Finally, after 7 days of continuous rain, the sun came out and Vancouver turned on its charms. Myself and Tom made the most of the opportunity and went for a walk around Stanley Park to see the sights and take a few photos.

We came across a pair of swans building a nest, which was a good excuse for me to take out my new Canon EF 70-200 lens and get some close-up shots. I got a great one of a Mallard drake. It’s so sharp, and so crystal clear I find it hard to believe I took it myself ;-)

After strolling around for a bit longer than originally planned, we met up with Lisa’s friend Carole for a few beers. She’d given us valuable help over e-mail before we arrived, and yesterday she gave us the lowdown on Vancouver life and answered all our questions.

There’s a couple of thing I’d noticed about Vancouver:

First, I’ve yet to see an estate agent’s. They’re everywhere in Sydney and in Dublin. Do Vancouverites not sell their houses, or maybe they’ve got some alternative, as-yet-unheard-of way of transacting real estate business?

Second, there are a lot of homeless and mentally disturbed people wandering the streets, more so than Dublin or Sydney. In Stanly Park yesterday we came across a woman standing on the beach shouting abuse at the ocean.

Finally, like Sydney, there’s lots of great, cheap ethnic food. We’ve had something different each night and have yet to have a crap meal. That augurs well!

[Photos]