Sunday 13 April 2008

Summertime, and the living is easy


Finally, a day of summer. After months of snow faces, icy winds, bobble hats and numb fingertips, I once again wore trousers that didn't have to go to my ankles (I call them shorts).

The ingenious idea that Steve, Jonny and I had was to stroll up to Stanley Park, hire ourselves bicycles and then conquer the unruly terrain of the urban foliage north of downtown.

Apparently, everyone else on this sunny Saturday in British Columbia had had the same idea. The bike paths were packed to the nines as we made our way around the sea wall, down to English Bay, and then further.

We had planned to go around Stanley Park, and then maybe into the centre a little bit. In the end we scaled the whole of Vancouver, including Chinatown, Gastown (and the Steam Clock) and then finally back up to the park, and the longest, steepest hill I have cycled up.

After five hours of decent sightseeing and exercise, we finished with Beaver Lake in the heart of the park, where we saw Canadian Geese, cranes and even more beautiful panoramas. This city is the home of the landscape, where at some points you see the beach, the mountains and the city all in one capture. All stark in contrast, all gathered in this fantastically laid back place.

Is this the start of summer? If there is any justice, then the answer will be yes.

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