Centre Block Parliament Hill

24 hours in Ottawa

Our two nights in Ottawa would be spent staying in an Airbnb accommodation, and the instructions we received beforehand from the host were overly thorough and comprehensive to say the least! In fact, when we arrived at the accommodation, the process we had to go through to collect the keys and get into the apartment (in the host’s absence) resembled a challenge from the 1990s … Continue reading 24 hours in Ottawa

Seagulls

A change of plan – back in Ontario. First stop Kingston

As you do, we flew from one side of the North American continent to almost the other side just for a job interview. The journey and subsequent 5 days in Toronto were only notable for: Having poor plane seats as we booked at relatively short notice and me whinging at Emma about them all flight. My hat then fell on a woman when Emma opened … Continue reading A change of plan – back in Ontario. First stop Kingston

Point Atkinson lighthouse

Getting very wet at Lighthouse Park

As we entered our final day in Vancouver, we were faced with a decision to make about what we should see. Since we had come to North Vancouver specifically for attractions there, it made sense to stay local and so we could rule out places like Science World which are in Vancouver itself. We could go to Whistler or Squamish, but without a car getting … Continue reading Getting very wet at Lighthouse Park

Lynn Canyon suspension bridge

Braving the rain at Lynn Canyon Park and Suspension Bridge

After our first enjoyable suspension bridge adventure we decided it was time to try another one. Our new base on North Vancouver meant it was easy to get the bus to Lynn Canyon Park although I think it would have been just as easy to get there from mainland Vancouver. In true Vancouver style it was raining but we didn’t let that stop us and headed … Continue reading Braving the rain at Lynn Canyon Park and Suspension Bridge

Zipline 3 Grouse Mountain

Ziplines and bears on Grouse Mountain

Grouse Mountain can be seen from most of Vancouver, in fact we could see the lights at the top from the road we were staying on in Strathcona. In the winter it is a popular local ski ‘hill’ but has become increasingly popular with day trippers in the summer. In fact the local guy we met whilst zip-lining told us that the mountain now makes … Continue reading Ziplines and bears on Grouse Mountain

Clouds Dog Mountain

Dodging fog on Dog Mountain

With a second job interview on the other side of the country still a week away, we had some time to play with. Taking the decision to make the most of the urban Vancouver area, we decided to decamp from Vancouver itself, and head across Burrard Inlet to North Vancouver and its selection of outdoor focussed activities for a few days. For this we hired … Continue reading Dodging fog on Dog Mountain

10 differences between Canada and the UK

Monday was our 3-months-in-Canada anniversary, and along the way we have made a few observations of things that are different with back home in the UK. Given that Canada was once part of the British Empire and all that, some things are similar to the UK, but given the economic and cultural strength of the USA to the south, there are many things that are different … Continue reading 10 differences between Canada and the UK

Mug shots

Rainy days in Vancouver – waffle burgers and police museums

Never one to turn down the opportunity of some free food, when our social media guru, Emma, found through her sources that a fast food restaurant in Vancouver was giving away a free lunch in return for only a ‘like’ on Facebook, we were straight on the case! Frites is a Belgian themed restaurant in downtown Vancouver. Its speciality is to serve burgers not in … Continue reading Rainy days in Vancouver – waffle burgers and police museums