see our afternoon driver, Csaba, again. I know, it is tough living the rock star lifestyle! They both have been kind to us and we've gotten quite close. As volunteers who live in the city, their knowledge is a huge asset to our trip and their confidence in the routes is a stres-reliever. Without them, our vacation would not have been the same! They definitely went above and beyond their volunteer call of duty!
Csaba drove us to Tsawwassen in time for us all to join the Seiberts for the hockey game. While supper was prepped by the women (mostly Jo!) with Tim floating in and out, the hockey fans raged, cried and cheered along with Canada as the men took their victory over the Russians. We were glad to be heading into town for our last Olympic event with CN, the Sweden and Slovakia game, but it would have been unbelievable to be at the Canada Russia game. With Csaba back behind the wheel, we headed into Canada Place for our 9 pm game. The streets were still packed with Canadian fans, red and white the only clothing colour choice available on a night like this!
There we met Jamie, Rugge's high-school buddy, and made our way along the concourse to our front row seats (with a quick 'hi' to lead guitarist Dave from 5440!). Unbelievably, our tickets are for the 3rd row from the ice, directly beside the Sweden bench! It was like they were playing at our Wellington Duke Dome we were sitting so close! The hockey players are huge! During warm-ups, I got some great close-up shots of the Swedish players including Alfredsson and the Sedins, although we are secretly cheering for the Slovakian team thinking it'll be a easier win for Canada for the gold medal! Game's on and the play is fast and hard. Some fun moments when the puck gets close or a player gets checked - the whole plexiglass sways back and forth from the force of impact! Wow. Such a tense ending but the Swedish team can't pull off the win. Chara did a great job leading his line! It was interesting watching all the dynamics at the bench without the commentary to fill you in!
Rugge is off now to spend a couple days with Jamie so we say good-bye. Gabe and I hop over to McD's for a on-the-way-home snack. Csaba is quickly losing his voice so it was a quiet ride back to the Seiberts' home, we're tired and our driver is voice-less.
Another amazing day. As Gabe and I chatted, we realized it was a day of 2s: 2 attrations, 2 fast food restaurants, 2 hockey games and 2 of our favourite drivers to whom we say "Come to PEC and we'll return the favour!".
ink
I got quite the grumpies in the van. Guadagnins are not naturally early risers! But the Vancouver Aquarium is in our path and by the time Cliff has us through Stanley Park and to the Aquarium door... we are cheering! What a spectacular time! First we checked out the Giant fishes of the Amazon, walked through the Rainforest Region and took a million pictures of the giant turtle and sharks. The Dolphins had a show on next... I've never seen these west coast dolphins with white stripes down the length of their bodies! They did their jumping and splashing but we didn't notice the wetness since it was raining steadily by that point. After the show, we asked some questions then went on to stare at the belugas. Wow! So huge and yet so fluid! I loved hearing their clicks and clacks as they talked to their babies. There are two moms and two calves swimmming around this fairly huge enclosure. You can see them at the surface or go below to the underwater area. The displays use modern technology and are very well done. We watched short videos on the Arctic way of life and listened to recordings of the many different beluga communication sounds. We were in the area, so stayed for the beluga show. Some good information but the best part was the beluga spraying the spectators. I learned that this behaviour is used for hunting in the wild but only served to add to the sogginess today.
We watched the otters swimming for a bit before returning indoors for the frog feeding. The displays are pretty boring (frogs don't really do that much) except for the tadpole display you can stick your head into to look for the little swimmers in different stages of metamorphosis. The frog feeding was already in progress: the guide was faking out the frogs by sticking her thumb into the top of the cage causing the frogs to all jump at it and not out the tank. She then dumped a tupperware of live crickets into the tank, all over the frogs. These huge bullfrogs started jumping all over the rocks, into the water, on top of each other... to get the frantic crickets. Jesse had a front row spot and was laughing so hard! One bullfrog in particular must have been extrememly hungry... so hilarious.
Next on the schedule was a 4D movie about Ocean Animals. We've never been to one before but were handed a paper warning us of frightening scenes. How frightening could it be? I didn't take it too seriously. Just a standard warning I thought. Well, I was wrong! All of us were laughing, screaming and jumping out of our seats reacting to the well-timed and choreographed effects. Well done! I read later that there is a 4D movie all about Ontario at the Ontario Pavillion. We'll have to check it out! Out of the movie we toured our last display on the BC shoreline. The variety of the jellyfish amazed us all! and the colours! I loved watching Jesse with the magnifying glass looking at 3 week old plankton-type creatures in a display tank. Gabe couldn't leave the underwater snake tank, waiting to watch one eat the unsuspecting goldfish (dinner!). Marina loved the anemones so we took her by the beach to see if the tide was out, nope, another day. Julianna kept ducking into the fluorescent fish cubicle! I just stared at those intricate jellies while Rugge loved the interactive BC coast salmon tracking monitor. We left the Aquarium in awe of God's creation: so unimaginably varied and creative! Created in intricate balance with one another and to the finest detail. Loved it.
We'd spent 4 hours at the Aquarium by now and were getting a little hungry so we jumped back in the VANOC truck to find a Wendy's. There hasn't been any fast food yet this trip so it was a treat we all agreed on. Cliff guided us to the nearest one over the Lions Gate bridge and waited while we filled up on jr bacon cheeseburgers and frostys.
Off to our downtown stop at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Leonardo DaVinci is featured in a free exhibit during the Olympics: The Mechanics of the Human Body. His drawings from his notebooks are displayed along with quotations, inspiriational, on the walls. I just loved it. I've been a Leonardo fan for a long time so to see his originals was just breath-taking. It was a quick stop but worth it to see this man's impact on science and art. On the way out I exclaimed, "I really enjoyed that!" to which Gabe replied, "You always enjoy this stuff mom so it's no surprise". So I'm predictable! That's ok.
Our drivers had switched out by the 3:30 pick up. We were all sad to say good-bye to Cliff our morning driver, it was probably the last time we would see him, but glad to see our afternoon driver, Csaba, again. I know, it is tough living the rock star lifestyle! They both have been kind to us and we've gotten quite close. As volunteers who live in the city, their knowledge is a huge asset to our trip and their confidence in the routes is a stres-reliever. Without them, our vacation would not have been the same! They definitely went above and beyond their volunteer call of duty!
Csaba drove us to Tsawwassen in time for us all to join the Seiberts for the hockey game. While supper was prepped by the women (mostly Jo!) with Tim floating in and out, the hockey fans raged, cried and cheered along with Canada as the men took their victory over the Russians. We were glad to be heading into town for our last Olympic event with CN, the Sweden and Slovakia game, but it would have been unbelievable to be at the Canada Russia game. With Csaba back behind the wheel, we headed into Canada Place for our 9 pm game. The streets were still packed with Canadian fans, red and white the only clothing colour choice available on a night like this!
There we met Jamie, Rugge's high-school buddy, and made our way along the concourse to our front row seats (with a quick 'hi' to lead guitarist Dave from 5440!). Unbelievably, our tickets are for the 3rd row from the ice, directly beside the Sweden bench! It was like they were playing at our Wellington Duke Dome we were sitting so close! The hockey players are huge! During warm-ups, I got some great close-up shots of the Swedish players including Alfredsson and the Sedins, although we are secretly cheering for the Slovakian team thinking it'll be a easier win for Canada for the gold medal! Game's on and the play is fast and hard. Some fun moments when the puck gets close or a player gets checked - the whole plexiglass sways back and forth from the force of impact! Wow. Such a tense ending but the Swedish team can't pull off the win. Chara did a great job leading his line! It was interesting watching all the dynamics at the bench without the commentary to fill you in!
Rugge is off now to spend a couple days with Jamie so we say good-bye. Gabe and I hop over to McD's for a on-the-way-home snack. Csaba is quickly losing his voice so it was a quiet ride back to the Seiberts' home, we're tired and our driver is voice-less.
Another amazing day. As Gabe and I chatted, we realized it was a day of 2s: 2 attrations, 2 fast food restaurants, 2 hockey games and 2 of our favourite drivers to whom we say "Come to PEC and we'll return the favour!".
ink
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Changin the Shorts Day
Well since I was up so late blogging last night, I just had to sleep in. The girls had left with Joanne to walk Faith to school and the boys were ... in front of the TV! Surprise Surprise! Too much Olympics to catch up on!
Eventhough the sky is finally trying to cloud up we decided to head up to Capilano Suspension Bridge. Go check it out online and you will know why I was particularly freaked out. The bridge (which was originally made out of hemp and wood!) stretches across a deep gorge created by a dragging glacier and the Capilano River. Crazy high. Even without a wind and no one else on it, it swings. Yikes. So guess what? It was windy! And people, like my rebellious son, were on it infront of me. JoAnne was pointing the camera at me but I wasn't posing. I was hanging on to both railings and NOT looking down! Marina wasn't so good with it either and Julianna basically ran across so she wouldn't have to linger. The three of us had a sob hug on the other side then geared up for the "Tree Top Adventure" - the tree version of the bridge we just went over. They did a really nice job lighting up the trees and stringing bridges between these gorgeous huge trees covered in moss. I couldn't stop taking pictures! and touching the bark.
The gift shop held our attention for about an hour but the rain had done its worst and we were soaked through. Coffee time! A salmon hatchery is just down the road so we made our way out down the Capilano River. Closed. I took some great pictures though! Now it is about 5 so we know we will be heading into some traffic on the way home. With Rugge following behind Jo and I, it was kinda tricky to make the right turns. When we had to do a U turn on the bridge, listening to honks but thankfully no sirens, Rugge said he needed a change of shorts. Good thing we had put ribs in the crock pot! Dinner's ready. Skating's on!
Tonight it'll be early bed for an early start...
Eventhough the sky is finally trying to cloud up we decided to head up to Capilano Suspension Bridge. Go check it out online and you will know why I was particularly freaked out. The bridge (which was originally made out of hemp and wood!) stretches across a deep gorge created by a dragging glacier and the Capilano River. Crazy high. Even without a wind and no one else on it, it swings. Yikes. So guess what? It was windy! And people, like my rebellious son, were on it infront of me. JoAnne was pointing the camera at me but I wasn't posing. I was hanging on to both railings and NOT looking down! Marina wasn't so good with it either and Julianna basically ran across so she wouldn't have to linger. The three of us had a sob hug on the other side then geared up for the "Tree Top Adventure" - the tree version of the bridge we just went over. They did a really nice job lighting up the trees and stringing bridges between these gorgeous huge trees covered in moss. I couldn't stop taking pictures! and touching the bark.
The gift shop held our attention for about an hour but the rain had done its worst and we were soaked through. Coffee time! A salmon hatchery is just down the road so we made our way out down the Capilano River. Closed. I took some great pictures though! Now it is about 5 so we know we will be heading into some traffic on the way home. With Rugge following behind Jo and I, it was kinda tricky to make the right turns. When we had to do a U turn on the bridge, listening to honks but thankfully no sirens, Rugge said he needed a change of shorts. Good thing we had put ribs in the crock pot! Dinner's ready. Skating's on!
Tonight it'll be early bed for an early start...
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