Last Wednesday this school teacher hopped a big, yellow school bus for a trip to the big city. 5100 teachers met for a conference for independent schools. The conference was both inspiring and overwhelming. So many ideas. Too many ideas.
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| North Vancouver seen from the Conference Centre |
Many people confuse the city of Vancouver with Vancouver Island. They are not the same place. Vancouver (the city) is on the North American Continent. Vancouver Island is roughly 100 kilometres from Vancouver, and is accessible by air and water. There is no fixed link.
I took a break from the crowds during one lunch hour for a walk around the block. With my camera. I find the city very beautiful, although I never want to live there. The far building is slanted out towards the street and it appears to be leaning over for a better look at the water.
So many glass towers reflecting sky and sea. And each other. Buildings within buildings.
Our closing speaker was Col. Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station. He spoke, then ended with a revised version of David Bowie's Space Oddity, a song that he sang from space. Have you watched any of his YouTube videos? He made life in space real for many people.
Car co-ops are very popular in Vancouver. Here is a row of Cars-to-Go ready for use. Our city-based children don't own their own car - they use public transit or pick up one of these car share vehicles. Saves on parking and insurance! It was great to meet up one evening to share dinner.
At least the grass was green. Little else showed much colour. Grey, grey, grey, intermixed with rain, rain, rain.
I enjoyed the visit to vibrant, beautiful Vancouver, but was happy to get back to our smaller city across the water. Is city life for you?
I've enjoyed your pictures and info, Lorrie...we will be visiting Vancouver in April for the second time---this time longer and more time to sight see. Cars-To-Go sounds great...not sure if we will be renting one. Beautiful city! I hope you enjoyed your conference.
ReplyDeleteJane
A wonderful insight into Vancouver city on this post Lorrie.
ReplyDeleteIt looks similar to Auckland but with a smaller population - we have 1.5 million now.
I'm not a big city girl and we will move when we retire to a smaller centre.
Nice for you to catch up with the children.
I think the car share is a great idea - very forward thinking - well done Vancouver!
I agree with you, Vancouver is a beautiful city. You are lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great tour, Lorrie...I learned a great deal from this post. Ever the teacher, you are!
ReplyDeleteMy brother lives in your beautiful city of Victoria. We visited Vancouver together when we were out to see him, but I found Vancouver very grey as well. Too much rain for me. We headed up Grouse Mt too, and that was a gorgeous view from up top. I am not a city girl, although I worked in downtown Toronto for many years and enjoyed the options for restaurants and theatres after work! But my heart lies in our northern woods, and hopefully one day I'll be able to live there (or at least a little bit closer!).
ReplyDeleteWendy
Lovely to see these city shots, Lorrie. And such a beautiful city too. I love visiting cities but now I like the quietness of our little coastal town to actually live in!
ReplyDeleteHelen xox
I am not a city dweller but I can still appreciate the awesome sky scrapers and interesting buildings. Your photos are stunning, Lorrie!
ReplyDeleteRight now we divide our time between our tiny city apartment, where we can be near our kids and grandkids, and our home on a little island, but the plan is to move, eventually, to the city, and I'm looking forward to that, although not without some anxieties. I love the energy and the anonymity and the stimulation of a big city -- whether I'll still love this without a regular antidote of slow-paced island life only time will tell...
ReplyDeleteCity life is not for me. We are about an hour's drive from Denver. We took our granddaughter to Denver with us and she was so in awe of the big sky scrappers. She got to sit in the front seat where she had a great view, unlike the view from the back seat where she spends her time fighting with her sister. Anyway, I much prefer my quiet little village out on the grasslands, but love quick visits to the city. My other daughter lives in the suburbs and loves the city. Loved seeing your city. The little cars are cute--and sensible.
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie, my first two years of teaching were in Vancouver. Luckily I lived in the West End, close te Stanley Park and just had a short drive over the Burrard Bridge to my school. On the weekends I stayed in Vancouver it was wonderful to explore but my room mate and I had set routines and favourite places to go. the West End was great. Getting home took a lot of time but I always looked forward to going home to the island. That would be my dream place to live now. You are so lucky!
ReplyDeleteI like to visit the city but I wouldn't want to live there!
ReplyDeleteVancouver is beautiful, though I think I'd probably prefer the island!
I feel the same way about Vancouver. I'm always in awe of the size, the energy, the majesty of the sea against the mountains.....but I am always a little uncomfortable in my own skin when I'm there. Our big New World cities are generally not as people friendly as those in the Old World. Much is made of the green space and parks, but I like a streetscape that is human, that calls one to explore, to sit a while in a cafe to watch the passing scene. I have a conference later this year in Halifax - an exception to the New World City scene!
ReplyDeleteMy worse night mare would be if I had to live in a city. I've never been a city person, I like to see them from afar, I guess that's why I'm happy in rural France. I can understand why you were glad to be back home, but such great photographs.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend
I like to visit cities, but wouldn't want to live there. Lots of neat things there in Vancouver. I didn't realize that home on Vancouver Island is so far from Vancouver on the mainland. I like the little cars and could have appreciated them on my last visit to Boston. I intensely dislike cabs and the T is not my thing either. So it was quite the walking experience. I have not heard of the astronaut, but I'm heading for You Tube.
ReplyDeleteI would not like to live in a city, though I found Vancouver fascinating when we stayed there. My daughter who lives in Burnaby says that part is lie 'living on a mountain'!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a lot of teachers all together! What a lot of any group of people all together come to that! Glad you got some time for a wander and look around! xx
ReplyDeleteLovely scenes of this beautiful city. I have stayed there along the waterfront and attended functions at the Convention Center with my husband on business. I think I would love to live in the city with all the shops, restaurants and cultural events so close by, but maybe just part-time. In a perfect world I would have my home in the mountains and a city apartment when I need to see bright lights! I guess I had better keep buying those lottery tickets! *smile* Nice to see the astronaut and enjoy the company of your fellow educators in this beautiful place. xx Karen
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy the energy of a city and the architecture but not sure I would like to live in one permanently. I like living where we do--close to the city but just as close to the countryside. And not too far from the beach or the mountains.
ReplyDeleteI like to be close enough to visit the big city but I prefer living in a quieter environment with less of humanity all around me.
ReplyDeleteYour photos of the grey and rainy big city are very nice!
I have to admit ignorance that Vancouver Island is not close to the city of Vancouver. I think I thought it was just a short ferry ride away. What a great idea the car co-op is!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of living in a city but suspect I would be longing for the quiet of the country before long. I'm glad you had the chance to put it to the test for a short time, even if there were a lot of meetings! And ideas.
How interesting about the car shares! Love the buildings within buildings shot! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat fun it has been to learn a bit about the city of Vancouver from you today, Lorrie. When we were in BC a few years ago time didn't allow for a visit. Only what we could see from the car as we drove by.
ReplyDeleteCity living isn't for me, but I do enjoy visiting from time to time.
Love the "grey, grey, grey intermixed with rain, rain, rain" -- a glorious day! But, no, I am not a city girl; I'd much prefer to live in Victoria than Vancouver.
ReplyDeleteIt depends when thinking of city life. I would want to live among those tall buildings. I do love where we live because we live in the city, about 15 minute drive to the center of the city; but it is a cozy neighborhood. That first photo reminded me of the World's Fair many years ago. We loved attending that fair and came north twice. We stayed in the city, but rented an apartment in someone's basement in a cozy neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the tall buildings with mirror-like windows it reminded me of downtown Toronto Lorrie. The city life is not for me - too many vehicles (and exhaust) and hustle and bustle. I like our rural area with less traffic, cleaner air unless a farmer has fertilized his field and there's a blowing wind that day and a somewhat slower pace of life.
ReplyDeleteI hope you came home with a few ideas you want to utilize.
A very interesting city - we've been up there once, enjoyed it very much but am glad to not be living there - visiting is grand enough. The shiny glass buildings remind me of Seattle - I always wonder how they keep all those glass panels so shiny. The little cars is a great idea - there is so much to learn in a city - so much to do.
ReplyDeleteI only like to visit them...but do enjoy that immensely. Car car coops? Curious! Sounds like a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your fun trip, Lorrie! How was Chris Hadfield's talk? I loved his book, "An Astronaut's Guide to Life" and his message about celebrating every moment in life.
ReplyDeleteThe city is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there! As much as I enjoyed the Toronto Tea Festival, I couldn't wait to return to my small-town oasis.