Wonderful Vancouver

For those who do not know me: Hi, I am Lesi! I love travelling more than chocolate (it is a very close win) and I have been obsessed with makeup and pink colour for the past 4 years. Sounds silly? Maybe… Anyway, I have decided to share all that good stuff on my blog so thanks for reading, looking or whatever you are doing here right now:). I just came back from Canada. Yes, Canada! Originally, it was not even on my bucket list but when a travel addict gets a chance to go, you know how it ends. Before I start talking about everything I saw and liked, I have to point out 3 things. First: it was a dream of mine, I just didn´t know it. Second: nature has such a strong ability to calm down. And third: it is Heaven on Earth. Literally…

It all started on the 31st of August when I was asked to go. I only had a month to get ready, make a plan, buy a waterproof jacket (cause they call it Raincouver/ not Vancouver) and pack. All I knew about Canada was that it is known for its famous maple syrup and is really good at the hockey. Not much, I know. Luckily for me, my cousin who has been living there for years told me everything I needed to know, recommended places to see and made me feel so special and excited about visiting this beautiful country. We flew from London to Vancouver and stayed there for 2 weeks. The flight was quite long (ca 9 hours) and annoying. I did not sleep at all but I did enjoy the food at least (thanks British airways for giving me the best vegetarian pasta and caramel cake). We landed around 6pm on 06/10/18. It was already dark but the excitement that I felt was undescribable. We took a taxi to our lovely house in North Vancouver and the trip could have started. This is the list of places we were planning to see: North Vancouver- 1. Lynn Valley, 2. Grouse Mountain gondola, 3. Capilano suspension bridge, West Vancouver- 4. Lighthouse park, Vancouver- 5. Kitsilano beach, Wreck beach, Spanish beach, 6. English bay, 7. Stanley park, 8. Science world museum, 9. Gastown, 10. Chinatown, 11. Granville island,  Outside of Vancouver- 12. Squamish, 13. Shanon Waterfalls, 14. Whistler (Lost lake, Alta lake, Green lake, Olympic village)… and we managed to see everything and even more.

I will start with the North Vancouver where we stayed and discovered the most. It is separated from the downtown by ocean so you have to take a ferry or pass the bridge by bus/car. North Vancouver is basically a huge mountain full of typical American houses with their own drives. Each of them is lovely and unique. There is only one main street called Lonsdale with all the shops, restaurants, cafés etc. When you walk down to the Quay it is fine but otherwise it is a constant up the hill walk. What definitely was the highlight of this place is the incredible view from the Grouse mountain. There is a gondola going up every few mins and then you can get to the top by a chairlift. When the weather is good you can see not only the Vancouver itself but also all the small islands nearby (Vancouver island- Tofino) etc. Simply stunning! I only took few pics very carefully on my way up.

Then, we went to explore another part of the city, more precisely- beach. This was one of the places where I forgot about all the problems and just enjoyed the moment. The feeling of real happiness does exist and it is the best of all. Did you know that Vancouver is the only city in the world where you can swim in the ocean and ski down the mountain on the same day? These pictures are from the Kistilano beach (the baby is not mine unfortunately), which is usually very crowded during the summer. There are unbelievably many places to see, things to do. Anyone can relate. This city is just so versatile! Panorama of skyscrapers, mountains, neverending ocean= all in one. So beautiful! Kitsilano beach is not far from the Granville island where we visited the popular market which offers delicious food, souvenirs, clothes, art, simply everything. Great dinner spot for sure!Granville island Sunset over Mosque, Kitsilano beachKitsilano (Grouse mountain in the back). Speaking about beaches, I cannot forget to mention another one called Wreck beach. Totally different, wild but truly mesmerizing! Pictures only capture half of the beauty but look!TO TRAVEL IS TO LIVE!The most beautiful sunsets are definitely here. I wish I was able to describe exactly what I felt but you just have to see it with your own eyes. Only words that come to my mind are: spectacular, touching, breathtaking! This is the place where I found my peace. It took me a bit longer but it was so worth it.

That was just the first part of the Canada segment but another one is coming tomorrow. Thank you so much for reading and I can´t wait to share more travel posts with you.

Lots of Love,

By Lesi Lee