We got ourselves ready in the morning, had some breakfast, and got packed up and ready to go.
We changed the bed sheets and tidied up, as well as packed all of our stuff away.
Afternoon Tea
We took Linda for afternoon tea at 11:45.
The place seemed alright, but everything was just okay, which was pretty disappointing.
We headed back to Linda’s and hung out with her for a bit more before we had to leave and say goodbye until next time!
Leaving Victoria
We drove up to get our car cleaned at the car wash that we had bought a ticket for before but didn’t get to use on Wednesday.
We were waiting and a woman managed to make her car battery die right at the entrance to the car wash, so it took quite a while to actually get our car washed, so it was good that we left at such a good time!
We left the car wash after it was done and went to the supermarket and picked up a salad to eat on the boat.
We got onto the boat and got a pretty good spot! Masks are now mandatory again indoors, which includes the ferry, which is great!
We ate our salad and then we just relaxed. We were told there were whales, but we didn’t see them when we looked!
We got back to Vancouver and drove home, which took less time than expected.
We got back home and just did very little. Kim had a nice bath with bath salts she bought at her massage and we just relaxed.
Curtis got a bit more sleep this morning and then he jumped on a call with a colleague to figure out some strange permission issues.
There was a team meeting and once that was done, he had some tickets to get done as well as having to call someone and get something fixed for them.
Throughout the day, when he had time, Curtis got the packing done and a few things around the apartment, like taking out the rubbish.
Kim’s Day
Kim left early-ish and took laptops over to the office she was working from during the day.
After that, she went and got some breakfast and even took Curtis a croissant and coffee!
She got some of the laptops sorted today and it was nice to be in an office with colleagues.
Kim left the office around 13:00 and went bowling! She organised this with people from her company and a fun company event!
After bowling, Kim headed back home.
Away We Go!
Off to the island we go!
After work, we drove out to the ferry terminal and took the ferry over to Vancouver Island! We have a fun 10 days planned and we’ll be visiting Kim’s great auntie Linda for the first time in quite a while.
We got some easy food on the ferry and then drove out to Port Alberni! We’ll arrive there super late, but then we’ll be up early tomorrow to do some exploring!
We’re super happy to have some time to travel around and see things, whilst being careful, of course.
We were up at 07:00 to get up to the mountain at a good time.
Brody drove up to Mount Washington and there wasn’t too many people there when we arrived.
We got our snow gear on and walked up to the slopes!
Neither of us have done skiing or snowboarding before, so we were in new territory.
The slopes were 50% off for the day and we just needed a pass for the easy slopes. We got a half day pass each, which cost us around $15 each…Crazy cheap!
We got started but not very well. Brody was patient with us and taught us well, but it took us some time to get used to it.
We eventually got down the first bit of the mountain which is basically the ‘highway’ to get to a bunch of different slopes.
We went down there and headed into the easy slopes. These take you up on a conveyor, which makes things a lot easier than a ski lift!
We got to the top of the mountain and had some terrific views. The weather was impeccable today, with no cloud whatsoever!
We got to about halfway down, very slowly, but Kim had started figuring out some good techniques.
We got up to the next section and decided we would just stick with that short section of the mountain, which was also great as there wasn’t many people there.
We headed back to the main area, but you have to snowboard down on a fairly flat trail, which crossed over some of the mountain, so people were flying around at all directions.
Curtis got stuck and couldn’t get moving again on the flat part, so had to shimmy his way to the end.
At the end, there’s a large hill that you have to go down. Kim got down fairly easy, but Curtis did struggle a little, taking quite a while and getting a little frustrated.
We bought a drink and ditched some clothes and then went right back up to our preferred part of the mountain.
Kim started to really get the hang of it and gave Curtis some good pointers which helped him and before we knew it we were both doing pretty well.
Kim did a couple of runs from the top of the mountain all the way to the bottom which she felt great about.
We ended up spending way more time than the 1\2 day there, pretty much going non stop from 08:45 to 14:30!
We were tired and hurting but had a great time. We feel like we’d really like to go again and improve some more.
Light Snack
We got a light snack at a pub with Brody and some of his friends and Curtis got a well deserved beer too.
We then headed back to Brody’s place and got showered and changed before hitting the road to leave!
Puncture!
We made it a bit down the road and the tyre pressure light came on and it turned out we had a very flat tyre! We had filled it with air last night so we knew it must have an issue.
We started to get the spare tyre and jack from the back of the car but the jack was very rusted on so the gas station we were at gave us a few things to get it out.
The guy was really nice and gave us a bit of help with it and we were able to get that changed fairly quick (it was mostly Kim).
Back to Vancouver
We headed down to Nanaimo to catch the ferry, after our quick pitstop to change our tyre! We took it slow and made it with plenty of time.
We went for a walk and got some food and then headed back to the car and got onto the ferry.
The sailing was easy and then we got to the other side and drove back to Vancouver, which didn’t take long.
It was an amazing weekend but it’ll be nice to be home and back in our own bed.
Linda had heard about a place called Courtney’s Room so we went to check that out.
The service wasn’t great and the food was just alright, so we don’t think we’d go again.
Stockings!
We left here and waddled back to Linda’s apartment.
Linda was very kind and bought us both stockings full of gifts!
Curtis got some new gloves and Kim some slippers. We also got some gift cards, chocolate and some tree ornaments.
We were incredibly thankful of these gifts from Linda.
Travel Home
We relaxed with Linda for a couple of hours and then said our goodbyes to walk down to the bus station.
We were going to get pizza, but decided it was too far away, so we got a Starbucks coffee and a small McDonald’s burger instead.
We got on the bus which took us to the ferry. The whole journey was uneventful and the ferry was much less bumpy than Thursday’s trip!
We got to the stop in Vancouver and walked home, which was only about 15 minutes, but we did stop in at the supermarket to get a potato each for dinner.
Learning
Kim went out to see a friend as she will be looking after their cat whilst they’re away for Christmas.
Kim had to learn what to do, when and also get the apartment keys from them.
Dinner
We had baked potatoes for dinner with tuna. We watched some TV which took us to bedtime!
We both have work tomorrow, but Kim doesn’t have work on Tuesday!
Curtis went to work about 45 minutes earlier today as he was leaving early.
All of the day was working on the application, which does a lot more now and is really starting to take shape.
Curtis got a lot of that done and then it was 14:30 already, which was when Curtis was leaving for the day.
Kim’s Day
Kim didn’t have to work today, so she slept for a while, waking up early afternoon.
Kim cleaned the apartment from top to bottom and then packed the remainder of our items so we were ready to go.
Victoria Again!
We left the apartment to catch the bus which will take us to the ferry.
We had to wait for a long time for the bus, around 40 minutes, but it made it much worse that it was raining…A lot…The whole time.
We found shelter nearby and stood under that as we were very wet and very cold.
Eventually, the bus arrived, but we then got stuck in traffic for a lot of the journey, meaning we missed the ferry and had to wait 2 hours for the next one!
We eventually got onto the ferry and had the buffet food as we were so hungry! It was a Turkey dinner, but we also had salad to start and some dessert.
The ferry arrived in Victoria and we walked up to Linda’s apartment and it is so nice to see her again, even though it’s only been a couple of weeks!
We are here until Sunday afternoon, so plenty of time to spend time with her.
We hunkered down for the evening and were quite tired! Linda seems to have some plans, so we’ll wait to see what we do!
We were up at 09:00 to get ready for brunch/breakfast. By the time we both got ready it was around 10:30 and our brunch/breakfast time was at 11:00, so we all started the walk down.
Our brunch was in a hotel in the restaurant called Vista 18.
We got some coffee as well as a hot chocolate for Kim. This place was called Vista 18 due to being on the 18th floor, therefore it had some great views!
Curtis had eggs benedict with bacon & homemade breakfast potatoes, which were basically just potato chips.
Kim had a breakfast with bacon,eggs, pancakes and the same homemade potatoes.
Linda had the french toast which looked great! All of the portions were huge and it was an incredibly reasonable price.
We were very full after breakfast and so we went for a walk downtown to burn it off.
We walked around a few shops to pass time and Kim also managed to buy some exercise gear she needed.
Foot Massage
Kim and Linda went for a foot massage at 13:00. The original booked time was 13:30, but they couldn’t wait so changed it to 13:00.
Whilst they did this, Curtis went back to the apartment and relaxed.
Time To Go
Once we were all back in the same room, we didn’t have long before we had to say goodbye to Linda and walk down to catch the bus.
We said our goodbyes and wandered to the bus station.Once at the station, we waited for a little bit and then boarded. The bus was very busy and very hot!
Once we arrived at the ferry port, everyone was way too hot so temporarily disembarked the bus to get some fresh air.
There was a small delay on the boat bring offloaded as the police were waiting for a car to speak to the driver, so we had to wait for that to be dealt with before we could board.
Ferry Ride
We got on the boat and sat charging our phones. We were able fully charge our phones, which was a result!
It was incredibly loud and busy on the boat, but it went quite fast.We loaded back onto the bus and headed towards home.We got back home and it was nice to be back, but we already miss spending time with Linda!
We stopped in at the supermarket for a bit to do a small weekly shop and to get some food for dinner.
We ate our dinner and caught up on some TV and YouTube videos before we went to bed, ready for work tomorrow.
As some of you may be aware, we have chosen Vancouver to be our next home, for a year or so.
Beacon Drive-In, Again
We went for breakfast at the Beacon Drive-In again today.
We opted for something different and both went for 2 eggs, sausages and hash browns. It wasn’t as good as what we each usually order, so that was a bit of a shame.
Flowers
We left the drive in and walked into the city to get some flowers for Linda, both as a thank you for having us and also for mother’s day (which it is here in Canada). She really liked them too, which is great.
Packing
Kim spent a while doing some ninja packing today. As we had to pack 5 bags, it meant unpacking everything and re-packing, but better.
Kim got it all packed up perfectly and we were able to comfortably fit everything in our bags.
Whilst Kim packed, Curtis watched Great Britain get demolished 8-0 by Canada in ice hockey, which really could’ve been much worse!
Walk, Chocolate Poutine & Coffee
We went for a walk after we were sat inside for most of the day, just to get some fresh air. We got a bit peckish, so we went to a chocolate place we had been before, Chocolats Favoris and we got chocolate poutine to share (fried doughnut style sticks covered in chocolate, marshmallows and ice cream).
We ate this and then went to Starbucks to get a coffee. We wanted to sit inside but it was full so we say outside for a brief moment but it was too cold so we walked back to Linda’s.
Chatting
We chatted with Linda for a few more hours up until we had to leave.
Once we had to head down to the bus station, we packed the last few things, said goodbye to Linda and walked down to the bus station, looking like pack mules!
Bus > Ferry > Bus > Taxi
We got the bus which took us onti the ferry.
When we got on the ferry we were hungry, so we queued to grab some food.
Kim decided on chicken strips and a ceasar salad and Curtis had a chicken pot pie with sweet potato fries.
We eventually left the ferry and got back onto the bus.
The bus company said that if we get off st the bus station, it is the first stop and we can catch the train to where we need to go from there.
We were informed wrong…
We were actually the last stop and didn’t get into the bus station until 22:10, which is much later than we expected.
The people we are staying with were waiting up for us, so to save time, we got a taxi to them.
Our Temporary Place
We were lucky enough to be contacted by a couple which offered us to rent a room of theirs whilst we look for apartments here in Vancouver. We aren’t looking to share long term, so are looking for our own apartment and preferably in the downtown area, which is exciting!
These next few days are jam packed full of apartment viewings and job phone interviews, so it’ll be a busy few days!
It’s been a long day and we’re glad to be getting some sleep.
We took the tram to the city this morning and then had to take another tram to get down to where we needed to be.
We got there at exactly the time we needed to be and then had to stand in line for a while.
We eventually started to board the boat to Alcatraz Island (which means Pelican, by the way!).
The Arrival
We arrived at the island fairly quickly and there were a lot of people!
We first had to stop at the entrance and get a brief talk from a park ranger as Alcatraz is a national park.
The first building itself is quite daunting as thst isn’t even the prison! There is a cool sign at the entrance, too;
Theatre
We made our way up to the theatre and got a seat whilst waiting for the introductory film to play.
The film was about 15 minutes long and just explained the history of Alcatraz.
Workshop
We moved on from here to one of the workshops which was only open for a brief time today.
Along the way, we saw the power station, remains of the officer recreation hall and the former firing range.
The Power Station
Recreation Hall For Officers
We entered the workshop and it was pretty damaged. Most glass was smashed and there were sinks and toilets leftover, as well a sign, for some reason!
There was an art exhibition in another room in here, but it was pretty unrelated to the workshop.
This is the place in which prisoners would work, making things, sometimes for the military but also worked in the laundry area.
There were some incredible views from this island, especially with the weather we had for the start of the day!
The Prison
We walked up to the prison, getting some awesome photos on the way.
The Cell Block
The First Lighthouse In Western America
We got to the start of the audio tour, which was in the shower block of the prison, where there was also clothes from the prison times.
We went from here up some stairs and into the main prison block.
The audio guide told us multiple stories and information about different cells and locations around the prison, including solitary confinement, attempted escapes, living conditions and more.
A Prison Cell Which Someone Escaped From
Solitary Confinement
A Solitary Confinement Cell – Nicer, But The Prisoner Spends 24/7 Here
The Main Hallway
We moved through the library and we were then told about a part of the prison that has marks on the floor from grenade blasts which were thrown in during an attempted escape, via a hole in the roof.
We saw the visitation station, followed by the officer area and then the officer’s control room.
The final area was the most dangerous – The dining hall. This was where everyone ate and therefore had cutlery. A lot of the kitchen equipment is still there, along with a board of the menu for breakfast.
The food was the best here out of all the prisons, so much so that the guards ate the same as the prisoners.
Former Inmate
There was a former inmate, now in his 80’s, who was signing books. He has written a book about being in Alcatraz. His name is William Baker.
The ingredients are fresh and made to order, so it’s fast food, but fresh!
The burgers and the fries were terrific. The fries don’t look great, but they were fresh and delicious!
Cable Car
We were well filled, so we left here and planned to head home, but then saw the old cable car and had to jump on! Our transport passes got us on, too, so that’s a win!
These cable cars were 146 years old and the only city to have them was San Francisco.
We eventually got a chance to ride it hanging off the edge, which was awesome!
New Shoes
We got off the cable car in the shopping district and got Curtis a cheap pair of shoes for summer.
Curtis’ current shoes have lasted well, but they’ve hit the end of their life, so new shoes it is for Curtis. He got some nice Levi’s shoes, weirdly. Just $20 though!
Rammed Tram
We took the tram home, but this was at around 19:00 so it was absolutely rammed for a while.
We got home and were incredibly tired…we have been on our feet for over 9 hours, so laying down and watching TV was great.
We were going to take a bus to the city, but we only had a $100 note, so we decided to walk instead. It wasn’t very warm today, but it also wasn’t cold or raining so we didn’t mind the 40 minute walk.
International Centre
We walked through the international centre, which is Chinatown, Japantown & the Vietnamese area. This was great and there also seemed to be a lot of great looking restaurants!
UPS waterfall
Our first stop was brief, but was fairly interesting.
This was a waterfall which was used to commemorate and celebrate the UPS staff and founder.
This is a Japanese style garden and is also the original office of the UPS.
Pioneer Square
Right by the waterfall was Poineer Square which we accidentally stumbled across.
This area has games, like table tennis, and also a memorial to all firefighters from Seattle that have lost their lives.
Ye Olde Curiosity shop
We went from here towards the waterfront and then stopped at Ye Olde Curiosity shop. This is a shop which has been around since 1899 but has moved several times.
This is a gift shop, but also has a lot of interesting, rare, items in, such as (apparently) real preserved dead bodies and more like that.
Kim Tried On Some Really…Interesting…Glasses
Walked along waterfront
We walked along the waterfront some more, just to see what was there. There was a lot of seafood restaurants but it was an interesting walk.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
We walked from the waterfront up to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery.
This is where coffee beans are roasted, as well as a self guided tour, coffee only available at this location is served as well aa mixologists and staff that know a lot about coffee!
We started by being given a map and going to the first area where they roast coffee. Just 9 feet away, we watched the coffee get roasted and then it all poared out and smelled incredible!
We were given some freshly roasted beans to smell and taste!
These smelled incredible, but didn’t taste to good like this!
We got a flight ofcoffee to try, which was 8oz of 3 different coffees.
We had one from Kenya, one Columbian coffee and one which is only roasted at this location from Guatemala.
Kim isn’t a big coffee drinker, so Curtis drank most of it!
The Kenyan coffee had a great flavour but was fairly bitter. The Columbian was the easiest to drink and the Guatemalan coffee had a crazy flavour of black cherry and plum, which it really did, and was a little overpowering.
Curtis didn’t feel great after drinking so much rich coffee at once, but it was an awesome experience!
We got back to the apartment and Curtis watched hockey.
After hockey, we went to the supermarket to get a few things we needed as well as dinner for the next few days.
We got back and had steak ready to cook, which we purchased a couple of days ago.
This was a new york strip steak and it was large and incredible.
Curtis seasoned the steak very well and Kim cooked it perfectly, with the help of meat thermometers. The meat was incredibly tender and the accompaniment of the expertly cooked potatoes and delicious onion and mushroom gravy made it a heavenly meal!
Host Chat
We sat and had a chat with our host for a while as he came in whilst we were cooking.
Once we were done with the chatting, we washed up and then went to bed to watch a bit of TV.
Tomorrow…
Kim has a surprise for Curtis tomorrow, so he doesn’t know what’s going to be happening!
Mr & Mrs Hale 