A Vancouver Hibernation

Vancouver has been our home for nearly five months. Frankly, this is a little worrying. It signifies several things. For one thing, time seems to go faster at this fine old age of 23. It seems like we were in Toronto only a few weeks ago. Soon we will hit 24, which sounds like a very serious age. The kind of age where you should really stop fluttering around and think about building a nest; a lovely big nest funded by the careers we really should have started by now. It also means we have a mere 3 weeks left in this country that we have become so accustomed to.

For 10 months, we have explored this behemoth of a country from coast to coast. We have lived and breathed a relatively Canadian lifestyle. In the Torontonian summer, this meant a lot of sweating, which we were occasionally relieved from by dramatic monsoons. In the autumn weeks we took our first steps into French-speaking Canada, before heading west to harvest kale and pickle beetroot. But the fall of the maple of leaf was fleeting, and after experiencing our first snow falls in the depths of the Rocky Mountains, much like the grizzly bears we encountered, we decided it was time to move on and settle down for winter.

Vancouver has been a wonderful city to live in. It has the mildest climate in Canada, and therefore seemed to be the natural choice for our winter hibernation. Canada’s homeless population agrees. A countrywide pilgrimage takes place every year with everyone trying to escape the perishing temperatures. Tramps aside, a Vancouver lifestyle is really something to envy. Walking downtown, you cross a creek which leads out onto the Pacific Ocean which lines the city’s peninsula, all of which is overshadowed by huge snow-capped mountains. On the edge of the downtown core is Stanley Park, the closest thing to wilderness you will ever get in the heart of a city, and to us, something much more special than the celebrated Central Park of Manhattan. Here we have lived and worked for five fairly wet and wintry months, taking in the mountains, the forest, the ocean, and vast amounts of incredible food.

Since being here, we have also had two wonderful family visits. Our first visitors arrived around the end of February. Julie and Felix stayed for just over two weeks. Whilst here, we spent a week showing them around Vancouver. It was lovely being able to see family again after such a long time away. Their second week here we did something different and took a trip in our new car to discover Vancouver Island together.

 

Vancouver Island is about the same size as Wales only much, much better. Only an hour and a half’s journey on the ferry from the North Shore of Vancouver, Vancouver Island is very different. It feels far more like an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and when you look west, you know there’s nothing but ocean until you reach Asia. Despite the snow and occasional rain we managed to do a great deal outdoors. We took trails that led through its vast rainforests, saw grey whales as they migrated north and kayaked with seals and otters around small islands. It was a busy week but a very rewarding one.

Getting to know our car has been fun too. The whole island was stunning and we were able to enjoy it with the freedom that comes from having your own vehicle. We even got to enjoy our drives for longer than we’d anticipated; driving over 90kph caused the car to violently shake and so we were able to cruise enjoying the place while every other car on the road overtook us in a rush. The car has since been fixed; the problem was a wheel that had been unevenly worn down. With a new second-hand tire we are now able to drive the legal speed limit without having to worry the car is about to dismantle itself.

A few weeks later, we picked Isabelle’s parents up from the airport. For the first few days the rain was horrific. But in early spring, there is a wonderful way to escape the bad weather in Vancouver; head into the mountains. We took a gondola to the top of Grouse Mountain which is a mere 10 minute drive from Central Vancouver. Within minutes the altitude turned the rain into thick flakes of snow. Perfect weather for a hearty lunch and a bit of snowshoeing. Luckily, after the first 3 days of rain, the weather cleared, and Vancouver became a beautiful blue-skied city once more. At one point, it was even a little warm.

They stayed on Granville Island, a small little peninsula facing the downtown core, and about a 20 minute walk from our flat. Every morning, we ate breakfast overlooking the harbour before heading out into the sun. The island is a creative hub, where a huge number of different craftsman attempt to sell their wares. It also has the most incredible food market.

On one such sunny day, we drove down to a small suburban fishing port call Stevenson Village in order to do some whale watching. Sadly the whales were hiding that day, but we did get an impressive show from a large group of pacific white-sided dolphins, which our guide hadn’t been able to spot in 3 years. The seals and sea lions were out in force, as were the bald eagles, and the weather made for a beautiful day at sea.

Before leaving, they made sure we were incredibly well fed, and had a fridge full of amazing cheese. We want to say thank you to both families for taking the time to visit us before we embark on the next stage of our journey. You spoiled us, and we love you and miss you dearly.

With only a couple of weeks left we’re now desperately trying to get ready for being homeless again. It’s the second time we’ve had to cull our belongings so that everything we take with us will be able to fit into a backpack. Isabelle has had to sacrifice more shoes than Lewis has altogether. We are yet to acquire a tent despite the fact that we’re planning to everywhere, and intend to leave on April 27th.