24 Hours in Seattle

We got up a little earlier to enjoy 24 hours in Seattle. We bumped up our appointment on the Space Needle to 9:30 to accommodate and we're very glad we did since it was much quieter. We shot up to the height of a skyscraper in just 45 seconds and silently revolved around the city. Back down on Terra Firma we enjoyed the Glass Gardens and Museum featuring several blown glass exhibits which were enthralling. The only other spot on our Tourist hit list was Pike Market, where it seemed the whole city congregated to because it was teaming with people. Think Borough Market but by the harbour and you'll get a sense of it. It's also home to the first ever Starbucks where Rebecca and I took the coffee pilgrimage to.

In our last day in North America we found a board game shop with a free play games with strangers event where we played games with two locals who took us under their wing. It was a surprisingly social way to end our time here, Rebecca and I spent so much time in our own little bubble on holiday that it was easy to forget that what makes a city is the people. 

Seattle Shuttle

We did one last potter around Victoria. Rebecca headed back into a bookshop to get a few more paperbacks. There was also a Japanese lunch spot that served sashimi rice bowls that we'd been meaning to try for all week which we at last got to sample - it quickly snuck into my top 3 meals of the holiday. 

We boarded the ferry outbound to Seattle, clearing customs while paying the extra $30 for the privilege of having our fingerprints kept on file. The sun was starting to set over the bay as we got into the city which was honestly pretty magical. We got less than 48 hours here though so we're aiming to get up early and cram all we can into tomorrow. 

Canadian IPA'S

We took the old hire car for another spin up to some nearby harbour towns. Nanaimo is comparatively quaint when put next to Victoria but the waterside views were hard to deny. Once we got back to our hotel we just wanted to read in bed, then get pizza, then get a couple more drinks in before we cross the boarder tomorrow. I've developed a real taste for Canadian IPA's this time around. I remember them being tasty but I genuinely can't get enough of them now. I think it's because they're quite high percentage, which is good because I don't have to drink so much to feel the desired effect. 

Rebecca and I will bid farewell to Canada tomorrow, all while riding a boat towards the land of opportunity. It'll be my first time ever to America, let's hope it lives up to the hype. 

Wrong Side of the Road

Rebecca did a mighty brave thing today, she hired a car and drove on the 'wrong' side of the road for the first time ever. A feat I've never done. All I could do was be her co-pilot, uttering directions and gentle words of encouragement. We were on a trip out of town to go visit the cemetery where of of Rebecca's family is buried. We paid our respects and admired how peaceful the area was. A short drive away was also a small park with some very pretty waterfalls which we toured around before doing the long drive home. 

The thought dawned on us over dinner how we're slowly approaching the end of our trip. In many ways it feels like all I know is the Canadian way of life now, but it also feels like we're still fresh off the plane. Only a few more days to go now, we plan to make the most of it. 

Where's Rebecca?

It was only a matter of time, but today was the day I finally lost Rebecca in a bookshop. 

We'd been walking around Victoria for a couple of hours, taking the very scenic route into the shopping district. After a thift store (where I got two very nice bargin shirts), we found ourselves in a huge double-floor bookshop. Rebecca doesn't like it too much when I stalk her around when she's perusing so I put my nose into some other sections. I ended up in the film and TV areas and somehow found a nearly pristine copy of Bart Simpson's Guide to Life, a boom I read cover to cover then back again a hundred times over growing up. Flicking through those pages was like a heady dose of nostalgia that I was not prepared for. In the midst of all this, Rebecca finished browsing and managed to check every aisle, minus the one I was having a moment in. We kept passing eachother all over the place til we were eventually reunited on the stairwell. We always magnetize to one another in the end.

Over to Victoria

I rolled up my clothes into a tight wad once again as we hit the road today. We big farewell to Vancouver and hello to Victoria. Only took a bus ride and a ferry to make the crossing but now we're firmly in a city that we can legitimately walk across in just a dozen minutes. Our hotel is pretty quirky, offering Gilmore Girls vibes with the biggest bed we've ever seen! We'll explore the town proper tomorrow, till then we're having a double king sized snooze.

Smitten with Squamish

One of the main things I wanted to do while out in Canada was go up the mountains and see some snow. That dream came true today with our visit out to Squamish. We caught the bus out of town and rode the gondala up almost above the cloud line into the frost dusted peaks. There were a multitude of view points and short hikes to go on, the latter of which took us along some fairytale looking routes through a snowy mountain trail. Rebecca wasn't quite wearing the right shoes for the trek though, so I effectively became one of those plastic penguins on skates that they give to children to hold into at ice skating rinks. I was her crutch for the slippy patches but she did really well considering. I was too smitten with the scenery to pay much mind.