Bloedel Conservatory

This morning after our coffee we asked the staff at the desk what else we could do in Vancouver for the day. It was sunny and it was going to get to 22C, summer weather again! He suggested we go out on the Skytrain to Queen Elizabeth Park to see the gardens and the triodetic-domed conservatory.

As we walked up to the garden we came across this wedding sculpture. It was specifically designed for couples to place a lock on it and throw away the key. 

It saves the bridges and other places people use which are often not designed for the weight.

In Queen Elizabeth Park two old quarries were turned into the gardens. Liz suggested we should see them.

There were many other people out enjoying the sunny Sunday but was still peaceful.

There was a good view over Vancouver to the mountains behind.

This sculpture called the photographer was very popular and many people posed with the family.

We came across a stall selling fresh fruit and peas so we bought some cherries for Don to eat, some raspberries for me and some lovely fresh peas to eat raw.

After scoffing quite a bit of the delicious food we headed into the Bloedel Conservatory.

Inside they have tropical trees and plants and hundreds of free-flying bright-plumaged birds. They gave out a sheet to help work out what bird you were looking at.

These are South American green-winged macaws who are 19 years old.

This blue and gold macaw is 42 years old.

This yellow crowned parrot is called Casey and was born in 1962. She is talking to some Budgerigars.

There were lots of smaller birds flying around. Here are a couple of Gouldian finches just perched above us. They also have a couple of King parrots. We saw the female which they have named Kylie!

This Eclectus parrot is 8 years old.

We checked out the smaller quarry garden and then made our way home. After a bit of a rest and more Plants versus Zombies we went out for dinner. Don had been hanging out to go to a seafood restaurant. He has good memories of the all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant we visited last time we were in Vancouver. Sadly he discovered that it closed down in 2003. He found a seafood restaurant for our meal and we set off by bus. This is a community garden by the bus stop.

At last Don could have some oysters!

University of British Columbia

Today after a breakfast of avocado on toast we caught a bus out to UBC to their Museum of Anthropology. We seem to be able to get around on the transport system quite well.

This is at the entrance to the museum welcoming everyone.

Inside there were many spectacular First Nations totem poles and carvings.

We listened to one of the guides talk about potlatch and the meanings of the many masks.

This modern mask with a tanker in it’s mouth was created to show that the First Nations have banded together in opposition to a 

proposed oil carrying pipeline which would go through the lands of more than 50 communities.



This map shows the First Nations Of British Columbia!




This carving shows the raven or trickster trying to coax the first humans out of a clam shell.




One of the amazing dancing costumes.



We had bought a pass that also let us into the UBC Botanical Garden so we walked a couple of kms to the gardens. We sat and had some lunch before walking along the paths. It is not set out like an English botanical gardens but is more like plantings amongst the tall red cedar trees that were there. 

They have a Greenheart Treewalk set amongst the tall trees. The walkways and aluminium platforms are hung off the trees.

The walkways swung from side to side as you walked and unfortunately gave Don vertigo so he returned to the ground after attempting two of the walkways.

There was just over 300m of walkways and it reached 17m above the forest floor.



Don was relieved to be back on the ground and waved to me.



I waved back to him!

We continued on to look at the Alpine Garden and found some Australian and New Zealand plants.

Finally we left to catch a bus home. I liked this plant but I don’t know what it is called.

Stanley Park

Don accidentally got up at 6 o’clock and had his shower thinking it was 8 o’clock so our day started earlier than expected. We set off for Stanley Park by trolley bus after our morning coffee. It was an overcast day but quite pleasant. The first thing we met was this sculpture of a series of laughing people.

We continued at a brisk walk around the park. Many people had hired bikes or were going for their daily run.

We saw blue herons fishing and this parade of geese walking along the road holding up traffic.

A flotilla of container ships were anchored in the bay and flocks of geese paddled on the shore.

This Lions Gate bridge linking West Vancouver with Vancouver.

It has a tiny lighthouse on the point!

This rock was stuck out all by itself.

We saw some creatures I was too slow to get photos of. We saw three otters running up the beach and another swimming in the sea and we saw a raccoon in the undergrowth.



When we got tired of walking we went into the Vancouver Aquarium. There we saw many more sea creatures.

These are from around here. Notice the bright orange sea star.

Jellyfish and rays.

Even clownfish

Apparently they have reintroduced otters into BC as they had been decimated last century. We saw captive otters frolicking and eating frozen fish.

We saw a performance by seals as the staff explained how and why they train them.







Finally feeling tired we walked out of the park and back to catch the bus home.