Holiday reflections/ last blog entry

Ok, this is the last post I will ever write. I'm sure you must be feeling really sad reading that, but don't worry - there are all the pictures to look at when we put them in photo albums and there might be another big family holiday (if Daddy does a big deal).

It has been an amazing holiday, everyone has got on surprisingly well and we have had no major tragedies or losses or arguments! Everyone is sad it is over but will remember it forever (this could not get more cheesy).
Everyone is agreed that their favourite city is Vancouver and their favourite activity was White Water Rafting!!! Quatchi has been the holiday symbol and the song of the holiday goes like this: "heres a woolly mammoth, mammoth mammoth mammoth". Of course you cannot imagine the greatness of the song unless you hear us singing it to freak people out!

So...I guess its goodbye from the Shapiros and thanks for reading!

Day 22

Today was the day we were flying home, but not until 5.30. We had the longest lie-in of the holiday so far and had a leisurely breakfast with a weird waiter who kept forgetting things and cracking jokes! The parents had the "fun" idea to get the bus to the Museum of Anthropology (I dont even know what anthropology is).
So we had a long bus ride to the small museum. It was basically just totem poles so Wilsey, Katy and I mucked around with my camera. We got more squashed public transport back to downtown where we walked around the city. At 4pm we had a late lunch in a really nice restaurant where we saw some of the olympics.

We arrived back at our hotel to catch the limo to the airport!! By the way we dont normally ride in limos, but in this case it was cheaper than 2 taxis (I think). We got to the airport which Mummy loved as it had public art and water fountains and barely had to wait in any queues. This meant we had lots of time to look in the shops.
The flight and everything all went ridiculously smoothly even though it was a night flight with 4 kids. I watched Forrest Gump which was extremely good and we all went through baggage claim easily and got a taxi home!

Day 21

Today we left the inn, to go back to Vancouver for one more night before getting the plane. Daddy very kindly payed for Mummy and the kids to get the sea plane from Victoria to Vancouver. But since we needed to get our rental car and suitcases to Vancouver, Daddy had to drive and take the ferry.

Daddy left quite early to catch the ferry so the 5 of us walked around the stalls and shops by the waterfront. And then after a short wait we boarded the sea plane. In case you are wondering, a sea plane is a small plane that takes off and lands in the water. Our plane only held about 12 people and flew quite near to the sea, as opposed to up in the clouds.

It was an incredible experience, we saw amazing views and had a great time. The whole flight only lasted about 40 minutes! After a short walk we met Daddy at the Metropolitan Hotel (the first hotel we went to). We decided to go for lunch to the upstairs patio of the Vancouver Art Gallery where we had a lovely time.Then Mummy and Daddy went to Granville Island to do some shopping and the 4 kids had a very long last swim. Chubby gained the confidence to jump in without any floats or assistance! Mummy and Daddy came back with some more Quatchi stuff for the kids which was well received.


That night we had to unpack and then repack every single thing, which I am sure you can imagine was the greatest fun ever!

Day 20

After breakfast at the inn, we decided to go to the Butchart Gardens since the weather was so nice. The gardens were spectacular. We went to the sunken gardens where there was an amazing fountain.

We walked on the stepping stones and bridge in the lovely Japanese gardens and then went to the Italian gardens.

We spent longest in the rose gardens smelling each type of rose! After all this we had lunch at the cafe in the gardens (where we saw a peculiar dragonfly) and then looked in the fantastic gift shop. Mummy got 2 yoga figurines, the three smaller kids got Canada zip things with their names on and I bought a Quatchi badge!! Katy also randomly got some furry slipper socks!

After leaving the gardens we went back to the inn for a while and then Katy and I were dropped off to see "sisterhood of the travelling pants 2" which was very good! When we were watching the film, Mummy and Daddy were in Victoria and Daddy was picked on to perform in some street entertainment (e.g helping a guy onto a unicycle). It sounds jokes but I'm glad I was not there because it would have been cringey!!

We bought some food from the supermarket for supper, so as not to have too much restaurant food. Bexy (very kindly) showered, teethed and read to Chubby whilst Mummy and Daddy went out with a friend.

Nearly the end of the holiday :(

Day 19

We all reluctantly left the gorgeous Fairmont where the staff were so nice and the hot chocolate was so cute. That morning I bought a grey hoodie (what I had been looking for the whole holiday) that said "Seattle" on it.We drove and hour and a half to Anacortes where, after a "tiny" wait, we boarded the ferry that would take to the small city of Victoria on Vancouver Island.

The ferry was smooth and surprisingly relaxing, it moved slowly, stopping twice at the San Juan islands. The ferry shown in the picture is the same as the one we went on. The ride was 3 hours long and for one of those hours Katy and I decided to burn off our ice-creams so we marched (swaying arms and all) around the ferry. We got over the initial embarrassment of EVERYONE staring at us and had the biggest jokes of all time!

We then got off the ferry where we had an hour long drive to the Beaconsfield Inn in Victoria. The inn was old-fashioned and cosy, and the people running it were very friendly. All the kids shared one room, which brought with it heaps of fun! We were shown around and then walked through Victoria.
We decided on a Thai restaurant for supper where we tried lots of new spicy food and Chubby decided that when he is older he wants to be Thai! We walked some more and saw the amazing view of the Victoria government buildings all lit up.

We then went back to the inn where we sat in the lovely library and read before going tiredly to bed.

Day 18

We had a late start to the day, enjoying the lovely hotel and our breakfast. The kids ordered hot chocolate which came with 2 little containers full of mini marshmallows and cream, which I found adorable! We walked to Pikes Place Market - the oldest continuous farmers market.

It was really great with a huge assortment of food and lots of bits and bobs. Katy and I both got our names drawn in beautiful Korean symbols on a poster. Chubby got a lizard beanie baby that he named Frankie and Katy bought a funky hair thing.

We also briefly visited the first ever starbucks in the world! It was old-fashioned and its logo had a very different mermaid to the one it has today. Then we walked along the waterfront and stopped for a refreshing drink, the weather was incredibly hot and sunny (hows the weather in England by the way?!).

After this we walked throught Seattle, stopping in various shops. In Old Navy Wilsey got 2 t-shirts, Mummy got some pyjamas and a top, Chubby got a jacket with a skull on it and I got a dress. Back at the hotel, the 3 youngest kids went swimming and then Mummy, Daddy and the boys got the water taxi to a Lebanese restaurant.

Also - it will be a few days before I can update the blog, because tomorrow we are going to Canada and we are staying in an inn, so i doubt there will be wireless.

Day 17

Today we had a great day sightseeing in Seattle, the city which we now all love. The sun was shining all day so we were very happy! We had the best hotel breakfast so far and spent so long eating that we had to run to the meeting place for the "duck tour"! We had been on 3 other duck tours so far on other holidays so were accustomed to how they were. We rode in World War trucks that were refurbished and turn into boats in the water.

We had a fantastic tour where we learnt a lot about Seattle. Our driver was a massive joker who wore an assortment or weird hats and made everyone laugh. When in the water we had brilliant views of the Seattle skyline and the driver even let Chubby drive the boat for a minute!! When the tour finished we decided to go up the famous space needle as it was such a clear, glorious day.

We did not have to wait in queues for too long and then we got into the windowed lifts that took us up 520ft to the observation deck. The views were breathtaking and we even saw Mount Rainier that only appears 90 days a year. After taking in the views we got the lift back down and spent a long time in the gift shop. Wilsey got a fantastic poster of the tallest buildings in the world which will be great for when his room is redone.

We went to a crepe place for lunch where I had a tomato and mozzarella crepe followed by an incredible nutella crepe! We then walked around the shops and had the fairly long walk back to the hotel. Back at the hotel the whole family went swimming and into the lovely jacuzzi. In the evening Katy and I watched a film in the hotel room whilst Mummy and Daddy met up with some old friends.

Seattle!! Day 16

After having breakfast in Bijou again (one of the 5 top breakfast restaurants in Portland), we returned to the hotel to pack up our many possessions. Packing had become increasingly tedious as the holiday went on. We left everything by the door and then left the hotel to go to Portland Sunday Market.
The market was big and busy, many craftsmen, jewelers and skilled artists and photographers displayed their work in small stalls. Everyone really enjoyed looking around and the girls bought pendant necklaces; Katy also got a slinky type bracelet. Chubby bought a whistle in the shape of a bug that went around his neck.

At 1pm we drove for 4 hours, without stopping, until we reached the beautiful city of Seattle in Washington. We arrived at the incredibly posh 5 star (not that were boasting) "Fairmont" and settled in straight away.

We relaxed and then went down to the Fish restaurant attached to the hotel where we had a great meal. Katy went for a late night swim, I read and we all went to bed.

Days 15-16

For breakfast we went to one of the top 5 places in Portland for breakfast, it was extremely crowded but our queueing paid off when we started eating. The food was fantastic and the meal was great even though Wilsey cried twice in the space of about 10 minutes (about loosing his rubber and falling off his chair). At about midday we set off for OMSI - the Portland Science Museum. But on the way we popped into the tiny Portland Jewish Museum.

We had a brilliant time looking at the dinosaur exhibition, which Chubby particularly enjoyed. We went into the room on the human body when we could test our strength and balance skills. We saw a hairless rat, played brain teasers and also went into the physics and chemistry labs. (we are tooo cool).

In the Omnimax theater we saw a fascinating show about sea monsters, that shook us to the core and even made Katy scream at more points than one. We also watched an "extreme planets" show. On the way home we stopped at the Portland's infamous "Voodoo Doughnuts" where the kids all ate delicious doughnuts.

Back at the hotel the girls tried to sneak our for a late night swim but the boys, who were meant to be asleep, caught them. The girls still went though and had a great time and went to bed very late even though they had to get up early the next morning.

The next day the family split in half. Daddy took the boys to an aircraft museum where they all had a great time doing some male bonding and flying (and crashing) fake planes. Mummy took the girls nearby for some well-needed shopping. Mummy did not buy anything as the evening before Daddy had bought her 4 items of clothing. But she did buy another piece of luggage to house all our new purchases on the way home.

The girls found many new shops and I bought shoes, jeans, a shirt and a light jacket. Katy got 2 skirts, a few tops and a jacket. We went to a fabulous place for lunch where Mummy and I had delicious salmon with honey teriyaki sauce. It was cool because we could write on the tablecloths and we got free drink refills.

We arrived back and the girls took the boys to the gym and pool. Then the girls babysat for the boys as Mummy and Daddy were at the theatre. We could not be bothered to pack yet even though we were leaving for Seattle the next day.

Day 14

After an early buffet breakfast, the family walked a few blocks to the meeting place for a walking tour of Portland. We had an enthusiastic guide and actually had a very interesting walk through the city! After the 2 and a half hour tour we knew about the Portland flag, the history of Portland and how it got its name (a coin toss) and how the architecture, transport and signs are carefully thought out. We saw many great statues dotted around the city, the one in the picture is called Portlandia.

At the end of the tour we were dropped off at a park where there was an amazing fountain and some of the kids played in it and got very wet. But after drying off the family found themselves hot, starving and walking (again) to find a restaurant that would cater to everyone's needs.

We were in luck and found a North-American bistro where we had delicious foods ranging from gazpacho to courgette cakes to peanut butter ice-cream. Even mummy had nothing to moan about! We happily got the cool tram back to our great hotel where we parted ways.

Mummy and Daddy went to Chinese gardens and the kids went to the hotel gym and swimming pool. Later, the kids ordered room service and relaxed whilst the parents went out clubbing (joke!). Mummy and Daddy did go out leaving their incredibly capable daughters to babysit though...

Portland!! Day 13

We left the lodge at 11, expert packers and travellers by now, to travel to Portland. After an hour in the car we reached the lovely town of Hood River and Daddy started planning his retirement to there. We looked in a brilliant top shop and jewellery shop and then had a fairly early lunch in a cool cafe. Katy and I had sat in the sun eating paninis and drinking pomegranate juice.


After another half hour in the car we reached a waterfall named Multnomah Falls. It was very high in the mountain and it was beautiful.

There was a long walk up the mountain and after a while Katy and Mummy dropped out leaving the 4 brave musketeers. The higher we went the steeper it got and the smaller the paths were. We were unprepared for the climb so slightly dying of thirst by the time we reached the source of the waterfall.

We were all proud of the accomplishment of our small trek and I guess it is all good training for D of E! Wilsey, Chubby and I climbed rocks and a huge horizontal log. We all met up back at the bottom and had a congratulatory ice-cream before setting off again.

There was only about another 45 minutes until we reached the lovely Embassy Suites hotel in Portland, Oregon where we would stay for the next 4 nights.We all explored the hotel and set off, fully equipped with a map, to look at the Pearl District and find a nice place to eat dinner. We could not find many good shops or restaurants in the district and with one very overtired Wilsey the evening seemed as if it would end in tears.

Luckily we found a very nice restaurant where we had a surprisingly successful meal of many good foods including sweet-corn soup, Parmesan covered green beans and blackberry tart. We walked back to the hotel and settled down for the night, with the exception of the hardworking girls who went to the business room to write the very blog you are reading now!!

Day 13

Mid morning we drove from 4000ft at our lodge to 6000ft up the mountain. We then had a fantastic time getting the ski-lift up to 7000ft; we only had thin fleeces on so we were freezing but the incredible views made it worthwhile! On the exciting journey high up on the ski-lift Katy, Wilsey and I sang nursery rhymes to keep our mind off the cold. We disturbed the snowboarders by playing in the snow and climbed up a huge rock, which meant we could see for miles and miles.

When we were back down, we warmed ourselves up by going into the nearby hotel for a lovely, warming hot chocolate. We then went back to our lodge for a lunch at home to save money and calories! (jeesh I write cheesily). At about 2pm Daddy and the kids went 5 minutes round the corner to Ski-bowl. Mummy wanted some quiet time reading.

We had a great time at this adventure park. Daddy, Katy and Chubby went on the petrol run, grown-up go-karts - which Wilsey majorly regretted not going on later. We all played mini golf where there was crazy obstacles such as a tree trunk and a bear (not real). We also went on a tubing slide on rubber rings which was pretty fun! We explored the kids soft area and the kids all went bungee trampolining. Wilsey, Katy and I bravely went on the very high zip-wire too which was a bit nerve-racking but very exhilirating!

Back at home we ate and played our final game of monopoly! We packed for the next stage of our journey which was sure to be new and exciting.

Day 12

Today was the best day of the holiday so far, we went back to Kelso for lunch again JUST KIDDING! (that would have been really bad). What we actually did was white water rafting!!! There was about a 1 hour journey before we reached a tiny tiny village named Maupin in the middle of a desert. It was very peculiar, as only an hour ago we were in amongst the green pine forests of Mount Hood.

We eventually found the rafting shop where we filled out forms and put plenty of suncream on (including the green one which HE used - only my friends will understand that last comment) as the sun was beaming down. We, and a few other families piled into the school bus that would take us to the Deschutes River in which we would raft. We had a safety talk and were equipped with life jackets and then our family was paired with a nice guide called Anne, and unsteadily climbed into the raft.

We calmly floated downstream, not knowing of the rapids that we would soon meet. Anne taught us how to paddle in synchronisation and we caught on pretty fast. Everyone was in awe of the beautiful scenery that surrounded us and we were relaxed and peaceful.

It came as a shock to us when we saw the white water looming dangerously ahead. Anne told us to keep paddling through the rapid as it would steady our raft. But when were faced with the rapids all this teaching went out the window and we got drenched!! The rapids were scary but a lot of fun and at each rapid a photographer took photos of us (unfortunately I could not take my camera in the water).

When we were at a calm bit of water, Anne persuaded me, Katy and Wilsey to take a dip in the freezing river. After dipping our feet in we cautiously slid one by one (led by me) into the flowing river. Once accustomed to the temperature, we swam alongside the raft until we saw more white water ahead so Anne hauled us back in.

A bit later on we all had the once in a lifetime chance of swimming through an actual rapid! Katy and I bravely accepted the challenge and followed Anne to where we would swim from (at this point everyone parked the raft). We had to jump into the freezing cold river, fully clothed, and before we had a chance to breathe we were swept by the current into the white waves. They were ferocious and we had to struggle to swim back to the shore where everyone was waiting for us. Although a bit cold and soaking we were extremely proud of what we had accomplished!!

A while later, after clambering back into the raft, we were met with yet more rapids. But this time Anne told Katy and I to sit on the front of the raft, with our feet hanging over the edge. We watched two people fall out of the raft in front of us whilst facing the rapid, so we were filled with nervous anticipation.

We laughed with delight as the waves tossed us about and smacked into our anxious faces. We fell backwards into the raft as one last enormous wave hit us and made sure that not an inch of us was dry. After the ordeal, we continued over calm water until we reached our finishing point. We sadly got off the rafts where we got the bus back to the village. We all agreed it had been an amazing experience.

Once back, we got changed, had food and milkshakes and bought 2 of the photos that the photographers had taken, whilst we were on the rapids. We then went home and played another game of monopoly!!!

P.S.

Please comment us as we are getting lonely after two weeks of not talking to you!! :)

Mount Hood!! Day 11

Today was a very exciting travelling day! We sadly had to leave Whidbey island at a ridiculously early 10am and we got the ferry across the water to Washington mainland. Then we had about 3 hours of driving before we stopped for lunch. The journey was not too bad as we all had things to occupy ourselves.

We had lunch in a horrible place called Izzy's in a horrible village called Kelso. We thought Izzy's might be nice, because of the name of my lovely best friend but we were in for a surprise....The room was depressing, the atmosphere was depressing and around were many obese and depressing people. But on the optimistic side we had many jokes especially when Mummy asked for a drinks menu and there was not one and when the waitress asked if we wanted plates with our meal!

After lunch we had about 2 more hours of driving where we crossed the border from Washington to Oregon. We slowly ascended Mount Hood where we would spend the next 3 nights in a lodge apartment thing above a shop. We were very pleased with our lodge but before we could get in we had to get the key from the top of the mountain, at 6000ft.

Whilst we were there we played in the snow which excited everyone tremendously. In the picture the peak of Mount Hood is in the background.

Once we settled in, Daddy delighted us by finding a new set of Monopoly, which we played. The lodge was cool but cosy and we had a quick supper before relaxing and going to bed.

Day 10

Today we went to the VERY FANTASTIC LOGANBERRY FESTIVAL.It was so sweet and there were lots of varied stalls, a kids section and a live band. Mummy and Daddy bought 4 pieces of artwork and I (Bexy) got pretty green dangly earrings. The boys went on a bouncy castle and an inflatable slide.

Katy and the boys had a great time playing a water dunking game. A boy sat on a chair over a pool of very cold water and when a ball was thrown and the target was hit, the boy was plunged into water. Wilsey, very unexpectedly, was the only one to hit the target...

We also bought incredible tasting popcorn and even saw our very first pie eating contest!

After the festival we went to Langley one last time. We looked around shops and the girls bought chocolate orangle flavoured lipbalms. At about 4pm we had lunch at the trusty Braeburn restaurant and went to an amazing chocolate shop afterwards. Katy and I took our fudge and brownie to the gorgeous mini cinema.

We saw the film "Get Smart" with Anne Hathaway and Steve Carell, which was surprisingly hilarious and great! After we got picked up, Mummy and Daddy went out to see the same film and the incredible girls babysat and sadly packed for leaving Whidbey.

Just a note to say I am not sure when the next post will be because we are going to Mount Hood tomorrow for 2 days and I dont know what the wireless situation will be.

Day 8-9

Today we travelled to Fort Casey, this was a place to protect puget sounds during the world wars. We climbed up ladders and looked at the various war artefacts. We also walked up to the top of a lighthouse and of course visited the giftshop!

Next we went to a seaside town called Coupeville. First there was tension because nobody finished their lunch as they were not hungry. Then the tension grew when Wilsey fell in a ditch and the girls (in a space of 1 second) failed to pick him up and were unfairly called "disgusting". Eventually we managed to get over ourselves in time for what was to come...

Whilst researching Whidbey on the internet, Daddy came across a small Jewish community, and made contact with them. We met Beverley, Sarah and Elise (not sure about the spellings!) in a cute, old-fashioned tea room. We had lovely food including dainty sandwiches and adorable cupcakes. Everyone bonded and then we said our goodbyes, until tomorrow.

We then went home where the kids played another game of monopoly, where Wilsey somehow managed to win again! (it was obviously beginners luck). We tried not too have a late night as we knew we would be waking early the next day.

The next day we were up bright and early for a 2 hour kayaking lesson in the sea. After getting lost more than a couple of times we arrived. A photographer, who also filmed us, was taking pictures for Whidbey's tourist information. I found this extremely cool! We finally got into our kayaks and set off.

I have no pictures to represent this part of the day since I was not allowed to take my camera on the water, but the scenery was very beautiful. Everyone knows Katy and Wilsey get on a treat, so when they were paired in a Kayak it was sure to be explosive. cringe! Wilsey's lack of skill and enthusiasm led to Katy splashing water at him, which made him refuse to row causing them both to cry.

Everything turned out fine, with the parents doing well, and the same with Bexy and Chubby. With aching arms and frizzy hair we left the session very happy, feeling good because of the fresh air. We went home for a lunch of hotdogs, and then the kids played a further game of monopoly. This eventful game led to me (Bexy) having $1 at 3 points in the game!

At 6.30 we met a group from Whidbey's jewish community, for a Shabbat dinner on the beach! Mummy's spanish omelette and fruit salad contributed to the wide variety of foods on offer. All of the people were really friendly and welcoming, so thank you for making the meal so delightful for us all!

Day 7

On day 7 we woke up late and went to Earth Sanctuary, a spiritual sort of garden place! We had a 2 mile walk and saw lots of random, interesting sites.

We had another exciting lunch in another exciting place which I will not go into. Then the girls split from the rest of the family. Katy and I (Bexy) spent about an hour in the local drugstore where I bought a revlon eyeliner and some skincare products. Katy bought pens, eyeliner and powder. Then we went to a really cool shop where Katy bought 8 floaty fabric pieces. On the long walk home we shared a refreshing drink of cold lemonade.

At home we relaxed then daddy lit the outside fireplace and we all toasted marshmallows on it, which was fun and delicious!

Later on, we played a game of monopoly where we taught Wilsey how to play and somehow he managed to win!

Whidbey island!! Days 4-6

Sorry we haven't written for a while; at first we were tired, then Bexy was ill then I felt ill. But everyone is feeling great now! There is quite a lot to catch up on but I will summarise the less interesting things as of now.

On day 4 (I think) we sadly left Vancouver and the Metropolitan Hotel. We had a big kerfuffle over the car, where we had to move all our luggage from a weird jeep-like car to a Dodge Grand Caravan. Later than expected we set off and after waiting in lots of queues we passed the American border without too much hassle (although daddy was told off and his jokes were misunderstood).

To take a break from driving we stopped at a small town near Bellingham. It was lovely and we had lunch in a really cool place with yummy milkshakes. There was a book store attached to the restaurant where some family members got books. We started driving again and by late evening we finally reached what was to be our home for the next week.

On day 5 the family (with the exception of ill Bexy) explored our new local town of Langley. I had an hour long knitting lesson while the rest of the family had lunch. We looked around the shops after a sunshine filled day. Chubby and I had many water fights in the huge garden and the whole family read on the veranda, enjoying the sea view. We found wild rabbits that constantly hung around our garden and had the fun idea of feeding them carrots!

On day 6 we had a late start and a fairly relaxed day. We went to double bluff beach where we had a nice walk on the strangely grey sand, but the dull weather prevented us from having a better time. We looked in some shops and had lunch in "braeburn". This was a funky and cosy place where we had a great time.

And another thing I must add is that of the new addition to our family...QUATCHI! Everyone loves her so much and we now have a rota showing which kid can sleep with her!

Quick Update :)

It is getting very late but I (Bexy) did not want to forget the great happenings of the holiday.

Today, in bed, I decided everyone should get a name! So they are as follows:
Rebecca - Captain Capilano
Katy - Grandma Capilano/ George Vancouver
Wilsey - Gassy Jack
Chubby - The 3 green horns

Chubbys weird name distressed him so much that he started crying!!!


Also, I will tell you some exciting things that I have learnt about Vancouver:
Nickelback live here
It is the third best place to live in the world
And one last one, Vancouver used to be named Granville until a couple of hundred years ago it was re-named Vancouver after George Vancouver.
Fun.

Oh my, I cant remember the other interesting things about Vancouver. This proves I must be getting tired, goodnight!

READ THIS
We would like to thank the Coates family for their kind invitation to Shabbat dinner on Whidbey Island and we shall be attending! We have included this in the post as we are not able to contact them, we hope they are reading this...

Day 3

We arose bright and early after a sleep disturbed by evil boys. The previous day we had agreed to allow the boys one night in our luxury king-sized bed. This was a mistake, a BIG mistake, as not only were all the girls things in that room, the girls were too tall to even fit into the slightly small sofa bed. Also, the boys decided to wake up at the crack of dawn and play a rowdy game of football.

We decided to go to the Vancouver art gallery to see the new exhibition, 'Krazy!'. The exhibition was based on modern cartoons, comics, manga, anime and video games. It was very interesting and everyone enjoyed this wonderful insight into this new and modern generation of artwork.

At midday we walked back to the hotel. Henry, William and I had a quick swim in the lovely pool and then quickly dried ourselves off to join the rest of the family in a small snacky lunch.

At 2pm a minibus came to collect us outside our hotel, for a tour of some of the attractions of North Vancouver. Our tour guide, Gavin, was charming and all the kids grew to love him. The first major attraction was the Capilano Suspension Bridge, 230ft high, over Capilano river.

After facing Chubbys, and then Wilseys nerves, the family managed to clamber across the unstable, swaying bridge. After a few more park attractions, such as the treetops adventure, we got back on the minibus to go to Grouse Mountain.

The family stepped onto the large cable car that would soon transport them up the very tall mountain that towered above them. The views were breathtaking as the tram ascended higher up the face of the mountain.

Once up, when all the photos had been taken, we watched an exciting lumberjack show. A man journeyed up a huge pole where he proceeded to juggle and do headstands on the narrow platforms, to the audience's worried amazement. At the end of the act the man tried to take a photo of the audience below, only to take a step back and fall off the platform. It was only now we realised he was attached to a harness and slid down the zipwire to safety.

Later on we saw a "birds of prey" show. This was very entertaining and many large predators flew over our heads. We also saw two grizzly bears that had been orphaned but helped to safety. After another trip down the mountain, we took the short journey home via catamaran where we sadly said goodbye to Gavin.

We ordered delicious room service and spent the remainder of the evening relaxing.