My flight to Vancouver was delayed due to a dent in the engine casing. Can you imagine if Stagecoach buses worked on that basis, there would never be a bus on the roads, in fact that whole of Manchester would be pedestrianised. I know, it’s a plane, let me whinge. It was made harder by the London news. I felt trapped and lonely, a million miles from home or a friendly face. On my arrival in Vancouver things improved somewhat. I had missed the bus that would take me downtown where I was meeting my friend Kat. As a result I shared a limousine with a lovely newly married couple. Yep, I gate crashed a honeymoon, but they got a cameraman into the bargain as I helped them tape a short video in the back of the car (no, not that kind of movie, a ‘hi mum and dad’ kind of thing). Get that – a Minchin in a Limo, not something you’d expect to see. Not to say we don’t suit the whole thing. I happen to think I look right at home in them, sadly my parents haven’t taken the hint and bought a winning lottery ticket.
I couldn’t grasp that I was in another country for approximately the first 36 hours. I’d only been in the air for 2 hours, people had a similar accent (they’ll kill me for saying that) and they still drive on the wrong side of the road (and it is wrong I tell you). It was a lovely relaxed weekend in a beautiful city with the most amazing backdrop, well, when the mountains weren’t hidden by cloud. It seems that it is becoming increasingly necessary for me to be in places by the ocean. The final month and a half of my trip will have been by water; sadly the Manchester Ship Canal just won’t do it for me when I get home. This is a real ‘outdoors’ city, kayaks attached to car roofs, people on bikes, skateboards and skates everywhere you looked. An abundance of fleece, trail shoes and lots of healthy looking complexions.
Saturday morning we explored Granville Island, Vancouver’s answer to Covent Garden, eating sticky buns and admiring the boats. Great fun was to be had in the children’s market – sorry people, no presents for anyone but Julian – I’m not sure who will get the most fun out of his gifts, him or me! Heck I’m such a kid. We explored the Little Sister Bookstore, a lesbian and gay bookstore with an amazing array of books, I’m not sure how I managed it but my credit card remained in my pocket. Unheard of, a Minchin going into a bookstore and leaving empty handed. The plan had been to go out that night but we were both so tired that we cooked and stayed in watching Pirates of the Caribbean as one of the boats from the film was docked just outside the city. After dinner and before the movie we had left the house long enough to walk to the beach and attempt to watch the sun set, cloud prevented us from enjoying that view. As we watched the pirate ship (actually I’m not sure which one it was) fired its canons a few times. We were also entertained by two young boys who played in the water. They must have been about 8 or 9 years old, they laughed and splashed one another, played ‘sharks’ and generally had a huge amount of fun. It was a delight to watch them, and to think there wasn’t a game boy in sight. They were oblivious to the cold, one of them shouting at regular intervals, ‘I want to live in the water’, it made my night……
posted by KP @ 11:01 PM
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