A perfect summer’s day on Spanish Banks, Vancouver today. It doesn’t get much better 🙂
Beautiful British Columbia
Weekly Photo Challenge: Reflecting
Perfect for this week’s Photo Challenge: Reflecting was this glorious sunrise last weekend reflected in the water lapping Rathtrevor Beach at the lovely Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort, Parksville, British Columbia where I was staying.
An early morning walk along the beach followed with equally stunning reflections seen in the tidal pools left by the receding water.
You can see why our Province is known as Super, Natural British Columbia. Enjoy the slideshow with a few more photos from the walk…
…and this presentation by Destination British Columbia entitled The Wild Within.
Have you booked your tickets yet? 🙂
“The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring Tra La”
No, my wanderlust has not taken me to the tulip fields of Holland but to the Tulips of the Valley Festival here in Chilliwack, British Columbia, an hour’s drive from Vancouver. My last visit to the festival was in 2015 and which I shared with you in my post Petal Power. With the Festival’s new location this year our visit on Tuesday was perfect for this week’s Photo Challenge as no borders needed to be crossed to visit this little piece of heaven on earth filled with its seven million blooms. Enjoy the slide show and have your spirits raised with this seasonly perfect Gilbert and Sullivan classic from the Mikado performed by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Earth 2
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty
William Wordsworth 1802
These opening lines from Wordsworth’s poem Composed on Westminster Bridge could easily have been written for this early morning view last weekend of Little Shuswap Lake here in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada.
After leaving Granville Island our weekend walk took us to the east end of False Creek from where when you look back you can see the residences of Olympic Village on the south side built for the 2010 games, the Cambie Street Bridge way in the distance, and BC Place Stadium on the north side. This panorama shot was taken from the deck outside the geodesic dome of Vancouver’s Science World that opened for the World Fair in 1986 (Expo 86). As you can see the pedestrian and cycle pathway takes you around the creek and then carries on to Stanley Park so all can enjoy one of the world’s most accessible, varied and so often stunning urban landscapes.
We’ve arrived at Granville Island on our weekend walk and here below the Granville Street Bridge you can see the Aquabus water taxis waiting to take you up and down False Creek. The photobombing seagull was a complete surprise however and clearly felt the landscape wouldn’t be complete without him. Serendipity at work once again.
Check out the great Granville Island website and learn all about one of Vancouver’s jewels.
Studio 365: Day 328
Stawamus Chief Acrylic and Plaster 78″ x 64″
Since I have not been in the studio today, and in follow up to yesterday’s Lascaux Cave, I thought I would post this painting from a few years back of the magnificent face of the Stawamus Chief in the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park in Squamish BC. Although on a different scale to the Lascaux Cave, the technique once again used a combination of Polyfilla and paint, this time acrylic rather than watercolour.
There are three hiking trails on the Chief that take you to three different peaks where the view from each across Howe Sound simply takes your breath away.
With the new Sea to Sky Gondola however now it is possible to experience the same views with a little less effort, but definately with a lot less sense of achievement.
Here you can see the three peaks of the Chief viewed from the gondola on the way down to earth.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Treat 2
With one more day to go for this week’s Photo Challenge, how could I not post these images from our morning walk along Kitsilano Beach in the early November sunshine two days ago.
What a treat!
Studio 365: Day 256
Dramatic skies over Active Pass and Mayne Island on this morning’s ferry ride to Victoria.
Monochromatic and magical I hope you’ll agree.
Sea to Sky
Returning to Vancouver from Whistler today along the Sea to Sky Highway a brief pause at Porteau Cove Provincial Park once again reveals Super Natural British Columbia in all its glory and also shows why the highway is so perfectly named.
