Vancouver

Sorry to say Vancouver was a bust for us. We saw it coming and going.  In between we stayed on the ship. 

Blame it on a morning that was cloudy and pouring rain. Blame it on our coming down with the infamous Amsterdam sore throats and colds. But mostly blame it on a Canadian immigration walk-around (a sorry combination of a walk-about and run-around). 

I was up early enough to watch our sail -in to Vancouver.

Once we passed under the bridge, the city was slowly coming into view behind the trees in Stanley Park. 

I've approach to the city as seen from the sky promenade on Deck 9. 

Docking at the Canada Place pier was quite impressive. 

Having arrived in Vancouver, everyone on board had to leave the ship per Canadian immigration law. We weren't sure what we were going to do for the day off the ship because we hadn't booked any tours. 

By the time we had walked forward and back through endless hallways to get to through the mandatory immigration, Tom was already thoroughly tired, not to mention frustrated and unhappy. It was raining. It was a no-brainer: we would go back to the ship and  go out later--maybe. 

By the time we were cleared by immigration, we were so lost in the mouse maze of hallways in the terminal that a Canadian host was summoned to lead us back to the ship. He understood our frustration. He said he clocked about 12 miles a day leading frustrated cruisers through the maze of hallways. 

He warned us that with three cruise ships in port and more than 10,000 people to process, the lines to get back on the ship would be equally long and frustrating. We decided we would see Vancouver from the ship. 

As Murphy's Law would have it, the weather turned sunny and pleasant.  C'est la vie. We needed the rest so ....

We spent a relaxing day reading in the library. 

Vancouver is surrounded by mountains.  Snow was still visible on the mountain tops as seen in this view from our dining room table at dinner.  

While at dinner, we sailed away. 

Goodbye, Vancouver. Maybe someday we'll come back.

Our sail-away photos were like souvenir paintings.

The end of a didn't-do-anything-special day wasn't a total loss.