Christmas Festivities in Vancouver!!!

Hello all and welcome to the new year! We hope you have all had a fantastic festive season, and send many best wishes for a special 2006! So, Christmas and New Year in Canada! We arrived on a tuesday afternoon....around 4pm....to a dark, wet, cold Vancouver....and it was perfect! It hadn't really felt like Christmas in New Zealand...despite the giant santa displayed outside Borders, and the drooping tree lights...not to mention meeting santa himself...it still wasn't quite the same. To arrive in Vancouver, and it be dark and wet, and to see everywhere lit up and covered in decorations instantly transported us to the festive season! Our hotel was amazing....more christmas trees than i have ever seen, all decorated differently, and a warm glowing fire to welcome us! There were also some packages awaiting us....it was soooo lovely to be greeted and checked in and then told they had been waiting on our arrival as they had quite a collection of mail for us!!! Thanks mum, Caroline, Suz and Sarah....(if anyone else sent anything let us know...as it may still be at the hotel!!!!) hehehe We spent the next few days getting ready for christmas...including decorating our room and hanging out our stockings...well....santa had to know where to come! We shopped, ate lots, watched A Christmas Carol - (about 5 different versions....although none quite match up to the muppets, so we'll be doing that with bells on next year!)- and High Society, swam in the pool and walked around Stanley Park. On Christmas eve we went to church to sing carols..it was lovely, the place was packed and we were sitting in a room underneath the main room watching the salvation army band on a huge screen...but we weren't alone! It was soooo nice to sing all the old favourites....from We Wish You a Merry Christmas to Away in a Manger...it was like being a child again! They retold the christmas story and it reminded me of christmas eves many years ago! We then went to watch Narnia....another suitable festive film! Christmas eve in Canada is not like at home....all the bars were shut, everyone was celebrating with family and friends....so after our movie we headed back to the hotel to relax and prepar for santa!!! On Christmas morning the phone was red hot, it was lovely to speak to you all, and we didn't feel that far away at all.....we could almost taste Nan's cheesey puffs!!! We had breakfast in our room, then headed out for an afternoon walk around Stanley Park...lots of people were out, and we found a lovely view over the city. We returned to the hotel, and relaxed with a movie before heading down to christmas dinner in the dining room. A huuuuuuuuge buffet lay before us......all sorts of fish and cold meats to start, followed by traditional christmas dinner (although not as good as yours Nan!), and ended with a whole room full of dessert...yes, a whole room!!!!! Including a chocolate fountain! We truly were stuffed! All that was left to do after that was have a little drink and colapse on our bed....unable to move! Boxing day we hit the sales....not my idea, but Mark's!!!!! We shopped for about 12 hours! (and we got some great bargins..including more shoes!!!! Hurrah!) We visited Stanley Park again too, for Bright Nights in Stanley Park.....one area of the park was transformed with light displays..including the children's farm....all the animals had stockings and decorations...and there was a very proud (maybe relieved!) turkey strutting around! We went on the children's train ride too, so we could see all the lights, it was quite magical! New Year's Eve was also good fun....we had decided to do something a bit different, so booked tickets for a comedy night. It turned out to be a good choice....we arrived early - one of the first! So we headed to the bar for a drink. Once we return, the room was full, and we chose seats on what looked like a lively table! There was a lovely buffet of pastas and salads, and some yummy desserts, and we ate and drank while getting to know the others on our table...it was like a wedding! We had new year with Anthony Hopkins!!! Well.....not quite, but check out the picture...he was the spitting image! It is actually a lovely couple called Elise and Chris...Chris was from Bristol! After dinner we headed into Yuk Yuks for the comedy...and it was fab...all the acts were funny, and we even understood a lot of the Canada jokes! One guy had been on TV in an advert, and a new programme called The L Word! Waitresses kept the drinks flowing, and at midnight there was champagne all round! We were given hats....but sadly, as you'll see....my head was a bit too big!!!! People started to leave a little after midnight so we headed into the street to see if we could find a bar...we went into one we liked and tried to get a drink, but the bar staff had obviously been celebrating too, so we headed home! All in all a good new year. It was certainly different being away for christmas and new year...and at times hard not to be surrounded by the usual hussle and bussle of family and friends....and we missed you all.....but it was nice, a different festive season, special in its own way....that we will always remember!