WORLD TOUR 2017

This was in a way our wake-up day after our long trip.  Getting used to Canadian and Pacific habits.  Not difficult at all.  It is not only a nice place here. It is also a place, where you very quickly feel at home :-)   It is in many ways very European - but also very different.  The time difference of 9 hours from home is the most striking different. In order to be aware of that I have decided to carry two watches:  on the right arm with Canadian-Pacific time and on the right arm with Central European time! The name Vancouver ( the stress is on 'cou, when you pronounce it correctly ) comes from the British naval discoverer George Vancouver ( 1757-98 ).  He traveled with his ship all over the Pacific coast around here and made it a British possession. Therefore, you find his name - not only in this city, but as the name of a smaller town in the State of Washington in the US just south of here and also of Mount Vancouver in Alaska. And the province here is called British Columb

After a lovely day on board all together three planes we arrived last night to beautiful VANCOUVER - 9 hours time difference from Europe.  We stay in a hotel right at the harbour front, Pinnacle Hotel,  on the 16th floor, so we have a golden view over the harbour, the city centre, the water and the mountains in the background.  Life could be worse? So far we have met two very firendly and interesting Canadians.  The first was our taxi driver. He was from Mumbay in India - been here since 1991 and enjoys life here. The other was our waiter for our dinner here at the hotel after arrival. He was from Kosovo.  Trained an an economist in Finland, then worked in Kosova and moved over here 10-12 years ago with his family.  Happy to be here - esp. his children are very happy and successful.  And he sees no possibility to go back, as most of his old country is in deep trouble. Now we will start, discovering the city by foot. Tommorow by bus and boat!

Just boarding our next olane to Canada's oil city Edmonton near the Rocky Mountains. Hope to see the northern light as well as snowy Greenland on the way.  Same aircraft as brought us here from Brussels. New crew, though! All very nice. Let' s see what the dinner will be. Perhaps roasted beak of a seabird. Followed by volcanic ice-cream!  No, it is all very "lekker" and friendly!

From over Greenland on Friday, September 29, 2017

If you install the free app PLANE FINDER on your smartphone or iPhone yor can follow us on Icelandair and WestAir:  Europen Time From 1400:  FI555                       Brussels - Reykjavik From 18.45: FI 693                       Reykjavik - Edmonton From 03.00. WS 107                       Edmonton - Vancouver

Our fantastic host Jean picked us up at 1100 in his elegant Audi and drove us in fantastic weather to Zaventem. Lovely autumn colours on all the trees sent us off. So did our beautiful time-share cat Myrtille. And our lovely cousins and friends Annie and Guy across our street also wished us lots of joy and fun around the world! Easy check-in in the airport.  Now getting service - as deserved - in the airport Diamond lounge :-) Icelandair is outside and cannot wait to bring us to the volcanos in the great land of the Eddas! About 4 hours and 15 minutes flight!

WORLD TOUR 2017 Overview of the programme September-November ( hours are local time – European hours are in parenthesis ) Friday, 29.9.:                14.00: Dept. Brussels to Vancouver  ( Icelandair – FI 555 )                                        3 hours 15 min flight.  Distance:  3.389 km.                                        15.15: Arr. Keflavik, Iceland             ( 17.15 )                                                                       16.45: Dept. Keflavik    ( Icelandair -  FI 693 )  ( 18.45 )                                        6 hours flight.  Distance:  4.896 km.                                        17.25: Arr. Edmonton, Canada  ( 02.45 )                                        19.00: Dept. Edmonton   ( WestJet – WS 107 )   ( 04.00 )                                        1 hour 36 min flight.  Distance:  1.160 km                                        19.36: Arr. Vancouver airport    ( 04.36 )                                   

You can see more about the cruise day by day   HERE   

WORLD TOUR 2017 Overview of the programme September-November ( all hours are local time ) Friday, 29.9.:                14.00: Dept. Brussels to Vancouver  ( Icelandair – FI 555 )                                        15.15: Arr. Keflavik, Iceland                                        16.45: Dept. Keflavik    ( Icelandair -  FI 693 )                                        17.25: Arr. Edmonton, Canada                                        19.00: Dept. Edmonton   ( WestJet – WS 107 )                                        19.36: Arr. Vancouver airport                                        Taxi to hotel.                                        Hotel Pinnacle Vancouver Harbour front,                                        1133 West Hastings Street, V6E 3T3 Vancouver                                        Tel.:  001 604 689 9211                                        http://www.pinnacleharbourfronthotel.com/                  29.9.-4.10.:   Vancouver