Seattle Day Two.

We took a tour to the Future of Flight - Aviation Centre and Boeing Plant.  This is a fair distance from the city, but a very worthwhile trip. The Boeing assembly plant is the largest building by volume in the world, and large enough inside to have its own climate.  The plant operates 24 hours per day for  5 days per week.

We were shown planes in various stages of completion from viewing balconies above - specifically the latest 787-9 and 787-8 Dreamliners.  The 747, 767, and 777 are also assembled in this same building.   Each Dreamliner plane uses more than 6 million separate components, which are made in various countries around the world.  Boeing expects the Dreamliner to be the most popular aircraft in future.  The guide claimed that the plant can assemble a plane in preparation for painting and testing in only 3 days.  

For lunch in Seattle we queued for the award-winning chowder at Pike Place in the market near the waterfront - difficult to find without asking at an information desk.

The Boeing Factory just north of Seattle - no photos allowed inside factory !

Motors on the Boeing Planes are GE or Rolls Royce like this one.

A futuristic cabin in a Boeing plane one day maybe ?

Carbon Fibre construction of the fuselage.d

Modern construction techniques.

Downtown Seattle, like many other cities across USA, is protesting about the possible intervention of America in another war.  Most are unhappy about spending billions of dollars fighting other countries' wars and then being criticised for trying to help.

The Public Market along the waterfront where thousands congregate to buy, eat and relax.

They say that this tiny Pike Place Chowder store has the best chowder in USA.  We tried it and perhaps they are right, although the chowder in Boston is hard to beat.  There is a permanent line all day to buy, but worth the 45 min wait.

It seems a poor planning decision to place a freeway right along the waterfront and restrict easy access for pedestrians and cyclists.  

Seattle

A relatively uneventful pass through immigration and 350 passengers waiting to board (the seats were all sold and occupied so none spare for the waiting list) saw us on board in good seats in plenty of time.  The water crossing in the large catamaran was very smooth, although initially through thick fog with the warning fog horn blaring.  Total trip was just less than 3 hours, with lunch provided on the way.

Our hotel here in Seattle is the worst we have stayed in so far - a long way from the action in downtown restaurants and shops, no breakfast, a disco/pizza joint downstairs, empty fridge, no glasses, no bottle opener/cork screw, no soap, etc.  on the plus side, there is a safe, and the bathroom and main room are quite roomy.  There is also WiFi access.  

We can't help but wonder how the election is going without our votes, but cannot yet access the progress voting.

More soon.

Our Catamaran being loaded with food and cases.

To show Reagan the powerful jet motors, pushing 350 people at 35 knots.  Not a bad craft.

The size of this cruise liner, if you can see it, is enormous.  We are now into river cruises.

Through the rain, the Seattle Space Needle.

Customs as we arrived in Seattle.  Computer break down, everyone waits.  The joys of travelling.

Victoria

Vancouver Island is quite large.  At 460 km long and an average 100 km wide, it is the largest on the west coast of USA/Canada.  It relies on logging, fishing, agriculture and tourism for its economy.  

The climate in Victoria is mild with winter rain and summer drought, and temperatures rarely above 28 degrees Celsius.  The ocean is on 3 sides of the city.  Colourful flowers grow all year.  The pace is slow.  Whale watching is good here, since Victoria is home to 3 pods of Orca whales.

Victoria has the most restaurants per head of any city in Canada, and for the US is second only to San Francisco.

Victoria has a population of about 370,000, and 22% of those are retired.  Many from the mainland come here to marry, and later in life to retire.  There is a saying that Victoria has "flower beds, newly weds, and nearly deads"!

Fan Tan Alley is the narrowest street in Canada (see photo in yesterday's group of photos), down which a motorbike was ridden by Mel Gibson in the movie " Bird on a Wire". 

We visited the Royal British Columbia Museum and in spite of showers (???!!) we walked.  This was an excellent experience, with two floors of a natural history gallery and first people's gallery.  The feature exhibition was a fascinating description and presentation of the race to be first to the South Pole.

Tomorrow we leave by ferry for Seattle in the US.

Early morning coffee before we start the day's bus tour around Victoria on Vancouver Island.

This is the starting point for the Trans Canadian Highway, longest paved Highway in the world at 7821 km.   Starting on an Island and across to Vancouver by ferry seems strange !

Water craft on the harbour at Victoria.

The harbour with the raised bridge in the background.

Victoria Parliament Buildings.

More about Vancouver and Vancouver Island

Only about 3% of British Columbia is available for farming (the remainder is comprised of mountains, lakes, or unsuitable climate).  Only one house is permitted on each farm, and properties are small by our standards.

Average house price in Vancouver is $1m.

About 30% of Vancouver's population is ethnic Chinese.

Victoria is the capital of British Columbia (not Vancouver as you would expect)

We were transferred by bus onto the ferry bound for Vancouver Island (see photo posted on yesterday's blog entry.  This ferry was very large, with 6 stories (1 level for trucks and buses, and 1 for cars).  The trip took about 1.5 hours to Swartz Bay.

A bus then took us to the Butchart Gardens - a treat not to be missed (see photos on previous blog entry).  These gardens cover 55 acres which were lovingly created over time by Jennie Butchart on the site of her husband's disused limestone quarry.  They are now 100 years old and visited by 1m people each year.  The family still owns the property, which has been passed from generation to generation.  During the winter there are 50 full-time staff, rising to more than 250 in spring/summer.

There is a Japanese garden, an Italian garden, a rose garden, and a sunken garden, plus countless hanging baskets, fountains and statues.  The gardens are beautiful all year round, both day and night (illuminated and fireworks displays).

We tried to find a weed to take a photo for the record, but not one to be found!

Vancouver Island

We do not have time tonight to put any words down that would do these gardens the justice they deserve.  Perhaps tomorrow.

This is the sister ferry to the one we were on going to the Butchart Gardens and Vancouver Island. They pass half way on every crossing.

The start of the Butchart Gardens.

It started like this, beautiful.

Outstanding well worth seeing.

The Japanese Garden.

Some steps that Judy wants in our new rear garden.

Now look at this.  What a magnificent garden, can you imagine the hours that have gone into this.

This is the Butchart boat jetty.  Was very private but not today.

The Sunken Garden

And again.

And some more.

We need a water feature at the end of the garden!

The city of Victoria, largest city on Vancouver Island. Note the narrow Street on the right behind the guy with the dog. We will explain this tomorrow.

Thousands of flowers and many hours of hard work.

There are so many photos of these gardens, we were very impressed and have to stop somewhere.

Vancouver Sights

Granville Island is only a 10 minute trip by local boat, bus, car or on foot for the thousands of apartment dwellers in downtown Vancouver, who come across to choose very fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, cheese and a myriad of other typical market items at competitive prices.  This Granville Island Public Market is a true cook's treasure and a foodie's heaven.  We had booked a morning guided 2 hr tour in Melbourne, and we were the only ones led by a gourmet chef for sights, smells and tastings of local produce and other culinary delights.  We sampled special whipped black tea, chocolate, donuts, bread, sliced meat, cheese, smoked salmon, and coffee.  

We then returned to Yaletown (where we are staying) by Aqua Bus across the water.  These tiny boats have diesel motors, travel quite fast, and provide a discount for seniors.  Only $5 the trip for both of us!

After only two days in Vancouver, we have quickly learned that one does not step outside without both sunglasses and an umbrella!  It has not rained here for very many weeks - until yesterday and today.

Vancouver receives very little snow in winter, and vehicle owners do not equip their cars with all-weather tyres.  So winter is not a good time to be on the road.

We called in to the Canadian Pacific Railway Museum which houses the first train to cross Canada in 1886. The building was constructed with 200,000 small bricks on the floor, each of which represents a $20 donation.  The donor's name is engraved on each brick (see photos).

Granville Island Market.

Many varieties of teas from around the world.

Was going to tell Reagan that I caught this one but the surroundings gave it away.

Donuts are popular, even tried the chocolate.

Judy was in her element here.

Then we tried the Aqua Bus on the Harbour.

Judy and the Captain !

First Steam Loco to cross Canada.

For twenty dollars each donor has a brick on the floor of the museum.

Vancouver

Vancouver is an attractive and clean city with plenty of restaurants, shopping venues, and walkways.  The majority of the multi-storey buildings are relatively modern.  We took a walk this morning along the waterfront which was very pleasant and walker-friendly, apart from the many dogs being taken by their owners for ablutions along the same paths.

Many years ago a Japanese man wanted to commence a business selling Japanese food from street stalls.  At that time it was only permitted to sell hot dogs or ice cream in this way, so the ingenious owner invented his specialty - Japadogs which are now famous and very much in demand (see photos of a stall and menu below)

We passed the very old Christ Church Cathedral which narrowly survived demolition.  There were plans to build a multi-storey building on the site and reconstruct the church in the basement!

This afternoon we joined an excellent guided tour with 12 participants plus a first class guide - called "Vancouver guilty pleasures gourmet tour".  We had booked this tour in Australia before departing.  It  involved visits to 5 different establishments which were some of the best which Vancouver has to offer.  There were tastings at each.  The food included prawn and pork dumpling, sticky rice with pork and scallop wrapped in lotus leaf, cheeses, chocolates, miniature pastries, Italian meatballs with roquette, cheese and prosciutto, slow roasted pulled pork sandwich, and the best gelato on earth!  Needless to say we do not require an evening meal.  We would recommend this foodie walking tour to anyone visiting Vancouver.  Some members of the group had undertaken such tours in other cities and spoke highly of them as a means to get to know the city and sample its food.  The participants were all English speaking, all visitors, and from many different countries - Ireland, South Africa, USA, and Australia.

Downtown Vancouver on the water.

A chocolate smorgasbord at the gourmet grocery store

A selection from the very large range of specialist cheeses at the speciality grocery store

A Japadog street vendor's corner stall

Japadog menu

Spoilt dogs and their owners

D 

Historical Church now World Heritage

Seaplanes taking tourists for flights over the harbour, ski slopes in background