Last day of our long trip

We breakfast at our Fairmont hotel looking out at the Pan Pacific across the road, and watching the comings and goings of Korean car dealers, who stole our bed and our view of the harbour.

 

Then for a walk round downtown Vancouver viewing the architecture. Mainly high, towering, flat-topped, glass-sided buildings, although varying in colour and not too close together. Much preferable to the black-glassed, closely-packed buildings of Toronto, which gave us such a claustrophobic feeling when we were there a few years back.

 

 

 

 

And here some pyramids.

 

 

 

 

 

And some with a clock tower..

 

 

 

 

... or even a viewing platform oddly perched on the edge, reminding one of the top of the Sky Tower in Auckland. But this one probably not so good for bungee jumping.

 

 

 

 

The Marine building was once the tallest building in the British Empire but now gets lost among the surrounding buildings. It now looks pretty unimpressive from the outside in spite of some Art Deco embellishments.

But inside it has a more impressive lobby area, and a reminder of the Art Deco of Napier!

 

 

 

Then some skaters in Robson Square...

 

 

 

 

...and on the Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park.

 

 

Back to the hotel where Clodagh has been busy packing for our journey home.

 

And home we go via Air Canada. Not up to the high standards of Air New Zealand. The end of a really good trip - lots of good new interesting experiences and people. But not restful. Now need a holiday. Where to next?

 

Robert Cole

Back in Vancouver

We arrived in the evening back at Pan Pacific hotel in downtown Vancouver to find there was no room at the inn. Although we had booked our room way back in June, we were told there were 'maintenance issues' and they had had to transfer us across the road to the Fairmont. But when we were talking to our baggage handlers, they said there was a Kia car dealers' conference and several other guests had been moved across to Fairmont to make room for the conference delegates in Pan Pacific. Not impressive. The Fairmont (right in the pic) is a good hotel and the room was of about the standard we had booked except, because the Pan Pacific (left in the pic) intervenes, we couldn't have a good view of the harbour (far left!). As it was now getting late in the day, there was little we could do, but we'll complain to our travel agents.

We woke to a gloomy day and snow. We have now experienced most weathers on our tour round the world. Clodagh had a bad night, feeling sick and decides to stay in bed. So, a good day for catching up on reading and blogging. I read that Canada, like New Zealand, seems to be weathering the economic crises reasonably well but now some signs of a slowdown in growth. More exports are said to be the answer. But who to? Don't they know that everyone is trying to export more and to import less? Can't work!

Went for a walk in the gloom and thought gloomy thoughts about what I'd been reading. Canada, again like New Zealand, has had a buoyant housing market but that has stalled in the past year. Some fear the effect on the wider economy of further falls but many feel a correction is needed. Personal debt levels, yet again like New Zealand, are very high and there is an economic price to pay, if they are to be reduced. All of this only too familiar to those of us from the UK. As we've travelled round the world, it seems we all went on a crazy spending spree over the last two decades on the basis of inflated asset values. Will we learn from all this? I'm not optimistic.

Reached Stanley Park and a statue of a former Governor General, Lord Stanley. He modestly proclaimed in 1889 that the park should have his name.

Stopped for a drink and the sales woman said 'I do love your accent'. Perhaps not much now the English are loved for except our accent!

 

 

 

The next morning we met Gabrielle's university friend, Simon Wood, who emigrated here with his wife 10 years ago. In that period they have produced 3 sons and Simon started a recruitment business, which has grown and prospered. He is confident about prospects and is moving to larger offices in the Spring and will then employ 20 people. They are looking at the possibility of buying an acre of land and building a new home. Not bad for 10 years here!

Then a final walk to and round Stanley Park. First along the harbour past the sea plane terminal. We think, if we come again to see Mike and Liz and if the weather is good, we will take one of these little planes to Victoria Harbour.

 

Further along the harbour I pass this extraordinary structure. A home for a man on stilts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the park and the totem poles. Carved house poles were used by the First Nation Peoples to support roof beams in their cedar houses. Some were also used as 'talking sticks' to be held when an important speech was being made.

Since arriving in Canada I've read about problems of the First Nation People, i.e. Indians. It is reminiscent of the Maori problems in NZ. Some are poor, living on reservations with no natural resources to support them. There has been a week of demonstrations by the 'idle no more' movement to give more help. Winnie Cooper supports this movement, as do many non-aboriginal people.

Others are less sympathetic. They say that too much is already being paid in benefits to Indians. That view was re-inforced by a recent High Court decision that Metis must also be regarded as 'Indians' and entitled to benefits and tax reductions. There are fears that another 1m could become entitled and add billions to federal government expenditure. Not easily resolvable!

 

Further on the sea wall walk I pass Siwash Rock.

 

Then I finish this favourite walk back across Stanley Park and along the harbour side to the hotel.

 

Later we dine at the Steam Works Brewery restaurant with the large stills shining behind us. Mediocre food but good beer.

 

Robert Cole

Victoria, Vancouver Island

We had decided to leave our hotel in Vancouver at 9.00 to take the underground train to the bus terminal in time to get the coach that takes us via the ferry to Vancouver Island. Unfortunately we had not yet adjusted to the time zone change and slept through the alarm. I awoke at 8.30 and had difficulty waking Clodagh. Panic stations, but somehow we got out and kept to our planned schedule and it was a lovely sunny morning as we sailed through the channels leading to the Island.

We arrived in Victoria early afternoon to book into the Empress hotel, which has a lovely situation looking out over the harbour.

 

After a sandwich lunch I went for a walk round the harbour while Clodagh went back to the hotel to phone her step-cousin, Michael Cooper and his wife, Liz. When I got back their daughter, Winnie was with Clodagh in reception. She had come to pick us up and take us to Mike and Liz's. We had last seen Winnie, when we were here with Gabrielle and Alex, performing her 'Farmer Vicky' act for children, which she does promoting dairy products for Island Farms with 'Daisy the Cow'. In true Farmer Vicky style, she got a passing boy to take a photo of us outside the hotel.

Then to Mike and Liz, both on good form, and we much enjoyed catching up with them.

Mike showed us a photo he'd taken. I thought at first the chap in his thirties was Peter but it was me with a 3 year old Peter holding on to my trouser bottoms. It's still difficult not to feel upset

 

They have a lovely apartment looking out to sea, over which there was a beautiful sun-set. We agreed to meet for lunch next day and Winnie took us back to the hotel.

 

 

We dined at 'Pescatores', opposite the hotel - yet more good fish - and saw the BC government building well lit up alongside the harbour.

 

 

 

Another bright, sunny but cold morning for another delightful walk by water round the other side of the harbour.

 

Then to lunch with Mike, Liz and Winnie at the local James Bay Inn and more opportunity to catch up with them.

 

 

 

 

Winnie and I went for a walk along the sea front and again, in Farmer Vicky mode, she got someone to take photos of us. She told me she is able to organise her work to take holidays to suit her and we hope we might see her in London in the summer. She is in charge of the whole 'Daisy the Cow' promotion and other 'Farmer Vickies' operating throughout the island.

Back for a glass of sherry - haven't had that for a long time. Mike, as ever, was full of stories. One of them was of a man going home from work on the bus, sitting next to a lady, he said to her 'T.G.I.F.' She replied 'S.H.I.T.' 'But all I said was Thank God It's Friday'. 'I know but, Sorry Honey It'sThursday!'

 

Back to the hotel and then a pasta supper at The Old Spaghetti Factory, in part of The Crystal Garden building built for Canadian Pacific Railway and designed by the same architect who built The Empress hotel.

A cold and frosty walk the next morning with ice on the harbour water.

Followed by an excellent curry lunch with Mike and Liz in the Bengal Lounge of the hotel.

Then goodbye to The Empress with its hemlock trees outside, looking like two Afghan Hounds on guard.

And warm goodbyes to Mike and Liz, whom we have so much enjoyed seeing again.

Then to the bus terminal for the journey back to downtown Vancouver. On the ferry I was reading. 'Fear Index' by Robert Harris, about computers taking over the financial markets. I went into our club lounge toilet, which was controlled by an array of switches not immediately comprehensible. Clodagh's fear index went up, as she watched and wondered if I would ever appear again. We watched others having similar difficulty. Electronic machines are definitely taking us over.

 

Robert Cole

Vancouver

This is the third time we have visited Vancouver and it is good to be back. The much lower temperature than Auckland was a bit of a shock but the sun was shining from an almost cloudless sky. We find it such a delightful combination of well set out high rise buildings, closely surrounded by water and with snow-capped mountains as a background.

Add to that the close proximity of Stanley Park and it makes an almost perfect combination for a city - almost as good as London! Stanley Park's 1,000 acres is regarded as one of the best urban parks in the world.

It has a sea wall walk and a complete circuit is just over 4 miles. It is about 1 1/2 miles from our hotel along the harbour and makes a delightful walk, which I enjoyed on our first day here.

At half way I had a seafood chowder at the Prospect Point cafe and was reminded how much I have enjoyed the proximity of water and of fish during our trip. In New Zealand, as here in British Columbia, the sea or lakes were always close by, so many of my walks were alongside water. I have never eaten so much fish before and so much enjoyed it - and the Sauvignon Blanc to go with it!

Continuing the walk round past the beaches and English Bay where we were with Gabrielle and Alex 4 1/2 years ago.

 

 

And back along the harbour walkway, watching the seaplane take off - possibly for Victoria Harbour on Vancouver Island where we would be going the next day.

 

 

 

But before that supper at a restaurant near the steam clock in Gastown.

It lets off steam every quarter of an hour. Fortunately Clodagh doesn't do so quite so regularly!

 

Robert Cole

Goodbye to New Zealand and some reflections

Our last sunny day in New Zealand and we first spend time packing away our summer clothing and sorting out our winter woollies and thermals for Vancouver next stop. Lyall picked us up for a final drive round Auckland and along its suburban beaches looking out over the harbour.

First we went to the Michael Savage Memorial Park. Lyall told us he was the first and revered Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand. Judging by this large well kept park, he must have been highly revered and I feel I should learn more about him.

I've often felt, as I've talked to people and read the newspapers that there's a strong socialist spirit here. On the good side, when I talked to Simone about her business activities, she said she always gave shares to her people, so that they were all working together. On the other side, people seem to expect government to provide without considering who is going to pay - in the end, the people themselves! When I asked, no one was sure how much government expenditure exceeded income and didn't seem to have considered it. Another matter I must research.

We were reminded of Simone again when we stopped for an ice cream. Her latest venture has been to buy an ice cream company. She saw it was being badly run, re-staffed it and already good results are being produced. She and husband, Chris, are confident about their separate businesses but believe that New Zealand is not immune from the recession in most of the rest of the world. Prior to talking to them, I'd got the impression people were unaware of the crisis elsewhere, although, as we travelled around, I learned that tourism activity is probably down about one third. Nevertheless, a recent Grant Thornton survey is reported as finding that 73% of South Island businesses and 65% of North Island are expecting increased revenue in the coming year. Dairy products account for some of this and much depends on the rebuilding of Christchurch after the earthquake. Ironic that a disaster may help the economy! But overall New Zealand appears to be surviving pretty well.

North and South Islands are different not only geographically but in attitudes and often seem like two different countries. Auckland is the main factor. 40% of the total population live there and their big city views can easily dominate, which causes resentment further south. Matt told me they are known as JAFAs (Just Another F***ing Aucklander)!

Auckland also seems to be leading the way in house price inflation. As Lyall drove us around the suburbs, he gave numerous examples of how much more expensive property now is than a few years ago. Certainly the property agents gave every appearance of being busy.

This agent's window seems to suggest they are also busy arranging consolidation of debt into one's mortgage. We heard that personal borrowing is at a very high level. There are also concerns that 100% mortgages are on offer. What a pity if these nice friendly people in their lovely country don't learn from the same mistakes made by the rest of the Anglo-Saxon world and Europe. One real estate agent in Arrowtown told me that he saw no problem with 100% mortgages. The government shouldn't intervene, he said, and it was up to the individual to make his own decision. I sensed there was no point in trying to respond to such a view.

We continued our drive round Auckland and stopped at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, with its beautiful stained glass windows. Religion has been a constant topic of conversation, as Denise and Lyall are both very committed Catholics. They are concerned that church attendance is ever lower, there are fewer priests and there is a shortage of money to keep all the churches going. More churches are having to be run by the lay people, as no priest is available. But when it's been suggested that one cathedral should be built in Christchurch to replace the Anglican and Catholic ones seriously damaged in the earthquake, there has been little support for the idea.

The exterior of the Cathedral looks somewhat like a Maori Meeting House - perhaps deliberately so. While every effort seems to be made at governmental levels to join the two communities into one, there is clearly still further to go. It is predominantly a problem of North Island where 90% of the Maori live. Many live in the north-west, which is very poor and Lyall told us there are equally poor suburbs of Auckland, although we only saw the nice leafy green ones. Arguments still continue in the courts over the Waitangi Agreement and there is clearly still 'work-in-progress'.

As we drove back to downtown Auckland we saw the dominating Sky Tower and I was reminded of an evening when we went there and looked around its casino. I was amazed to see what seemed acres of space occupied by gambling machines with hundreds of people sitting at them, unsmilingly and as if drugged by their gambling addiction. What a frightening sight it was!

 

 

Back to our hotel to pick up our bags and for Lyall to drive us to the airport. We have very much enjoyed his company as we have driven together round so much of the country. The picture shows him on an earlier occasion in convivial mood, as indeed he was throughout.

Thanks, Lyall.

 

We leave New Zealand after a great trip and many happy memories and fly off to Vancouver.

 

Robert Cole