Skip to content
Please select your location:

Wanting to get the most out of their new camera, Bryan & Jackie Leighton began their Canadian experience in Vancouver.

Vancouver waterfront
Vancouver waterfront
We found ourselves enthusiastically waving a Canadian flag.

We had always wanted to visit Canada but for some reason or another had found other countries to visit first. The promise of wonderful scenery and wildlife had long been there but it was the purchase of a new camera that finally convinced us. We booked a two-week trip to take in Vancouver and the Rockies, which we felt would satisfy our love of the great outdoors and give Bryan the chance to put his new toy to the test.

We'd been told we’d like Vancouver and, although not really 'city people', we thoroughly enjoyed the three nights we spent there. It really is in a lovely spot, and a real delight to walk around.

Granville Island Market, VancouverWe were fortunate to time our visit with Canada Day, which meant that there were plenty of concerts and live music, and a real sense of community spirit. We found ourselves enthusiastically waving a Canadian flag as we became caught up in the city parade. It was great fun. We did find eating out in restaurants was quite expensive though, so headed to the suburb of Granville Island, the home of local markets, independent delis and street food vendors. There was a good choice, including one of the finest sausage sandwiches we’d ever tasted!

Aerial view of VancouverThe highlight, though, was a fantastic seaplane excursion, recommended by Audley. As a nervous flyer I wasn't totally convinced but the thrill of taking off and landing on water has to be experienced. Our pilot guided the plane out over the harbour, soaring over boats and up the coast past million-dollar waterfront homes and hundreds of inlets and coves. It was magical, and gave Bryan the chance to take lots of photos.

We left Vancouver agreeing it was one of the nicest cities we’d been to, and a great start to our adventure. And agreeing we were going to get our money's worth from the camera.

Was this useful?