My two best friends on this trip so far are a foldable umbrella and a ‘pack-a-mac’! Cats and dogs have nothing on what is pouring out of the sky here. And the forecast for the rest of my stay is more of the same – or worse! It’s just a tad frustrating as it is clear to see (or it would be if the rain clouds weren’t so low) that Vancouver is a very beautiful city.
I had an excellent Malaysian meal last night but was disappointed that Canada has followed the awful USA habit of encouraging customers to leave mega tips. My bill came to app £30 (it would have been around £24 a few months ago!). At the bottom of the bill were printed suggestions for leaving a tip at the rate of either 15%, 18% or 20%! I have to admit that the service was good so I abandoned my normal habit of adding 10% (or less in Spain) and splashed out with a tip of around 12.5%!
Due to the appalling weather conditions, photo opportunities have been few and far between today. So, here is a picture of a puddle!
I had lunch with a cousin who I had never met before which was very pleasant We ate in an elegant little diner
Just kidding!
As part of my Canadian education, Darren introduced me to some local beer. Craft breweries are springing up all over the place here – just as they seem to be in UK.There are more than a dozen micro breweries in the downtown area of Vancouver alone, some of them just pubs where the beer is made in the back room! The taste of those I have tried already is very different from what I am used to back in Blighty, though. And to make matters more interesting, no specific gravities are mentioned on the menus – or even some of the bottles!
Despite the dreadful weather, such was my feeling of general bonhomie on my way back to my hotel that I tried to engage these gentlemen in a discussion about the relative merits of the ’33 Acres Brewing Company’ v the ‘Brassneck Brewery’
until it was pointed out that they are the work of some famous Chinese sculptor!
Until the Ark is built.
R
thelasthurrahsite 