Tea for two?

We want to say a big thank you to Leith & Tabitha for David's amazing going away present - tea for two at the Fairmont Hotel.

As Brits in Vancouver, we're missing tea - so it was the perfect treat.

We dressed up for the occasion & David managed to behave respectably. He even raised his pinky when required:

We also demolished the cakes completely - so delicious:

Thank you both - it was a fantastic day out.

DG & CS

Exploring Kits...

So after complaining that we weren't likely to be able to use our bikes until Spring, the weather changed - and we managed to ride around Kitsilano.

The weather, although cold, was beautiful. Check out the autumn colours:

We cycled for 16 miles around the local university, Pacific Spirit Park (great name) & along the coast...before stopping off to have hot chocolate on the beach. It had pretty views all the way along:

It seems that shipping our bikes was a cracking idea after all!

CES

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

First day up the mountain skiing at Cypress...and the snow was dumping down (with no sign of the UK garage scene in sight, despite the name)!

This is the earliest they've ever opened at Cypress - and hopefully, the abundance of snow means that more resorts will soon follow suit.

So far, only one run is actually open - so we did it seven times. Amazingly, I didn't fall over all day. I can thank my beautiful new skis for that. Check out the beauties (I'm referring to my skis) in action:

David also had a ball on his snowboard. He was doing the odd jump or two on route, while I happily just glided down the slope. Check him - and his new jacket - out:

Fun, fun times. And this is just the very start of the season...

CES

Here comes the snow!

I'm delighted to be able to say I've purchased my first set of skis (thank you Mum and Dad!)...and just in time too, the snow is coming down heavily in the mountains!

Check them out here:

We're hoping to make today our first on the mountain. Cyprus, one of the three local ski resorts, is the first to open in British Columbia - and it's only 30 minutes from our apartment!

Given that the snow is still limited and the width of the runs small, it advises only 'expert' skiers to go up. I'm not entirely sure I fall into that category (I speak for myself, not David), but we'll give it a go and see what happens!

CES

 

Working world...

I've now been in the working world again for four weeks, and so far so good.

One particular highlight stands out. During my first week, I was invited to a 'paint party'. This essentially means you throw paint at canvasses - creating your own design as well as a group masterpiece. You also try to squirt as much paint at colleagues as possible, when the teacher isn't looking.

This was the result:

And I'm pleased to say that I've persuaded David to display my masterpiece in our living room. It's a beauty!

CES

Tea time?

We've now been in Canada for seven weeks - and one of the things I'm missing is tea.

The Sherry's are renowned for all being tea monsters. Usually I wouldn't put myself in the 'tea monster' category, but since we've been here I've craved it - all the more because the tea sold in cafes simply doesn't live up to expectation.

And that's why I've treated myself with my first pay packet, to this:

Yes, I've found the perfect English tea shop in Kitsilano, which is aptly called 'David's tea'. It's pricey - but it's delicious. I think 'David's tea shop' may become my regular haunt.

It's the simple things in life...

CES

Garibaldi adventures

We had Friday (11th November) off work - as it's a national holiday in British Columbia. We used our 'extra day' to visit Garibaldi park, a provincial park about an hour north of Vancouver.

And I was (perhaps rather stupidly), surprised by the amount of snow! It was a full winter wonderland:

We also got caught in a snow storm whilst walking:

Great day out though. Thankfully our car, Monty, was able to cope with the snowy roads that were covered in pot holes.

Next time we head for a hike, we'll need to pack some snow shoes.

CES

I want to ride my bicycle...

After a three month journey, our belongings have finally arrived at our apartment. Surviving with one cooking pan, plastic cutlery and a pen knife for chopping veg for seven weeks has been a real challenge.

So when our boxes arrived, I was glad to see we'd packed sensibly. This is what we've shipped across:

Yes, we have transported three bikes from the UK - so we have more bikes than people in our apartment!

It's a shame we're on the cusp of winter, as we're unlikely to enjoy riding our bikes now until Spring...

CES

Reifel bird sanctuary

We went to Reifel bird sanctuary today. It's a great place - it's an open sanctuary, with no cages or fences. Yet, the birds flock to this place all year round - they thrive here.

We saw so much: bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, snow geese, sandhill cranes & many, many ducks. Apparently snow geese are the bird to see, as they're only around in Oct/Nov time, whilst they're migrating.

My favourite picture is below:

However, we took many more photos (I got quite excited about using my new camera). Check out the photos here.

CES