Vancouver, British Columbia – From Gastown to Granville

SkyTrain is a modern driverless local train that mainly runs overground and often on piles. We take the Expo Line from terminus King George in Surrey, one of Vancouver’s suburbs, where motorhomes can be parked easily, and go to the other terminus Waterfront station in the city. A day ticket is 9 $ and allows using all means of local public transport (SkyTrain, Bus, SeaBus). During train journey we are enjoying the views to city, skyline, harbour, and mountains. The last stations are underground, but then we quickly arrived just beside Canada Place. From there it’s just a few steps to Gastown, the initially down-at-heel district that’s now renovated and nostalgically trimmed and that functions as “old town”. Favourite subject for a photo is the Steam Clock, run by steam from Gastown’s central steam heating system. Every 15 minutes it whistles and lets off steam. Another popular spot is the statue of John Deighton, called Gassy Jack, on a whiskey barrel. Gassy Jack opened the first pub on this spot and is regarded as the city’s official founder.

We walk through downtown with all its shops and pubs to the other side of the peninsula and take the Aquabus called passenger ferry to Granville Island to visit the public market. Fresh fish, meat and poultry, fruits, vegetables and delicacies, cheese, bread and pastry are offered for sale for reasonable prices. We can’t resist and buy some German sausages, sauerkraut and delicious bread. The Aquabus takes us back to the opposite shore, but this time we ride the bus back to Waterfront SkyTrain station that now hovers above the illuminated city.

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