The chlorine still hasn't arrived for the pool and it is now a very dark green which is such a shame for the boys as they would have loved to be in it with the hot weather coming. So annoying to have it there all this time and then they can't bloody use it! Lots of exclamation marks today! 😉
Fed everyone, did the packed lunches, managed to get Leo dressed finally as he was not feeling it this morning and left on time. Think he needs a morning off, which he'll get tomorrow. Ellis was moaning as didn't really want to come but it was tough as I'd already paid for him to be there.
We left and made it the car park for just before 11, which was our allocated time of arrival. We walked through with no problems and waited for Saskia, who arrived shortly after, without Keira who had decided she wasn't feeling it today either. 😊
The park have set up a one way system and they give out maps on entry. It was very clearly sign posted and staff members stood at certain points to make sure you weren't going the wrong way. I must admit it was very calm, quiet and orderly and I actually quite liked it. The only problem was that so much was closed! No play areas, maze closed, lemur walkthrough, bear windows and giraffe house all shut. This meant that including sitting and having our lunch we were done in under 2 hours! Saskia and I didn't even get to sit with a cuppa and chat. 😕. A very expensive couple of hours at nearly £50 but hopefully that will feed an animal for a bit.
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| Gelada |
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| Fur matches Saskia's hair according to Oscar |
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| Lynx with 2 babies! |
I quickly popped to The Mall to take back some trainers and the boys all stayed in the car. It was my first time there since lockdown so I didn't know what to expect. There is a one way system in place with ample markings on the floor and it was quite quiet and everyone had a mask on. I was in and out in less than 5 minutes. 👍
Dinner tonight was ...
Ellis did a grand job and Rob gave it 9 out of 10. 🤩
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| It's great to see him trying new food. |
I spent the evening blogging and wasting my life scrolling through social media. I did order a new piano stool, sorted out decorations for Ellis' birthday, arranged a social for Saturday, spoke to pharmacy and in-laws again, booked Ellis birthday party, replied to messages I'd missed, cleared up the kitchen, ordered gerbil food, tried to find some chlorine tablets I could pick up tomorrow, and made cups of tea. 😊
Rob and I watched a couple of episodes of After Life season 2 which is a very rare occurrence for us and we both enjoyed it. We won't be watching any more tonight as he's working hard on something he needs ready for the morning, so I'm doing this and will hopefully listen to a podcast later. Michelle Obama released her first podcast today so I'd like to hear it if I get the time.
Not much of a plan for tomorrow. Weather is nice so will hopefully get boys out at some point. Lucy is coming over about 2pm so that will break the afternoon up nicely and I'll try and get a couple of things done off my to-do-list, or I might sit in the sun and start my new book!
Where they to? - 29th July Vancouver
Today started by whiling away some time with a bit of people-watching while eating crepes and fruit smoothies for breakfast in a pavement café. We then spent a few more hours planning our next few weeks travel. It's surprising when you're travelling how much time you spend planning ahead; it feels like an awful waste of your time but there is no avoiding it so I guess we'll just have to get used to it and refine how we do it in future.
We headed over to a historic district of Vancouver called Gastown for lunch. It's where the first Europeans settled so the buildings there have a little more character than much of Vancouver. On our way there, we walked past some people who were surrounded by police and TV cameras. They all had long hair and looked a little scruffy. Some were carrying placards proclaiming "Free the Flower People" and they used something resembling a Canadian Maple leaf with 5 long fronds as their logo. I've no idea who these flower people are; I can only assume it's a Canadian TV show and they are rehashing the Dierdrie Rasheed storyline all over again.
Gastown is pleasant enough but once you've done 1 tourist shop selling maple syrup and cuddly moose, you've done them all. The district's centrepiece landmark is a steam driven clock. It has steam whistles on the top which sound every quarter of an hour and which climax in a little tune every hour. Today's top-tip: When taking photos of steam clocks, don't crouch down, upwind of them, trying to get a decent angle; you'll only succeed in getting yourself and your camera soaked.
We walked back to Downtown for a few supplies and saw a few acute examples of Vancouver's homeless problem. One was a man in his mid-20s who had his trouser leg rolled up to the top of his thigh to expose a gaping, rotten infection on the side of his leg. He had a sign begging for money as he was in need of medication. I suspect he'll be joining Vancouver's amputee population before long. Minutes later, we walked past a dishevelled tramp who was climbing one of the poles which carries the 40,000 volt cables that power the city's buses. He was being egged on to get right to the very top by 2 lads in their early 20s who were eating their bruschetta in a nearby café. Before a growing crowd, he safely negotiated his way past the cables to the top and then shimmied back down but it quickly became apparent that the lads had offered him some money if he completed their degrading "challenge". Cretins.
Mush was really suffering with her feet today so we decided that we ought to buy her some better flip-flops with a bit of cushioning in the soles. We noticed a New Balance shop so we decided to take a look. For those of you who don't know, New Balance is a footwear brand who specialise in Basketball but who produce a whole range of footwear. Mush tried on a few pairs when she said to me "Oooh, look, those ones there are really nice. How much are they?", gesturing towards a wall of trainers. "Which ones?" I asked. "The New Balance ones," Came the reply...
We kept a fairly low profile this evening as our accommodation is opposite the impressive BC Stadium and the BC Lions are hosting the Calgary Summatorothers in a game of Canadian football. We thought about getting some tickets but, fortunately, we happened upon some rusty spoons that we could gouge our eyes out with instead. Much more pleasurable, I'm sure you'll agree.
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Don't know what else to write. 🤷 Taking laptop to bed I think. Nigh nights x
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