A Drunken Walk

                                   Long Suspension Bridge

     In Vancouver, Canada I could not resist walking across the longest suspension bridge in the world.  At  230-feet above the rushing Capilano River the 450-foot long bridge swayed with dizzying vigor. The wind swooped down to snare a man’s hat off his head carrying it like a floating balloon over the valley.

     The setting for this steel suspension bridge is in a temperate rain forest in British Columbia, Canada.  Many timid visitors watched as others stepped onto and walked drunkenly across the ravine. I compared it much like walking on a tightrope.

     A Scotsman by  the name of Mackay was so impressed with the beauty of the area that in 1888 he bought 6000 acres spanning both sides of the river.  The following year he suspended a hemp rope and cedar plank footbridge across the deep ravine.

    The bridge became quite an attraction and in 1903 a more secure wire bridge was built. Over the century the bridge was sold four times and the fourth and present steel cable bridge was built in 1956 with 13 tons of concrete firmly anchoring the cables in place on each end of the bridge. In 1962  hurricane Freda uprooted 82 large trees in the park with eight of them falling on the footbridge, but caused no damage!

    On the other side of the  swaying bridge I hiked several of the nature trails through the rainforest. Excellent interpretive signs, with delightful imaginative art work were informative. On successive trips to Vancouver I always make my way to Capilano to again cross the bridge.

On one trip there was a story pole carver on the premises who was happy to answer questions and explain his craft and the history of story poles.

    With no wind blowing it is  quite an easy walk. No matter what the weather, the lovely park-like forest on the far side is worth the walk, swaying and wobbly or not.

Beautiful Flowering Quarry

                                                 Beautiful  Quarry

    Who could ever imagine that a huge hole in the ground, a defunct 50-acre quarry, would ever become one of the most famous gardens in North America?

    Jenny Buchart, although happy with the income the limestone quarry and her husband’s cement plant provided, thought the big hole was a blight on the landscape in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

     In 1904, when she envisioned a garden, no one thought she she’d be successful in getting anything to grow. Tons of dirt were trucked into the quarry site while she designed the curves and hills of the gardens.

     During the Bucharts’  world travels, they bought statuary and brought home seeds and plants, obviously before the strict agriculture importation rules of today.

     Slowly the garden took shape and a century later the gardens still remain in the possession of the family. Fifty gardeners are kept busy full time, all year, to insure the gardens are always in bloom. No matter the season there is always a rainbow of color.

     In spring 60,000 tulips bloom in vibrant color everywhere. In fall the colors of many trees are spectacular. The rose garden is a mass of color when 2500 rose bushes bloom in summer.

     Many benches are situated around the gardens where one can rest or just sit and enjoy the surroundings as well as the peace and quiet of the entire area.

     Tacca, a large bronze boar, is positioned on the patio and appears to have just awakened, maybe from the sound of a hunt. His well burnished nose is  the result of all the good luck loving strokes given to it over the years as visitors and children bid farewell to the lovely gardens.  I have made several visits to  these gardens, but it was on my first visit years ago that Tacca was my first bronze to start my collection of  good luck brass rubbings.

     Cruise ships, especially to Alaska, run buses to Buchart when stopping in either Victoria or Vancouver. In such a case it’s a worthwhile side trip.

ANTIQUE CLOCKS

It seems every city has a major clock somewhere within its boundaries. I’ll relate a few that I’ve found interesting and have enjoyed in my many travels.

VENICE, ITALY—St. Mark Sq

This clock near the palace is several hundred years old. It strikes on the hour and the roman numerals move every five minutes. It’s fascinating to watch the little people up there strike the bell. The slowly rotating bell is struck in a different place each time.

VIENNA Anchor Clock, Ankeruhr.

Built between 1911 and 1917 it is situated at Hoher Markt, the oldest square in Vienna. The Art Nouveau designed clock forms a bridge between two parts of the Anker Insurance Company's building. The clock itself is adorned with mosaic ornaments. In the course of 12 hours, twelve historical figures or pairs of figures move across the bridge, Joseph Haydn and Empress Maria Theresa among them. Music from various eras accompanies the figures at noon each day as they all parade by. This tourist spectacle is a special kind of Viennese High Noon.

WERTHEIM, GERMANY:

The tower clock at the 1383 Gothic church is rather unusual. The tower was added 40 years later. On the town side is a normal clock with both minute and hour hands so workers would work to the last minute. But only an hour hand is on the clock facing the castle, as the rulers were only interested in the hour, not the minutes.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

There is a marvelous hanging clock in the center of the foyer of the QVC building in Sydney, Australia. Every hour on the hour loud trumpeters announce the display of a series of mechanically moving tableaux of British kings and queens. The exhibition ends with the beheading of Charles I. It is interesting to watch.

HALIFAX'S Citadel

On the harbor side of Citadel Hill is the Old Town Clock. Prince Edward, father of Queen Victoria, commissioned it in 1803. The clock on each side is a different size. The population in each direction, N,E,S,W, determined the clock size. Staring at this unusual four-sided clock all I could say was, “Amazing.”

MUNICH'S glockenspiel

Late morning we hurried to Maria Square to join a large crowd gathered to watch the 10-minute performance of the century old glockenspiel. In the tower of the new City Hall, which looks like a big Gothic church, the glockenspiel plays at 11:00 AM and again at noon. The figures in the 1908 clock are about six feet tall. The bells ring first, then the figures move around in a circle. It is over when the rooster at the top crows three times.

Departing the square for lunch I said, “ What a fun performance, but I expected the rooster to move forward when it crowed.instead of flapping its wings.” 

VANCOUVER Steam clock

The famous antique steam clock is the first built in the world. Douglas Smith was the engineer who built the clock over a steam vent at a cost of $42,000 in 1977. Ray Saunders, a well-known inventor and clockmaker designed the 16.9-foot clock. Weighing two ton, steel weights go to the top and then drop by gravity. Every quarter hour Westminster chimes are heard, and on the hour a large whistle belches from the clock. The steam pipes are all underground and also heat many of the buildings as well as running the clock.

One evening at a nearby Japanese restaurant we listened to all its chimes and whistles while enjoying a delightful dinner.

Since the city of Reykjavik is totally run on an underground steam system it would be a great place for a steam clock.

YORKMINSTER

On one wall in York, England’s Yorkminster is a charming 400 year old clock. Oak figures strike the clock every fifteen minutes. The clock movements date to 1749. The 15^th century screen is decorated with statues of fifteen kings from William I to Henry VI.

PRAGUE

On the front of the Old Town Hall in Prague’s old square sits an astronomical clock that chimes every hour on the hour from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. The clocks shows the year, month, day and hour as well as the rising and setting of the sun, east and west, the noon and the signs of the zodiac. But crowds gather on the hour to see the 1410 clock’s animated movements. The clock was restored in the 19^th century. When the hour approaches the window opens and the apostles move by.

Flanking the clock are statues representing the values of the day. The fellow looking in the mirror representing vanity perhaps saying he who spends time before a mirror has a poor life; he who helps others has a rich life. The miser represents greed saying spend your money, enjoy life, and have fun. The skeleton representing death says, enjoy life, it is short.. I don’t have you now, but I will. Finally is the Turk soldier representing pleasure and entertainment and not such a good life under them.

This astronomical clock is the third oldest in the world and the oldest still working. The legend is that the builder of the clock was blinded when his job was finished, so he could never duplicate his fine piece of work. I have heard this same legend about other artists being blinded in at least a couple of other places.

In Prague’s old Jewish Center on the Old Jewish Town Hall is a clock with Jewish numerals and the clock runs counterclockwise. Was the builder left handed? No, he was just following how Hebrew is read, from right to left. I really don’t know a lot about the clock, other than it is unique. Above it is a smaller clock with Roman numerals.

ZAGREB, CROATIA

Wandering around the capitol city I spied a wall with an unusual sun dial clock on it. A little over a half circle in size, it was divided into 12 pie-shaped sections with a roman numeral at the end of each pie. It was a most unusual clock and I have never seen another one.

STANLEY PARK, VANCOUVER,BC

                                       Lovely Stanley Park

     In Vancouver, B C, Stanley Park was named for the Stanley who was Governor General in 1888. Established that same year, it is the largest city park in North America. Seven miles of sea wall surround the 1000-acre park. Many walkers and bikers use the 50 miles of trails throughout the park. Two-thirds of the park is forested with fir, hemlock, spruce, and cedar trees being the most numerous.

     Douglas fir grows up to 300 feet tall and has a deeply grooved bark. The red cedar has a stringy bark and is the tree that is used for totem carving. Looking at the bark it is easy to tell the trees apart.

     Enroute to the park we passed a strange looking building with a mural painted on its side and We were to learn that it was one of five houses another Stanley built for one of his five families. He kept these families separated so they would not meet each other. He became very wealthy, making his money in Asian casinos. He is the Stanley who donated the money for the famous Stanley cup.

     The Guinness family bought 4000 acres on the other side of the Lion Gate Bridge for $70,000. He then built a twelve foot wide, two-lane bridge to connect his property to the park. The height of the bridge is only 13 feet 2 inches so the double-decker buses at 13 feet 6 inches cannot transit it. Years later the bridge was replaced without ever being closed. Each evening at 8:00 PM a ten-foot long section of bridge was removed by crane and replaced with a wider section of bridge. When completed, the bridge had a true three lanes.

    Riding along the beach we learned that the Tea Room Restaurant was officers’ quarters during WW II complete with a cannon.  One evening during a blackout a fishing boat sailed into restricted waters. The people on shore got anxious and fired a warning shot over the bow of the fishing vessel. But, for whatever reason, they had forgotten about the American ship anchored on the other side of the fishing boat. The cannon shot hit the U S ship sinking it. However, all the crew was ashore partying so there was no loss of life, and that is the total sum of the Battle of Stanley Park!

    Dead Man’s Island lies off the coast of Stanley Park. Originally it was a burial ground for First Nation’s Chiefs.  Later 200 Burrard Inlet warriors, who were slaughtered during a hostage exchange with northern raiders, were buried on the island. In the 1880s pest houses appeared to quarantine those with smallpox. Later sick prostitutes were banished to the island.  In 1943 the island became the home of HMCS Discovery and the Naval Reserve.

      There are several ways to enjoy this lovely urban park. One can take a guided tour or see the park from horse-drawn carriage, shuttle trolley, or tour bus---or by biking or hiking. Paths are well maintained. The seawall offers great views.

      We chose walking and intended to rent bikes one day but we ran out of time. There are many totem poles which incidentally are no longer call totems but story poles as they document a family or tribe’s history.

     Canada's largest aquarium   is in the park and is one of the most visited sites in Stanley Park. It is home to more than 70,000 creatures including dolphins, sea otters, anacondas, three-toed sloths, eels and more as well as a couple options for eating.

      Stanley Park Pavilion is one of the most distinguished buildings in the entire park - and it's also one of the most historic having been built in 1911. It's an architectural draw located in the park's famous rose gardens. The main draw is its restaurant, Stanley Park Bar & Grill.

      There are several playgrounds in the park, including the city's first. The playground at Ceperley Meadow near Second Beach was built in the 1920s and features a seafaring theme. There are also playgrounds near Lumberman's Arch and the Stanley Park Pavilion.

      One can spend a lot of time or several days in this lovely park.  

VANCOUVER, B C, CANADA

                       A Melting Pot of Peoples
           Vancouver, a city of two million, unites urban excitement with outdoor adventure. Surrounded on three sides by water there are some areas where the mountains literally meet the sea. Walking trails along the water surround down town. It is an exciting, busy, cosmopolitan, healthy, fairly quiet, clean city that is pedestrian friendly. Downtown is easy to walk and distances are short.

The year round balmy climate is perfect for the plentiful lush parklands. Exquisite formal gardens contrast with bold architecture throughout the city. Recreational facilities are abundant throughout the city.  The city is a mosaic of people, cultures, food, and language. The rich combination of cultures from around the world has brought the best of native cuisine to Vancouver with the 4000 restaurants, bistros, and cafes serving 25 different kinds of food. We had wonderful Asian meals and after each said we’d have to return to that restaurant, but the next one was just as good and we never visited the same restaurant twice!

Today the city is one of immigrants with many Chinese, Japanese & East Indians. Between 1881-1885 17,000 Chinese arrived to work on the railroad, mines, (copper, zinc, lead, coal and gold) canneries, and to serve as house servants.  The 1885 Chinese Immigration Act prohibited the Chinese a vote, able to lease land, or to choose a profession.

Japanese arrived in large numbers in 1886. They worked in the herring and fish industry, in the mills, on farms, and opened shops and stores. By the 1890s the original Musqueams and Squeamish peoples saw their life style disappear.

By the turn of the century Vancouver had become the financial, transportation and supply center of British Columbia. Salmon canneries boomed and the demand for paper & pulp created 100 new forestry companies in 10 years. Between 1910-1912 the population swelled from 27,000 to 122,000! Streetcars traveled over 250 miles of track. Roads were brick, macadam, or mud. High-rise buildings---4-5 stories high---started to emerge.

The West End is densely populated with 40,000 people living there, which translates to 625 people per square kilometer. That compares to 4.5 people per square kilometer in all of British Columbia! Here people walk to work. There are no freeways in the city, they all end just outside the city.

British Columbia is larger than Texas. There are 197 Nation Bands (indigenous people) in the province. If you remember that the north to south roads in the city are streets, and the east to west roads are avenues, it is easy to find your way around.

It was immediately obvious that glass towers and spires dominate the city’s skyline. Many of the glass buildings were built when the city hosted the 1986 Expo. Dark glass indicates that the building was built in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The later buildings have lighter glass.

The classical columns of the Vancouver Art Gallery, the art deco detail of the Marine Building, and the Roman echoes of the Vancouver Public Library temper the glass-sheathed business towers. The Marine Building, built in 1929, now has the only art deco remaining in the city. The depression hit the city hard resulting in much unemployment and many bankruptcies, and in the early 1930s the Guinness family (of liquor fame) bought the building for $900,000. In 1933 the first four floors (of 20) were leased out.

The Gothic revival tower on the Holy Rosary Cathedral, built in 1900, is 66 meters tall and contains eight bells that are still rung by hand.

The Hotel Vancouver built in 1887, was replaced in 1916, and replaced again in 1936. Until 1972 it was the tallest building in the city.

An exotic mix of ancient aboriginal settlements mix with ultra modern high rise buildings to surround the beautiful and busy harbor. The port of Vancouver, stretching 145 miles along the Burrard Inlet, is the largest in North America

The Sea Bus Terminal is in the old Canadian Pacific Railroad building, just at the edge of Gastown.

Canada Place with its five distinctive white sails is the ship terminal. A million people a year pass through the terminal on cruise ships on their way to Alaska.

More Vancouver next time.

Check posts 11/3/10 , 3/9/11 , 7/20/11 for more info