White Van Man

To Van

View across Gambier Island
Tue Jul 6th

It was another 'man in a white van' day with a trip back to Van to collect two sofas that were being delivered to Nick.  The supplier does not deliver to the Coast.  True of many suppliers here. 

The morning light on the distant mountains that run along the Sea to Sky Highway behind Gambier Island, was a real contrast to the clear mornings of the past three days.   We've been trying to find a way of working out the names of the different peaks.  Not easy from a distance.  Work in progress

A early dash to Sechelt to pick up a 'cargo van' similar to the one I hired last week and then back to the ferry for the crossing to Horseshoe Bay.  This one was clean, the air-con worked and it didn't have long queues.   Fred walked Jack on Bonniebrook beach (our second house stay) while I headed to Van.  Jack loves that beach and was reluctant to leave it today.  As the ferry left the Langdale terminal I managed to work out where Cronk Towers was in the hillside.  Blink and you'll miss it.



First stop was to our last rental to collect some stuff we left behind and then on to Downtown Vancouver to collect a bed for our spare bedroom.  Another Fred Facebook Marketplace purchase.  A bargain, even if it needed to be dismantled and shoehorned in the lift on the 10th floor.  The lady selling the bed is moving to Kitsilano ('Kits'), one road away from Nick. 

Condo living is a popular in in Vancouver and they have been going up at a rate of knots in the last few years.  They are also part of the significant Chinese investment in Vancouver.  Purchased as an investment, it was estimated that at one time there were between eight and ten thousand empty units which contributed to a significant housing shortage, particularly for first time buyers.  They range in size from small, unairconditioned studio apartments (like the one I collected the bed from) to larger upmarket properties with panoramic mountain and ocean views and all mod cons.

Onto Nick's to await the lorry with the sofas.  Nick and I had a stroll along Kits beach and took in the crystal clear, sea water filled open air pool.  It was reasonably busy now the school hols have started, but not overcrowded.  The deep end which runs the long side of the pool is 136m long.


The sofas arrived half way through the promised time slot.  It must have looked slightly odd to the uninformed observer, why some blokes were transferring two huge boxes from the back of a lorry to the back of my van.  I was able to make an earlier ferry for the forty minute crossing to Langdale.

We were five minutes late leaving as the Vancouver and Bowen Island ferries came in within a few minutes of each other.  The van was parked on the mid-deck again, but this time with a view.  It's rather nice being able to take in the view from the comfort of car/van seat!



Fred toasting my labours



 

 



   

  




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