A few more reasons we love Vancouver…

I have already posted today, but we had a few photos on the camera that I have been meaning to post and haven’t had a chance until now.

Granville St, just before the sunset. My favourite time of the day here is about 4:30pm when the sun is about to set and all the lights come on. It goes almost blue, even if it has been grey all day and the lights are so pretty against the sky.

The view from our hotel room, again taken just before it gets dark.

The last of the Autumn leaves in the streets of our new (as of tomorrow, 11am) neighbourhood. By the way, the red hand is a “don’t walk” sign…great photography skills, I know!

The Vancouver Public Library.

 

Today we endured a North American rite of passage…

We became Costco members!

It was actually by accident – I have been dragging Joel around Vancouver searching for the ultimate Christmas tree for a less than ultimate price. We aren’t allowed real trees in our apartment, the trees in Sears and Hudson Bay Company are all expensive and all the twigs we find aren’t strong enough to hold decorations. Actually, on a side note, Hudson Bay Company has my exact tree from last year (Mum, you will know, the sparkly one from Freedom) but they are their store decorations and they won’t sell me a tree! Anyway, I understand that no one else is interested in my Christmas tree dilemma so I will get to the point…

Joel suggested Costco so we trekked down there and lo and behold, they won’t let you in unless you are a member. So we joined. While everything in Costco is cheap, it is also in bulk and we barely have enough room in our one bedroom apartment to house us, let alone a crate of shampoo, 50 rolls of toilet paper and 5 litre bottles of milk. Also the Christmas decorations were crap (surprise, surprise). So, not sure that it was the smartest move but I feel a little special now being part of the Costco family! And if any of you ever need a carton of 50 eggs, you know where to find me (and I can guarantee they wouldn’t be free range…)

By the way, in case you are interested (which I can guarantee 99.9% of you won’t be – except Lara, Lara understands the importance of Christmas trees…), I jumped on the net and found my perfect tree when we came home:

I will be dragging Joel to Pottery Barn in a couple of days…all together now: “Poor Joel!”

Back to Vancouver

So the last time I left you all we were spending time in the hotel room watching Lost. I can tell you things have actually got more exciting since then, if you can believe that! We arrived back in Vancouver 3 nights ago, very happy to be back. It is strange to already think of another place other than Perth as home but I do. I promise I mean temporary home, Mum!

We have had two good days of rain-free weather which has meant lots of wandering and exploring the city. Now we know we will be here for at least the next two months, there is less of a sense of urgency which has been nice. The last three days have consisted of: a visit to Stanley Park (Vancouver’s Kings Park), getting stuck in traffic due to the endless construction in the city for the Olympics while watching our petrol run out (have never been so happy to see a petrol station), dinner in Yaletown with friends, dinner at a work contact’s house for Joel and wandering the city looking at all the Christmas decorations.

It also seems that our nights in hotels are now numbered! I am hesitant to go into it too much at this stage, but we should be moving into an apartment either tomorrow or the next day. I am really excited about it and I will post photos etc when we have definitely moved in. Suffice to say it is in a fantastic location -the middle of Yaletown – with an amazing view, and a Starbucks in the building. Perfect!

Although I am hesitant to talk about it, that hasn’t stopped me from buying new sheets and towels and trying to figure out where I am going to put a Christmas tree…

Anyway, will keep you all posted xxx

Fogged in

Send chocolate!

The reason I am writing another blog entry so soon is because we are stuck in our hotel room today. Or the pub, but being that it is 10:30am we (or rather I) thought that might be a bit much. Drinking o’clock can start at 12pm.

It is a little difficult to do anything when you can’t see a metre in front of your face and that includes snowboarding for poor Joel. So today consists of a movie, Lost (I know we are the last people on earth to jump on the Lost bandwagon but it is addictive) and washing my hair. Sorry for being so boring!

Snippets of Calgary

We didn’t end up taking that many pictures in Calgary – to be honest there wasn’t a whole lot to photograph and I think we were a bit over the posing thing! However, here are the few photos we took that pretty much sum up our Calgary experience.

This is a picture of one of the main street in Calgary. It is also the only one we took – whoops! We are bad tourists…

Joel and Luke playing Buck Hunter at the Sports Bar. Note the Australian Rugby League shirt under his jumper. It was going to be the Union one, but he was too embarrassed after Australia’s appalling effort in Scotland.

This is a reminder as to why we should never order the large option of anything in North America. Lesson learned.

Me in the “Lift of Death”. This was the lift in our hotel and it was terrifying. We were on the 21st floor and it hurtled up to about the 19th floor at top speed and then slowed right down for our stomaches to violently catch up with our bodies. Yes, I was in the lift on my own and took a random picture of myself just so I could tell this story. Just count yourselves lucky it wasn’t a picture of me doing a “scared” face. I considered it. I hope you all understand how much I suffer for this blog.

 

Calgary

Hmmm…Calgary. To be honest, Calgary didn’t blow us away. I think we have been spoilt with Vancouver, Seattle, then Whistler and Banff so to come along after those cities was probably unfair for poor old Calgary! I guess everything about it has been a bit meh. The city itself is very 80s – lots of brown brick! We arrived on Saturday and settled into our hotel in Downtown Calgary. That may have been our first mistake – everywhere else we have been, Downtown is the main part of the city whereas it seems to be the working district here so it was completely dead on the weekend.

After wandering a few blocks we stumbled upon a mall, which was under construction but still open. After asking a random lady where the “main” part of the city was, she showed us around for about 15 minutes (it was starting to border on too nice!) and pointed out the main shopping strip and pubs/restuarants etc. Again, it was pretty quiet. Quieter than Perth if you can believe that! One thing we did notice was that there was a lot of construction going on so we imagine that with the money from the oil and gas here (Alberta is Canada’s WA) the city will be updated and built up. We kept getting told we were here at the wrong time and that we should come back in a few months.

Last night we headed out with a friend of Joel’s from Perth, Luke and his girlfriend Meg. We went to a sports bar called Schanks (or alternatively named “Joel’s Mecca”). It has 30 screens, mini golf that you can play around the bar, a golf simulation game, arcade games (I shot a moose – go me!), a bowling alley and hot wings. We went to watch the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship for those not in the know – like me about 12 hours ago!). It is so big over here that they put it on a big screen and curtain off the area so you pay $10 to watch it. Have to say it wasn’t really my cup of tea (anyone surprised?) and I have already told Joel that he can take me to The Nutcracker in Vancouver before Christmas as a fair trade!

As much as we had a great time last night, we are very glad we decided that we would do a round trip and drop the car back in Vancouver, because we were thisclose to dropping it in Calgary and staying here. After seeing Calgary, we have decided to not head to Edmonton – we don’t really want to do a six hour round trip to potentially see a smaller Calgary! Of course we are basing this on nothing except whenever anyone mentions Edmonton they talk about how it has the biggest mall in Canada. I don’t really care about malls that much!

Instead we have booked three nights at a lodge in Kelowna – four hours from Vancouver. We got the lodge for such a great price ($40 a night) and the lift tickets for skiing are 40% off at the moment so will head back to the beautiful mountains for a few nights before heading back to Vancouver. To be honest, we are both pretty keen to head back and finalise an apartment (and to a lesser extent, jobs!). Seen one that we really want so will aim to see it on Thursday and if all is good get it there and then. Fingers crossed it doesn’t go between now and then! Anyway, missing you all – fill me in on all your news. xxx

The end of our stay in Banff

Today was the last full day of our holiday in Banff – tomorrow we head off to Calgary for a couple of nights, then Edmonton for a night and then we start making our way back to Vancouver with a few stops along the way.

We have had a great time in Banff. Joel has managed to get quite a bit of snowboarding in, we have driven out to Bow River and Lake Louise (both the ski resort and the village) and seen more snow and mountains than we know what to do with! Our photos are starting to get very repetitive…

We visited the actual Lake Louise today and saw the Chateau on the water that my grandparents stayed in. There wasn’t much lake – mainly ice and snow – but we got the drift! Had an impromptu snowball fight – and by fight I mean I threw a bit of snow at Joel and he dumped handfuls of the stuff on my head…in minus degree weather…heaven forbid he lose a snowball fight! Yes, I am a little bitter.

In real estate news, we are viewing two apartments when we return to Vancouver and have applied for a third so that all seems to be moving along quickly and easily (touch wood). All the apartments are in Yaletown which is in Downtown Vancouver – right in the middle of the action. I am really looking forward to having a place to stay for a few months – I can unpack! The main thing is that we try and organise our accommodation for February as it is going to get very expensive with the Winter Olympics. Now we just need jobs!

 

Banff and other news…

So, after spending the evening drinking in a bar with ANOTHER Australian, it has become clear that the entire Australian population is following us around Canada. It was really nice though – he was exactly like Jack, so I feel like I spent the evening with my brother! Not sure how Jack will feel about being so easily replaced by a random Tasmanian…

Anyway, we arrived in Banff two nights ago after a relatively stressful drive through the Rockies. Just as a side note, the best thing for a poor, stiff, “just attempted snowboarding” body is to NOT spend 7 hours in a car feeling tense! A little tip from me to you…

After making it in one piece, we checked in at our fantastic hotel (that Joel managed to score for $60 a night!) and wandered around the town. Banff is fantastic – our favourite of the ski town villages so far. It is like a large Margaret River with mountains! The link for the photos is at the bottom of this post.

Yesterday we went to Lake Louise so Joel could keep snowboarding. I have to admit I sat this one out and read a book in front of a fire instead. Going to take quite a bit of convincing to get me back out there! See how we go tomorrow…

On another note, we have started emailing prospective short term accommodation in Vancouver, so send your good real estate karma this way! Need a place to live in if we want to stay (it just makes sense!) so will need some positive thinking.  Joel has started looking for work as well so it is all getting very serious – a little too soon if you ask me! Hoping that the stars align and it all works out, otherwise we will back in Perth hoping for somewhere to stay (families, we are looking at you – stop trying not to make eye contact…). Take care everyone! xxx

Actually, don’t go yet. Here are (hopefully) the public photo links that mean that even if you don’t have facebook you can see the photos.

Banff: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=132741&id=1332595104&l=3643bfb3e7
Sun Peaks: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=132740&id=1332595104&l=84392b4175
Vancouver: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=131708&id=1332595104&l=36d21e32fb
Whistler: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=132002&id=1332595104&l=bde5fd0605

Today I went snowboarding and I wasn’t terrible!

That’s a lie, I was truly awful. Like can’t stand up my own awful. Or fell on my bum six or seven times awful. Or Joel is going to have to bribe me with a whole heap of chocolate to get me to do that again awful…

Joel, on the other hand, was really great! Which I have to say was quite disappointing. But at least all that snowboarding equipment won’t go to waste! And I think today put another tick in the column for living in Vancouver as Joel has mates there that he can go snowboarding with, rather than me who takes off the board half way down the hill and marches down muttering “if I can walk then why the hell should I board”…

Anyway, for those keeping score, we are at Sun Peaks after driving four hours from Vancouver yesterday. The drive was fine – a bit hairy in parts the higher we got up the Rockies. We are here tonight and then will start driving to Banff first thing tomorrow morning – a nice six hour road trip. The scenery is so beautiful that it doesn’t feel so bad – well maybe for Joel who has to concentrate!

Sun Peaks is a small resort town that is very pretty and set nicely against the mountains. Having said that, I think it would be impossible to have an ugly ski town with the mountains as a backdrop! Sun Peaks is also FULL of Australians. The bar man, the guy who rented my equipment, the lady that sold us our ski pass, the guy that I gave my equipment back to at the end of the day…yep, all Aussies!

Anyway, going to go and head to the pub for some much needed drinks. Joel will put some photos up on facebook in the next couple of days (luckily there is no photo evidence of me snowboarding!). Fill me in on all your news! xxx

Things I love about Vancouver

So, we are deciding in the next couple of weeks where we want to spend our winter. We are heading to Calgary tomorrow and will decide between there and Vancouver. I thought (in true Hana fashion) I would write a list that would remind me why I am starting to think I could make a home for myself in Vancouver, so when I see Calgary I don’t forget how great Vancouver is! I never said I wasn’t crazy. So here goes – things I love about Vancouver (so far)…

• I will never get over looking North and seeing the mountains from almost everywhere in the city. That, and I love living on the water. I guess I can blame Fremantle for that! Not sure how I would go in a landlocked city.
• Vancouver gets a proper Autumn and it is beautiful.
• The smell of roasted chestnuts on most corners of the city – smells so good.
• The fact I can wear a black puffer jacket with a fur trim and Ugg boots! And I bought gumboots.
• Whistler is just over an hour away (this one is more for Joel).
• Vancouverites (I guess that is what you call them) have apartment living sorted, and the apartment blocks are all really nice. It is really easy to live in the city.
• Yaletown – it was the first time we wandered through Yaletown that I thought I could live here. It is like Perth’s Mt Lawley. Which I guess makes me a snob, and more than happy to live beyond my means!
• There are a lot of Australians here which is nice – apparently there is a pub owned by someone from Perth that sells Little Creatures beer! Unfortunatley not the frites though.
• They film lots of movies here!
• This one is also for Joel – he can buy Dr Pepper everywhere! Not sure that this is just limited to Vancouver though…