We landed in Vancouver in rain, but within minutes of getting ashore the rain stopped, the sun came out, and shone for the next two weeks. We took a taxi to the Corkscrew Inn, and dropped off our luggage
We stayed two nights at the Corkscrew Inn. They say about themselves "Our inn is a carefully restored 1912 Craftsman style home, a showcase of stained glass artistry, and a museum of antique objects related to the making and enjoyment of wine. From our quiet, tree-lined residential street in Vancouver's west side, you can stroll two blocks south to a variety of shops and good restaurants. Walk a block and a half north and you're on a Pacific Ocean beach. Granville Island, downtown Vancouver, world-class shopping along Robson Street, the cruise ship terminals Nothing is mundane at the Corkscrew Inn, Kitsilano's award-winning luxury bed and breakfast. We bake bread, we smoke wild salmon, we grow our own grapes for jelly... breakfast is an event." Corkscrew Inn web site
Two days in the Corkscrew was very agreeable. The inn was on the other side of False Bay from the city, but that was little inconvenience. Our room looked out over the small garden at the front. Breakfast each day was a communal affair, and required one's presence at a specific time
The decor was what is usually called eclectic. The corkscrew theme was used liberally, particularly in the stained glass and in the bathrooms.
A 10 minute walk took one to the False Bay ferry, and from here we could see the skyscrapers of the city of Vancouver. It was rather a dinky little tub of a ferry that crossed the narrows.
In fact there was a fleet of these little things that scuttles back and forth all over the place
An extended walk along the other shore took us to Stanley Park .There we saw mounted policemen, but not in redcoats like one would have hoped/expected. We took the complete stroll round the water frontage of Stanley Park, and back through the city. By the time we got back to the Corkscrew, we reckoned that we had walked 18kms. So we were well whacked that night.
Next day saw us return to Vancouver and take in the city itself. A very pleasant lunch on Coal Harbour in the afternoon sun, then back through the city streets again. Chinatown was nothing special, and Gastown was something we could have done without - large numbers of down and outs loitering on the pavements. We scurried back to the downtown area.
