***PHOTO Vancouver walking tour & Renaissance Harbourside, pre-cruise (August 2010)

[donaldsc]

There are not a lot of people who would post 500 pictures of their hotel including multiple pictures of the bathroom and a picture of the daily newspaper.

 

You guys are something else.

 

DON

[daliflor]

Vancouver Lookout Tower is situated in the middle of downtown Vancouver; had to ascend Harbour Centre to reach the Observation deck of the tower for some amazing panoramic views of the city.

 

 

The area will look like this on a sunny day:

 

 

First vista on a cloudy Friday morning - Canada Place and our Radiance of the Seas cruise ship (here by ATC Control Tower):

 

 

 

 

[daliflor]

Far above sea level, the viewing deck of the Vancouver Lookout Tower offers an unparalleled panoramic point of view of Burrard Inlet encompassing Lions Gate Bridge, the North Shore bulk installations, Canada Place and its cruise ship terminal (with Radiance of the Seas seen here).

 

 

Right at the bottom of the tower, mingling with one of Vancouver's main transit and transport hubs, lay the tracks of CPR's downtown Vancouver switch yard.

 

 

 

 

 

American astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, opened the Vancouver Lookout in 1977.

[daliflor]

Panoramic vista of the area is underlined below:

 

 

Whether you are interested in ferry operations, bulk container traffic, port operations, cruise ships, recreational navigation or a bird's eye view of the largest commercial port in Canada, the Vancouver Lookout showed them all.

 

 

The towers are unique and intriguing in their design and construction, with many featuring exquisite rooftop gardens.

 

 

 

Sun Tower (comically referred to as "Godzilla's baby bottle") is located at the edge of historic Gastown (gracing the eastern skyline).

 

 

I enjoyed very much this heated indoor deck with panoramic windows.

[daliflor]

The photo booklet helped me identified the major atractions and bulidings of the area:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Holy Rosary Cathedral viewed from the observation deck (it will be the next stop of my city tour)

[daliflor]

The older buildings in the downtown core stand out in beautiful contrast to the more modern ones (here viewed from the Lookout Tower of Vancouver):

 

 

 

 

 

Another panoramc vista of the area guiding me from the observation deck:

 

[daliflor]

Enjoying a riveting and spectacular 360 degrees view of Metro Vancouver’s cosmopolitan downtown, the vast Pacific Ocean or bustling Coal Harbour with the famous Stanley Park close by (as I returned full cycle to the starting point):

 

 

 

 

Final notes from the observation deck:

 

 

[daliflor]

Daliflor, I have to say you are quite the photo-journalist. I have lived in and around Vancouver for all of my 65 years and worked in downtown Vancouver for more than 40 years....your photos photos have really caught the essence of what Vancouver is all about. It is almost enough to have me move home. Great work...and thanks for sharing your talent with us.

 

There are not a lot of people who would post 500 pictures of their hotel including multiple pictures of the bathroom and a picture of the daily newspaper.

 

You guys are something else. DON

 

Your kind words and constructive feedback are welcomed.

 

In addition, I apologize for being too analytical (though at times, the attention to details slipps away, especially at night, allowing for some typos). I'm a work in progress and your comments are being taken into consideration dearly.

 

Finally, let me please underline one more time that there is no intention of advertising but rather sharing a recent experience as the visual individual that I am.

[Putterdude]

The white building with the red "S" on it is the Scotia Bank tower at Vancouver Centre which I helped develop and was officed in for some 22 year. The building the name "Province" on it is where our eldest son works. It is great to see Vancouver as a visitor sees it.:)

[daliflor]

Opened in 1977, the observation deck of the Vancouver Lookout Tower offers fascinating facts about the city, including the "competitors" - the other skyscrapers of the World!

 

 

 

It did not look like the rain will stop soon, so it was time for me to leave the Lookout Tower and open an umbrella to continue exploring the marvels of this Canadian city (seen below from the glass elevator as I was descending to the ground floor):

 

 

 

 

Wish I can make a final return at night to marvel at the twinkling city lights blanketed under a star-studded sky... to gaze at the mesmerizing west coast sunset from high above the streets as dusk approaches...

 

 

Because this is why I like this forum: Google and tour guides are helpful, but nothing like hearing from real people that were that, seen that or done that! I feel like a sponge ready to absorb all this knowledge shared by kind locals or curious visitors as myself!

[MMMCruiser]

This is a really great photo-look at Vancouver. Thank you very much for taking the time and energy to post it. We're planning a cruise from there in 2011 and your photo-tour is really appreciated!:)

[daliflor]

 

"The rain falling softly from the sky,

Lets her know that heaven,

Is where good souls fly."

 

 

 

With these lyrics in mind, what better next stop than the local Holy Rosary Cathedral?

(seen first from the observation deck of the Lookout Tower that I just left behind)

 

 

The Cathedral, built in 490 days, is Gothic in style with the pointed arch, vaulted ceiling, clerestory windows, buttresses, and large stained-glass windows.

 

 

 

Holy Rosary Cathedral is built of sandstone from Gabriola Island on foun­dations of local granite. It was designed by T. E. Julian and H. J. Williams.

[daliflor]

Built in the form of a cross, the Cathedral is 161 feet long; 62 feet from the floor ceiling.

 

 

In December of 2002, the Holy Rosary Cathedral replaced some of its carpeted flooring with ceramic tiles from Italy.

 

 

 

[daliflor]

The stained glass windows of the Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Cathedral are impressive!

 

Stained Glass - the Assumption Window made by Guido Nincheri of Montreal

(Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life)

 

 

Stained Glass Windows and the Cathedral's Stations of the Cross (shown in the middle of the image below)

 

 

Stained Glass - St. Therese Window (shown are her First Holy Communion, her petitioning of Pope Leo XIII for permission to enter Carmel although she was underage, her clothing as a Novice at the Lisieux Carmel, and her death there in 1897)

 

 

Stained Glass - Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Window; first of the five Nincheri windows to be installed; 1941

(Our Lady with the Child in vibrant colours; both Mother and Child hold a rosary in hand. At their feet are St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena, traditional saints of the Rosary)

 

[daliflor]

In 1916 the "Church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary" was declared a Cathedral.

 

 

Holy Rosary's magnificent symphonic organ - built in 1900 and restored in 2000 by Casavant Freres, is reputed to be one of the most beautiful organs on the West Coast:

 

 

 

 

In the middle aisle, near the main entrance of the Cathedral, a Labyrinth (or Maze) is worked into the porcelain tiles. Cut by a laser beam saw, the pattern is formed by contrasting coloured tiles. The pattern is the same as that found in the sixth century Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna.

 

[daliflor]

Colorful flowers in a vibrant city:

 

 

This bronze Bull statue was installed in front of the BC Turf Building in downtown Vancouver in 2000

(a tribute to the building owner's favorite prize bull, Royal Sweet Diamond; statue created by Joe Fafard):

 

 

The GOLD Rush adventure started on the streets of Vancouver for me as only TIME can tell : )

 

 

Next stop (for a girl)? Visit Robson Street and indulge yourself with Vancouver shopping!

 

 

[daliflor]

Energetic Robson Street is the place to see and be seen in Vancouver, and boasts more than 200 shops, cafes and services. Here are some of the temptations:

 

 

 

 

 

[daliflor]

Robson Street runs east-west through downtown Vancouver, from Yaletown to the West End. With a weekend average of some 80,000 streetgoers, there are plenty of people to watch on this famous local street!

 

 

Vancouver's gentle and mild climate is ideal for those who like to keep active, and Vancouverites are among the healthiest people in North America.

 

 

La vie en rose - and it's not the signature song of French singer Édith Piaf : )

 

 

Spend a day (or couple of hours) on the strip - try on outfits at trend-setting fashion boutiques!

 

 

Tired? Jump on the colorful local bus for a while!

 

[daliflor]

Did you miss the touristic bus? Here it is again around noon that Friday!

 

 

Vancouver is affectionately referred to by the rest of Canada as "LOTUS LAND" because of its relaxed and laid-back atmosphere.

 

 

 

Quand il me prend dans ses bras

 

Il me parle tout bas,

 

Je vois la vie en rose.

 

 

Il me dit des mots d'amour,

 

Des mots de tous les jours,

 

Et ca me fait quelque chose...

 

[daliflor]

Prefer less jostling among crowds? Head to the Vancouver Art Gallery facing Robson Square (housed in a former early-20th-century courthouse, the VAG is a heaven for art lovers)

 

 

 

Roof painted to resemble waethered copper; some of them are glowing at night!

 

 

 

[daliflor]

Spent an hour or so on the strip - sipping a latte while people-watching from a sidewalk cafe; then had lunch before heading back full circle to the hotel that Friday (embarkation day):

 

 

 

 

 

[scottbee]

Opened in 1977, the observation deck of the Vancouver Lookout Tower offers fascinating facts about the city, including the "competitors" - the other skyscrapers of the World!

 

What they probably didn't tell you about the Harbour Centre building is that it's the single most important location for the internet in Western Canada. It's a peering point where every major North American internet backbone company interconnects. The building is filled with major data centres....

[daliflor]

What they probably didn't tell you about the Harbour Centre building is that it's the single most important location for the internet in Western Canada. It's a peering point where every major North American internet backbone company interconnects. The building is filled with major data centres....

 

Now we all know it - always learning something new! Thanks for sharing!

 

Now back to the walking tour, this was my dilemma after lunch: do I check in and relax on the ship before the 3pm informal Meet & Mingle by the Pool Bar or... do I rush it and see two more atractions before Embarkation? Decided for the latest!

 

As I passed by the Marine Building early that morning, I stopped by again just to touch it before heading to the Stanley Park for a short visit.

 

 

 

For old-timers, the Marine building is an art deco building most clearly identified with Vancouver (321 ft or 98 m; pyramid rooftop).

 

 

The Marine Building - its unique wedding cake “icing”, topped by that vaguely Mayan tower, makes a dramatic and exciting backdrop as you look west down Hastings.

 

 

The white moldings along the building's edges (resembling icing on a cake) are carved with depictions of all things marine (seahorses, anchors, crabs and more).

 

[daliflor]

The Marine Building - one of the great art deco buildings in the world; it's lavish in every sense of the word from top to bottom.

 

 

A mass of intricately carved marine life - lobsters, crabs, prawns and starfish crawling over each other through a waving forest of seaweed.

 

 

70 plus years ago, when it was new and the colors were brighter, it must have been a dazzler!

 

 

[daliflor]

My last stop that day was the Stanley Park.

 

Again, I'm saying up front that this beauty needs to be explored with time and patience in your hands! It's an outstanding place and my short trolley tour will not make it justice!

 

 

Being close to the hotel, I took the local bus # 19 (around the corner) and in 10 minutes I was at Stanley Park

($2.00 CAD one way; only had USD, so the driver was super cool and didn't charge me a penny! Told me to spend the $$$ inside the park instead)!

 

 

If your time is better than mine, you can step aboard one of the old-fashioned horse-drawn vehicles and meander in comfort through the natural beauty of Stanley Park!

 

 

 

Stanley Park, a 404.9-hectare urban park was officially opened on September 27, 1887. Bordering on downtown Vancouver, Canada’s first official green space is the largest city-leased park in Canada.