More stories of Egypt to come but,
What I’m juiced about right now:
is the splendour of a summer evening at the beach. We’ve been housesitting near Jericho Beach and Park. Most evenings we would wander over there and take in the simple joy of a summer evening in the city as we strolled along the path next to the beach. Several nights we took a picnic to the park, sat on the grass and watched it all go by as we munched on a big summer salad. Summer took a long time to arrive in Vancouver this year, but it finally showed it’s glorious colours and everyone came out to play.
Now you see why we call Vancouver Lotusland.
Next post: Cruising down the Nile
All words and images by Alison Louise Armstrong unless otherwise noted
© Alison Louise Armstrong and Adventures in Wonderland – a pilgrimage of the heart, 2010-2016.
Adventures in Wonderland 
Those are some stunning, stunning photos Alison and welcome home!
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Thanks so much Cindy. It was so beautiful down at the beach. Everywhere I looked I could see the beautiful scenery and light and tried to capture it. Vancouver’s a treasure in the summer.
Alison
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Absolutely beautiful…
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Thanks Ka, yes it is!
Alison xo
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some beautiful
happy, sunny
beach imagery!
i enjoyed seeing sunsets
from Stanley Park,
while visiting the aquarium
& anthropology museum
last summer 🙂
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Isn’t Vancouver fabulous!
In the summertime
at the beach
this city spreads golden joy
like butter.
Alison
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One of my fav spots in Vancouver to be sure. You have captured it brilliantly!
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Thanks Donnae. It’s one of our favourite places too. Van in the summer can be pretty spectacular, eh.
Alison
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What are all those tree trunks on the sand? People seating or reclining on them? Just curious as I have not seen that before. Fabulous photos Alison.
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Thanks Gilda. Those tree trunks are logs. There’s a lot of logging going on in BC, has been for decades. The logs close to Vancouver are joined into ‘booms’ that are floated down the Fraser River. My guess, and it is just a guess, is that in the past the logs that escaped from the booms ended up in the harbour, and they had to be cleaned up for safety reasons. Someone in the city had the brilliant idea to use them on the beaches for seating. Now it is accepted practice. All the stray logs are brought to the beaches and piled up waiting for use. I have seen also from time to time piles of logs with a notice on them that people can buck it up for firewood. Every beach in the Vancouver area (and there are a lot of them) has logs on it.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=log+booms+in+Fraser+River&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2p4-SpN3OAhVBR2MKHTpkBwYQsAQIQQ&biw=1086&bih=706&dpr=2#imgrc=uREKbkslJLrd4M%3A
Alison
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Thank you Alison, I like the logs…such cool idea😄
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Beautiful photos Alison. How fascinating with the logs on the beach, great idea for sitting/leaning and perhaps even to help with sand erosion through storms etc. Can’t imagine that ever being allowed on Aussie beaches 😉
I have cousins (thrice removed I think) living in Vancouver and one day we plan to visit them. Canada is certainly on our travel radar within the next couple of years.
Cheers, Sue.
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Thanks Sue. See my answer to Gilda above re the logs. I was surprised when I first saw them, but they’re perfect for Vancouver. I can’t imagine them on Aussie beaches either! Come to Canada! It’s a very special country and I feel so lucky that I get to live here.
Alison
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Beautiful pics! Make me even sadder that I can’t make it to Beautiful British Columbia this year 😦
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Thanks Sandra. BC is so magical. Hope you get back here soon! May be next year?
Alison
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Quite the contrast with Egypt! The emotions are so different, aren’t they Alison? 🙂 Beautiful though, and a city I would love to see.
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Huge contrast with Egypt! The emotions are very different. In Egypt I felt like I was connecting all the time to ancient wisdom and knowledge and it had me in tears more than once, like I’d finally found my way home, or something like that. Vancouver, in the summer, is all about joy! And yes, it’s a beautiful city. Hope you get to visit one day.
Alison
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Alison the light you have captured in these photos is glorious. What a beautiful place.
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Thanks Louise. Yes, a beautiful place. My two favourite harbours in the world – Sydney and Vancouver.
Alison
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Some fabulous pictures of home. Of course, now I am homesick but I will be back in November for a visit. Vancouver is so picturesque and you captured it wonderfully. Thanks. I´m glad you are enjoying your time there.
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Thanks Darlene. Vancouver’s such a treasure, eh. We’re loving it here, as always. It’s still our official home, and the home of our community of longtime friends.
Alison
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Wonderful pictures to capture the vibe in Vancouver. The skyline is beautiful against the beach scene with the people relaxing. The logs are really neat! Glad your house sit is going along fine and you are both enjoying some nice moments in the Canadian summer. All the best!
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Thank you so much. I love the logs on Vancouver’s beaches. I love having a backrest on the beach without having to carry chairs around. We’re doing lots of housesits this summer – now out in Maple Ridge taking care of a beautiful cat. Summer was very slow to arrive! But it’s here now so we’re revelling in the heat. Hope you’re getting some summer in NS.
Alison
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Gorgeous! Glad you finally got a taste of summer (I’m still waiting for mine to arrive in Ireland.) Love the vibrancy of the colors in some of these shots – do I detect a hint of post-photo opp processing? (Am experimenting more with my own very basic photo editing skills and am always torn between enhancing the images’ colors or leaving them mostly as my eye originally saw them)
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Thanks Felicity. Summer in Ireland?! Does it ever happen? I wouldn’t be holding my breath. I am not a purist when it comes to photography. All photos are edited in Photoshop and Lightroom. Having said that for this particular set of photos (and really most photos) I was striving to get them to look like what I actually saw – that gorgeous golden or blue light. I’m not convinced that what your camera captures is “as my eye originally saw them”. Maybe start really paying attention to this – at the light that you’re seeing and then at the photo uploaded on your computer. I know for sure that after editing in Lightroom all these photos look far more like what I actually saw than what the camera actually captured. Also be aware that a photo viewed in your camera will be slightly different from how it looks on your computer screen, and different again from how it looks in LR, from how it looks in PS, from how it looks when printed, from how it looks when uploaded it to the net, from how it looks on each individual computer screen. It’s really a dance to get the best adjustments. Play with editing! It’s fun!
Alison
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“Summer took a long time to arrive to Vancouver this year” — I hope it sticks around a long time for you! – Ginette
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Thanks Ginette, I hope it sticks around too! Summer can be really erratic here, but for now we have it so no complaints!
Alison
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Fabulous photos!!! The city of Vancouver could use these for promoting visits to their city.
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Thanks so much Angeline. Vancouver is so beautiful on a sunny day, so it’s easy to get a good shot. Maybe I’ll see if the city is interested.
Alison
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Alison I think Vancouver Tourism board would do well to be in touch with you. Wow what stunning photos and such lovely use of the light. We love Vancouver too and our son and daughter in law lived there for a couple of years. However the rain through the winter really got to them. None of that in these photos that’s for sure.
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Thanks Sue. The light was so beautiful down there at sunset so it was fun to be able to try to capture it. They turned out better than I’d hoped. Vancouver’s beautiful in the summer, but yeah, the winters can be very grey. We don’t call it the Wet Coast for nothing 🙂
Alison
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This post made me realize over and over again how lucky I am to live here! No matter where my travels take me, it always feels good to be back home. Beautiful photos. Hope you two will stick around a while.
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Thanks Helga. We too are always glad to be back in Vancouver – especially in the summer. We’re here until the end of October. Maybe longer, haven’t decided yet.
Alison
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Gorgeous! And right across the water from me. Great inspiration for a bike ride. Thanks Alison!
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Thanks Kelly. You’re in West Van or the West End? You could easily bike all the way from the West End. Well probably from West Van too. Either would be a fabulous ride.
Alison
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There’s nothing like a beautiful night in the Pacific NW. Great light, lovely compositions, and brave swimmers. That water is chilly!
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Thanks Dave. You are so right! The PNW is a magical place when the sun shines, but yeah, you’ll never get me in that water – way too cold!
Alison
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Vancouver is one of my favorite cities :)! I was just discussing it last night because a couple I know is taking their daughter to university there today .
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Vancouver is definitely one of my favourite cities! And the universities are pretty good too. I bet your friends’ daughter loves it here.
Alison
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I believe she will have the time of her life. I am hoping to go back for a visit some time next year.
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Oh, what a beautiful city … and a huge hole in my travel history! I love the way the hills beyond the beach fade into grays and whites against that orange sunlight, as in the first and last – my faves! Glad you took a short break from Egypt to bring us summer scenes, especially from a place that has that season abbreviated many times.
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As, you say, Vancouver’s a beautiful city, and we are lucky to call it home. (Though the winter is not so much fun). The first and last are my favourites too. I was thrilled with how they turned out.
Alison
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Everything looks so beautiful and your photos do them justice. Enjoy your summer! xx
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Thanks SGMT. Vancouver’s such a beautiful city – now that we actually have summer everything is so shiny and golden.
Alison
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Your photography is stunning! Your composition and lighting is wonderful! We must visit this city. It has been on our bucket list for far too long.
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Thank you so much LuAnn. Oh do come visit Vancouver! It’s a really wonderful city, especially when the sun’s shining.
Alison
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And how often is that? 😉
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Chuckle. Not often enough! August is a good bet though. And September.
A.
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Good to know! 🙂
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A log for all occasions and butt sizes, Alison. I’ve often sat on logs, but this is the first time I think I have ever seen them organized. Vancouver is beautiful. It has been far too long since I’ve been there. Great photos. 🙂 –Curt
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Thanks Curt. I’ve always loved Vancouver’s beach logs. I think they’re a great idea. I too have sat on many a log in my time 🙂
Yes, Vancouver is beautiful. I feel lucky to be able to live here. But then I think of Hawaii and think that would be a pretty special place to live too 🙂
Alison
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Always nice to love where you live, Alison! Being a woodsy type guy, I consider where I live now to be as close to perfect as I have ever come. (And we stay home more than you and Don.) 🙂 –Curt
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Lovely shots of the skyline. We were in Vancouver for a few days about three months ago, for the first time. We were very impressed with what a beautiful city it is and setting it’s in. Hoping to be back at some point in the future.
Peta
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Thanks Peta. I guess it would have been rainy when you were here. I appreciate the rain because it keeps the city very green and lush, but nothing much beats a sunny day here.
Alison
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Marvelous photos, Alison! I can sit for hours just watching the sun reflection on those glass buildings. There’s something magical about it.
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Thanks Bama. It was so beautiful at the beach those few evenings we went down there. I’m so glad I was able to capture some of the magic of it. I love the layout of Vancouver the way you can look at the city across the water at sunset.
Alison
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Amazing photographs
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Thanks so much. We had several beautiful evenings at the beach, with the setting sun illuminating everything.
Alison
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Alison – I’ve never seen photos of Vancouver like this! Absolutely gorgeous. The logs-as-benches are so appealing – suddenly, I want to sit there and watch that sunset. Okay – I know that I probably would need to hurry if that’s my plan for this season 🙂
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Thanks Susan. Those logs are a great place to watch the sunset, or across the water at English Bay where you’ll find similar logs. Summers in Vancouver can be so erratic. We’ve had about three weeks or so of beautiful hot weather and now it’s turned grey and rain is coming. But next week it could be hot again for another month. You never know what you’ll get. Come to Van anyway – it’s a great city.
Alison
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Ah, rain. I can’t say that I’d trade for Vancouver winters, but a little rain here in Central Cal would be lovely. We’re hoping to do some North American continental travel soon, and I am eager for a visit to Vancouver. Susan
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When you’re here and if we are still lets meet up.
A.
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I love meet-ups and would adore meeting up with you and Don. I’ll look forward to when our paths cross 🙂
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Okay – Now I’m adding Vancouver to our list of must sees. Your sunset photos are spectacular and I loved the one of the trees silhouetted against the golden sky. Enjoy the “dog days” of summer, Alison and Don! Anita
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Thanks Anita. It was so beautiful down there. We sat on the lawn with our picnic and watched the passing parade in the golden light. Summer comes and goes – the temp has dropped by about ten degrees for a few days, but should go back up again. Hopefully. Such is the reality of a Vancouver summer.
Alison
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I miss Vancouver. It is my 2nd home. But I’ll be back soon!
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It’s such a fabulous city. Where are you?
Alison
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Am in Calgary. It has taken some time to adjust to Calgary. I have half of my possessions and some bikes in Vancouver. I lived in Vancouver for 8 yrs. but alas, was offered a job here. Here’s a comparison: https://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/01/canadian-contrasts-or-ignorance-3-cities-3-solitudes/ Toronto was home prior to Vancouver for over 20 yrs.
Despite some regional differences, my love for Canada has grown even more for what I now know intimately about our country. We are incredibly fortunate to be Canadian citizens.
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Oh yes, we are extremely fortunate to be Canadian Citizens!
A.
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It seems you’re having a fabulous time in Vancouver, and I’m glad for you! Your photos are awesome, as always, and an inspiration for the rest of us:) One of your gorgeous sunset photo from Egypt inspired me to share few of my dear sunsets I have..
https://1000placesandmemories.wordpress.com/2016/08/29/dont-miss-them/
Vancouver is a great city indeed, I would have liked to spend more days this summer..
Christie
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Thanks Christie. Sunset is such a magical time of day, and Vancouver is a really beautiful city. Combine the two and it’s something special. Also Egypt! I’m glad you got inspired by an Egyptian sunset!
Alison
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Looks like a beautiful place to be in the summer!
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Oh yes Nicole, Vancouver is gorgeous on a sunny day. It can be very grey in the winter, but the summers can be spectacular.
Alison
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Seems like heaven to me, it’s like te city truly has it all! Hope to get there soon, would like to include it if we do a northwest USA road trip in a few years!
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Oh do come to Vancouver. It’s a fabulous city with lots to offer, including glorious summer sunsets at the beach!
Alison
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I have fond memories of this part of Vancouver I taught in Quadra school…and there was folk festivals on the beach too ☺️🤓 wonderful post Alison ❤️
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Thanks Hedy. I love this part of Van and we were lucky enough to be housesitting there for over 2 weeks right when we were having nice weather for a change. We were down at the beach almost every evening. There is still a huge folk festival in Jericho Park – mid July every year for 3 days.
Alison ❤
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I have fond memories ☺️
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