A sail of two cities
GREG MORGAN IS IN CRUISE CONTROL BETWEEN VANCOUVER AND SEATTLE
FINALLY, my ship had come in. A dream cruise to Alaska aboard the fabulous Discovery Princess, a holiday that could not be topped.
Unless, of course, that cruise happened to be book-ended by stopovers in two great cities, Vancouver and Seattle – lucky me!
We flew premium economy with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow to Seattle. While a bit more expensive than flying coach, it was worth it for the frills, including extra baggage, a glass of fizz (real glass and genuine bubbly) and the additional space afforded by the two-seat row. Definitely money well spent.
A short flight then took us from the US to Canada where we checked into the plush Fairmont Waterfront hotel.
Perched high up in our corner room we toasted the spectacular views of Vancouver Harbour and the city’s award-winning cruise terminal.
So much to see... modern, gleaming high-rise buildings and hotels, a busy vista with ferries, heliports and sea planes taking off and landing as often as the myriad seabirds including cranes, and the port’s other cranes, effortlessly loaded containers on to cargo ships.
A cinematographer wouldn’t have to work hard to turn this panorama into an epic opening shot of a super-villain’s HQ in a Bond movie.
After a quiet stroll around nearby streets, we took a swift nightcap in Arc, the hotel’s stylish bar and restaurant, before retiring.
At nightfall, the view from the room was even more spectacular and our ship had literally come in, moored a stone’s throw away and now forming part of the harbour lights’ starburst show.
We were up and out early the next day to take advantage of the city pass from Destination Vancouver – a tourist ticket to most of the city’s top attractions and tours and a helpful queue-jumper too.
We made a beeline for Cycle City Tours and Bike Rentals to whizz around the city’s cycle lanes, taking in the sights and fresh air.
It was going to be a long day so we opted for e-bikes and set off in the warm morning sun around the forest trails and cycleways of the 1,000acre Stanley Park.
On an unseasonably hot May day we were delighted to see locals packing the sands on Third Beach as we breezed down the park seawall running alongside Vancouver harbour. First stop for snacks and snaps was the totem poles at Brockton Point, the most visited tourist spot in British Columbia, where the most recent pole was carved by Robert Yelton of the indigenous Squamish Nation and added just 14 years ago.
We rode through the forest trails by the pretty and peaceful Beaver
Lake, working up a sweat and an appetite, eventually passing under Lions Gate Bridge which connects the city to Vancouver’s northern towns. Another stop by Morton Park to gaze open-mouthed at Yue Minjun’s rather cool A-maze-ing Laughter sculpture – 14 huge 10fttall bronze-patina statues of the sculptor himself, laughing. Hilarious and brilliant.
After the park’s delights, we headed off to Gastown, where the distinctive architecture of the city’s original settlement has been preserved. An interesting and historic place with a burgeoning nightlife and lots of trendy bars and restaurants.
And so to dinner – could the food in a city that enjoys an enviable reputation for fine dining match the top-notch quality of its beautiful scenery?
In short, yes. A quick stroll across the street from the hotel delivered us to the fabulous Five Sails restaurant and it did not disappoint.
An exquisite tasting menu with matching wines were savoured in the relaxed ambience, taking in the breathtaking waterfront views bathed in early evening sun. The perfect end to a perfect day.
We didn’t want to leave but had a ship to catch. So, after a hearty breakfast, we packed and made the short journey to board our luxurious home for the coming week, the beautiful Discovery Princess.
COFFEE STOP
We arrived back in Seattle on the scheduled dot, following our amazing week-long cruise to Alaska.
We stored our luggage and set off to explore another city that has been on our ‘to-visit list’ for far too long.
We first dropped in at the Fisherman’s Terminal, a tidy marina for pleasure craft and the home port for Seattle’s commercial fishing fleet. There’s a memorial to commemorate all the city’s fishermen who have died while working the waters since 1900.
A coffee and croissant later, we headed (almost inevitably) for the famous Space Needle, stopping on the way to admire a massive troll – not a social media pest but a huge stone sculpture lurking beneath the Aurora Bridge. Not the prettiest artwork I’ve ever seen, but certainly a talking point.
We both have a completely rational fear of heights, but while Claire opted to stay grounded, I wasn’t going to miss the spectacular views on offer after the rapid elevator ride to the top of the 605ft tall building. Built for the 1962 World’s
A cinematographer wouldn’t have to work hard to turn this panorama into an epic opening shot of a super-villain’s HQ
Fair, its futuristic design symbolised humanity’s Space-Age aspirations and America’s quest to shoot for the Moon before any other nation managed it.
It’s a fantastic attraction for all the family and, even though tiny toddlers were squealing with delight at the amazing views, it took all my resolve to edge out, eyes fixed straight ahead, on to the viewing deck.
After a moment or two staring over the glorious Puget Sound’s Elliott Bay and scanning the skyscrapers all around, it dawned on me I was moving, incredibly slowly, in a circle.
I looked down in horror as I realised I’d stepped on to the rotating glass floor. The sight of the sheer drop below my feet left me petrified and I couldn’t step off for what seemed an eternity. A hoot for thrill-seekers, but not my proudest moment!
Needle threaded – time for more art. Luckily for us, just next door is the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum showcasing the startling blown glasswork of artist Dale Chihuly.
Delightful and absorbing in equal measure, I cannot recommend a visit to this exhibition enough.
It’s a scintillating collection of unique pieces and dazzling designs in a meticulously-crafted kaleidoscope of colour. I’m so glad we visited. Venturing away from the hub we grabbed some beer and burgers at the raucous 5 Point Café, a “24-hour legendary dive bar & diner”.
It was a genuine assault on the senses but a welcome hour or so spent filling our faces, chatting to locals relaxing at the weekend and tapping our feet to everything from Americana to punk from the pulsating juke box.
We could have stayed for ever. Sadly, we had a date with a check-in desk at Seattle-Tacoma where priority boarding and yet another glass of fizz helped take the edge off the pain of ending our fantastic twin-city adventure.