Canada Trip Day 24: Queen Elizabeth Park and Mount Baker

6 July 2010 - I love the long daylight hours of summer which allowed us to cover many places of interest. The sun was slowly setting when we reached Queen Elizabeth Park. Visitors were still wandering around the gardens and children were found playing at the fountain area. The setting sun created a warm and calming ambience in the gardens. It was lovely to find a place of serenity in busy Vancouver. The park is located on Little Mountain, where we can get a view of Mount Baker in the States.

Unexpectedly, a photo session was taking place when we arrived. Models were posing by the fountain area and the photographer busily snapped away.

The Bloedel Conservatory was unfortunately closed. It is one of the attractions of the park, in the form of a geodesic dome, housing many flowers as well as some interesting birds. The Quarry Garden was quite empty, much to my delight. We found some nice views of the city and the surrounding mountains.


Henry Moore's sculpture Knife Edge by the fountain area (Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver)

Geodesic dome of Bloedel Conservatory of Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver

Bloedel Conservatory's glass dome catching rays from the setting sun (Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver)

View of Vancouver city from Queen Elizabeth Park on Little Mountain, Vancouver

Quarry Garden of Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver

Bridge over a cliff  (Queen Elizabeth Park)

Evening summer sun with the pine trees in the garden (Queen Elizabeth Park)

Flare of sun rays and shrubs in the garden

People enjoying the cool of dusk by a pine tree

Visitors enjoying the crimson sky from the setting sun

Large flock of birds flying across Vancouver

Pretty pink flower (Queen Elizabeth Park)

Purple snapdragons?

Some sort of moss floating in the water?

Giant taro plant

Plant with tiny red flowers, some of which have shrivelled

Flower with thorny-looking leaves.

Sunset with silhouette of trees and birds

Children playing with the fountain

Photo session still ongoing as we were about to leave the park

Mount Baker basking in the crimson light of the setting sun

Spotted a random sign on my way back to the house

Canada Trip Day 24: Beach Avenue, Jack Chow and La Casa Gelato

6 July 2010 - After our visit to Stanley park, we were brought to La Casa Gelato. My uncle explained in much excitement of how the gelato parlour is famous for its large number of different flavours.

Vancouver is finally getting a little warmer as throngs of people were out at the beach enjoying the sun or a dip at the sea. We passed by the Sam Kee Building, which was known to be the thinnest building in the world, the width of the building is smaller than my bedroom!

At the gelato parlour, visitors were flooding in and out to get their gelato, just the perfect thing to do when the day is summery and lovely. Despite the gazillion choices they offer, I couldn't give up any ice cream opportunity for anything else but something chocolatey.

My uncle, still charged with solar energy, announced our next destination at the Queen Elizabeth Park and enthusiastically went on with his commentaries, about its famous greenhouse which is in the form of a geodesic dome.

An elderly couple enjoying the summer, lively atmosphere at Beach Avenue in Vancouver

Busy beach along Beach Avenue

The World's thinnest building is the Sam Kee Building where Jack Chow Insurance is located.

Jack Chow Insurance neon signboard

La Casa Gelato in Strathcona, Vancouver offers over 200 flavours and the number of flavours still growing!

The moment we walk into the shop, we are just surrounded by ice cream of many flavours!

Tokens are first purchased to be exchanged with ice cream of your choice. Here's my token for a single scope.

Every ice cream opportunity is always invested in nothing else but chocolate of some sort. This time, it's dark chocolate gelato. YUM!

Canada Trip Day 24: Picking Goji, Stanley Park and Seeing Racoons

6 July 2010 - After our tour around Banff, we were back at uncle's place in Surrey picking the goji berries that were then ripe. It was quite amazing seeing them in a crimson red, when weeks ago they were still green!

My uncle, seeing us doing nothing at home, decided to bring us around Vancouver to visit attractions which we have missed during our first trip there. He brought us to Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park and La Casa Gelato.

The view of Vancouver city was really pretty as my uncle drove around Stanley Park. We managed to catch other views of Vancouver from the Prospect Point and got to see racoons. They literally come out of the woods to the park area to look for food.  Some park visitors were feeding them. But, we've been advised not to because this could encourage the racoons to expect food from us instead of food foraging in the forest and were told that they have rabies.

My sister picking Goji berries. We were literally eating them straight from the plant, which is such a wonderful feeling.

Crimson red Goji berries

Leo was happily playing in the backyard as the berry picking was going on.

View of Canada Place and other Vancouver landmarks from Stanley Park Drive

Totem Poles in Stanley Park

Replica of the Chief Skedans Mortuary (Totem) Pole in Stanley Park

An explanation about the Chief Skedans Mortuary (Totem) Pole

Replica of the Thunderbird House Post (Stanley Park Totem Pole)

An explanation of the Thunderbird House Post (Stanley Park Totem Pole)

Prospect Point at Stanley Park where we can catch lovely city views of Vancouver

Houses on the hills and skyscrappers peppered along the coast

View from Stanley Park of  the cityscape by the Vancouver harbour

Vancouver's Lion's Gate Bridge

Visitors feeding the racoon (Stanley Park)

Racoon under the park bench, shy but wanting food from visitors at Stanley Park

Another racoon emerging from the bushes at Stanley Park