Vancouver, BC: Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Today was a treat.

Friends from our Around the World cruise, Helen and Leroy Worley, met us in the terminal to drive us around in the light rain.  Helen is a retired Episcopal priest; she and Jen had led worship on board the Insignia.  The Worleys are gifted conversationalists, generous hosts, and dear friends. They drove 1.5 hours from across the border in WA state to be with us.


Even though they live in the US, they are very familiar with Vancouver. In the 70s, Helen worked with urban revitalization and a trust fund which was very forward-thinking as it purchased an entire sector of empty warehouses and repurposed them into blocks upon blocks of specialty restaurants, coffee shops, arts and crafts, a huge fresh market that has everything you might not even think of.  Tables were in short supply as customers poured in for the holiday.  It’s on a peninsula and is known throughout the region as Granville Island. We found a small shop selling fiber art.  Jerry gave Jen an early birthday present of a black and white hand-painted silk poncho.  See amityfiberarts.com  The secret for keeping silk from slipping?  Button-sized magnets.  Huh.


But first, we drove around the richly green coastal area called Stanley Park.  Our route follows the coastline where our ship entered, gives a closeup of traffic crossing the Lion’s Bridge (see the eye-popping sunrise photos with the bridge illuminated), a couple of bronze statues near the shore (“Girl in Wetsuit” and “The Runner”) which are reminiscent of “The Little Mermaid,” numerous marinas, and lush trees and flowers in full fall foliage. Sure, there was continuous light rain, but we had wheels, a live narration, and were unhindered by traversing a very large city on a holiday. 








Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving similarly to the US: turkey and trimmings and lots of pie.  Because it was a Monday, the TVs we glimpsed were showing previews for Monday Night Football—I guess that’s yet another commonality.

It’s appropriate for us to add here that we are praying for people in the Middle East.  We have a TV in our inside stateroom and are keeping current with world events along with you, praying for peace, for the reunification of hostages.

With our local and personal situations wherever you are reading this.  May there be peace in families, in church families, in neighborhoods, in communities, and in our hearts.  Lord, in your mercy…

Today was our first schedule change on board this ship.  Evidently the refrigeration system needed something.  Of course, it was a holiday, so we ended up staying an extra full day in Vancouver.

Sitka, Alaska has now been taken off the itinerary to make up the day.

Shucks.

 

 

 

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