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Airshow at Night

This year marked the 55th annual Abbotsford International Airshow. I first attended one shortly after I moved to B.C. in 1974 and have attended several times since then. When I was single we’d cram a bunch of us into a car and go together for a day. Later my wife and I took the kids to see the show every few years. But it had been over a decade since we last attended.

Now living in Abbotsford, we were sometimes entertained by mini-airshows as the jets, including the fabulous Snowbirds, sometimes roared right over our townhouse complex. But this year I really wanted to see the show right at the runway again.

The annual event runs for three days – always a Friday, Saturday and Sunday in mid-August. This year the Friday show was an evening affair, with gates opening at 3:30 PM and the show ending around 10:30 PM. We had never been to an evening airshow before, which promised some pyrotechnics as well a aerobatics, so we packed a bag with a couple of sweaters and headed out.

We bought our tickets at Save-on-Foods to save the hassle at the entrance and it’s a good idea to save money as well. Gate price per ticket was $30. At Save-on-Foods, only $25. We avoided the major crunch point by taking Townline Road to a back entrance. We were through the gates in minutes. Lots of volunteers directed traffic to the parking area.

Once inside we looked around and found one of the two runway seating areas. For an extra $10 each you could get close to front row seats. We opted to pay the extra since we hadn’t brought folding chairs or a blanket. Since it was numbered seating, we found our places, and then headed out to see the static displays.

The Abbotsford International Airshow was designated as Canada’s National Airshow by the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. It always features both civilian and military aerobatics as well as static displays. Whether you like barnstormers in their biplanes, hang gliders, sailplanes, powerful air force jets or aerobatic teams, the Abby Airshow has it all.

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are always a major attraction and visiting aerobatic teams are often featured as well.

On the ground we got a good look at some of the active and historical planes on display. The Americans had a couple of F-15s on display and you could go up a ramp to check out the cockpit on one of them.

Eager spectators had a chance to check out the cockpit of an F-15 Eagle at this year's airshow. — Eager spectators had a chance to check out the cockpit of an F-15 Eagle at this year’s airshow.

Also on display – a CF-18 Hornet. One decked out in special Canada 150 celebration colours would fly later in the show, but here you could sit in a simulated cockpit if you wanted. There was also a giant troop carrier, a mid-air refueling plane from the American 912th Refueling Squadron, a number of private planes – trainers and stunt planes, and a row of historic planes that included the fearsome looking Douglas A-1 Skyraider aka The Proud American.

The wings were folded up on the display which gave you a good look at the gatling guns and missile launchers. The plane was used by the US Marines, Navy and Air Force as well as the French Air Force and the South Vietnam Air Force from the late 1940s through the 1980s. As a prop plane it was a bit of an anachronism in the age of jets.

The only exhibit we actually entered was the Canadian Forces Sea King helicopter. This aging helicopter has been a political football for years with efforts to replace it with newer equipment being stymied again and again.

This particular Sea King first saw service in 1968 – that’s an old chopper! The crew members told us it is primarily used as a submarine spotter and also does a lot of search and rescue work. As an anti-sub craft, it is equipped with torpedoes. And we were surprised to learn that the Sea King is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Janis in the jump seat beside crewman Travis Chapman.

A separate photo gallery will have more pics from the static displays.

After seeing the ground exhibits we went back to our seats for the start of the show. The Skyhawks, the Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team, led off the show with displays of the Canadian and American flags while the anthems were sung. They followed that up with some entertaining stunt parachuting.

Then the headline performers – the Snowbirds. These nine planes are the show closer during the daytime shows. For the evening show they were first up after the Skyhawks. I took a lot of photos and will feature a number of them in a separate photo gallery.

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds - precision flying at its best — The Canadian Forces Snowbirds – precision flying at its best

I tried filming the Snowbirds but in movie mode, my camera uses the view screen instead of the viewfinder and it was impossible to get the planes properly centered with the glare reflecting off the screen. But I did film them in 2004 which I’ve linked below.

After the Snowbirds, we were entertained by the Heritage Flight, four fighter planes from four eras strutting their stuff, individually and together. They included the P-51 Mustang which saw duty in WWII and Korea. The F-86 Sabre was the first swept-wing jet fighter and was used in high-speed dogfights in the Korean War. It was use by the Bolivian Air Force until 1994. The F-16 Viper, also known as the Fighting Falcon, has been in production since 1976 and was used in Desert Storm. 25 different countries use the F-16. The F-35A Lightning II is the newest fighter jet, seeing service with the U.S. Marines since July 2015 and combat-ready with the U.S. Air Force since August 2016. It was the fastest jet on display and the roar of its engines as it hits the after-burners is awesome.

Heritage Flight - top to bottom - P-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre, F-16 Viper, and F-35A Lightning II. — Heritage Flight – top to bottom – P-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre, F-16 Viper, and F-35A Lightning II.

The Abbotsford International Airport is a working airport and business must go on, so there were a half dozen or so take-offs and landings during the show by commercial flights.

After a stunt flight by a plane called the Jelly Belly, the U.S. Air Force demonstrated the FA-18 Super Hornet, the newest model of the premier fighter in Canada’s fleet. This was followed by a flight of the CF-18 decked out in a special Canada 150 paint job. It was starting to get dark by then so you couldn’t really see the colours, but I did get the bird on video.

Because it was a night time show, the CF-18 dropped its tailhook on landing. Usually used to snag a catch cable on an aircraft carrier, the hook threw up a stream of sparks as it dragged behind on the pavement behind the plane. Quite a sight.

CF-18 decked out in Canada 150 colours drags its tailhook behind on landing creating a colourful spray of sparks.

A couple of more stunt planes entertained before it got completely dark, one of them the renowned Red Bull Air Racer. I managed to get a nice video of this very maneuverable plane.

Now it was starting to get quite dark and the AeroShell Aerobatic Team took to the sky lit up by lights all around each lane. This was the debut performance of the team at the Abbotsford Airshow and they were terrific. Flying in formation has to be tough in full daylight so seeing them perform in the night sky was amazing.

Finally complete darkness gave way to Bob Carlton and his Super Salto Jet Sailplane. A sailplane powered by a jet engine – what a concept. Bob trailed fireworks behind him as well as launching more from the tips of his wings. My camera battery was almost dead but my wife got a video with her iPhone.

This was followed by Dan Buchanan with his hang glider, also streaming fireworks. Quite a sight.

Dan Buchanon's night time hang glider flight was a fireworks extravaganza. — Dan Buchanan’s night time hang glider flight was a fireworks extravaganza.

The evening was capped with a full fireworks show. All in all, a rather different take on the airshow than the daytime event. We enjoyed it a lot.

A couple of tips – it cools down considerably in the evening so bring a sweater. We were thankful we did and it was still a bit chilly. And exit where you came in. There was some disorganization when we left as there were no volunteers guiding vehicles and it was a bit of a free-for-all. Quite a traffic jam. We thought the way we came was crawling at a snail’s pace so we followed a bunch of cars going in a different direction – a bottleneck ending in a barrier. Volunteers there finally let us through, but we ended up on some back road. As Abbotsford residents, we figured out where we were, but non-residents could have become hopelessly lost. Leaving the airport was poorly organized. It’s something the airshow should fix for next year.

Speaking of next year, the airshow returns on August 10-12 in 2018. And the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels will be back for the show next year. Definitely worth seeing.

Here are some additional photo galleries and other links. if you’re on the front page of the blog you can just scroll down, otherwise click on the links.

Static Display Photo Gallery
Snowbirds Photo Gallery
Airshow Photo Gallery
Abbotsford International Airshow Official Website
Snowbirds at the Rhode Island Airshow 2015 – excellent video of their performance
Snowbirds at Spirit of St. Louis Airshow 2016 – another excellent video of the Snowbirds

Static Display Photo Gallery

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Here are some additional photos from the static displays ate the Abbotsford International Airshow.

CF-18 Hornet. To the left of it is a mock-up cockpit you could try out.

xxx — C-130 Hercules Canadian Forces Military Transport Plane

We were surprised to learn that Abbotsford's University of the Fraser valley has a — We were surprised to learn that Abbotsford’s University of the Fraser valley has an Aircraft Structures Technician program. This is their training plane.

One of the jets open for viewing on the UFV plane

A rather nifty looking pilot training plane. — A rather nifty looking pilot training plane – the Diamond DA42 Twin Star.

A Pitt Special stunt plane used by the Rayban — A Pitt Special stunt plane used by the Ray-Ban Gold Aerobatic Team. They were an airshow staple from 1973 to 1990. This is the team’s last remaining airworthy Pitts Special S-2B.

Refueling plane — An aerial refueling plane from the US Air Force 912th Air Refueling Squadron

Janis and xxx — Janis and one of the crew of the Sea King.

That's a lot of knobs! — That’s a lot of knobs and gauges!

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Snowbirds Photo Gallery

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Here are additional photos of the Snowbird in action.

The Snowbirds were undoubtedly the highlight of the Abbotsford Airshow. Simply amazing.

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Airshow Photo Gallery

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Here are some additional photos from the 2017 Abbotsford International Airshow. The static displays and the Snowbirds each have a separate photo gallery. Above – the FA-18 Super Hornet with after-burners on. Almost at the speed of sound it leaves vapor trails in its wake.

The Canada 150 flag was flying at this year's airshow — The Canada 150 flag was flying at this year’s airshow

The show-opening Skyhawks Parachute Team were amazing.

Two of the Skyhawks in a downward spiral

And a circle! A bit blurry as it was grabbed from a video.

The FA-18 Super Hornet prepares for takeoff

The Heritage Flight - four eras of combat aircraft — The Heritage Flight – four eras of combat aircraft

The F-35A Lightning II - the miltary's newest fighter which was brought into service in 2015 — The F-35A Lightning II – the miltary’s newest fighter which was brought into service in 2015

The F-16 Viper - here shown flying inverted — The F-16 Viper – here shown flying inverted

The Jelly Belly stunt plane. After reaching altitude, it turned off its engine and performed as a glider.

And came to a landing right up to one of the airshow's assistants — And came to a landing right up to one of the airshow’s assistants

The CF-18 Hornet with after-burners on. Quite dazzling at dusk.

The AeroShell Aerobatic Team was ablaze with lights

Bob Carlton's Salto Sailplane trailing fireworks — Bob Carlton’s Salto Sailplane trailing fireworks

xxx — Dan Buchanan’s hang glider trailing fireworks

Dan's hang glider shot out fireworks as well as trailed them behind — Dan’s hang glider shot out fireworks as well as trailed them behind

Another shot of Dan's hang glider in the night sky — Another shot of Dan’s hang glider in the night sky

Seeing the airshow in the evening wa a new experience for us and a very enjoyable one. The after dark performances were worth seeing.

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Suburban Vancouver: An Overview

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This is a follow-up to my previous post, Vancouver: An Overview. In it I gave a rundown of a variety of attractions in the city of Vancouver proper. Today I continue with a list of things visitors to Vancouver may find interesting in the suburbs. And I am using the term loosely to refer to the panoply of towns and cities stretching from Harrison Hot Springs in the east to Squamish in the west. This is hardly an exhaustive listing simply because there are too many to cover them all and I don’t even know of them all. This is based mainly on my personal experience or what I have heard from others.

Harrison Hot Springs

Harrison Hot Springs is about an hour and a half east of downtown Vancouver nestled beside beautiful Harrison Lake. It is a popular site for boating and just walking along the waterfront. You can take a boat excursion of the lake or rent your own boat if you like.

As the name suggests, there is a local hot springs nearby and the town has a public swimming pool which has hot water pumped in from the hot springs. There are a variety of hotel, gift shops and restaurants as well.

Harrison Mills

Harrison Mills is a tiny farming community about twenty minutes from Harrison Hot Springs but with some interesting attractions for the visitor to Vancouver. These include Rowena’s on the River, the old homestead of a wealthy lumber baron that was turned into an inn by his children. The inn hosted a Great Gatsby Party a few years ago which I wrote about here. This year they are hosting a Harvest Moon Longtable Dinner on September 16th. Dining under the stars.

Rowena's Inn on the River — Rowena’s Inn on the River

The inn is also adjacent to the Sandpiper Golf Course. And in mid-November it hosts the annual Bald Eagle Festival as majestic birds visit the river estuary to feast on spawning salmon.

Not surprisingly then, another attraction near Harrison Mills is the Weaver Creek Salmon Spawning Channel. The channel is open to visitors during salmon spawning season from October 6 to Nov. 1. Peak activity is from October 15-20.

And another attraction nearby is the Hemlock Valley Ski Resort.

Mission

Mission is a small town on the north shore of the Fraser River about an hour from Vancouver. It has two attractions I know of worth a visit. The most famous is Westminster Abbey, a benedictine monastery. Built in 1954, the site includes an abbey, a church and a seminary. It sits high on a hill and is notable for its distinctive steeple which can be seen for miles around.

The second attraction of note in Mission is Cascade Falls, a remote wilderness park that I wrote about in a previous post.

Abbotsford

Abbotsford is the town where I live so I have a particular affection for ir and familiarity with its attractions. It is known as the City in the Country and has a lot of rolling farmland including many berry farms – blueberries and raspberries are big. And it has some wineries as well.

The town abounds with walking trails – the Trans-Canada Trail runs for about twenty kilometres along the shore of the Fraser River. The Discovery Trail crosses the city and includes three lakes known as Fishtrap Creek. Mill Lake is also a favorite hiking location. And for the more energetic there is the Abbotsford Grind, a hike up Sumas Mountain.

In the Spring, you’ll want to catch the Abbotsford Tulip Festival which I wrote about when it debuted in 2016.

Mount Baker forms a great backdrop to the tulip fields.

And every August the city is host to the annual world-renowned Abbotsford International Airshow.

Fort Langley

Fort Langley is a nice little village steeped in history. The main attraction is the old fort, a wooden stockade with many artifacts and employees in period costume demonstrating some of the trades and crafts of a bygone era.

The town itself is known for its many antique shops and boutiques as well as some nice restaurants.

White Rock

White Rock is a town adjacent to the border with the United States. The famous Peace Arch is here. White Rock also has a fine beach with a long pier where you’ll often see fishermen and crabbers. The boulevard running beside the beach front area is lined with small shops and restaurants. It is a popular dining locale with its seascape views and ocean breezes.

Richmond

Richmond is a community immediately to the south of Vancouver and home to the Vancouver International Airport. Its most notable attraction is the Steveston Fisherman’s Wharf.

Steveston is an old community and used to be home to a major salmon canning operation. The former cannery is now a fishing industry museum. Walking along the Steveston dock you’ll find many restaurants and small shops. And you’ll find fishmongers selling their wares from the boats tethered there.

Fresh fish are sold from the fishboats docked at Steveston

Walk into the village and you’ll find a bakery, a garden shop, an ice cream parlour and other interesting shops.

A short drive away is Garry Point Park. This park sits at the mouth of the Fraser River and is noted for its windiness and the many kite flyers that like to hang out there.

Delta

Directly across the river from Steveston is the Reifel Refuge, officially the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. This is a great park to walk around in and observe a wide variety of waterfowl. Almost 300 species of bird have been seen here. Of particular interest are the annual flocks of snow geese, magnificent white birds that stop here on their migration from Wrangel Island in Russia. These birds usually start arriving in early October.

New Westminster

The main attraction in New Westminster is the Westminster Quay. Its large boardwalk overlooks the Fraser River. The site is home to a large farmer’s market as well as a number of excellent restaurants. You can also visit an historic paddle-wheeler. Always a fun outing.

Burnaby

Burnaby is the city directly east of Vancouver and is known for the large Metrotown Shopping Mall and the iconic Telus building as well as a number of fine parks. But for visitors, your best bet is a museum.

The Burnaby Village Museum is a recreated period village that displays life in colonial times. Craft shops and restaurants are part of the mix. You’ll also find a restored 1912 carousel.

The people working in the village are all dressed in period costumes. The village is a delight for young and old alike.

North Vancouver

North Vancouver is home to numerous attractions. Set in the mountains on the north shore of the Burrard Inlet, it can be reached by the Lions Gate Bridge at one end and by the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge at the other end.

Lynn Canyon Park – this beautiful park features a number of trails through a natural setting of tall evergreens, hilly landscapes, and a raging creek. To get to the main park area you cross Lynn Creek on a rickety suspension bridge that soars high above the creek bed. Lynn Creek emerges from a narrow canyon to the north into a wide pool where locals often like to swim and to dive off the cliffs. Meandering down an increasingly rocky bed, the stream picks up speed as it cascades over several waterfalls. Unfortunately, a number of people have tempted fate and drowned here. Trails take you to a lower bridge where you can cross back to the parking lot and concession stands. Lynn Creek is a must see in my book. And it’s free!
Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge – this bridge over the Capilano River is a major tourist attraction. Besides the suspension bridge over the river, there is a walkway that overhangs the river. And there is a treetop adventure – elevated walkways between the trees. This is a private facility and an admission fee is charged.
Grouse Mountain – in the winter Grouse is known as a mecca for local skiers. But even in the summer, there are activities aplenty, from hiking to live shows – a timber show and a birds of prey show. You can take the chairlift to the top and see the wind turbine at the peak. There is also ziplining and a number of restaurants. And did I mention the grizzly bears? I wrote about Grouse in the summer in a previous blog post.
Hang gliders soar from the peak of Grouse Mountain in the summer.
Cleveland Dam – this dam holds back the Capilano Reservoir which supplies much of Vancouver’s water.
Lonsdale Quay – a large public market with many fresh farm produce shops, meat and fish markets and more. Similar to Granville Island Public Market and Westminster Quay. Lonsdale Quay is also a terminus for the Seabus, a passenger ferry running between North Vancouver and downtown Vancouver.

West Vancouver

West Vancouver is home to a couple of nice nature parks, most notably Lighthouse Park and Whytecliff Park. It is also home to the Cypress Bowl ski area.

Squamish

Squamish is a small town located about an hour’s drive from downtown Vancouver. It is nestled at the end of Howe Sound. The Sea to Sky Highway that takes you there passes the Britannia Beach Mining Museum, a former copper mine.

Close to Squamish is a triple attraction, three places worth checking out and all within walking distance of each other. First is the thousand foot high Shannon Falls. This is a graceful airy cataract with wisps of spray catching the wind on the way down. You can easily walk right up to the base of the falls.

A short walk away is the Sea to Sky Gondola which takes you to the lower summit of Mount Habrich. There you’ll find trails and several viewing platforms giving sweeping panoramic views of Howe Sound.

Howe Sound seen from the top of the Sea to Sky Gondola

One of the platforms gives a view from above the Stawamus Chief, the third part of this triple attraction. The Chief is a popular hiking and mountaineering destination. There is an easily accessible trail to the top of the Chief. But it is a strenuous hike and a challenge if you’re not in good shape.

Links of Interest

Harrison Hot Springs – official website of the local tourist bureau
Westminster Abbey – official website
Cascade Falls – an earlier blog post about this beautiful wilderness park
Abbotsford Tulip Festival – an earlier blog post about this annual event
White Rock – official city website
Steveston – official website
Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary – official website
Westminster Quay – official website (It’s called River Market now but I prefer the old name.)
Burnaby Village Museum – official website
Lynn Canyon Park – official website
Capilano Canyon Suspension Bridge – official website
Grouse Mountain in the Summer – an earlier blog post about the mountain in summer
Grouse Mountain – official website
Sea to Sky Gondola – official website

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Vancouver: An Overview

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I have been asked to be a tour guide for some visitors from Australia in September. That will be a new experience for me and I thought, what better way to prepare for this than by putting together a post here on things to see and do in Vancouver. There are a lot of them.

Vancouver is a cosmopolitan city, Canada’s western port and a hub for visitors and trade. The city itself has many attractions, but the greater Vancouver region has many more so I will cover the highlights of a trip to Vancouver.

Vancouver covers a vast area, but the hub is the downtown. So we’ll begin there.

If you’re staying at a downtown hotel, there are many things to see and do within walking distance. My wife and I have a timeshare downtown and occasionally enjoy a staycation downtown. Invariably we leave the car at the hotel and go on foot. After the map is a list of some downtown attractions as we take a walking tour starting in Gastown.

Downtown

Gastown – this is an older part of Vancouver that consists of refurbished old buildings that have been turned into shops and restaurants, mostly geared to the tourist trade. The streets are cobbled and with the period streetlights and the famous Gastown steam clock, it has a certain charm.

Chinatown – Vancouver’s Chinatown is the largest in Canada and covers a large residential and business area. For tourists, the business district with its colorful signs and markets is the place to visit. Food markets abound with the occasional herbal medicine shop and other businesses thrown into the mix. And of course, there are several Chinese restaurants.

The food markets are distinguished by food on display in stalls in front of the shops much like a farmer’s market.

The must-see place to visit though is the beautiful Sun Yat-Sen Gardens, a classical Chinese garden with ponds and flowering trees and shrubs, as well as some building and sculptures. Fish and turtles inhabit the ponds. Wikipedia notes that the “classical Chinese gardens employ philosophical principles of Feng shui and Taoism, striving to achieve harmony and a balance of opposites”. Part of the garden is free to the public and part of it requires a modest admission fee.

Trade and Convention Centres – On the Coal Harbour waterfront are two trade and convention centres. The older one was built for the Expo 86 World’s Fair and is marked by a distinctive design – massive tent canopies shaped like sails. It is known by its Expo 86 name – Canada Place.

This centre also serves as a cruise ship terminal and it is not uncommon to see a cruise ship or two in port in the summer.

A Norwegian cruise ship docked at Canada Place

The centre is adjacent to the Pan Pacific Hotel where you’ll find luxury accommodations and fine dining. But the whole area is chock full of hotels and restaurants.

One of the attractions housed at Canada Place is the FlyOver Canada. It is similar to the FlyOver America exhibit at Disney World at Orlando, Florida. It is a flight simulation ride that has you soar over Canada, feet dangling in space. The giant dome screen takes you coast to coast and has some effects like smells, sounds and even mist as you fly over Niagara Falls.

The other trade and convention centre is the new one built to accommodate an ever growing convention trade. It is noted for its green architecture – a plant covered roof among other things.

Both centres are active year around with various events, many open to the public though usually with a fee.

DCIM100SPORT — The new trade and convention centre with Canada Place reflected in its windows.

Coal Harbour Walk – From the trade and convention centres you can walk along a seawall that takes you past various marinas, restaurants, hotels and gardens as you make your way to Stanley Park. You can watch sea planes land and take-off and enjoy a leisurely meal at one of the many restaurants, most of which have outdoor patios.

Stanley Park – Stanley Park is one of the world’s greatest parks. It covers 1001 acres and includes vast tracts of wilderness as well as modern amenities. All of it is criss-crossed by nature trails and you could easily spend a day just exploring the park. The park is circumnavigated by the Seawall, a nine kilometre walkway that serves both pedestrians and cyclists. I’ll do a separate post on the park some time but here are a few highlights.

Vancouver Aquarium – a world class aquarium, it was known for its beluga whale exhibits until recently. Both of its captive belugas died recently and the Vancouver Parks Board banned further importation of these creatures. My wife, son, granddaughter and I visited recently and it has managed to re-invent itself with new shows and attractions. There are dolphin shows and sea lion shows several times a day, and the sea otters remain a popular attraction. And the aquariums are large and cover a wide variety of marine life with notable jellyfish displays. An Amazon jungle exhibit is also featured.
Sea lions have replaced the beluga whales as a main attraction at the Vancouver Aquarium
Beaver Lake – located in the northwest of the park smack dab in the middle of a forest. Walking along the trails here is very peaceful and relaxing.
Prospect Point – overlooks the Lions Gate Bridge and also has a restaurant.
Siwash Rock – a large pinnacle of stone covered in vegetation off the shore from the park.
The Tea House – a nice restaurant near Third Beach where they know how to make a proper cup of tea.
Malkin Bowl – near the aquarium, Malkin Bowl is an open air theatre that has summer runs of musicals. It is known as the Theatre Under the Stars.

There are many more attractions in Stanley Park, of course, but that covers some of the highlights.

First Beach – After circumnavigating the park, we arrive at First Beach. It is surrounded by gently sloping lawns and has many large trees. First Beach is the locale for the annual Celebration of Light – a four day fireworks extravaganza featuring competitors from several countries.

First Beach is also home to the Inukshuk and is adjacent to the corner of Denman and Davie streets – a vibrant restaurant and shopping district. Davie Street has long been known as a gay enclave within the city.

Granville Island – Granville Island used to be an industrial district but was revitalized as a mecca for visitors with many specialty shops, restaurants and the Granville Island public market. It is still home to some industry, most notably Ocean Cement, but even its massive concrete funnels have been turned into an attraction after being painted as giant men in overalls. The island is home to Emily Carr University, a visual arts centre. It is also home to the Arts Club theatre where you can catch live theatre and to the Theatre Sports League where you can watch improv comedy. The plaza by the public market is home to wide variety of buskers – singers, musicians, acrobats and jugglers.

Even the concrete silos at Ocean Cement have become an attraction on Granville island

Granville Island is across False Creek from downtown Vancouver and can be reached by walking across the Burrard Bridge or catching one of several small passenger ferries that traverse the creek.

Yaletown – Yaletown can be reached from Granville Island by one of the False Creek ferries. Here you’ll find many shops and restaurants.

Vancouver Public Library – known for its distinctive architecture, this is a great venue for the book lover and just to walk around and visit the shops and restaurants in the area.

The Vancouver Public Library seen from our hotel room on Hamilton Street

Our tour has taken us around the downtown area starting at Gastown and ending at the library nearby. That covers downtown Vancouver more or less. There are other attractions including downtown shopping, Robson Street, the courthouse, and the art gallery, as well as a variety of movie theatres.

Outside Downtown

There are many things to see and do in Vancouver outside the downtown. These include the University of British Columbia and various parks and beaches. Here is a short list.

Van Dusen Gardens – a beautiful botanical garden well worth a visit. We often visit around Christmas when the garden is festooned with lights that flicker in time to music. Simply amazing, and even more spectacular when there is snow.

The light show at Van Dusen Gardens around Christmas is fabulous.

Queen Elizabeth Park – set in an old rock quarry, Queen Elizabeth Park can be compared to the fabulous Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, but on a smaller scale. It’s set on a hillside so you get a great panorama view of downtown from here. Q.E. Park is also home to a botanical conservatory, a geodesic dome structure and hot house home to many tropical plants.

Museum of Anthropology – located at the University of British Columbia, this world-renowned museum is known for its extensive collection of native British Columbian art and artifacts.

Various Beaches – while downtown is surrounded by First, Second and Third Beaches, there are many more when you leave the downtown area. On the western end of the university endowment lands you’ll find Wreck Beach, a nudist beach if you’re inclined to get a full body tan.

That’s it for Vancouver proper. I am sure I missed a few attractions and readers are invited to post additions in the comments section.

In the next few days I’ll cover the neighbouring communities and their attractions, including the north shore communities of North and West Vancouver with their nature parks and ski hills as well as attractions from Mission to Squamish. Again, that will be an overview. I may post more detailed accounts of specific attractions at a later date.

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The Forgotten Island

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When we think of the Bahamas we think of the cities of Nassau and Freeport and maybe of the fabulous Atlantis Resort. We also think of an island archipelago with many sandy beaches.

The Bahamas, in fact, has over 700 islands of varying sizes. One of them used to be the home to an American Naval Facility which operated from 1957 until decommissioned in 1980. This island also used to be a playground for the rich and famous – mostly Americans, mostly Hollywood types, who maintained vacation homes there.

Now that island is largely forgotten. Tourism is still its mainstay, but it is a permanent residence to just 11,000. We happened across it by chance as it was the first stop on a cruise we took in January 2015. Our cruise was with Princess Cruises and the stop was at a place at one end of the island called Princess Cays Resort. As far as we know, it is an exclusive stop for Princess Lines. No other cruise ships visit here.

The Ruby Princess at Anchor at Princess Cays

The island is Eleuthra, a long boomerang shaped island 110 miles long and just a mile wide at its narrowest point. It was discovered by Christopher Columbus and the Spanish who left the island decimated, its native population routed by disease and the remainder carried off as slaves to work the mines on Hispaniola.

It remained largely unpopulated until rediscovered by Puritan colonists who called themselves the Eleutherian Adventurers. They had originally settled in Bermuda but refused to swear allegiance to the British Crown. They struck out for a place they could practice their faith free of persecution in the late 1640s (some time between 1646 and 1648). They were the first settlers of the Bahamas and gave Eleuthra its name.

The Adventurers were led by William Sayle who had created a constitution of sorts. Dissension in the ranks led Sayles and his followers to retreat eventually to New Providence where the city of Nassau is. But it is said that if Sayles had been successful, Eleuthra would have been the first independent democracy in the Americas, some 130 years before the American Revolution. Sayles later became Governor of the Colony of South Carolina.

On our cruise, we were taken by tender to the small dock at Princess Quay. There, as is usual with cruise ship stops, we had a variety of options open to us, including just lazing on the beach. We opted for a bus tour that would cover about half the island.

Our guide gave us a short history of the island before we came to our first stop – a small church sandwiched between the highway and the shore near Rock Sound. It was a Sunday so services were in progress at the time.

Our next stop was the Blue Hole. Our guide called it the Blue Hole but apparently its actual name is Ocean Hole. Blue hole is the generic term for such geological features. It is not far from Rock Sound.

The Blue Hole near Rock Sound on Eleuthra

The hole is a salt water lake a mile inland from the ocean. It was stocked by locals with salt water sea life many years ago. It is said to be bottomless and it rises and ebbs with the tides so there must be a subterranean connection with the ocean. Jacques Cousteau, who used to live on Eleuthra, tried to find the connection but failed.

We continued on to Governor’s Harbour, about half way up the island. There we saw Government House as well as a number of homes boarded up while their owners were away. There were also some abandoned buildings. Our tour guides sang the Bahamian National Anthem for us on the steps of Government House.

Our tour guides sing for us in front of Government House

On the return trip we stopped at Tarpum Bay, a small and picturesque fishing village along the way.

Then it was back to Rock Sound where we stopped for lunch and entertainment at a seashore restaurant. Most of the staff and entertainers were black and I discovered that black culture has a long history in the Bahamas.

After the American War of Independence, many Loyalists to the Crown fled the United States, many of them settling in the Caribbean. Thousands settled in the Bahamas. They brought their slaves with them. The Bahamas became a haven for freed slaves and formally abolished the practice in 1834. Today descendants of freed slaves and free Africans make up 90 percent of the population.

We very much enjoyed the Junkanoo parade put on for us. Junkanoo is an annual festival and parade with colorful costumes, dancing and music.

Some locals also demonstrated how to prepare conch as a meal. They showed how to remove the live conch from its shell and then prepare it in a salad.

All in all, we very much enjoyed our trip to this fascinating island.

Below is a link to an additional photo gallery as well as another link of interest.

Photo Gallery: Eleuthra
Eleuthra Website

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Photo Gallery: Eleuthra

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Here are some additional photos of our visit to the island of Eleuthra in the Bahamas.

Our tour guide on the bus tells of the history of Eleuthra

During the ride we were shown how to make some crafts, including this headband made from reeds

A house shuttered against storms while the owner is away — A house in Governor’s Harbour is shuttered against storms while the owner is away

Tarpum Bay homes and businesses. I believe the blue building is a small hotel.

Extracting a conch from its shell — Slicing up a conch to make a conch salad

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Rome’s Colosseum

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The Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre ever built and a must-see highlight of any visit to Rome. We spent a day there before taking a Mediterranean cruise in 2011. After the cruise we spent another day in the city.

That first day had us take a hop on/hop off bus around the city and one of our hop off points was the Colosseum. We grabbed a light lunch and then walked around the perimeter.

It is an ancient building and in remarkably good repair considering it is almost 2000 years old. Construction started under Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD. He died in 79 AD and did not see the building completed the following year under his heir Titus. Financed by the spoils of the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, it was built with the slave labour of 100,000 Jews captured and spirited off to Rome.

Made of concrete and sand, it was large enough to accommodate 50-80,000 spectators, averaging around 65,000. Like modern stadiums, it was a venue for mass entertainment which included battling gladiators, wild animal hunts, re-enactments of famous battles, mock sea battles, dramas based on Classical mythology and public executions. Yes, Christians were fed to lions here. In fact, the Pope marks every Good Friday by a Way of the Cross procession that starts at the Colosseum to honour Christian martyrs.

The Arch of Constantine, built in 315 AD, stands near the Colosseum.

Interestingly enough, twenty years after its construction, the poet Juvenal published his Satire X which includes the following lines:

“Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.”

Juvenal is lamenting the practice of gaining political office by bribing the voters with free wheat and mass spectacles. It marked the beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire. Walking around the perimeter we were impressed by the vastness of the Colosseum and its great beauty. The two millennia since its creation have left it weathered and eroded. It underwent extensive renovations from 1993 to 2000 at a cost of 40 billion Italian lire (US$19.3 million).

End on view of the outer wall of the Colosseum — This end on view of the outer wall of the Colosseum captures its great height. The outer wall is shored up by supports built during renovations.

There were originally two walls, an outer wall and an inner wall. The inner wall remains largely intact but only a small portion of the outer wall remains. It is shored up at both ends by sloped concrete supports. But even with all the renovation, you can see cracks in the facade at various places, not to mention large stones at the base which have fallen from the structure.

Some of the stone work on the facade looks precarious but didn't seem to phase the tourists walking below. — Some of the stone work on the facade looks precarious but didn’t seem to phase the tourists walking below.

We saw some men in gladiator garb posing with tourists on our walk as well as a wedding party. It is a popular locale for wedding photos.

The Colosseum is a popular locale for wedding photos. Did you spot them in the picture of the Arch of Constantine above?

After our cruise we visited the Colosseum once again, this time paying to go inside. Well worth the money. The inside is as spectacular as the outside and well worth the visit.

As we entered we passed a recently recovered partial statue. There is continuous archeological work going on around Rome. This partial statue was probably of a horse and rider, but we were amused by it because all that remains is, how shall we put it, a horse’s ass.

The back end of a horse is all that remains of this recently discovered statue.

Inside you get a terrific view of the hypogeum, a series of underground passages and rooms, and a partially reconstructed stage at one end. The staging, made of wood, covered the entire subterranean level during the Colosseum’s heyday. Many spectacles were staged that involved lifts and hoists moving animals, actors and stage props from below to the arena floor.

The interior os the Colosseum showing the hypogeum and a partial reconstruction of the arena floor. — The interior of the Colosseum showing the hypogeum and a partial reconstruction of the arena floor.

The hypogeum was a later addition to the Colosseum and in its early years, at least two mock sea battles or naumachiae were staged there. This involved filling the basin with water and bringing in ships. One was staged by Titus when the Colosseum opened in 80 AD and another by Domitian in 85 AD.

It must have been quite the spectacle. Some experts figure that water supplied by aqueducts and a series of pipes and channels could fill the basin to a depth of five feet in just 35 to 76 minutes. These battles were considerably bloodier than the gladiatorial battles often staged in the arena. They involved many more people, 3000 in the event staged by Titus. Condemned prisoners were used and they fought to the death.

Shortly after the last naumachia, the hypogeum was built which precluded staging more of these spectacles.

Some detail of the hypogeum, the underground passages and rooms used to handle actors and props before they made their way to the stage.

Up to 80,000 people filled the stadium in its prime but little seating remains. There are many sloped angular buttresses which held the seating at one time, but now stand alone. There is a little bit of seating extant above the renovated stage area. I’m not sure if this is original or recreated for tourists.

Flying buttresses supported the original seating area.

Some seating above the stage. Not sure if this is original or a recreation.

One of the things we noticed in the Colosseum was the large number of feral cats. We noticed them outside on our earlier visit and now again inside. Not sure what it is with ancient ruins and wild felines, but we first encountered them in the walled city of Cadiz in Spain and we later came across more of them at the ruins in Ephesus.

Feral cats keep the tourists company on a visit to the Colosseum.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Colosseum and can only imagine how it must have been in its heyday, the scene of great and bloody spectacles. The fact that these extravaganzas were staged with real people fighting to the death or even put to death in contests with ferocious beasts gives one chills. But even today gore fests remain popular in movies and television shows, though these are non-lethal make-believe. In less civilized parts of the world, live beheadings and stonings of the condemned remain popular with the masses.

I’ve included an additional photo gallery as well as links to a couple of articles on naumachiae.

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