What a week!!! Holiday all round!

wow, what a week we have had! My family have now all returned to the UK and we have just about recovered!!! It has been fantastic, we have had so much fun! It was great to see them and have them here and spend time with them, and also great to have the opportunity to show off Vancouver, I have to say we felt quite proud! My family returned from their week camper-vanning in the Rockies last saturday, and we have hardly stopped since! Saturday night we headed to the Pacific Colleseum to see the Vancouver Giants ice hockey team....it was fab, we all quickly settled into the spirit of things!!! Including 'Towel Power', a unique ritual where all the fans periodically shout and wave white towels in the air in support of the team! We found this great fun!!! Our seats were 3 rows from the front, and we had an amazing view of everything...from the skating, to the goals, to the collisons and of course the fights!!! (as are tradition in ice hockey!) It was a great way start to the week! Sunday was slightly wet, so we went to Storyeum...an interactive theatrical adventure through Canadian history....then on to Granville Island for shopping in the markets, walking home across the bridge! Sunday night we thought we'd give my family a taste of the Asian side of Vancouver, so we headed for some Sushi at Shiru Bay Chopstick Cafe! I was very impressed, not being ones for too much foreign food, they all tried everything, including the completely raw dishes, and of course the sake, and we had a great time! We finished the night in 'Death by Chocolate' - a desert restaurant, and wow, what deserts they were!!!!!! Monday we needed to do a bit of exercise, (after all the food the night before!), so after a bit of shopping and a visit to my baby store in the morning, we headed to Stanley Park and the Sea Wall! We hired bikes and headed off for an afternoon's cycling experience! It was fab, some of the sea wall was closed for maintainence, so we headed off-road and into the park.....great fun....a tad muddy due to the previous rain, but that always washes off!!!! The bikes were the most comfortable i've ever ridden, with huge handle bars and very large seats!!! mmmmmmmmm! We ended the afternoon watching the sun set over English Bay! Tuesday we were up early and on the bus to Steveston, a small town south of Vancouver.....for Whale Watching!!!! We spent 5 hours out at sea, travelling around the Gulf Islands, in search of Orkas (Killer Whales), sadly we didn't find any....they haven't been seen yet this year....but we did see sea lions, seals, porpoises, bald eagles and a whole host of other wildlife, so it was a very enjoyable, not to mention tiring, day! After a short walk around the harbour in the evening we sat and ate good old fish and chips by the sea! Wednesday was another active day, up early and across to the North Shore, to Capilano Suspension Bridge and Treetop walk. We were all very proud of mum, who although scared of heights, managed to cross the bridge and do the treetop walk!!!!! From there we headed up Grouse Mountain, where Mark gave my brother's their first snowboarding lesson, and me, mum and dad headed off snowshoe-ing! Seeing more Bald Eagles up close feeding...that was amazing!!! It was all awsome, the views were fantastic, and the day very clear! The boys too had a great time, despite falling over!!! We ended the day warming up and eating in the restaurant in the sky......exhausted but happy!!!! And Thursday they left! What a week it was, it was fab to redo some of the touristy things again in the city, and we really went for it! There was something for everyone!!!! We were sad to see them go, but we know we shall see them again soon, and we have some wonderful memories that will live on forever!!!! (Many more than will fit in here!!!) xxxx